Constraints to Accessing Micro Credit and Loan Scheme of Bank of Agriculture among Farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria Implications for Extension Service Delivery

The study examined constraints to accessing micro credit loan scheme of Bank of Agriculture BOA among farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria Implications for extension service delivery. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used in selecting one hundred 100 respondents for the study. Data were collected using structured interview schedule questionnaire and analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean scores and standard deviation. The study revealed that micro credit loan scheme 88.6 were the most patronized among the rural farmers. Others such as ECOWAS, IFAD project and ATHP programme were not patronized at all, probably because the type of projects sponsored by these credit loan scheme are not important to the respondents. The respondents farmers were highly constrained by late release of funds M= 1.27 , grace period too short M= 1. 17 , excessive bureaucracy M= 1. 14 , too short payback period M= 1. 13 , services not regular M= 1. 13 , among others. The Bank of Agriculture staff also noted that they were constrained by late release of approved funds by head quarters of the Bank of Agriculture M= 1.43 , loan diversion M= 1.27 , poor funding of field officers M= 1.20 , lack of awareness by borrowers M= 1.10 and insufficient staff M= 0.93 . The study recommends that adequate awareness campaign on the availability of micro credit loan scheme by Bank of Agriculture should be created in order for the beneficiaries to be knowledgeable about it. It highlights the need for approval of more funds under the scheme and timely release of funds when needed especially during planting season in order to enable the farmers to make judicious use of it for optimum productivity. Mbah Evangeline N | Jiriko, R | Agada, M.O. "Constraints to Accessing Micro-Credit and Loan Scheme of Bank of Agriculture among Farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria: Implications for Extension Service Delivery" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-1 | Issue-4 , June 201

Is African philosophy progressing?

No Abstrac

Intimate Partner Violence: A Public Health Problem

No Abstract Available Afrimedic Journal 2011;2(1):34-3

Complementarism and Consolationism: Mapping out a 21st-Century African Philosophical Trajectory

Abstract African philosophy has been compelled to constantly define itself in relation to a domineering Western philosophy given the historical circumstances of colonialism and the dual heritage of the professional African philosopher who is at once an African by cultural affiliation and a participant in Western civilization by reason of her Western education. Many notable African philosophers have responded to the challenge posed by the tremendous success of Western philosophy by philosophizing in ways that seek to transcend a purely Afrocentric agenda on the one hand and an uncritical acceptance of Western philosophical methods on the other hand. In this paper, I present and interrogate the response of the noted Nigerian philosopher, Innocent Asouzu, to the crisis of identity in African philosophy. I demonstrate that Asouzu’s ibuanyidanda philosophy of complementarism is a philosophical synthesis that seeks to transcend the famous universalism-particularism divide in African philosophy. Adopting an expository, analytical, and evaluative methodology, I show how the philosophical current of consolationism advances the philosophical trajectory Asouzu was blazing. I introduce into African philosophical discourse the universal category of consolation which supplies a panpsychist framework for exploring meaning in a tragic universe. Keywords: Complementarism, Consolationism, Ibuanyidanda philosophy, African philosophy, Mood, Panpsychism

Numerical simulation and optimisation of IOR and EOR processes in high-resolution models for fractured carbonate reservoirs

Carbonate reservoirs contain more than half of the world’s conventional hydrocarbon resources. Hydrocarbon recovery in carbonates, however, is typically low, due to multi-scale geological heterogeneities that are a result of complex diagenetic, reactive, depositional and deformational processes. Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) and Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) methods are increasingly considered to maximise oil recovery and minimise field development costs. This is particularly important for carbonate reservoirs containing fractures networks, which can act as high permeability fluid flow pathways or impermeable barriers during interaction with the complex host rock matrix. In this thesis, three important contributions relating to EOR simulation and optimisation in fractured carbonate reservoirs are made using a high-resolution analogue reservoir model for the Arab D formation. First, a systematic approach is employed to investigate, analyse and increase understanding of the fundamental controls on fluid flow in heterogeneous carbonate systems using numerical well testing, secondary and tertiary recovery simulations. Secondly, the interplay between wettability, hysteresis and fracture-matrix exchange during combined CO2 EOR and sequestration is examined. Finally, data-driven surrogates, which construct an approximation of time-consuming numerical simulations, are used for rapid simulation and optimisation of EOR processes in fractured carbonate reservoirs while considering multiple geological uncertainty scenarios

A simulation study of the negative effect of the competing ability of incorrupt persons on the time to extinction of corrupt interactions in a system

The Judicial and Economical approaches employed over the years in combating corruption practices has not been completely successful. This work seeks to complement these approaches as it applied the Sterile Insect Techniques (SIT) in curbing corruption. This was done with the intent of investigating the negative effect of the competing ability (CA) of the incorrupt persons on the time to extinction of corrupt interactions in a system. The model successfully determined the number of incorrupt interaction that will completely prevent the flow of corrupt interactions arising from the corrupt persons in the system. Various scenario of competing abilities were simulated. This begins with CA = 1.0 down to CA = 0.0 with a step size of 0.1. The result showed that for a system of carrying capacity of twenty (20), it takes a time interval of 52 to 492 time units for corrupt interactions to go extinct (with 52 time units for CA = 1.0 and 492 time units for CA = 0.1). The overall result showed that, low competing abilities reflect negatively on the extinctions’ time of corrupt interactions in a system. In conclusion, the introduction of persons with unwavering integrity in a system, will reduce the negative effect of extending the time to extinction of corrupt practices in a system

