A Socio-Cultural Analysis of Users’ Intentions to Use Facemasks in the Post Covid-19 Era in Nigeria

This paper investigates individuals’ intention to use facemasks in the post-COVID-19 era using the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. The intention to use the facemask during the COVID-19 pandemic was more compelling through enforcement rather than the individual’s will. In the post-COVID-19 era, the effects of facilitating condition, social influence, price value, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, experience and habit on the intention to use the facemask were investigated using the regressions analyses. A total of 417 respondents took part in the selection from government organisations, including higher institutions and public offices in South-West Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja). The result shows that facilitating conditions and hedonic motivation positively influenced the intention to use the facemask, while price value, experience and habit have negative impacts. Findings from this study suggest that facemask manufacturers and distributors must suitably define their products and strategies to suit the value perception of the user and beliefs that trigger social status and hedonic motivations in conjunction with the primary health benefits of the facemasks

A Socio-Cultural Analysis of Users’ Intentions to Use Facemask in the Post Covid-19 Era in Nigeria

This paper investigates individuals’ intention to use facemasks in the post-COVID-19 era using the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, enforcement, rather than individual choice, drove facemask usage. In the post-COVID-19 era, the effects of facilitating condition, social influence, price value, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, experience and habit on the intention to use the facemask were investigated using the regressions analyses. A total of 417 respondents took part in the selection from government organisations, including higher institutions and public offices in South-West Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja). The result shows that facilitating conditions and hedonic motivation positively influenced the intention to use the facemask, while price value, experience and habit have negative impacts. Findings from this study suggest that facemask manufacturers and distributors must suitably design their products to suit the value perception of the user and beliefs that trigger social status and hedonic motivations in conjunction with the primary health benefits of the facemasks. It is recommended that further improvement of the facemask technology, such that it can convert traditional facemasks into smart technology with increasing emphasis on fashion and style, while adhering to safety measures be promoted by policymakers and manufacturers. While facemask manufacturers must see that the quality of their products meets up to ASTM (or relevant) standards, for which user-friendly, durable, microbe-resistant, yet biodegradable materials have been used, policymakers must organise regular sensitization programs on the importance of mask usage, and as well promote continuous development of improved technologies for nosemask designs

Dynamics of Disruption Risk Management in Grain Chain in Nigeria: A Simulation Study

The study focussed on disruption risks in grain chain in Nigeria. The chain consists of different stages. It includes production, processing, storage and consumption. Rice grain is an important dietary food in Nigeria, in which its sufficiency cannot be over emphasised and this is mainly consumed by households. Currently, the supply of rice is below thresholds and consumption level. Farmers, processors, wholesalers and retailers are major actors in the rice grain chain. Also governments are a vital organ in this chain in the area of policy decisions. Nigeria is currently under-supplied in rice and over the years the supply of rice by Nigerians chain actors have been fluctuating due to some prominent disruption factors associated with the chain. These factors were identified to be weather failure, natural disaster, pests and disease, political instability and infrastructural risk. This has further reduced, and caused uncertainties, in the volume supplied at different points of chain stages. This study was mainly aimed to examine the effect of disruption risks in the grain chain in Nigeria. Specifically, the research explored the actual volume currently supply from different points in the rice grain chain. The research examines the volatility that exists at different points of the chain. The average volume supplied. The results show that at production level, the output shortage is on average 6.94 mt per year. Whilst, the output shortage at processing level will on average 3.75 mt per year. There is a 90% probability that the output shortage will be greater than 5.98 mt of paddy rice and, 3.04 mt of milled rice at 5% percentile, but less than 7.82 mt of paddy rice and, 4.45 mt of milled rice at 95% percentile, in a year. These shortages fluctuate with 0.56 standard deviation at production point and 0.42 standard deviation at processing. The cost to finance the default was also simulated along with the output volume based on two strategic approaches; an increase in paddy rice production, and an increase in the import of milled rice. The average cost for the shortfalls are expected to be €3.34 billion for paddy rice production and €1.95 billion for import of milled rice in a year. Keywords: Disruption, risk management, simulation model, grain chain, Nigeri

