GENDER ANALYSIS OF ASSET DISTRIBUTION AND CHILDREN’S SCHOOLING AMONG RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

There is growing evidence that the gender distribution of wealth matters especially considering the fact that asset ownership is related to wellbeing, women empowerment and poverty alleviation. Not much is known about the gender distribution of wealth in the rural areas in Ogun state, Nigeria. This study assessed gender and asset distribution in Ogun State, South-west Nigeria using cross-sectional data collected from a total of 260 households selected through a five stage sampling procedure. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ordinary least squares multiple regression analysis. The findings from the study shows that an average rural household in the sample was made up of six persons and households were predominantly headed by males (88%). The mean worth of households’ physical assets was ₦1,402,791.00, about 15% of which was owned by women. The ordinary least squares multiple regression analysis revealed that women’s share of assets had a positive influence (P<0.05) on the number of years of formal education completed by children below eighteen years. The education of father and mother were also significant at (P < 0.05) and (P < 0.01) respectively and these show that children have longer access to education when parents have at least secondary school education. Some identified constraints to women asset ownership in the study area were lack of capital (67%), domestic challenges (65%), cultural barriers to female inheritance (56%), and unemployment (52%). Based on these findings it is recommended that women should be encouraged to own more assets so as to be able to positively affect their children’s welfare in terms of education. The economic situation of women can be enhanced by promoting their access to productive assets through indigenous savings and credit associations. The rural households should further be exposed to awareness talks through extension agents stressing the values of education to all in our contemporary world.   &nbsp

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF OFADA RICE PRODUCTION IN OBAFEMI-OWODE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

The paper undertook an economic analysis of ofada rice production in the prominent rice producing area of Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area in Ogun State, Nigeria. The data used for the study were elicited from 100 ofada rice farmers who were selected using two stage sampling technique. The first stage was the random selection of ten rice producing villages from two rice blocks of Someke and Obafemi in Obafemi Local Government Area, while the second stage was the random selection of ten ofada rice farmers each from the ten villages to make the sample of one hundred ofada rice farmers. The analytical techniques used were descriptive statistics of rice producers, the determination of the rate of return on capital invested (RORCI) on the enterprise after analyzing enterprise profitability and the stochastic production frontier model. The results revealed that an average rice farmer in the study area is a married male of 51 years of age, with farming experience of 19 years, cultivated 3.34 hec- tares of rice and had little access to credit, extension services and tractor services considered essen- tial for hectarage expansion. The production cost per hectare of rice was estimated as N64,565 with a revenue of N119,222 per hectare. The rate of return on invested capital (RORCI) was 85 percent and this favourably exceeded the prevailing capital lending rate of 18.38 percent. This indicated that on every naira invested in ofada rice production, there was a return of N0.85. It thus buttressed the fact that ofada rice production is a profitable venture in the study area. There was low technical inefficiency in ofada rice production in the study area during the 2008 cropping season which was investigated. Technical efficiency of the farmers varied between 0.52 and 0.98 with a mean of 0.89 and about 85% of the sampled farmers had technical efficiency above 0.80. The finding suggested that there is room for improvement in the production system. The variables that influenced ofada rice output included farm size which was significant at the probability level of Pα <0.01, pesticide Pα<0.05 and seed at Pα<0.01 level The variables were all positively related to ofada rice output level. It was therefore rec- ommended among others that the rice farmers are old and thus need a succession plan of new gen- eration farmers which should be organized into rice farmers association for easy access to credit facili- ties, extension services and provided tractor services to increase their farm size which is essential for their economic improvement

PROFIT EFFICIENCY OF SMALLHOLDER COCOYAM-BASED FARMERS AND ITS DETERMINANTS IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Cocoyam belongs to the indispensable food category that supplies calorie in the diet of the Nigerian populace. However, researches on its nutrition and economic values are scarce leading to low production and under consumption among the populace. Against the backdrop of the great potential of the Nigerian agriculture in cocoyam production, and the need for land use efficiency, sustainable development, poverty alleviation, attainment of food –security/ self-sufficiency and adequate resource allocation to the production of the crop, this study examined farm level profit efficiency and  its determinants for   smallholder cocoyam-based farmers in Osun State, South-west Nigeria, using Cobb-Douglas stochastic profit function. Multistage and random sampling techniques were used to select 180 small-holder cocoyam farmers during the 2014 growing season and data were collected from them on their socio-economic and production characteristics. Maximum likelihood estimates of the specified models revealed an average profit efficiency of 44.88 percent which indicated that the profit of the farmers can be increased by 55 percent with the same production cost. The study also found that the  level of education of the farmers, access to credit, farming experience, household size, access to extension services, and marital status are factors  affecting farm-level profit efficiency in the use of resources.  Farm-level policies aimed at promoting the farmers education, access to credit, access to extension services and marital status are recommended for improved profit efficiency.     &nbsp

