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This paper aims to promote the development of a form of tourism product that can help to promote economic development at Ikare.

The study was conducted at Ikare using a qualitative approach. Tourism assets were identified through interviews and visits to attractions.

Ikare has significant tourism assets that if well harnessed will over time, change the socio-cultural and economic outlook of the town. It is also imperative that the newly formed Ikare Tourism Action Club achieves the objective of this transformation by focussing on the promotion of local tourism assets through local participation.

There were no limitations in conducting this research, however, there may be some limitations in relation to the Ikare Tourism Action Club’s ability to access the funds it needs to achieve its objectives in promoting development from international funding agencies with an interest in nature, cultural and heritage tourism.

Ikare is uniquely blessed with a number of spring waters or rivers as they are more often referred to. These spring waters are not common in any other part of Nigeria because of their unique history. Part of the history is that the springs run throughout the year, irrespective of the degree of drought, thereby providing a sustainable water supply to all the inhabitants of the town. Some of the springs serve specific purposes as they are connected to some of the town’s cultural heritage sites.

Apart from its people, there are cultural assets that underline tourism that tourists look forward to in any destination. In terms of natural resources, there is a little problem because if compared to other towns in Ondo State that do not have such a natural resource base, then the future for Ikare would be quite bright especially if Ikare improves its natural attractions.

Ikare has never been promoted as an ecotourism destination. An aspect of the objective of the Ikare Tourism Action Club is to promote Ikare as a unique tourism destination. In so doing, the development of ecotourism activities in Ikare will offer a unique opportunity that will positively influence the conservation of protected areas and socio/economic development for local people.

This study assesses the classification accuracy of an artificial neural network (ANN) model. It examines the application of loan recovery probability rather than odds of default as the case with traditional credit evaluation models.

Data on 2,300 loans granted over the period 2001-2012 was obtained from the databases of Nigerian commercial banks and primary mortgage institutions. A multilayer feed-forward ANN model with back-propagation learning algorithm was developed having classified the sample into training (38 per cent), testing (41 per cent) and validation (21 per cent) sub-samples.

The model exhibits a high overall percentage classification accuracy of 92.6 per cent. It also achieves relatively low misclassification Type I and Type II errors at 6.5 per cent and 8.2 per cent, respectively. Macroeconomic variables such as gross domestic product, inflation and interest rates have the strongest influence on the ANN model classification power. The result of the analysis shows that adopting odds of recovery in ANN classification models can lead to improved loan evaluation.

The paper is distinct from extant studies in that it presents a new dimension to loan evaluation in Nigerian lending market. To the best knowledge of the authors, the paper is among the first to explore probability of loan recovery as the basis for credit evaluation in the country.

This study aims to explore the factors influencing the quality of project delivery in the Nigerian construction industry, addressing a critical gap in the existing literature and providing insights for improving construction practices in Nigeria.

A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative analysis of survey data with qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews. The survey gathered data on various factors affecting project quality, while interviews provided contextual understanding and nuanced perspectives from industry professionals.

This study identifies seven key factors influencing project delivery quality: contractor performance (β = 0.235, p < 0.001), design and materials management (β = 0.180, p < 0.001), documentation and procurement (β = 0.175, p < 0.001), workforce management and skills (β = 0.142, p < 0.001), project management practices (β = 0.153, p < 0.001), budget and financial management (β = 0.139, p < 0.001) and government regulations (β = 0.080, p < 0.001). Contractor performance and design/materials management have the most significant impact, underscoring the need for strong contractor supervision, material standards and efficient design processes. Additionally, effective documentation and procurement are crucial for success, with procurement inefficiencies leading to delays and reduced quality. Workforce competencies also play a major role, as inadequate training and a lack of skilled labour result in construction defects and compromised project outcomes.

Limitations of the study include its focus primarily on industry professionals' perspectives and its limited scope to the Nigerian context. Future research could explore additional stakeholder perspectives and extend the study to other geographical contexts.

