Assessment of agro-marketers’ patronage of private commercial cold rooms in Abakaliki Urban Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria

The study assessed the agro-marketers’ patronage of private commercial coldrooms in Abakaliki Urban area of Ebonyi State. Purposive sampling technique was employed in selecting 120 respondents (30 cold room operators and 90 agro-marketers) used for the study. Data were collected from primary source using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics such as mean, tables, percentages, difference in means were employed to analyse objectives i and ii, objective iii was analysed using ordinary least squares regression analysis; whereas, objective iv was analysed using gross margin analysis; whereas, and objective v was analysed using mean score (obtained from a 4-point likert rating scale of 2.5 weighted mean). The results obtained have shown that majority of the agro-marketers werefemales (80%) as most of the males were involved in the operation and management of coldrooms. It further, revealed that 66% (R2 = 0.659) of the total variation on the level of patronage were explained by the combined effects of the explanatory variables, as the coefficients of educational and income status of the agro-marketers were both positiveand significant at 5% level. The F-test of the analysis showed that the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents have a significant effect on the patronage of private commercial coldrooms in the study area. Theanalysis revealed further a higher gross marketing margin for unrefrigerated agro-products than refrigerated agroproducts (18.3% and 16.5% gross margins respectively). Factors like cost of refrigerating agro-products (3.3), use of local refrigerating facilities (2.7), inadequate power supply (2.6), and lack of market information (2.5) were identified asthe major constraints to effective patronage of private commercial  coldrooms in Abakaliki urban. From the findings, the study recommended that the public power supply should be enhanced to ensure constant power supply; and that agro-marketers should be sensitized towards coldroom patronage and need for market information

Determinants of Entrepreneurship Among Agribusiness Investors In South-East, Nigeria

The determinants of entrepreneurial choice have been widely researched, but the determinants of such in South-east, Nigeria especially in agro-related business has not been fully explored. The study analysed the determinants of entrepreneurship among agribusiness investors in Southeast, Nigeria. A combination of multistage and purposive sampling techniques was adopted in the collection of data from three hundred and sixty (360) agribusiness investors using structured questionnaires.  Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to realise the objectives of the study.  The result shows that majority of agribusiness investors in Southeast Nigeria were mostly males (75.6%) who were within the mean active age of forty-three (43) years and with a mean household size of 7 persons, and earned an average annual income of five hundred and seventy three thousand, seven hundred and seventy nine naira (N573,779.00). The result equally revealed that 50% of farm input supply agribusiness ventures were located within the urban while production component of agribusiness were located within the rural (39%) and peri-urban (38%) respectively. The study identified unemployment, profit motive, quest to be financial independent, population of the investment area, experience in self employment, and proximity to market as the major factors that influence individual’s decision to be an entrepreneur.  The result equally shows that age, educational status, experience, annual income, household size, household entrepreneurial history, and source of investment capital have positive effect on determinants of entrepreneurship.  With the ?2 values of 1152.480 and the Pseudo R2 value of 0.055, the included variables in the model, gave a good impression, regarding the model’s goodness of fit at 0.05 (P=0.05) level of significance.  Based on the findings of the study, the pursuance of a prudent macroeconomic policy such as the imposition of free duties to local agribusiness producers/processors to ensure that entrepreneurs will produce at incentive level was recommended. Key words: Determinants, entrepreneurship, agribusiness, investors, enterprise

Effect of Nutrition Labelling on Demand for Agro-Fruit Juice in Abakaliki Urban Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria

The demand for agro-fruit juice has been on the increase in Nigeria.  Despite its increasing demand, there seems to be a dearth of empirical data on the influence of nutrition labelling on consumers demand of agro-fruit juice in Abakaliki urban area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The study specifically, analyzed the ability of consumers to recognized nutrition labelling information and how this influenced the demand for agro-fruits juice. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used in the selection of respondents for the study. Data were collected primarily using well structured questionnaires and the data analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The result of the analysis showed that the mean age of the consumers was 37 years and who are mostly females with an average household size of 4 persons and who earn an average income of N187,200.00. The result further revealed that health claims, date of production and expiration, geographical place of origin, nutritional claims, and safety claims were the major factors that influenced the demand for agro-fruit juice label.  With the R2 of 0.860, the study at P=0.05 level of significance found that nutrition information has significant effect on the demand of agro-fruit juice.  Similarly, with the R2 of 0.946 the coefficient of age, gender, and primary occupation, was negatively related to the demand level of agro-fruit juice label. Again, the result showed that that coefficient of household size, educational level, annual income, and membership of social organisation were positively signed and statistically significant. The study also showed that misleading health claims on agro-fruit juice, falsified nutrition information, lack of interest in agro-fruit juice label information, numerous information content of agro-fruit juice label, and obscure and unclear information on agro-fruit juice were the major constraints to demand for agro-fruits juice nutrition labels. Based on the findings of this study recommended that food regulatory agencies such as NAFDAC should ensure that nutrition information on food label depict the actual quality and claims of its nutritional content; and that producers should ensure that the practice of inscribing unnecessary logos, signs and letters on food labels which carry little or no information should be discouraged. Keywords: nutrition labelling, influencing, demand, agro-fruit, juice, Abakalik

