AN EVALUATION OF FINANCING CHALLENGES OF INFORMAL ENTREPRENEURS IN SOUTHWEST, NIGERIA

Meeting the requirements for accessing fund for entrepreneurial venture within the informal sector remains the major discouraging factor. This paper evaluated the financing challenges confronting informal entrepreneurs in Southwest, Nigeria. Survey method was used to collect data from 182 informal entrepreneurs’ in Southwest, Nigeria and analysed with simple frequency percentage and chi- square. Findings revealed the following: poor financing constitute a major challenge to informal entrepreneurs in South-Western States of Nigeria with X2T = 5.99 <X2 c = 67.35 informal entrepreneurs have adequate knowledge of sources of finance with X2r - -5.99 <

Urban renewal in Nigeria: a slash and burn approach?

This research analyses the socio-economic implications of approaches to urban renewal on displaced populations in Ogun State, south-west Nigeria. In the last 5 years,massive renewal has been undertaken in five local government areas—Abeokuta North,Ado/Odo Ota, Sagamu, Yewa South and Ijebu Ode of the State from which two—Abeokuta North and Ado-Odo/Ota—were purposively selected to carry out this study. Primary data through administration of structured questionnaires to randomly selected 420 affected adults who either had their houses or shops demolished formed the source of data. However,380 questionnaires were returned and cleaned upon which all were analyses based. Results from binary logistic regressions show that urban renewal has significant effects on the occupation (odds ratio = 3.0; p < 0.01) and income (p < 0.01) of those affected. Urban renewal also significantly affects the health status of the local residents because results show that persons whose houses or shops were demolished are twelve times more likely to lose sound sleep (odds ratio = 12.08; p < 0.01) and also have serious issues with loss of appetite (p < 0.01) and sadness (p < 0.01) all of which are symptoms of depression. These take place as a result of avoidable consequences like forced displacements and disregard for residents’ economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights all engendered by poorly planned and poorly executed urban renewal. We therefore recommended that urban renewal in Nigeria be more holistic and that compensation be commensurate with the value of property demolished so that incidence of depression which is significant here would not reoccur in subsequent similar endeavours

AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE STATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA CAPITAL CITIES: EXAMINING CORE INDICATORS OF AN ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY CITY

It has been observed that daily interactions of millions of Nigeria population estimated at 186.5 million by PRB (2016) with their immediate environment have serious implications on her landscape, environmental aesthetics and atmospheric well-being. Urban decadence, proliferation of slums, deforestation, congestion and all forms of pollution are some of the resultant effects of man’s interaction with his environment which is having adverse effects on Nigerian major cities. Increased industrial activities have engendered more carbon emission in the country and it is estimated at 26.1 million tons per annum, the fourth highest in Africa (PRB, 2016). This paper examines the state of environmental management in the state capital cities of Nigeria in the light of five research-proven indicators of environment-friendly cities. The paper applies qualitative method using the indicators to examine which state capitals are really environment-friendly out of the 37, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in the country. Results show that only five state capitals out of 37 can be referred to as environment-friendly cities in Nigeria. Recommendations that can spur others to follow in their footsteps by adopting global best practices that makes a settlement environment-friendly were given

INTER-SPOUSAL COMMUNICATION AS A DETERMINANT OF CONTRACEPTIVE USE IN NIGERIA: A MIXED METHOD

The need for understanding the level of communication among couples is important in reproductive health. Agreement by couples on contraceptive adoption is a major consideration if population growth will be reduced. Therefore this paper tests the hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between interspousal communication and contraceptive use in Nigeria. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative method of data collection. The quantitative data employed the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey Couple recode dataset, while the qualitative data was collected using Focus Group Discussion. Data was analyzed using Stata13 and the qualitative data was analyzed using NVivo 11 software. The result of the logistic regression model showed that there is a significant relationship between inter-spousal communication and contraceptive use (P<0.001). The result of the unadjusted model showed a Log-likelihood ratio [LLR] = 2335.0875, R2 = 27.05% and Chi-square= 1731.32 on 29 degree of freedom while, the adjusted model showed a [LLR] = 435.0011, R2 = 38.20%, Chi-square= 268.36 on 32 degrees of freedom, p<0.05. The reduction of 1296.3189 in the Log-likelihood ratio and an increase of 11.15 % in the R2 indicate a very good fit. In the qualitative study the findings showed that majority of the couples using contraceptives discussed with their spouses and more than half of them received their husband’s maximum support. We conclude that couples communication will improve the uptake of contraceptives and reduce the increasing population growth in Nigeria

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND POVERTY ERADICATION: ANY CONNECTION WITH DEMOGRAPHY?