The findings offer valuable insights for construction professionals, policymakers, and other stakeholders, informing the development of a tailored approach to enhance quality project delivery in Nigeria. By addressing critical factors identified in the study, stakeholders can mitigate risks, improve project outcomes and contribute to the sustainable development of the construction industry.

This study contributes to the existing literature by comprehensively analysing the factors influencing quality project delivery in the Nigerian construction industry. Integrating quantitative and qualitative data provides a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities inherent in ensuring project quality, offering practical implications for industry practitioners and policymakers.

Building developments are often capital intensive, have a long payback period and many associated risks and uncertainties. This makes investments in building projects to be a big challenge. This study aims to develop a computerized simulation-based binomial model (CSBBM) for building investment appraisal with a view to improving the economic sustainability of proposed building projects.

Mathematical equations and algorithms were developed based on the binomial method (BM) of real options analysis and then implemented on a computer system. A hybrid algorithm that integrates Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) and BM was also developed. A real-life project was used to test the model. Sensitivity analysis was also conducted to explore the influence of input variables on development option value (DOV).

The test result shows that the model developed provides a better estimate of the value of an investment when compared with traditional net present value technique, which underestimate the value. Moreover, inflation rate (i) and rental value (Ri) are the most sensitive variables for DOV. An increase in i and Ri by just 5% causes a corresponding increase in DOV by 202% and 132%, respectively. While the least sensitive variable is the discount rate (r), as an increase in r by 5% causes a corresponding decrease in DOV by just 9%. The CSBBM is capable of determining the optimal time of development of buildings with an accuracy of 80.77%.

The hybrid model produces higher DOV than that of only the BM because MCS considers randomness in uncontrollable variables. Thus, building investment decision-makers should always use MCS to complement the BM in an investment analysis.

There is limited evidence on the use of this kind of hybrid model for determining DOV in practice.

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on Islamic finance vis-à-vis legal and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks in its transactions and judicial dispute resolution in Nigeria. This is with a view to putting forward direction for future studies on the duo of legal and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks and their impact in Islamic finance.

This review is designed as an exploratory study and qualitative methodology is used in examining relevant literature comprising of primary and secondary data while identifying legal risk and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks of Nigeria’s Islamic finance industry. Using the doctrinal approach together with content analysis, relevant Nigerian laws and judicial precedents applicable to Islamic finance practice and related publications were examined in determining the identified risks.

Undeveloped laws, the uncertainty of Sharīʿah governance and enforceability issues are identified as legal gaps for Islamic finance under the Nigerian legal system. The gaps are inimical to and undermine investor confidence in Nigeria’s Islamic finance industry. The review reveals the necessity of tailor-made Sharīʿah-based regulations in addition to corresponding governance and oversight for a legally safe and Sharīʿah-compliant Islamic finance practice. It brings to light the imperative for mitigating the legal and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks associated with Islamic finance operations as crucial for Islamic finance businesses, Islamic finance institutions and their sustainable development.

Based on content analysis, the review is wholly doctrinal and does not involve empirical data. Legal safety and Sharīʿah compliance are not to be compromised in Islamic finance operations. The review would assist relevant regulators and investors in Islamic financial enterprises to understand and determine the impact and potential ramifications of legal safety and Sharīʿah non-compliance on Islamic Finance Institutions.

This study provides an insight into the dimensions and ramifications of legal and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks of Nigeria’s Islamic finance industry. This study is premised on the imperative for research studies whose outcome would inform regulations that strike a balance between establishing Islamic financial institution/business and ensuring legal certainty and Sharīʿah compliance of their operations. This study paves way for this kind of research studies.

The findings and discussions provide a guide for regulators and researchers on the identification and mitigation of legal and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks in Islamic finance via a literature review. This study, the first of its kind in Nigeria, advances the idea that research into legal and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks of Islamic financial entities is key to mitigating the risks and fostering the entities and their businesses.

