PurposeThe study builds on studies in online shopping. Existing studies in online shopping proved that it is an attraction to shoppers. In Nigeria's emerging economy the increasing Internet penetration does not equate with intention to use online shopping because it is not really used by users for online shopping. Consumers are considering it unattractive because of serious concerns that border on product quality of online shops and poor know-how on e-tech. The study sought to explore factors that could mitigate challenges to successful online shopping in Nigeria's emerging economy.Design/methodology/approachOnline survey method was used to sample 246 respondents. Measurement items were adapted from related literature. Confirmatory factor analysis and content validity were used to check the reliability and validity. A set of fit indices were used to check the goodness of fit. Data was analysed using structural equation model.FindingsResults indicate direct effects of consumer attitude, perceived usefulness and social influence on intention to use online shopping with consumer attitude shown to have a greater degree of importance towards intention to use online shopping. Thus, consumers' attitude of browsing online and going offline for purchases is dependent on attitude of like or dislike. Perceived ease of use, social influence and perceived usefulness had an indirect positive effect on consumer attitude to intention to use online shopping. Social influence is indicated to have a direct positive effect on perceived ease of use. Also perceived ease of use had a positive and direct effect on perceived usefulness.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample size is not large enough and the use of snowball sampling limits representativeness.Practical implicationsThe study indicated vital factors African emerging economies like Nigeria can use to improve consumer confidence towards intention to use online shopping and drive cashless policies. Several studies have missed the indirect effect of referents (social influence) on adoption of technology. The study proved that it can produce indirect effect as well as direct effect on intention to use online shopping.Originality/valueSeveral studies have missed the indirect effect of referents (social influence) on adoption of technology. The study proved that it can produce indirect effect as well as direct effect on online shopping.

Multi Level Marketing (MLM) for healthcare product is one of the dramatic transformations that have emerged in contemporary times with varying behavioral responses. Its increasing acceptance in Nigeria is because people find it an alternative option to addressing diverse health concerns amidst other economic benefits. The study considered multilevel marketing in health with a key focus on the relationship between multilevel health products and continuance intention. Descriptive statistics and SEM statistical tool was employed in the analysis. This study therefore examines the issue of MLM and motivating factors and continued intention to engage in MLM in the health related product categories. An online survey was administered on 227 networkers of MLM in South-East, Nigeria. The data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and descriptive statistics. Result shows that Nature Renascence International (NRI), Longrich, and Norland are the major MLM brands. Other not popular brands are Edmark, Tianshi, AIM Global, Forever Living Products, Oriflame, and Neolife. However, the major challenge lies in getting down-liners / new people to register and be part of the MLM business. Analysis shows that wealth benefit is the major motivation to join an MLM despite the promises of health benefits. Specifically, wealth benefit is found to be significantly related to health benefit. The study also provides evidence that there is a nexus between wealth benefit and ethical concern. Also, wealth benefit has a significant effect on continued intention. The recommendation centers on policy-drive and regulation. An appropriate policy that addresses the establishment and operation of businesses that engages in MLM of health products is required. This is paramount in other to curtail unethical practices and sharp practices from MLM businesses. In addition, there is a need for proper regulation. The regulation is required to control the use of unprofessional healthcare personnel in counseling and prescribing health drugs as well as targeting issues of false claims.

mHealth innovation is health innovation that is gaining adoption in developing countries. The COVID-19 impact and the brain drain of health practitioners in Nigeria are indicating higher importance of the innovation. However, while the literatures on adoption are rising there is paucity of literature on intention to recommend mHealth innovation particularly with gender context. The study considered determinants of end-users’ behavioural intention to recommend mHealth innovation by considering multi-group analysis. Theory of reasoned action was modified with variables from health belief model and unified theory of acceptance and use of innovation to structure the intention to recommend mHealth model. Structured questionnaire with adapted items from extant studies were scaled on 7 point likert scale while snowball sampling technique was adopted in data collection. A total of 291 questionnaires were used in the analysis which was done through IBM Statistics version 23 and AMOS 23. The study used descriptive statistics, structural equation model and an invariant analysis to check the difference between the groups. The model showed good fit using a set of fit indices and coefficient of codetermination that indicates high predictive capacity. The SEM analysis show that subjective norm is the most vital factor that influences end-users’ intention to recommend mHealth innovation to others. Generally, it indicates that male users have higher intention to recommend mHealth innovation than female users of mHealth innovation. The result of the analysis also show that the correlations between the exogenous factors are positive and at least moderate across gender thus indicating the direction for adoption of marketing communication strategies to deepen the awareness of the innovation and encourage recommendation to others. The recommendation suggested center on marketing communication strategies that involves use of role models, influencers, celebrities, health practitioners and other referents to encourage the awareness and intention to recommend the innovation. The key limitation of the study is on sample size and the use of cross-sectional survey design which could pose danger in generalisation of the findings. However, it is concluded in the study that male users of mHealth innovation have higher intention to recommend the innovation than the female users of the innovation.

Environmental pollution is one of the major consequences of gas flaring. In the rural oil producing communities of the Niger Delta where this age long practice is common and a large portion of the population use rain water for domestic activities, it is imperative to evaluate the rain water quality in these environments. In this work, a hundred samples of rain water were collected within a period of two years from a typical community where gas flaring has been dominant for several decades. The samples were analyzed in the laboratory for pH value, turbidity and nitrite content, and the results were compared against the World Health Organization (WHO) standard for water quality. The study shows that the rainwater samples collected from the gas flaring zone had an average turbidity value of 22.58NTU, an average pH value of 6.75 and contained an average of 2.6mg/l of nitrite. However, when considered separately, some rain water samples met the WHO standard while others did not. It was observed that about 61% of the samples considered met the WHO standard on turbidity of 15NTU for rain water and 17% of the samples met the standard for drinking water which is 5NTU. 26% met the lower pH standard of 7.0 for drinking water while 64% met the pH standard of 6.5 for rain water. 60% met the WHO requirement for nitrite content of 3mg/l but generally, about 39% of the samples did not meet the WHO standard for rain water quality. These test parameters indicate that the level of rain water pollution in this gas flaring environment is high and unhealthy especially for the ecosystem system. Thus, drastic measures need to be taken to stall gas flaring in the Niger Delta.

Crude oil fingerprinting is a term applied to techniques that utilize geochemical analysis of hydrocarbon fluids composition to provide valuable information for well, reservoir and spill management. Analysis of crude oil fingerprints reveals a typical oil profile. Such a profile can provide information on formation history, type of carbon number preference during formation and route of migration. This study was undertaken using whole oil fingerprint and biomarkers of oils from twenty well strings from an onshore field in the Niger Delta Region. The aim was to evaluate light crude oils and determine thermal maturity, source rock quality, depositional environment and condensate correlation. The crude oil samples were analyzed using two major analytical techniques namely Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Evaluation of light hydrocarbon components was done using Mango parameters K1, K2, P2, P3 and N2 and the results revealed terrigenous organic matter input. Biomarker composition and pristane/phytane ratios in the range of 3.51 to 6.83 derived from GC results show that the source rock of the oils is made up of majorly terrestrial (type III) organic matter, deposited in a deltaic setting with prevailing oxic conditions. Maturity parameters calculated from Carbon Preference Indices between the range of 0.87 and 1.44 indicate the source is matured. The study provides key information on source characteristics that are applied to describe the type of petroleum prospects of a region. This study also provides information on condensate correlation, which has production implications such as application to production allocation.