The position paper presents the interconnection between demographic and gender gap dimension in university admission, and the suspected limitations to the success of STEM curricula in Nigeria. The thoughts presented were supported by archival-review of existing literature and empirical descriptive analysis of university enrolment with respect to STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The paper was a post-departmental seminar adjusted paper following audience comments. The presentation emphasised the systematic biases in support for higher institution with potential to constrain and weaken the humanities, social sciences and consequently discourage universities (especially the private) from advertising for humanities and social sciences courses. The result of analysis shows that the 4-year cumulative admission (2005-2008) for courses like agriculture, medical science, sciences and engineering was higher than the preceding 4-year (2001-2004) cumulative admission. The opposite was recorded in administration, arts, education and law, that range from 14.7% in 2006 to 18.5% in 2008. The social sciences witnessed 20% and 8.0% admission cut down in 2005 and 2008 respectively. Male/female enrolment gap range from 13.6% to 21.1%. The position is that STEM could be a dependable programme for technological advancement but the persistence gender gap in university enrolment could sustain the existing low economic status of women with possible potential for more socio-economic vices such as high fertility rate, infant and maternal morbidity and mortality, unemployment and poor family wellbeing. The authors recommend intervention programme that could boost women university enrolment in STEM subjects in Nigeria without relegating the humanities and social sciences

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS: WHERE IS THE PLACE OF DEMOGRAPHY? A POSITION PAPER ON DEMOGRAPHY AND STEM

The presentation is a position paper on the interconnections between the education policy, curriculum choices on science, technology, engineering and mathematics and the place of demography. The study is aggregate of thoughts complemented with archival review of existing literature and empirical analysis on admission trends and population growth. It was also firstly presented in one of the several departmental seminars. The study emphasised that demographic trends and growth are the main engine for technological progress. The study portrays demographic trends as crucial engine for technological progress and also works as the drivers of human capital towards achievement of economic prosperity. The result revealed wider gender gap that range from 41.4% to 51.5% in both pre-and post- STEM policy, though it finally stablised at 41.5% in 2009. The study positioned demographers as the conduit for delivery of optimum population or population explosion via assisted fertility technology e.g. in-vitro fertilization (IVF), preimplantation genetic diagnosis, human reproductive cloning, fetal DNA in maternal plasma, and genetic diagnosis). Therefore, while the pursuit of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is crucial for growth, the neglect of the sources of supply of human drivers or the demographic-based pull-and-push factors could engender wobbling and crawling structure of technological advancement. The authors however recommends adequate knowledge of these interplays for plausible appropriate education and technological policies towards the delivery of desire sustainable economic developmen

SPECIAL APPELLATION OR SPECIAL CARE? A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CHALLENGES FACING DEVELOPMENT-INDUCED INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Urban renewal is usually a government-sanctioned exercise to clean up decaying portions of cities. Following unintended negative consequences like internal displacements arising from the exercise in developing countries, scholars call for naming those displaced by it “special categories of IDPs” to receive humanitarian assistance like those displaced by conflicts. This research aims to examine the challenges faced by development-induced IDPs in Ogun State, South-West Nigeria. About 420 adult IDPs who have had either their houses or shops demolished were randomly selected from two purposively chosen Local Government Areas (LGAs): Abeokuta North and Ado-Odo/Ota out of the five LGAs where massive urban renewal took place recently. Logistic regression results showed significant relationships between those forcefully displaced and occupational, income as well as health consequences. Traders, for instance, are three times more likely to lose customers and subsequently close business than civil servants who are the reference category in the regression results ( OR= 3.0; P< 0.001). Results also show a significant relationship between forced migrants and symptoms of depression arising from displacement through urban renewal because those affected were 12.8 times more likely to be depressed than those who were not displaced (RC=12.8; P<0.001). We recommend that in future similar exercise, the better and lasting solution is to compensate development-induced IDPs commensurately rather than calling them names that do not solve their problems