Technological Capabilities among Soybean Producers in Benue State, Nigeria

The utilization of soybean in local diets and local industries across Nigeria, as well as the contribution to export, has increased the demand for the crop over the years. However, small-scale farmers have not been able to significantly increase their production and productivity to meet these demands. The study assessed the technological capabilities of small-scale soybean producers in Benue State, Nigeria in 2010. A random sample of 120 soybean farmers was interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The majority (84.2%) of the farmers had informal training in soybean production and all the respondents invested personal savings in soybean production with a mean investment per hectare of N6, 489.00 ($41.60) for labour, N4, 815.00.00 ($30.87) for fertilizer and N2, 166.00 ($13.88) for seeds. All farm operations were carried out with indigenous implements (hoes and cutlasses) and 65% produced less than the average grain yield of 1.2 metric tons per hectare recommended by the Benue Agricultural and Rural Development Authority. Additionally, all farmers modified the recommended two rows at 75 cm inter-rows plant spacing and manual weeding, 88.3% modified the bed preparation of 1m wide flattened top beds and 82.5% fertilizer application while 87.5% sold their produce through middlemen at distant markets. The link between soybean producers and stakeholders was weak and chemical weed control constitutes farmers’ most important training need. The majority of the respondents were smallholder producers with low formal and informal training, limited resources for scaling up production that will meet market demands, low crop yields per hectare, poor linkages and undeveloped marketing channels. In view of this, farmers’ capacities should be strengthened through continuous training in soybean management practices and marketing and provision of labour-saving devices at subsidized rates. In addition, farmers should be facilitated to access credit for the purchase of vital inputs for increased soybean production and productivity. Keywords: soybean farmers, investment, learning, linkage, marketing, production, technical, capabilitie

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE IN THE CONTEXT OF KNOWLEDGE SOCIETIES AS A TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

A society properly rooted in indigenous knowledge system can easily pave way for sustainable development. Indigenous knowledge is a local knowledge that is peculiar to a particular society. It is referred to as folk knowledge, people\u27s knowledge, traditional science or traditional wisdom. Over time, indigenous knowledge is usually generated and transmitted by communities, in an attempt to solve their own societal challenges such as ecological and socio-economic problems. Indigenous knowledge is passed from generation to generation, usually by word of mouth and cultural rituals, and has been the basis for agriculture, food preparation and conservation, health care, education, and the wide range of other activities that sustain a society and its environment in different parts of the world for many centuries. This realization that true development cannot take place without member of the society being able to have equal access to knowledge gave birth to the idea of the knowledge society for a sustainable development. Sustainable development emphasized the development in all aspects of human life affecting sustenance. It means resolving the conflict between the various competing goals and the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity with progress as the major objective. The paper also identified the challenges of indigenous knowledge to include funding, time requirement, labour requirement, ICTs etc. Finally, the paper highlighted the strategies to mitigate these challenges; Nigeria libraries should make effort to persuade traditional institutions and elderly who are resource persons in local communities to share their indigenous knowledge with librarians for proper documentation, preservation and accessibility; Libraries should as a matter of urgency repackage the documented indigenous knowledge in different languages for easy access

INFORMATION NEEDS AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES OF POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS IN UNIVERSITIES IN BENUE STATE

The study investigated the information needs and research activities of postgraduates in universities in Benue State. Two specific objectives with corresponding research questions guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population for the study was 3821 postgraduate students in the three universities in Benue State (Benue State University, University of Agriculture, Makurdi and University of Mkar, Mkar). The sample size of 362 postgraduates from the three universities under study was selected using proportionate stratified and convenience sampling techniques. Data collected was analyzed using Frequency Counts, Percentages, Means and Standard Deviation. Findings of the study revealed the research activities of postgraduate students in universities in Benue State to include: academic information, employment information, entertainment information, jobs update and global information, information for personal development and political information among others. The findings also revealed the methods used by library staff in meeting the information needs of postgraduate students in university libraries in Benue State. The methods used are: internet; conference; library; Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI); Current Awareness Services (CAS). It was concluded that Library information resources are vital ingredients in academic libraries for meeting the information needs of postgraduate students. The study recommended that the University management should ensure adequate funding of university libraries to enhance the availability of information resources; University libraries should provide programmes that could train their students in up-to-date 21st century skills of information retrieval; University Library management should ensure that its staff develop positive attitudes towards users for effective dissemination of information on new trends in the library

Effect Of Dietary Garcinia Kola Seed On Selected Serum Electrolytes And Trace Metals In Male Albino Rats

Summary: The effects of various doses of dietary intake of Garcinia kola seed powder [incorporated in animal feed at levels of 5% w/w, 10% w/w and 20% w/w and fed daily for six weeks] on serum levels of selected electrolytes (K+, Na+, CI-, HCO- 3, Mg2+ and Ca2+) and trace metals (Cu2+ Zn2+ and Mn2+) were studied in male albino rats (100-150g body wt). The pair –fed controls received basal feed diet daily for six weeks. Results showed a significant (P< 0.05) dose dependent elevation of serum CI-, HCO-3, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cu2+, Zn2+ and Mn2+. These findings point to a possible relationship with already documented histopathology of various organs (such as the gonads) induced by Garcinia kola seed. It is also conjectured that the documented antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, antidiabetic and antifertility effects of Garcinia kola seed may have underlying involvement of alterations in body levels of trace metals and electrolytes