The geography of yam cultivation in southern Nigeria:Exploring its social meanings and cultural functions

Background: Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a very important common food crop in West Africa. Beyond its food and nutritious values, the ownership and cultivation of yam have many cultural, religious, and social meanings, which may vary between specific ethnic groups and regional areas. This study explored the diverse social, cultural, and religious perspectives associated with yam and its cultivation in southeastern Nigeria. Methods: We used a comparative approach and utilized in-depth, semistructured interviews, local narratives, and our experiential background to understand the similarities and differences in the local notions of yam and their impacts on the general societal structure across three ethnic regions in southeastern Nigeria. We discussed the findings on a thematic basis to reflect the social and cultural issues associated with the ownership and cultivation of yam. The themes ranged from religious practices, impact on social status, and gender relations. Results: We found no significant differences in the incidence of local perceptions and practices between the study areas. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated the importance and functions of yam crop in structuring the social, economic, religious and cultural fabric of the society

Soaring Towards Excellence / Institute of Research, Development and Commercialisation (IRDC), UiTM

Universiti Teknologi MARA's research and consultancy centre, Institute of Research, Development and Commercialisation, is the primary point of contact for industry, commerce and goverment bodies seeking to access the University's expertise. It was originally known as the Centre for Planning, Research and Development and was established in April 1980. In September 1987, due to it's growing importance and increasing number of research and consultancy activities in UiTM, the centre was restructured and branched into two divisions: the Research and Consultancy Centre (RACC), and the Planning and Evaluation Unit. The centre changed its name again to Bureau of Research and Consultancy (BRC) in 1994. BRC envolved to Institute of Research, Developement and Commercialisation (IRDC) after merging with Institute of Intellectual Property on 15 July 2003. IRDC supports the university's academic community through servicing their IRDC research, consultancy, intellectual property protection and commercialisation. Currently, the Institute is divided into six division