Papers by Prof. Mohamed Syed Fofanah
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF WOOD TAR PRODUCTION I SIERRA LEONE , 2024
Wood tar is the byproduct that is discharged when wood is carbonized in a charcoal kiln or distil... more Wood tar is the byproduct that is discharged when wood is carbonized in a charcoal kiln or distilled in a distillation furnace. Burning of charcoal and biomass gasification processes release large quantities of trace gases and particles that contribute to air pollution and climate change. This study aims at contributing to the identification of woods suitable for wood tar production in Sierra Leone in order to help rural communities involve in charcoal production protect the environment at the same time earning additional income from sale of wood tar. Carbonization using Tumulus kiln was done on four different weights of the dry wood samples taken at 400kg, 500kg, 600kg and 700kg. The quantities of wood tars produced by the three wood samples (Phyllanthus discoideu, Diallum guinesis and Mangifera indica) determined. The study revealed that all three wood samples are suitable candidates for wood tar production with Mangifera indica and Phyllanthus discoideu most preferred.
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This study investigates the utilization of mobile health (mHealth) technology for malaria surveil... more This study investigates the utilization of mobile health (mHealth) technology for malaria surveillance in Sierra Leone, focusing on the Bo District. Data from a 19-month period were analyzed, including suspected malaria cases, rapid diagnostic test (RDT) results, and performance metrics of the mHealth surveillance system. Results indicate that 62.0% of suspected malaria cases tested positive for malaria using RDT. Monthly trends in suspected and confirmed malaria cases exhibited fluctuations, with seasonal variations observed. The mHealth surveillance system demonstrated a sensitivity of 70.2%, specificity of 64.8%, positive predictive value of 68.1%, and negative predictive value of 71.6%. Temporal variations in malaria cases and a comparative analysis of RDT results underscored the dynamic nature of malaria transmission. Additionally, age-specific vulnerability to malaria was identified, emphasizing the importance of targeted interventions. This study provides valuable insights into the efficacy of mHealth technology for malaria surveillance and informs evidence-based strategies for disease control and management.
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This study investigates the efficacy of an mHealth disease surveillance system in monitoring and ... more This study investigates the efficacy of an mHealth disease surveillance system in monitoring and controlling malaria in Bo District, Sierra Leone, a malaria-endemic region. Data collection occurred from January 2019 to August 2020, utilizing the mHealth system for real-time reporting of suspected malaria cases. Descriptive analysis of the data revealed a significant malaria burden, with 62.0% of 573,429 suspected cases testing positive. Age-specific analysis showed higher positivity rates among children under 5 years and individuals aged 21 years and above. Geographic analysis identified Bo District as having the highest positivity rate (66.7%). Treatment outcomes varied, with Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) demonstrating the highest success rate (92.7%). Performance metrics evaluation indicated sensitivity (78.5%), specificity (85.2%), positive predictive value (67.8%), and negative predictive value (91.4%). The study concludes that while the mHealth system shows promise in malaria surveillance, improvements in diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes are necessary. Recommendations include enhancing diagnostic infrastructure, capacity-building, and stakeholder collaboration to strengthen malaria control efforts in Sierra Leone.