Unravelling Risk Structures in Nigeria’s Rice Supply Chain: A Review of the Literature

Agriculture generally is faced with a lot of risks that are beyond the control of actors and stakeholders in the sector. This paper unravels the susceptible risks present in the rice supply chain, management and coping strategies in Nigeria. Just-Critical reviews of the past works done on risk in agriculture were examined by a desk study. Production, processing and storage risks are important in describing output variation for different actors and national output over the years. Knowledge of these risks will go a long way in helping them to subdue. The channel in which the rice flows was reviewed. Different sources of risk in rice supply chain such as production risk, processing risk and storage risk were reviewed. To manage these risks, risk management strategies and coping strategies were reviewed. This review identified the risk, risk prevention strategies and coping strategies applied at different points of the chains. It was found out that risks were not only present in production stage but also in processing and storage. The prevention strategies recommended include crop rotation, mulching, water harvesting, and irrigation. While the coping strategies recommended are income diversification activities such as engaging in off-farm work to complement the income from farming and mixed farming system such as rearing animal to compliment income. Keywords: risk structure, rice supply chain, coping strategies, risk management, Nigeria

Performance of Cocoyam Market Chain in South East Nigeria

The study examined the performance of cocoyam marketing chain in South east Nigeria. A total of 260 questionnaires were administered from September 2012 to August 2013 to producers, wholesalers and retailers selected through stratified multi-staged random sampling techniques. Data collected were analyzed using marketing margin, price spread, return on investment ratios, marketing efficiency, net income and net profit. There is seasonal variation in price from early to mid season and to late season. However, the average price spread from producers to wholesalers and retailers were ₦27,000, ₦15000, and ₦3,000 while their shares in consumers’ dollars were 60%, 33% and 7%. Their average operating marketing costs were ₦16193 ($80), ₦7700 ($38.50), and  ₦896 ($4.48) while the average net income of producers, wholesalers and retailers per year were ₦204,246 ($1021.21), ₦3,650,000 ($18,250) and ₦474,000 ($2370) each respectively (at an exchange rate of 1$= ₦200). Their average return on investment from producers to wholesalers to retailers were 0.70, 1.09 and 2.41 for every 1$ invested on the business while their average marketing efficiency were 70%, 109% and 241%. The results also provide insights into the socio-economic and institutional characteristics. There was statistically significant different (P < 0.001) in net income of farmers, wholesalers and retailers. Producers, wholesalers and retailers lack capacity building, capital from formal financial institution. There is high transaction and search costs. Policy recommendations to these effects were suggested including strengthening marketing institutions through capacity building for stakeholders. Key ward: Marketing chain, performance, price efficiency, cocoyam, Nigeria

Biology, digestive enzymes and organosomatic indices of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Lacepede, 1803) from Oyan Dam, Southwestern Nigeria

Peer reviewe

Provisioning healthy and diverse foods to the urban poor in Nigeria : a practice-based perspective on informal ready-to-eat food vending

This research was conducted under the auspices of the Graduate School Wageningen School of Social Sciences (WASS)In most developing countries’ cities, informal ready-to-eat food vending is very prominent and considered the most commonly used food supply channel, particularly among the poor (Fellows et al., 2012). Informal ready-to-eat food vending is an important system of food provision in developing countries that can play a role in access to healthy and diverse ready-to-eat foods among different socio-economic groups (Patel, 2014). It is the cheapest, most convenient, and most available food supply channel and one that fits best into the everyday life of urban dwellers. Informal ready-to-eat foods are receiving increasingly high acceptance, patronage, or engagement among the urban poor because they are affordable and convenient (Mathye and Maliwichi, 2015). Moreover, this system of food provisioning is expanding as the urban population in developing countries keeps on increasing through urbanization. Most urban populace cannot do without the presence of food vending outlets as these are the most available, affordable, and accessible ready-to-eat food supply channel for them. However, according to existing literature, this food supply channel is inadequate in terms of quantity and quality. For example, shortcomings were found in terms of poor hygiene practices and the supply of food that is of low nutritional quality (Mwangi et al., 2002; Story, 2008; Muyanja et al., 2011; Lucan et al., 2014; Kolady et al., 2020). This thesis, therefore, focuses on understanding everyday out of-home food vending and consumption practices among the urban poor and how the health and diversity of supplied food can be improved