This paper aims to critically review the strategies for prevention of illicit financial flows to and from developing countries with a view of ascertaining the most effective strategies to be selected and implemented by developing countries to stem the scourge.

The peer-reviewed journal articles were studied; those that discussed illicit financial flows were selected and reviewed critically using the systematic quantitative assessment techniques together with an output table.

The critical review deduced that enacting effective trade laws, trade regulations, creating a beneficial ownership registry, multinational companies disclosing information on business, automatic exchange of information on tax issues, the Financial Action Task Force 40 guidelines on anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism and domestic and international cooperation are the most reliable strategies that should be implemented by developing countries.

The wide geographic scope of developing countries, use of only high-quality databases that restricted the use of other articles and use of public sector perspective are the limitations for this paper.

This study is amongst the limited works to discuss the most reliable and effective strategies to prevent illicit financial flows in developing countries.

Over the last three decades, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has evolved significantly as a worldwide trend in both the management literature and the modern economy. However, it is still at its infancy stage in the developing countries like Malaysia. It is more prevalent in the coffee industry, due to the challenges that this industry encounters. In addition, not much information is available in the academic literature in order to understand these challenges that this industry is facing in performing CSR. Therefore, this chapter aims to highlight the main challenges that the coffee franchise industry faces in incorporating the activities of CSR in their operations. Lack of top management support, performing CSR in isolation, and lack of capable employees to do CSR are some of the major challenges. This chapter is expected to advance the knowledge about CSR practices and challenges in the Malaysian context.

The purpose of this study is to examine the contribution of academic and professional institutions in promoting the awareness and knowledge of Islamic banking and finance in Nigeria.

The data were generated through a documentary research method by examining the Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) for Nigerian universities and Nigerian university curricula for the relevant undergraduate programs, as well as examination syllabi and training brochures for the relevant professional associations.

The study found that universities do not promote significantly the awareness and knowledge of Islamic banking and finance. Similarly, the relevant professional associations through their examinations and training programs contribute little or nothing to the promotion of awareness and knowledge.

This study solely relied upon documentary evidence upon which the findings were based. In addition, for academic institutions, only undergraduate BMAS and curricula were examined.

There should be collaborations between the National University Commission of Nigeria, relevant Islamic and non-Islamic professional bodies and Nigerian Universities to ensure that courses (subjects) that could promote the awareness and knowledge of Islamic banking and finance are fully integrated into academic and professional curricula and training programs.

The integration of an adequate number of relevant courses/topics into academic curricula and professional institution examination syllabi and their Mandatory Continuing Professional Development programs would greatly contribute to the production of competent and skillful employees to work for the growth and development of the Islamic banking and finance industry.

This study provides better ways of ensuring that knowledgeable and qualified employees are produced to work for the sustainability of the global Islamic banking and finance industry.

This article investigates the dynamic implication of healthcare expenditure on economic growth in the selected ten Sub-Saharan African countries over the period 2000–2018.

The study methodology included dynamic heterogenous panel, using mean group and pooled mean group estimators. The investigation of the healthcare expenditure and economic growth nexus was achieved while controlling the effects of investment, savings, labor force and life expectancy via interaction terms.

The results from linear healthcare expenditure have a significant positive impact on economic growth, while the nonlinear estimates through the interaction terms between healthcare expenditure and investment have a negative statistically significant impact on growth. The marginal effect of healthcare expenditure evaluated at the minimum and maximum level of investment is positive, suggesting the impact of health expenditure on growth does not vary with the level of investments. This result responds to the primary objective of the article.

In policy terms, the impact of investment on healthcare is essential to addressing future health crises. The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can never be separated from the shortages or low prioritization of health against other sectors of the economy. The article also provides an insight to policymakers on the demand for policy reform that will boost and make the health sector attractive to both domestic and foreign direct investment.

Given the vulnerability of SSA to the health crisis, there are limited studies to examine this phenomenon and first to address the needed investment priorities to the health sector infrastructure in SSA.