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International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT), 2024
The Environmental and social impact assessment (EHSIA) study was done on the KAPORTA granite quar... more The Environmental and social impact assessment (EHSIA) study was done on the KAPORTA granite quarry project based on guidelines and regulations provided by SLEPA in the
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International Journal of Engineering Research and General Science, 2024
Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) is one of the oldest mining industries in Sierra Leo... more Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) is one of the oldest mining industries in Sierra Leone; second only to diamond. Sierra Leone gold production was reported at 60.000 kg in Dec 2022. Gold mining has contributed immensely to the economic development of Sierra Leone; especially mining communities as it is one of the most significant employer in the informal sector in country which provides employment for mainly rural youths. The primary interest of gold miners in Sierra Leone is the extraction of the gold mineral from its ore discarding other precious minerals associated with the gold ore which they are not aware of. Identification of these other minerals from this gold ore could contribute to national economy development. Artisanal small scale gold miners lack the XRF technology to swiftly analyze rock samples and determine the concentration of valuable elements like gold, silver, copper, and more. Therefore the search for gold leads to the indiscriminate destruction of mining sites that negatively impact the environment. XRF data forms the basis for estimations of the site's economic viability and potential profitability. There are many techniques used in the identification of minerals or elements from ores, but the most preferred technique for many researchers is the X-ray fluorescence (XRF). XRF is a non-destructive analytical technique that employs the principles of X-ray fluorescence to determine the elemental composition of a material. In the context of gold analysis, XRF is particularly valuable for its ability to quickly and accurately identify the concentration of various elements in a gold ore sample. The study aims at identifying precious minerals in the gold ores of Gbonkolenken Chiefdom using XRF technique that could contribute to economic development of mining communities and Sierra Leone as a whole. The results of the qualitative XRF analyses of the samples identified gold, silver, zirconium, tin among the key elements detected. The percentage concentration of the elements were not quantified as the researcher main interest was to know the minerals presents in the samples.
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Sierra Leone has a workplace safety law known as the 'Factories Act 1974' but very little has bee... more Sierra Leone has a workplace safety law known as the 'Factories Act 1974' but very little has been done to address the issue of health and safety in the workplace. Improving workers' safety in Sierra Leone is challenging because of social, economic, literacy and political factors. Most workers in Sierra Leone industries are semiskilled and illiterate and have not completed a very high level of formal education. This study was conducted to assess the impact of safety protocol on job satisfaction and company performance, of which the Miro Forestry Company in Mile 91 Sierra Leone was used as a case for the study. The study examined the management processes related to safety protocol and safety management system in the company, contributions of safety to performance; including the challenges affecting the implementation of safety protocols at workplace and factors that determine job satisfaction of employees and the effects on company performance. The sample size for the study was seventy-nine (79) staff members, chosen from a total population of one hundred (100), 20 management staffs (safety department), 50 sawmill staffs and 9 staffs from the pole treatment plant. Overall, the research planned to collect information from 79 respondents. The self-administered questionnaire with close-ended questions was used to collect data. Data was analyzed in both OriginPro 2024 and Microsoft Excel and presented in frequency tables, charts and descriptive narratives. The results showed a significant impact of safety protocol on job satisfaction and company performance. However, some challenges hindered the success of safety protocol in the Miro Forestry Company. It was recommended that staff should be trained and educated on safety protocol, company conforms to budget and workers be motivated.
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International journal of science and research, May 5, 2024
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Journal of South China University of Technology, 2000
This work represents results of some physical properties of six clay samples collected from diffe... more This work represents results of some physical properties of six clay samples collected from different regions in Sierra Leone. These physical properties were correlated with the crushing strength of unglazed floor tiles. Firing temperature is the major factor controlling the strength of the fired clay tiles as shown by their correlation coefficients. Although there is no significant relationship between particle size distribution and strength of the fired tiles, excess addition sand fraction lowers the strength while clay and sand fractions in considerable amount improved strength, High plasticity has been found to have a reducing effect on strength.