Practitioners’ perspectives on improving ready-to-eat food vending in urban Nigeria: a practice-based visioning and back-casting approach

In many parts of the world, food consumption is shifting from mostly home-based to out-of-home due to transforming of everyday lives as a result of urban development and changing infrastructure. This trend has spurred the expansion of informal ready-to-eat food vending, particularly among the urban poor. However, informal ready-to-eat food vending practices have faced challenges in provisioning menu settings with high energy and calories foods. Moreover, there are concerns about the safety, health, and diversity of food purchased through ready-to-eat food vending. This paper explores practice-oriented strategies, suggestions, and mechanisms through key actors’ experiences and perspectives to understand how the provisioning of healthy and diverse food in informal ready-to-eat food vending can be improved in urban Nigeria as a future transformative initiative. A social practice-oriented approach, combined with participatory future visioning and back-casting, was employed in a multi-phase process of interlinked focus group discussions and workshops involving key food sector stakeholders. The findings reveal that achieving an increase in diverse foods and integration of fruits and vegetables requires changing food norms and promoting sensitization to the importance of diverse diets through training initiatives involving primary actors. Additionally, key skills/competences in the provisioning of healthy and diverse foods need to be learned and relearned, while adequate food materials, finance and effective and efficient integration of the different food vending practice elements are required for the realization of these initiatives. Furthermore, understanding the relationships between food vending and other food-related provisioning practices within the food vending environment is essential in transitioning to healthier and more diverse food provisioning in the informal food vending sector. Our findings provide insights for policymakers to provide strategic pathways for practical interventions to improve food vending practices that meet the food security and nutritional needs of the urban poor

Estimation of Socioeconomic Status and Rainwater Consumption in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

The study examined the influence of socioeconomic factors on the utilization of rainwater among households in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo-State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire from 126 randomly selected households. A double-hurdle estimation model using Ordered Probit with sample selection and Probit-Truncated Negative Binomial model were  used. The findings of the study indicated that the sex of the household head, marital status, female household size, education, occupation, size of rainwater collection material, root-top structure are important determinants of extent of rainwater usage. Male headed household, education, and size of rainwater collection material positively and significantly influenced the frequency of rainwater usage, while sex and occupation inversely and significantly influenced the frequency of rainwater usage. Likewise, education, size of rainwater collection material, roof-top structure positively associated with the number of uses of rainwater. The study concludes that the socioeconomic status of the household is an important determining factor in the harvesting and utilization of rainwater. Therefore, policy on rainwater harvesting and usage should consider the significant socioeconomic factors of the household as a starting point in the decision process

Estimation of Socioeconomic Status and Rainwater Consumption in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

The study examined the influence of socioeconomic factors on the utilization of rainwater among households in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo-State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire from 126 randomly selected households. A double-hurdle estimation model using Ordered Probit with sample selection and Probit-Truncated Negative Binomial model were  used. The findings of the study indicated that the sex of the household head, marital status, female household size, education, occupation, size of rainwater collection material, root-top structure are important determinants of extent of rainwater usage. Male headed household, education, and size of rainwater collection material positively and significantly influenced the frequency of rainwater usage, while sex and occupation inversely and significantly influenced the frequency of rainwater usage. Likewise, education, size of rainwater collection material, roof-top structure positively associated with the number of uses of rainwater. The study concludes that the socioeconomic status of the household is an important determining factor in the harvesting and utilization of rainwater. Therefore, policy on rainwater harvesting and usage should consider the significant socioeconomic factors of the household as a starting point in the decision process