Multidimensional Poverty Analysis and Informal Sector in Nigeria

The ability of the formal sector (public and organized private sectors) in Nigeria to generate employment and provide means of livelihood has been truncated by the economic crisis that dates back to the 1980s. The informal sector therefore, serves as the safety net that provides jobs and means of survival to the teeming unemployed population in the country. This paper therefore, examines: job creation in the informal sector; income earning capacity of informal sector operators; and the level of poverty reduction recorded by the operators of the informal sector. Apart from the specific objectives, other issues examined include, the background; operational; and the economic characteristics of the operators. A total of 100 structured questionnaires were distributed to informal sector operators to collect data in Ilorin metropolis. Out of this, 81 were returned valid and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multi-dimensional poverty index. The results from the study show that informal sector activities provide employment and income for the urban poor. About 83 percent of operators were employed on full-time basis while 16.1 percent of the respondents are employed on part-time basis. The mean previous employees  were computed at 2; current employees per operator stand at 4 on the average and that, an operator employs between 1 to 14 people maximum. Some other operators train apprentices who become self employed upon completion of the training. The mean apprentice per operator was estimated at 3.  Most of the informal sector operators earn an average income of N8, 468.42 per day. The study finds further, that reduction or increase in multi-dimensional poverty is strongly determined by number of hours worked per day; number of days worked per week; earnings; educational attainment and savings per day. The paper however, identifies a weak institutional support and thus recommends more support from the government in order to combat unemployment and poverty in the country

Pharmacognostic, elemental and acute toxicity study of Fadogia agrestis root

An aphrodisiac is a type of food or drink that has the effect of making those who eat or drink it more aroused in a sexual way. Aphrodisiacs can be categorized according to their mode of action into three groups: substances that increase libido (i.e. sexual arousal), substances that increase sexual potency (i.e. effectiveness of erection) and substances that increase sexual pleasure. Fadogia agrestis (Schweing. Ex. Hiern), Rubiacea (Hausa: Bakin gagai; English name: Black aphrodisiac) is an erect shrub 1-3 feets high. Fadogia agrestis is a medicinal plant widely used for its reported antibacterial and aphrodisiac activities. The aim of this work is to carry out pharmacognostic standardization and safety profile on Fadogia agrestis root. Chemomicroscopic, physicochemical, elemental, phytochemical and acute toxicity studies were carried out using standard methods. The results obtained also provided scientific basis for the use of in folklore medicine. Chemomicroscopic characters present include; cellulosecell wall, lignified cell wall, tannins, starch, calcium oxalate and cutin. The physicochemical parameters evaluated include: moisture content (7.0%), total ash (10.5%), water soluble ash (4.1%), acid insoluble ash (8.33%), ethanol extract (15.0%), and water extractive value (12.0%). The quantitative phytochemical analysis showed that alkaloids (84.0 mg/g) was the highest phytochemical detected in the stem bark while the lowest was saponins (4.0 mg/g).LD50 of both extracts was above 5000 mg/kg and did not cause mortality in all the tested rats. The results of this investigation may be useful for deriving doses that are safe for human consumption of F. agrestis root.&nbsp

The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator: development and validation of a tool for identifying African surgical patients at risk of severe postoperative complications

Background: The African Surgical Outcomes Study (ASOS) showed that surgical patients in Africa have a mortality twice the global average. Existing risk assessment tools are not valid for use in this population because the pattern of risk for poor outcomes differs from high-income countries. The objective of this study was to derive and validate a simple, preoperative risk stratification tool to identify African surgical patients at risk for in-hospital postoperative mortality and severe complications. Methods: ASOS was a 7-day prospective cohort study of adult patients undergoing surgery in Africa. The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator was constructed with a multivariable logistic regression model for the outcome of in-hospital mortality and severe postoperative complications. The following preoperative risk factors were entered into the model; age, sex, smoking status, ASA physical status, preoperative chronic comorbid conditions, indication for surgery, urgency, severity, and type of surgery. Results: The model was derived from 8799 patients from 168 African hospitals. The composite outcome of severe postoperative complications and death occurred in 423/8799 (4.8%) patients. The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator includes the following risk factors: age, ASA physical status, indication for surgery, urgency, severity, and type of surgery. The model showed good discrimination with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.805 and good calibration with c-statistic corrected for optimism of 0.784. Conclusions: This simple preoperative risk calculator could be used to identify high-risk surgical patients in African hospitals and facilitate increased postoperative surveillance. © 2018 British Journal of Anaesthesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Medical Research Council of South Africa gran