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International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 2024
Digital financial technology (DFT) is the use of information technology and communication to comp... more Digital financial technology (DFT) is the use of information technology and communication to complete a series of financial transactions such as: payment, online lending, enquiries, crowdfunding, remittances, insurance etc. Digital financial technology is a key enabler to reduce extreme poverty and being able to have access to a transaction account is a first step toward broader financial inclusion, since a transaction account allows people to: store money, make payment, access to credit facilities, send and receive payments. Globally, women in low medium income countries (LMICs) are 33 percent less likely than men to have a mobile money account. In Sierra Leone, despite having 14 commercial banks, 17 community banks and above 50 active microfinance institutions (MFIs), five of them deposit taking, three Mobile Money Operators, and 59 Financial Services Associations (FSA), account ownership among the adults' population, especially women, in Sierra Leone remain low. This is because most financial institutions are concentrated in the capital, Freetown, and secondary urban areas, leaving most people in other parts of the country cutoff from the financial system. Reasons include the high operating cost for institutions going into the rural and under-served areas of the country. The adoption rate to financial technology in Sierra Leone has been gradually improving over the years. However, faced with challenges such as requirement to open an account. Account opening requirement is an impediment for a very large number of the population, as banks and mobile money operators requires one to have valid national ID, proof of address and passport pictures in some cases to have an account opened. These requirements in most cases cannot be fulfilled by women as a result of their economic status that does not allow them to obtain accounts registered in their names. They are therefore found using mobile money accounts registered in other names which could further down the chain serve as a bottleneck in the entire chain. This research follows a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative approach. The study depict that women are significantly more likely to rely on others when using financial technologies. Without concerted efforts to reduce women's reliance on others, this is likely to limit the way they engage platforms and services. More needs to be done to provide training resources to women at the point of signing up to DFT platforms and ensure the information they receive is comprehensive and correct.
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International Journal of Scientific Development and Research (IJSDR, 2024
The continued reliance on the consumption of charcoal has a very serious effect on the environmen... more The continued reliance on the consumption of charcoal has a very serious effect on the environment that captures the concern of the Sierra Leone Government. Some Governments and development partners have concluded that charcoal production is responsible for deforestation, climate change, pollution related health hazards the long-term unavailability of fossil fuels. This concern has led to significant increase in the use of renewable energy such as, solar energy, despite of it high initial cost, especially for high and middle income families. This study aims at providing information that could contribute to a viable environmental management in Sierra Leone as well as improving the socioeconomic status of rural charcoal producers and beneficiaries for better livelihood. A desk review was conducted to collect secondary information relevant to the study followed by field visits to the project communities/districts were carried out to supplement the secondary information. During the field visits, information on physical resources, ecological resources, socioeconomic aspects, health and cultural aspects and other attributes were collected using both quantitative and qualitative methods chiefly focus group discussion and One-on-one meetings with key members of local communities focusing on specific issues related to charcoal production. The income level of inhabitants evaluated in order to know whether there is any appreciable level of improvement in their earning status revealed no significant improvement as reported by charcoal producers. Most of these people in the communities earn between NLe10-NLe15 a day; meaning that most people in the communities have still not transcended the poverty line of US$1 a day. Although traditional charcoal production is perceived as a profitable venture, not much is realized by the charcoal producers who rather face compounding health hazard from inhaling tarry smoke, which is a byproduct of wood carbonization. Charcoal production could be made sustainable and serve as an income generation for the rural poor if properly managed, hence charcoal production can meaningfully contribute to poverty reduction.
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.International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 2024
Sierra Leone soils are mainly ultisols in which the accumulated clay has long been recognized as ... more Sierra Leone soils are mainly ultisols in which the accumulated clay has long been recognized as an important raw material for building and manufacturing of ceramic utensils. The basis for classification and understanding ceramic clays is the soil profile description made in the field, where soils occur. Laboratory investigations only supplement understanding of soil profile descriptions made in the field. For ceramic products to be appreciated in Sierra Leone, which has a high potential for the establishment of ceramic industry due to her huge deposit of clay, research has to be done to provide information on the various clay deposits with reference to their ceramic suitability and to do so an understanding of the soil profiles from which this clays are extracted is essential. Two hundreds or more years have passed since the discovery of ceramics and many civilizations in the world have developed this industry to economically viable and environmentally sound levels. Where Sierra Leone stands in all this development is yet to be determined. The development of ceramics at the traditional level in Sierra Leone has regrettably not advance beyond the first basic stage discovered by primeval man. To this day, sundried mud instead of firm relatively indestructive fired bricks are used for building houses in rural communities. This study aims at identifying some properties of soil profiles whose clays could be used in ceramics production of tiles, bricks and household utensils so as to establish small scale ceramic industries that could improve the livelihoods of pottery communities in Sierra Leone. Three soil profiles, representing taxonomic units, were sampled from each of the four sites (Pa Loko, Niagorehun, Yengema and Mabettor). The sampled soil profiles from each unit were described using freshly exposed vertical pits and fresh auger boring at depth within horizons. Clay samples were collected from the "B" Horizon and both the physical and chemical properties of these clays were analyzed. From the results of both the physical and chemical analyses of the clay samples collected from the various soil profiles, a conclusion could be made that the clays are suitable for the production of ceramic building materials, especially fired bricks. For manufacture of ceramic wares, these clays need further processing through addition of grog and other additives to improve it firing characteristic.