Determinants of Savings and Investment Capacities of Farming Households in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria

The determinants of savings and investment capacities of farming households in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria was studied.  A multi-stage random sampling technique was employed in the selection of 120 respondents. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that farming households save and invest mainly for the purchase of improved varieties and breeds, agrochemicals and feeds.  Informal method of saving which involved saving through isusu and money lending were the most identified ways of saving among the farming households. Also, the knowledge of incentive for sufficient returns, advice received from friends and colleagues, risk of capital loss, and a place to retire were the influencing factors to savings and investment in the area. The results equally indicated that with the coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.767 and F-ratio of 40.302, the socioeconomic attributes of the farming households showed significant effect on the overall savings and investment capacities at 1% level. However, lack of sufficient returns, heavy consumption, risk of capital loss, lack of agents for savings collection, inadequate bank branches, high administrative cost, inadequate information, low literacy level, poor market structure, and high perishable nature of agricultural produce were identified as the major constraints to savings and investments.  Based on the findings, the study concluded that there was a high propensity to save and invest among farming households. Key words: determinants, savings, investment, capacities, farming households, Enugu Stat

Pull and Push'- Implementing the Complementarity Principle of the Rome Statute of the ICC within the AU: Opportunities and Challenges

The complementarity principle of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an international legal principle that governs the relationship between two; sometimes; contrasting international principles of law; namely sovereign equality of States and the international community’s duty to end impunity for international core crimes. Article 17 of the Rome Statute envisages that States maintain primary jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute international crimes; while the ICC’s jurisdiction to prosecute when States are unwilling or genuinely unable to carry out such investigations or prosecutions constitutes the exception. This article provides an analysis of this principle in the context of the institutional; normative; and policy framework for its domestic implementation within the African national legal orders. This article contends that at times of increasing tensions between the African Union (AU) and the ICC; AU States signatory to the ICC must become proactive in terms of furthering their commitments to fully cooperate with the ICC and the international community. Building on the evidence in literature; this article elaborates on how complementarity can ideally function in practice in an AU context; thus creating a tension-free relationship between the ICC and national legal systems in Africa. It suggests that the relationship should be conceived as one of complementarity and interdependence; with an assured acknowledgement of the cultural specificities of today’s Africa

Pull and Push\u27- Implementing the Complementarity Principle of the Rome Statute of the ICC within the AU: Opportunities and Challenges

The complementarity principle of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an international legal principle that governs the relationship between two; sometimes; contrasting international principles of law; namely sovereign equality of States and the international community’s duty to end impunity for international core crimes. Article 17 of the Rome Statute envisages that States maintain primary jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute international crimes; while the ICC’s jurisdiction to prosecute when States are unwilling or genuinely unable to carry out such investigations or prosecutions constitutes the exception. This article provides an analysis of this principle in the context of the institutional; normative; and policy framework for its domestic implementation within the African national legal orders. This article contends that at times of increasing tensions between the African Union (AU) and the ICC; AU States signatory to the ICC must become proactive in terms of furthering their commitments to fully cooperate with the ICC and the international community. Building on the evidence in literature; this article elaborates on how complementarity can ideally function in practice in an AU context; thus creating a tension-free relationship between the ICC and national legal systems in Africa. It suggests that the relationship should be conceived as one of complementarity and interdependence; with an assured acknowledgement of the cultural specificities of today’s Africa

