Analysis of Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) in NIFFR and the Challenge of Skilled Fishery Extension Manpower Development in Nigeria

The study examined Student’s Industrial Work Experience Scheme carried out in NIFFR visa-a-vise the challenge of skilled manpower development for fishery extension. Secondary data collected from NIFFR library and report of 2007 SIWES period was analysed descriptively. Out of 617 students from 36 schools that visited NIFFR, 282 (46%) were for IT from 16 tertiary institutions in the six geo-political zones. Over 80% of the IT students were University students in the department of fisheries dominated by institutions in the South West and North Central zones. SIWES students spend 2-32 weeks to acquire skills and practical knowledge in different aspects of fisheries like artisanal, aquaculture & biotechnology, fish technology, environmental studies, and socioeconomic/ extension. High influx of students in the department of fisheries is an indication that NIFFR adds value to graduates of fisheries. However, it is appalling to note that students of agricultural extension never utilize opportunities existing at NIFFR for industrial training like their counterparts in fisheries department. This is a pointer to a large extent that the challenge of training skilled and competent professionals for fishery agricultural extension is still a mirage rather than a reality. To reverse the ugly trend, students of agricultural extension in various tertiary institutions should be compelled to spend at least two weeks of their IT period at NIFFR for practical experience. This development will be seen as a step in the right direction towards skill development and changing student’s perception to seek livelihood in fishery particularly in aquaculture to create jobs and reduce unemployment as well as building competency and confidence

Analysis of Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) in NIFFR and the Challenge of Skilled Fishery Extension Manpower Development in Nigeria

The study examined Student’s Industrial Work Experience Scheme carried out in NIFFR visa-a-vise the challenge of skilled manpower development for fishery extension. Secondary data collected from NIFFR library and report of 2007 SIWES period was analysed descriptively. Out of 617 students from 36 schools that visited NIFFR, 282 (46%) were for IT from 16 tertiary institutions in the six geo-political zones. Over 80% of the IT students were University students in the department of fisheries dominated by institutions in the South West and North Central zones. SIWES students spend 2-32 weeks to acquire skills and practical knowledge in different aspects of fisheries like artisanal, aquaculture & biotechnology, fish technology, environmental studies, and socioeconomic/ extension. High influx of students in the department of fisheries is an indication that NIFFR adds value to graduates of fisheries. However, it is appalling to note that students of agricultural extension never utilize opportunities existing at NIFFR for industrial training like their counterparts in fisheries department. This is a pointer to a large extent that the challenge of training skilled and competent professionals for fishery agricultural extension is still a mirage rather than a reality. To reverse the ugly trend, students of agricultural extension in various tertiary institutions should be compelled to spend at least two weeks of their IT period at NIFFR for practical experience. This development will be seen as a step in the right direction towards skill development and changing student’s perception to seek livelihood in fishery particularly in aquaculture to create jobs and reduce unemployment as well as building competency and confidence

Lablab purpureus—A Crop Lost for Africa?

In recent years, so-called ‘lost crops’ have been appraised in a number of reviews, among them Lablab purpureus in the context of African vegetable species. This crop cannot truly be considered ‘lost’ because worldwide more than 150 common names are applied to it. Based on a comprehensive literature review, this paper aims to put forward four theses, (i) Lablab is one of the most diverse domesticated legume species and has multiple uses. Although its largest agro-morphological diversity occurs in South Asia, its origin appears to be Africa. (ii) Crop improvement in South Asia is based on limited genetic diversity. (iii) The restricted research and development performed in Africa focuses either on improving forage or soil properties mostly through one popular cultivar, Rongai, while the available diversity of lablab in Africa might be under threat of genetic erosion. (iv) Lablab is better adapted to drought than common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) or cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), both of which have been preferred to lablab in African agricultural production systems. Lablab might offer comparable opportunities for African agriculture in the view of global change. Its wide potential for adaptation throughout eastern and southern Africa is shown with a GIS (geographic information systems) approach

phosphorus fertilizer in the Sub-humid Savanna of

Soybean response to application of poultry manure an

Soil management in the northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria

A survey of soil management practices was conducted in the northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria. Fifteen villages were randomly selected from a geographical grid covering an area of 100 × 200 km located in the benchmark area of the Ecoregional Program for the Humid and Sub-humid Tropics of Sub-Saharan Africa. In each village the chief and several farmers were interviewed to assess their soil management methods and attitude towards the need to conserve soil. A total of 181 farmers were interviewed in late 1996. The most common crop rotation systems were food legumes with non-legume crops (40%), followed by monocropping (28%). Fifty-three per cent of the farmers who included food legumes in their rotations did so for soil fertility considerations, while 49% of the farmers who practised monocropping did so to maximise their output. These practices indicate that farmers were well aware of the importance of legumes for maintaining soil fertility. Only 2% of the farmers practised mulching with crop residue. The most common use of crop residue was for fodder, the remainder largely being used as building material or else burnt. As a consequence, soil surfaces were generally bare at the onset of the rainy season and hence prone to soil erosion. Ridging was the most important land preparation technique (88%), with farmers perceiving benefit in terms of improved crop emergence (56%) and water conservation (11%). Other benefits included weed control. Ridging was generally practised along contours, with most farmers citing soil conservation benefits, e.g. water conservation, and erosion control as the reasons for using contour ridging. Those farmers who purposely ridged up and down the slope did so for drainage purposes. All farmers used the same method to build ridges—the ridge from the previous year was cut in the middle and the two halves of neighbouring ridges were combined to form a new ridge in the furrow from the previous year. According to the farmers, this method controlled weeds and improved emergence. None of the farmers practised rebuilding old ridges, similar to permanent ridges. Such a practice might be acceptable to farmers in that it may be less labour intensive to rebuild partially collapsed ridges compared to reridging completely. Soil physical benefits from semi-permanent ridging would include increased soil structural stability, reduced soil compaction and increased root proliferation into the subsoil. Negative side effects might include reduced crop emergence and increased weed infestation. The most commonly used tools for soil preparation were hand hoes (80%), followed by draft animals (16%) and tractors (3%)