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International Journal of Scientific Development and Research (IJSDR), 2024
Agriculture forms the economic backbone in Sierra Leone as almost all rural communities embark in... more Agriculture forms the economic backbone in Sierra Leone as almost all rural communities embark in subsistence agriculture. Poverty is widespread and deep and the country's poverty profile shows that the main poverty indicators are insufficient food, poor housing, poor health, high illiteracy, limited access to clean water, and lack of money. Maternal mortality, infant mortality and fertility rates are among if not the worst in the world. The primary focus of this study was on rice, cassava groundnut and vegetables mainly pepper and tomatoes value chains in Port Loko Districts, NorthWest region of Sierra Leone where most rural development organizations are working with farmers, especially women, growing the crops mentioned with the goal of improving the livelihood of rural communities through poverty reduction. The farm management survey (FMS) and socioeconomic surveys (SES) methods were the structured research tool used in this study. Data was collected via interviews based on a structured questionnaire, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) which generated both quantitative and qualitative data. The study shows a lag in agricultural production which is caused by insufficient attention to agriculture coupled with the fact that crop production, especially crops investigated, is plagued by myriad of problems including; (i) unfavorable producer prices for most agriculture products, (ii) low crop yields, (iii) attack from pests like birds and rodents, (iv) low soil fertility, (v) high post-harvest losses, (vi) lack of inputs such as viable seeds, fertilizers and technical expertise; farmers are unaware of new varieties of viable seeds and fertilizers are very expensive and unaffordable to the local farmers, (viii) lack of credit for expansion, and (ix) inadequate access to food markets as a result of poor road infrastructure continue to be risks to food security. Furthermore, there is no governance structure and very weak market coordination, so farmers, especially female farmers, are left at the mercy of other key players (traders, store keepers, drivers and middlemen) in the value chain who actually determine prices of the produce. Perishable produce like raw pepper is often seen littering around the vicinities of Freetown and urban markets due to poor storage and preservation methods at the points of sales. The study shows that agricultural production of the crops mentioned above is carried out by 65% women above 40 years and 79% of these farmers are illiterate. The active labour force (18-28 years), which would have contributed meaningfully to increase agricultural productivity, relocates to urban cities in search of better livelihood. Hence escaped the hazards of repeated crop failure and unreliable marketing infrastructures and channels. To resuscitate and boost crop production in the study area the following recommendations were made; (i) improvement of the present rudimentary agricultural practices, (ii) Support to increased agricultural production and marketing potential through the rehabilitation and large scale cultivation of boli lands, uplands and inland valley swamps, rehabilitation of feeder roads linking farm to market and agricultural infrastructure, extension workers should be provided for farmers, (iii) Direct support to agricultural production through supply of high yield variety seeds and micro credits facilities to farmers (iv) Support to mechanization and (v) Management support (vi) gender equity in production and marketing.
