Research priority setting for health policy and health systems strengthening in Nigeria: The policymakers and stakeholders perspective and involvement

Introduction: Nigeria is one of the low and middle income countries (LMICs) facing severe resource constraint, making it impossible for  adequate resources to be allocated to the health sector. Priority setting becomes imperative because it guides investments in health care, health research and respects resource constraints. The objective of this study was to enhance the knowledge and understanding of policymakers on researchpriority setting and to conduct a research priority setting exercise. Methods: A one-day evidence-to-policy research priority setting meeting was held. The meeting participants included senior and middle level  policymakers and key decision makers/stakeholders in the health sector in Ebonyi State southeastern Nigeria. The priorities setting meeting involved a training session on priority setting process and conduction of priority setting exercise using the essential national health research (ENHR) approach. The focus was on the health systems building blocks (health workforce; health finance; leadership/governance; medical  products/technology; service delivery; and health information/evidence). Results: Of the total of 92 policymakers invited 90(97.8%) attended the meeting. It was the consensus of the policymakers that research should focus on the challenges of optimal access to health products and  technology; effective health service delivery and disease control under a  national emergency situation; the shortfalls in the supply of professional personnel; and the issues of governance in the health sector    management.Conclusion:Research priority setting exercise involving  policymakers is an example of demand driven strategy in the health  policymaking process capable of reversing inequities and strengthening the health systems in LMICs

The Kenyan environment's influence on the emergence and development of corporate entrepreneurship among SMEs

What environmental factors enable corporate entrepreneurship (CE) among African SMEs. CE helps firms to recognize and exploit new opportunities, and is particularly valuable for forms in turbulent, dynamic, or highly volatile environments of Africa. However, to date there is a dearth of research which considers the unique features of the African environmental context and their influence on the CE. To address this gap in our empirical knowledge, this study draws on Institutional Theory to examine the influence of the external environment on the emergence and development of CE among African SMEs. Given the exploratory nature of the study, a multiple case study approach was adopted. Five SMEs from Kenya's services sector formed the basis for empirical enquiry. Kenyan entrepreneurial attitudes and values along with increasing market and environmental dynamism were found to condition the emergence of CE activities among SMEs, while individual and firm-level networks and social capital, as well as deregulation of the Kenyan environment and government support initiatives were perceived as important factors that facilitate CE among SMEs. The study’s findings enrich our understanding of the contingent nature of entrepreneurial activity, suggesting that African context matters. It also adds to the growing body of literature on the importance of entrepreneurship in Africa

Rhizosphere Legacy: Plant Root Interactions with the Soil and Its Biome

Existing rhizosphere literature is united in the shared concept that the rhizosphere represents a dynamic system, which is strongly influenced by the passage of time. This concept gives rise to the idea of “legacy”, in that the rhizosphere of one plant generation leaves a footprint in the soil system, which affects the generations that follow. However, the literature definitions of “legacy” presented to date focus only on alterations in the soil microbiome and the resultant effects of these changes on following generations of plants.We have reviewed existing concepts around the rhizosphere and its legacy and proposed a broader consideration of the rhizosphere legacy, which incorporates physical, chemical and biological changes that potentially endure beyond the root that created it.Given the complexity of the rhizosphere and the interactions of legacy effects across the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil, a range of techniques is needed to sample and analyse this environment. Techniques employed to date depend upon the area of research expertise being undertaken and predominantly rely on destructive methodologies. Recent advances in micro-X-ray computed tomography has alleviated the constraints of destructive sampling, but still requires complementation with other techniques to determine the extent of the rhizosphere legacy. Existing limitations in this complementarity remains a challenge to rhizosphere research. In order to advance our understanding of the rhizosphere and its legacy, there needs to be continued advancement in the methods we employ, which pay homage to the fact that the rhizosphere remains a fluid and ever-changing dynamic environment