Road construction and maintenance are key interventions that support economic potential in the country. However, the deplorable state of some roads in Nigeria, and in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states draws research concerns. This paper seeks to examine the impact of the Niger Delta Development Commission Intervention on road construction and economic activities in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, Nigeria. Using the Sustainable Development Framework, a survey research design was employed, gathering data from 400 respondents across both states. The chi-square statistical technique was used to test the hypothesis that the Niger Delta Development Commission Intervention has no significant impact on road construction in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States. The result of the data analysis showed the calculated value X² = 1592 > 16.92. By this result, the null hypothesis was rejected (16.92) at 0.05 level of significance and 9 Degrees of Freedom, and the alternate was accepted. The study concludes that NDDC road projects have positively influenced economic activities and livelihoods in the states. However, it highlights the need for further improvements, particularly on the Calabar-Itu federal highway.

Technical Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) encompasses teachers’ understanding of the intricate interplay among technology, pedagogy, and subject matter expertise, serving as the essential knowledge base for integrating technology into subject-specific instruction. Over the decade, advancements in information technology have led to the consistent application of the TPACK framework within studies on instructional technology and technology-enhanced learning, significantly advancing the evolution of contemporary teacher education in technology integration. In this paper, we utilize the Teaching and Learning Knowledge of Subjects Based on Integrated Technology (TPACK) framework to administer a questionnaire survey to teacher trainees at Chinese colleges and universities. This survey aims to evaluate the current status of their integrated technology-based subject teaching and learning knowledge. Based on the research findings, we propose strategies aimed at enhancing the educational technology integration knowledge of students pursuing integrated technology courses in colleges and universities. Furthermore, we integrate the smart classroom setting to develop a comprehensive TPACK-integrated model teaching framework. Our final objective is to offer valuable references for the progress of modern teaching skills among education students in higher education institutions.

This research explores the role of social media in the political construction of identity, analyzing how these platforms mediate the expression and formation of individual and group political identities. The focus is on how social media changes the dynamics of communication and social interaction, facilitating the formation of “echo chambers” and increasing political polarization. Additionally, this study highlights challenges such as disinformation and the implications of social media for the health of democracy. As a researcher, I aim to highlight the broader implications of using social media in identity politics. By analyzing the impact of social media on political dynamics in Indonesia, this study reveals how social media influences public perception and political decisions. This study identifies how social media can be used as a tool to mobilize political support, but also how these platforms can spread disinformation and reinforce political polarization. Based on these concerns, researchers have not yet found research results that examine how social media specifically impacts the construction of political identity. This research aims to highlight how social media not only acts as a communication tool but also as a medium that influences the way individuals view and express their political identity. Through a qualitative approach, this study provides new insights into the impact of social media in contemporary political dynamics and the importance of digital literacy in addressing issues of identity politics in the digital era.

This study examines the impact of state highway construction contracts on state spending efficiency controlling for production structure, service demands, and situational factors. The theoretical argument is that because highway construction projects are relatively large in scale, complex, and can be monitored through objective performance measurement, state highway construction programs may save government production costs through contracts. Contracting helps highway producers achieve efficiency by optimizing production size based on workload and task complexity. The unit of analysis is 48 state governments’ highway construction contracts from 1998 to 2008. Through a two-stage analysis method including a Total Function Productivity (TFP) index and system dynamic panel data analysis, the results suggest that highway construction contracts enhance state highway spending efficiency, especially for large-scale construction projects.

Bamboo is one of the noble plant species in Ethiopia. Household (HH) income and construction role of highland bamboo (Oldeania alpina (K. Schum.) Stapleto) stands were assessed at Masha district, Southern Ethiopia. Three peasant associations (PAs), Yepo, Yina and Gada, 7–15 key informants and 68, 46, 31 households, respectively were interviewed about the cost and income of bamboo to compare with woody climbers, honey, and mushroom in 2021. Bamboo was one of the main sources of income in all PAs, at least for fencing or house construction. In Yepo, Yina and Gada bamboo accounts 0.7%, 28.1%, 16.3% of the HH NTFP income, respectively. The local people responded that bamboo constructed houses and fences were durable for 15–30 and 2–10 years, respectively. In constructing a 2.44–4.27 m radius local house in Yepo, Yina and Gada 2.4–6 m³, 4.1–5.82 m³ and 3.1–4.3 m³ bamboo culms were harvested at 15, 20, and 30 years interval, respectively by each HH. Bamboo young shoots were also seasonally used for food. Although bamboo provides multiple uses, like substitute for wood and environmental services, it was facing different problems of deforestation. Therefore, policy attention is highly important for bamboo sustainable utilization.

Weather is almost inevitable and plays an important role in determining the duration of construction projects. The construction industry ultimately thrives upon the physical input, put in by the labours. The majority of the construction projects are executed in the outdoor environment and hence face a high impact of weather conditions. This study therefore evaluated the influence of weather conditions on construction workers’ productivity in Jos, Plateau State and proceeded to make recommendations geared towards the improvement of construction workers’ productivity in Jos. The study was conducted through the direct observation method. Three hundred and ninety-six (396) works were purposively sampled in selected working sites. The outcome shows that during dry weather, there was considerably less significant productivity of manual excavation. In contrast, a large increase in blockwork and plasterwork productivity was observed with a percentage difference of 33%, 56.3% and 61%, respectively. On the other hand, during wet weather conditions, the labour productivity for manual excavation increases, whereas it decreases for block work and plasterwork with percentages difference of 58%, 40% and 47%, respectively. Besides, relative humidity and wind speed have no impact on labours’ productivity in dry and wet weather. Besides, the temperature has the most decisive impact on workers’ productivity. Moreover, wind speed and humidity have a lower influence on workers’ productivity. The construction industry stakeholder in Jos, Nigeria, would benefit from this study’s recommendations for reducing the influence of weather on the building sector. Besides, the output can be extended to other regions having similar characteristics.