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International Journal of Scientific Development and Research (IJSDR), 2024
The human capital of any nation plays a significant contribution to economic growth and developme... more The human capital of any nation plays a significant contribution to economic growth and development through increasing production level and optimum utilization of resources. An efficient workforce mainly relies on the workplace safety environment. When safety procedures are carried out correctly, they reduce the likelihood of most work-related mishaps, which improves the working environment and fosters improved communication between staff and equipment for increased output. Sierra Leone has a workplace safety law known as the "Factories Act 1974" but very little has been done to address the issue of health and safety in the workplace. Improving workers safety in Sierra Leone is challenging because of social, economic, literacy and political factors. Most workers in Sierra Leone workshops are semiskilled and illiterate and have not completed a very high level of formal education. The study was conducted in Bo and Kenema districts situated in the Southern and Eastern provinces of Sierra Leone. Descriptive quantitative research method was adopted in this study. The target population was 200 technicians randomly selected from 40 workshops in Bo and Kenema cities (20 workshops from Bo and 20 workshops from Kenema). The result of the investigation showed that youths are more engaged in these workshops with regrettably only 7.5% women workers. There were no safety signs clearly posted and visible within the workshops for all the workshops visited in Bo and Kenema; only 9 workshops (22.5%) acknowledged having PPEs; 92.5% of workshops have no formal reporting system for accidents; relied on verbal and informal reporting. 95% of workshops assessed said they never received safety training. The investigation done on the causes of accidents showed that 25.9% of accidents are caused by slip and falls, 21.2% by falling objects, 17.6% by overexertion among others. The research further reported that 90% of workshops were not compliance with the local environmental regulations regarding noise, emissions and waste disposal. Among the key recommendations from the study include (a) The Sierra Leone Government, through appropriate authorities, should enforce the "Factories Act 1974" for workshops safety and health compliance. (b) Workshop owners and workers should be sensitized on the importance of workplace safety and (c) Workshop safety trainings and apprenticeship programmes should be introduced to these small and medium enterprises by government and probably NGOs irrespective of their academic levels.
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International Journal of Engineering Research and General Science, 2024
The traditional ceramic industry in Sierra Leone has been extremely slow in adopting the automati... more The traditional ceramic industry in Sierra Leone has been extremely slow in adopting the automation techniques developed in industrialized countries and did not make appreciable efforts in developing techniques of its own, mainly due to lack of research data and technological expertise. For the traditional ceramic industry to survive and to contribute positively to nation building, high quality and affordable products must be introduced into the market to compete with imported building materials. This work tried to redress the issue of unavailability of scientific data by extensively investigating the physical and chemical characteristics of the brick bodies produced from selected clays at Njala in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone. This is to justify their suitability for industrial application, especially in low cost building materials production and to develop data bank for further research. Clay samples were collected from four sites at Njala namely Makonda, Pelewahun and Bonganema inland valley swamps. The physical and chemical compositions of the brick bodies prepared from these clay samples were analyzed using standard laboratory procedures. The results obtained from both the physical and chemical properties analyzed are within the acceptable range to produce fired clay bricks. With the exception of Njala clay, which exhibits medium plasticity, the other three clay samples (Makonday, Pelewahun and bonganema have excellent plasticity that justifies their use in ceramic applications, especially in case of complex shape forming and as additives for non-plastic ceramic materials. Water absorption of these clays are comparatively high with low bulk densities at 1000 0 C and permissible linear shrinkage and high crushing strength at firing temperatures above 1000 0 C. Typically, clay brick consists of silica (sand)-50% to 60% by weight, alumina (clay)-20% to 30% by weight, lime-2 to 5% by weight and iron oxide-≤ 7% by weight. The results of the chemical analysis of these clay samples fall within these ranges, hence suitable for fired bricks production. To produce high-quality porcelain, processing of these clays is required to improve on certain physical properties like porosity, density and eventually water absorption. This could be done by addition of one or more of the following materials such as limestone, feldspar, kaolin, sand, talc, wollastonite and pyrophyllite in the right proportion followed by efficient processing technique and optimization of the firing temperature.
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Charcoal is the primary source of energy for cooking and heating-related activities like blacksmi... more Charcoal is the primary source of energy for cooking and heating-related activities like blacksmithing, fish drying and other small scale industrial uses in Sierra Leone. The use of charcoal is prominent in urban households and is preferred to firewood due to its high calorific value per unit of weight, ease of transportation, and comparatively less smoke. The continued reliance on the consumption of charcoal has a very serious effect on the environment that captures the concern of the Sierra Leone Government. Some Governments and development partners have concluded that charcoal production is responsible for
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Papers by Prof. Mohamed Syed Fofanah