Nigeria united in grief; divided in response: Religious terrorism, Boko Haram, and the dynamics of state response

This article critically examines the current developments regarding the religious terrorism of Boko Haram, an extremist Islamist group, which operates largely in the north-east states of Nigeria. Boko Haram’s avowed aim is to wrest control from the Nigerian government and to impose a strict form of Sharia law across a country of about 170 million people. Since 2009, when Boko Haram first launched its Islamic insurgency, over 5 000 Nigerians have lost their lives in bombings and shootings carried out by the group. In addition to a brief discussion of the emergence, demands, ideology and external links of Boko Haram, the article focuses analytic attention on how the Nigerian state has responded to the menacing threat of the group. This is followed by a critical engagement with the current debate in Nigeria regarding what can be said for and against negotiating with Boko Haram members, and for or against fighting them. In conclusion, the article offers some fresh and multifaceted recommendations on how to effectively address the Boko Haram impasse

Food Insecurity: Challenges of Agricultural Extension in Developing Countries

The emphasis on accelerated agricultural development by developing countries was meant to achieve food security. However, food insecurity has remained a problem throughout much of the developing world and is the result of such factors as slow (as well as highly variable) growth in domestic food production, rapid population growth rates, limited financial capacity to import food and inadequate external assistance. Agricultural extension, on the other hand, plays an important role in development by assuring adequate and timely access by farmers to relevant advice, with appropriate incentives to adopt new technologies if it suits their socio-economic and agroecological circumstances. This paper discusses: the concepts of food security and food insecurity; the causes and consequences of food insecurity; the short-run and long-run measures for alleviating food insecurity; the strengths and weaknesses of some extension modalities; and the modifications to existing extension systems for the achievement of food security. The conclusions drawn are that: (a) improvements in nutritional standards and food security will involve not just a certain rate of agricultural growth, but reduction in population growth rates; and (b) modifications to extension services have the potential to improve agricultural productivity, increase farmers’ incomes, and improve food security

Food Insecurity: Challenges of Agricultural Extension in Developing Countries

The emphasis on accelerated agricultural development by developing countries was meant to achieve food security. However, food insecurity has remained a problem throughout much of the developing world and is the result of such factors as slow (as well as highly variable) growth in domestic food production, rapid population growth rates, limited financial capacity to import food and inadequate external assistance. Agricultural extension, on the other hand, plays an important role in development by assuring adequate and timely access by farmers to relevant advice, with appropriate incentives to adopt new technologies if it suits their socio-economic and agroecological circumstances. This paper discusses: the concepts of food security and food insecurity; the causes and consequences of food insecurity; the short-run and long-run measures for alleviating food insecurity; the strengths and weaknesses of some extension modalities; and the modifications to existing extension systems for the achievement of food security. The conclusions drawn are that: (a) improvements in nutritional standards and food security will involve not just a certain rate of agricultural growth, but reduction in population growth rates; and (b) modifications to extension services have the potential to improve agricultural productivity, increase farmers’ incomes, and improve food security

Challenges of Decentralized, Farmer-Led and Fee-For-Service Extension

Agricultural extension services are crucial for the rapid spread of research results to farmers and for transmitting information about farmers’ needs, circumstances, and problems to researchers. In developing countries, public extension organizations are dominant. These public extension systems are often inadequately funded, have high costs, and their effectiveness is limited by many administrative and design deficiencies and challenges. Chief among these are the large scale and complexity of extension operations, the weak links between extension and research, problems of accountability, weak political commitment and support, weak management systems, severe difficulties of fiscal unsustainability, and difficulties of tracing extension impact. Disenchantment with the traditional, public extension programmes has led to the emergence of other approaches aimed at overcoming some of the weaknesses inherent in the public extension systems. This paper reviews the challenges of decentralized, farmer-led and fee-for-service extension

Challenges of Decentralized, Farmer-Led and Fee-For-Service Extension

Agricultural extension services are crucial for the rapid spread of research results to farmers and for transmitting information about farmers’ needs, circumstances, and problems to researchers. In developing countries, public extension organizations are dominant. These public extension systems are often inadequately funded, have high costs, and their effectiveness is limited by many administrative and design deficiencies and challenges. Chief among these are the large scale and complexity of extension operations, the weak links between extension and research, problems of accountability, weak political commitment and support, weak management systems, severe difficulties of fiscal unsustainability, and difficulties of tracing extension impact. Disenchantment with the traditional, public extension programmes has led to the emergence of other approaches aimed at overcoming some of the weaknesses inherent in the public extension systems. This paper reviews the challenges of decentralized, farmer-led and fee-for-service extension

Displacement and Resettlement: Understanding the Role of Climate Change in Contemporary Migration

How do we understand displacement and resettlement in the context of climate change? This chapter outlines challenges and debates in the literature connecting climate change to the growing global flow of people. We begin with an outline of the literature on environmental migration, specifically the definitions, measurements, and forms of environmental migration. The discussion then moves to challenges in the reception of migrants, treating the current scholarship on migrant resettlement. We detail a selection of cases in which the environment plays a role in the displacement of a population, including sea level rise in Pacific Island States, cyclonic storms in Bangladesh, and desertification in West Africa, as well as the role of deforestation in South America’s Southern Cone as a driver of both climate change and migration. We outline examples of each, highlighting the complex set of losses and damages incurred by populations in each case

Agricultural land use patterns and their relative gross margins in the north-west zone of Nigeria

This study aimed at providing information on the land use practices of farmers and the associated gross margins of different farm production systems in the North-West Zone (NWZ) of Nigeria. Two States in the NWZ were surveyed, namely, Kano and Katsina. Two Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) zones were purposively selected in each of the two States. In Kano State, Rano and Danbatta zones were selected, while in Katsina State, Funtua and Ajiwa zones were selected. The results of the survey showed that agricultural land was used by farmers for cropping purposes and extensive livestock activities. The cropland base was devoted to sole-and mixed cropping activities, with the latter predominating. Sorghum-based mixtures dominated in Rano zone, maize-based mixtures in Funtua zone and millet-based mixtures in Danbatta and Ajiwa zones. The results also indicated that gross margins computed on a per hectare basis were higher for two-crop production systems than sole-crop and three-crop enterprises in the study area. Global Journal of Social Sciences Vol. 6 (1) 2007: pp. 19-3

Challenges of Decentralized, Farmer-Led and Fee-For-Service Extension

Agricultural extension services are crucial for the rapid spread of research results to farmers and for transmitting information about farmers’ needs, circumstances, and problems to researchers. In developing countries, public extension organizations are dominant. These public extension systems are often inadequately funded, have high costs, and their effectiveness is limited by many administrative and design deficiencies and challenges. Chief among these are the large scale and complexity of extension operations, the weak links between extension and research, problems of accountability, weak political commitment and support, weak management systems, severe difficulties of fiscal unsustainability, and difficulties of tracing extension impact. Disenchantment with the traditional, public extension programmes has led to the emergence of other approaches aimed at overcoming some of the weaknesses inherent in the public extension systems. This paper reviews the challenges of decentralized, farmer-led and fee-for-service extension