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS: WHERE IS THE PLACE OF DEMOGRAPHY? A POSITION PAPER ON DEMOGRAPHY AND STEM

The presentation is a position paper on the interconnections between the education policy, curriculum choices on science, technology, engineering and mathematics and the place of demography. The study is aggregate of thoughts complemented with archival review of existing literature and empirical analysis on admission trends and population growth. It was also firstly presented in one of the several departmental seminars. The study emphasised that demographic trends and growth are the main engine for technological progress. The study portrays demographic trends as crucial engine for technological progress and also works as the drivers of human capital towards achievement of economic prosperity. The result revealed wider gender gap that range from 41.4% to 51.5% in both pre-and post- STEM policy, though it finally stablised at 41.5% in 2009. The study positioned demographers as the conduit for delivery of optimum population or population explosion via assisted fertility technology e.g. in-vitro fertilization (IVF), preimplantation genetic diagnosis, human reproductive cloning, fetal DNA in maternal plasma, and genetic diagnosis). Therefore, while the pursuit of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is crucial for growth, the neglect of the sources of supply of human drivers or the demographic-based pull-and-push factors could engender wobbling and crawling structure of technological advancement. The authors however recommends adequate knowledge of these interplays for plausible appropriate education and technological policies towards the delivery of desire sustainable economic developmen

EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS OF FACTORS REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY IN RURAL COMMUNITIES IN OGUN STATE NIGERIA

The study aimed at educational awareness of non–medical factors associated with maternal mortality reduction and to proffer policy guidelines for informed policy intervention. We analyzed secondary data from the 2010 Covenant University project on non-medical determinants of maternal mortality in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area, Ogun State. The study employed an informant approach questionnaire design, and information on maternal mortality was recorded from 360 eligible respondents which constituted the sample size and descriptive statistics and regression analysis were further applied. The study shows among others that majority of the respondents married between the ages of 25 and 44 with a proportion of 64.2 percent. As for the deceased spouse, an overwhelming proportion of the deceased spouses got married below 30 years (64.2%). Employment status of respondents showed that those not working registered 22.5 percent and their deceased counter parts in the same working status accounts for higher proportion (39.9). The highest level of education attained by majority of the respondents interviewed was secondary education (48.1%), followed by primary education (28.6%). For the education of their deceased spouses, it was observed that 50% of them had only primary education followed by those who attained secondary school (26.7%) and those who never went to school (19.7%). The educational attainment of the deceased was very poor when compared to their husbands in all categories. Distance is a very important factor in the utilization of health facility. Slightly above three-fourths of respondents (75.2%) have to travel 6 km and beyond to access or avail themselves this facility. Treatment costs was mainly born by the respondents (49.7%) and spouse’s relatives and friends (36.7%) Regression analysis results showed that ‘person who pays the treatment costs’ (p=0.003) and ‘place of consultation’ (p=0.000) were non-medical significant factors influencing maternal mortality reduction. The study recommends empowering and improving the status of women through better education and paid out of home employment in order to reduce maternal mortality and prompt better Safe Motherhood Initiative, Also providing educational awareness of non–medical factors associated with maternal mortality to men is likely to herald positive decision and better treatment to women from men especially during the journey of pregnancy and child birth

Perception about being an aged person in South-Western Nigeria

This paper investigates the perception about being an aged person in SouthWestern Nigeria. 594 aged persons were interviewed through questionnaire administration in Lagos and Oyo states of South-western Nigeria. The univariate, bivariate and One-way Analysis of variance (F-ratios) were employed in the analyses of this research. The major findings of this study are: firstly, the univariate and bivariate results indicate that there is low-perception about being an aged person. Secondly, One-way Analysis of variance (F-ratios) show that the study location, age category, means of livelihood; and usual place of residence (Oyo and Lagos state rural settings) have significant influences on perception about being an aged person in South-Western Nigeria. Thus, the paper recommends the following: firstly, that aged persons from Lagos state who are 50-79 years should begin to admit from now that they are ‘elderly people’ despite the fact that some of them are retired and still physically active. Secondly, the salary earners who are still working as well as Lagos-rural dwellers should urgently assume their roles as elders both in the families and in larger Nigerian society