Training needs on aquaculture value addition among fish farmers in Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State, Nigeria

The study assessed the training needs of fish farmers on value addition in Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State, Nigeria. Data were collected from fish farmers using interview guide. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the data while Chi-square and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation were employed to test relationship between variables. Respondents in this study were male dominated, in their productive ages (mean age of 38) and largely well educated (52% had tertiary education). Important training needs of respondents on value addition were improved smoking technology ( x̄ = 2.61), as well as improved packaging and labeling ( x̄ = 2.30), improved short duration storage technology ( x̄ = 2.29) and catching techniques ( x̄ = 2.20). Farmers’ stocking rate (r = 0.266, P = 0.017) and number of ponds (r = 0.243, P = 0.030) had a significant relationship with the training needs of farmers on fish value addition. The study therefore recommended that robust training programme and advisory services be made available by extension for fish farmers in areas of fish smoking, types packaging and storage material in order to enhance their utilization of value addition initiatives in fish farming.Keywords: Fish farming, value addition initiatives, constraint

Emerging Roles of Women in the National Food Security Campaign of the Federal Government of Nigeria: A Review

The issue of food security in Nigeria is of national concern as it affects young and old, male and female. The review assessed the emerging roles of women and their contributions to food security in Nigeria. Specifically, it explained the concept of food security, identified the specific roles of women in food security and identified factors affecting women participation in national food security. Food security is a situation that exist when all people at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. In Nigeria, the structural role of men and women in agricultural cycle reveal that women are more active specifically in processing and marketing of agricultural products. Factors affecting women participation in National Food Security includes inadequate supply of farm inputs, low level of education, poor extension services, low access to technology, training and infrastructure and low access to finance, communal or religious crisis. The review concluded that the potentials of women in food security is a pointer to providing adequate food for all household in Nigeria. It was recommended that women should be exposed to more training and better technology to be effective in supporting the food security campaign in Nigeria

Oncoba spinosa leaf and Morus mesozygia leaf and stem bark essential oils

The essential oils of Oncoba spinosa leaf and Morus mesozygia leaf and stem bark were extracted using hydro distillation and analyzed by means of Gas chromatography (GC) and GC coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The yields of the essential oils were; 0.50 %, 0.165 % and 0.456 % respectively for Oncoba spinosa leaf, Morus mesozygia leaf and stem oil. A total of twenty eight, thirty four and twenty compounds representing 92.0%, 92.0% and 96.9% of the total oil contents were identified, respectively from the leaf of O. spinosa, leaf and stem oil of M. mesozygia. Leaf oil of O. spinosa contained linalool (22.1 %), β – caryophyllene (18.7 %), caryophyllene oxide (10.6 %) and pentadecanal (5.6 %) as the main constituents. M. mesozygialeaf oil was dominated with β – elemene (11.7 %), (E) –β- ionone (12.4 %), α- selinene (5.1 %), germacrene A (6.0 %), δ – cadinene (4.7 %) and spathulenol (7.4 %) while M. mesozygia stem oil had 2 –dodecanone (77%) and hexahydrofarnesylacetone (13 %) as its main constituents

Addressing the gap for racially diverse research involvement:The King's model for minority ethnic research participant recruitment

Objectives: Ethnic minorities (EM) are still underrepresented in research recruitment. Despite wide literature outlining the barriers, enablers and recommendations for driving inclusion and diversity in research, there is still little evidence for successful diversity in research participation, which has a direct impact on the quality of care provided to ethnically diverse individuals. A new, comprehensive approach to recruitment strategies is therefore necessary. Study design: service improvement initiative. Methods: In the light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the key public health need to address the disparity in care provided to non-white populations, we used a novel, comprehensive approach (The King's Model) comprising of local and community actions to promote inclusive research recruitment. We then compared rates of diverse recruitment in studies where the novel approach, was applied to studies which had been closed to recruitment at the time of analysis and where ethnicity data was available. Results: Our results demonstrate that following the introduction of the King's Model for diverse recruitment, commercial interventional study diverse recruitment increased from 6.4% to 16.1%, and for non-commercial studies, from 30.2% to 41.0% and 59.2% in the selected studies. Conclusions: King's Model is potentially a useful tool in enhancing non-Caucasian recruitment to clinical research. Enriched by additional recommendations based on our experiences during the Covid-19 research recruitment drive, we propose the King's Model is used to support ethnically diverse research recruitment. Further evidence is needed to replicate our findings, although this preliminary evidence provides granular details necessary to address the key unmet need of validating clinical research outcomes in non-white populations