Seasonal Assessment of Household Food Access in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract The study was carried out in Ibadan metropolis of South Western Nigeria to determine average household food access and diversity. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain responses from 180 households interviewed both during harvest and hunger periods. Data was analysed using Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and Z-test. It appeared that average households tended to have significantly better food access during the harvest than hunger period. During the harvest period, at 95 % confidence interval, the HFIAS score ranged between 5.23 and 7.01 i.e. an average household had adequate food access; however during the hunger period, at 95 % confidence interval, a higher HFIAS score that ranged between 9.75 and 11.77 was observed i.e. in the hunger period, an average household still maintained an adequate food access though poorer compared to the previous season. Combined, the households in Ibadan metropolis had a higher mean score for dietary diversity in the harvest period than in the hunger period. In the harvest period with the combined mean score of food groups consumed during the harvest period being 3.08 i.e. households in Ibadan metropolis consumed an average of 3 food groups during the harvest period decreasing to an average score of 2.54 i.e. households in the settlement consumed lesser food groups in the hunger period. The difference in the mean score using Z-test, for food groups between the periods was significant at p< 0.01. The findings suggest that food access varied significantly with season in metropolises howbeit to a lesser degree in a metropolis closer to agricultural markets. Urban agriculture is therefore recommended

Biological sample donation and informed consent for neurobiobanking: Evidence from a community survey in Ghana and Nigeria

Copyright: \ua9 2022 Singh et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Introduction Genomic research and neurobiobanking are expanding globally. Empirical evidence on the level of awareness and willingness to donate/share biological samples towards the expansion of neurobiobanking in sub-Saharan Africa is lacking. Aims To ascertain the awareness, perspectives and predictors regarding biological sample donation, sharing and informed consent preferences among community members in Ghana and Nigeria. Methods A questionnaire cross-sectional survey was conducted among randomly selected community members from seven communities in Ghana and Nigeria. Results Of the 1015 respondents with mean age 39.3 years (SD 19.5), about a third had heard of blood donation (37.2%, M: 42.4%, F: 32.0%, p = 0.001) and a quarter were aware of blood sample storage for research (24.5%; M: 29.7%, F: 19.4%, p = 0.151). Two out of ten were willing to donate brain after death (18.8%, M: 22.6%, F: 15.0%, p<0.001). Main reasons for unwillingness to donate brain were; to go back to God complete (46.6%) and lack of knowledge related to brain donation (32.7%). Only a third of the participants were aware of informed consent (31.7%; M: 35.9%, F: 27.5%, p<0.001). Predictors of positive attitude towards biobanking and informed consent were being married, tertiary level education, student status, and belonging to select ethnic groups. Conclusion There is a greater need for research attention in the area of brain banking and informed consent. Improved context-sensitive public education on neurobiobanking and informed consent, in line with the sociocultural diversities, is recommended within the African sub region

An empirical analysis of variety price premium attributes, spatial and temporal pricing patterns for cowpeas in Ogun State, Nigeria

The paper examined variety price premium attributes, spatial and temporal pricing patterns of cowpeas in Ogun State Nigeria. Monthly retail cowpea prices were collected over the period of January 1989 to December 1999, for peu (drum) and sokoto varieties. Four markets located in four zones were used for the study. Choice of the markets was based on the volume of cowpea sales and their location from the state zonal headquarters. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to process data collected. Retail price in a given month was regressed on variety, location, season and the covariate, trend. The model had a good fit, explaining 46 percent of total variation in commodity price. The estimated parameters of variety dummy, location dummies and the covariate, trend - were all significant. Six out of the estimated 11parameters of the seasonal dummies were significant while five were not, thus stratifying seasonal price into low commodity price months and high commodity price months. Location price difference was inversely related to distance from the central commodity market, and the seasonal price difference was attributed to storage technique. These show imperfect competitive market behaviour. peu/drum with characteristics of brown colour, rough skin and large grain size had a price premium than sokoto, which is white, rough skinned and of smaller grains. Spatial and temporal price differences observed can be reduced through a better road network, improved storage techniques and adequate market information. The identified cowpea attributes of large grain, rough skin and brown colour are recommended attributes in breeding programmes

Preliminary comparative analysis of cocoa yield under three treatments in combination with oil palm in Nigeria

(Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science, 1991-94, 24-27: 37-42

Determinants of Meat Consumption among Students of the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ogun State

This study examined the determinants of meat consumption among students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. Primary data on personal and socio economic characteristics of respondents were collected among 150 students with the aid of a pre-tested and structured questionnaire. Methods of analysis used were descriptive statistics, bar chart and multiple regression analysis. The results revealed about 69.3%of the respondents were within the age range of 18-24 years and majorities (56%) of the students interviewed were female. The average amount of income spent on meat consumption was N 1,904 per month while the amount spent on substitutes such as egg, snail and cow hides was N 147.90. The result of the distribution of students by total monthly income revealed that 27.3% of the students received below N 5001 per month while 58% of the students received an allowance between N5001 and N15000 per month. The result of the monthly expenditure of the students on various meat types distributed by sex in the study area revealed that beef accounted for the highest percentage of 24.4% of the monthly expenditure among female students while it constituted 24.0% of the males. On the other hand, pork accounted for 7.0% and 6.0% of total monthly expenditure on meat in male and female students respectively. The result further revealed that four variables exert significant influence on the consumption of meat in the study area. The age (X1) of the students was positive and significant at P <0.01. The student’s sex (X3), amount spent on substitutes(X5) and place of residence (X7) of students were negative and significant at (P < 0.05) and (P< 0.01) respectively. The study concludes that female students spend more on meat than their male counterparts. The amount of money spent on meat substitutes decreases with increase in meat consumption and students living off campus spend more on meat than students living on the campus. The study therefore recommends that processed beef in small units should be made available to students in the hostel and outlets close to students’ residential quarters to facilitate easy availability