Participation of youth organizations in community development projects in ivo local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Effective participation of youths in community development projects has not been given considerable scholarly attention. Hence, the need for this study that assessed participation of youth groups in community development projects in Ivo Local Government Area (LGA) in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The population of the study comprised all members of registered youth groups in the study area. Based on this, the study employed multistage random and purposive sampling techniques for the selection of a total of 120 respondents. The study used primary data sourced with the aid of structured questionnaire that was administered to the sampled respondents as interview schedule. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse data generated from the field survey. The findings showed that youth groups engaged in five sectors of rural community development in the area. These include: providing labour for construction of classroom blocks (52.5%), periodic environmental sanitation and cleanliness of their communities (65.0%), organizing youth groups to form cooperatives for sourcing and distribution of farm inputs (66.7%). Others are filling of potholes and repair of damaged portions of rural roads (100.0%), construction of rural feeder roads ((90.0%), collection and remittance of electricity bills to EEDC (54.2%) and membership of vigilant groups for maintenance of law and order in the rural communities (62.5%). Furthermore, the result indicated that apart from contributing physical labour (̄ = 3.0), and project implementation (̄ = 2.5) which recorded very high and high responses respectively, other complementary activities of community development such as conception of project (̄ = 2.2), project budgeting and planning (̄ = 2.0), mobilization of fund & material resources (̄ = 2.3), project supervision (̄ = 1.8) and monitoring and evaluation (̄ = 2.1) were rated low. The varimax rotated matrix on constraints to youth groups’ participation in community development projects in Ivo LGA of Ebonyi State based on items that clustered and loaded high, identified social, institutional and economic factors as constraints to youth groups’ participation in community development projects in the area. The study recommended integration of youth groups into all stages of projects development, especially at conception, initiation, planning, monitoring, evaluation and supervision of community development projects as well as improve their access to credit facilities. Keywords: Implementation, participation, planning, rural communities, and youth grou

Determinants of Agripreneurship among the Rural Households of Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State

Despite the abundance of agripreneurial opportunities in rural communities of Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, studies seem not to have captured the determinants of agripreneurship in the area. The study employed an ex post facto research design to generate relevant data using structured questionnaire administered as interview schedule on 120 purposively selected rural households. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential (Logit regression analysis) statistics.  Results showed that most of the agripreneurs (64.20%) were male who are within the mean productive age of 46 years and average household size of 7 persons. Meanwhile, the major agripreneurial activity of the people was farm production – arable crops, livestock, and fisheries from where they earn an average annual income of ninety-eight thousand, three hundred and forty three naira, twenty kobo (N98,343.20). The study identified access to credits and loans, tax rates, agripreneurial training, income level of the agripreneur, geographical location, availability of market, fertility of the soil, number of competitors, quantity of agricultural output, availability of social amenities, and the type of farming system practiced as having influence on agripreneurship drive among rural households.  Similarly, land tenure system, lack of investment infrastructures, lack of technical know-how, poor training of rural households by extension agents, lack of access to research results, high interest rate on loan, high competitive market, poor returns to agricultural investment, and lack of access to loan as the major constraints to agripreneurship among rural households. Based on the findings, the study recommended provision of key investment infrastructures such as electricity, good roads, organised; and proper information dissemination to the rural households on how to identify viable agripreneurial opportunities. Keywords: agripreneurship, agripreneurs, investment, drive, rural, households, constraint

How Transnational Effective are the UK Migration Policies in Relation to Missing Migrants? A Transnational Law Perspective

All over the world, several thousands of migrants go missing when they attempt to flee from war, violence, persecution, repressive regimes, systematic human rights violations etc. Thousands die each year in deadly shipwrecks in a desperate attempt to enter Europe and the UK. In these instances of deaths and loss, international human rights law imposes duties on states to account for people missing in transnational migration and respect the rights of members of their families. Despite such provisions, states sometimes deny that they have obligation to deal with cases of migrants reported missing in transnational migration until migrants reach their territories. Such conflicting claims raise serious questions about migration policies and governance and how the subject of missing migrants should be dealt with at the international level. The newly adopted UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (Objective 8(a-f)) answers a part of the question by recognising that migration generally, and missing migrants specifically, is a transnational social problem which requires greater cooperation amongst states as well as policies with transnational effects. The UK was one of the earliest countries to endorse the new migration compact, hinting that it respects the sovereign right of states to determine and implement their own migration policies and protect national interest. The article asks if, from a transnational law perspective, the UK migration policy in relation to missing migrants is transnationally effective such as to facilitate enforcement of the new Global Compact and other related international instruments nationally. Building on existing literature which shows limited knowledge about the transnational effects of the UK policies in relation to missing migrants, the article highlights the imperatives of strengthening, in order to avoid a future policy vacuum, the transnational effectiveness of UK policies in addressing the increasing cases of people who go missing while attempting to reach international destinations. https://www.transnat.org/post/how-transnationally-effective-are-the-uk-migration-policies-in-relation-to-missing-migrant