Gender differentials in the determinants of usage of climate change adaptation strategies in farming communities of Ekiti and Ogun States, Southwest Nigeria

The use of adaptation strategies remains the only approach to reduce and combat the effects posed by climate change all over the world. We explored the extent of usage of adaptation strategies by farmers in Ekiti and Ogun States. 358 men and 222 women farmers were surveyed using multi-stage procedure. We employed semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussions to collect data from the respondents. The data were analysed descriptively and presented in percentages and frequency counts. The data were further subjected to Chisquare, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation, t-test, multiple linear regression analysis and Explorative Factor Analysis (EFA). The findings revealed that the majority of men (99.7%) and women farmers (96.8%) perceived to adapt to climate change. Men (= 2.29) relative to women (= 2.33) used more on-farm adaptation strategies. The strongest determinant of usage of climate change adaptation strategies by men farmers was climate change adaptation barriers (t = 5.13, p < 0.01), while for women farmers, climate change experience (t = 7.42, p < 0.01) was the strongest determinant. The promotion of gender-sensitive approaches to climate change adaptation that cater for the needs of men and women farmers is highly essential to enhance adaptation among them

The Role of Trade Policy in the Performance of Nigerian Agricultural Sector: A Time Series Analysis

There has been an increasing interest in understanding the role of trade policy in agricultural performance over the years. This time-series study investigates the impact of trade openness and domestic currency rate on agricultural performance in Nigeria within the period, 1981-2019. Using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach, the study confirmed that there exists a long-run relationship between trade policy and agricultural performance in Nigeria. The result showed that trade openness has a significant and positive effect on agricultural performance in Nigeria. Further, the study confirmed that trade openness contributes more to agricultural performance in the long-run than in the short-run. However, exchange rate impacted negatively and significantly on agricultural performance in the long-run. Meanwhile, the short-run estimates showed that exchange rate has a significant and positive effect on agricultural performance. More so, it was gathered that interest rate affects agricultural performance negatively in Nigeria. There is need for government to embark on outward looking trade policy that supports the agricultural industry in terms of its exportation of indigenous commodities and stimulation of output growth. Keywords: Agricultural output, trade openness, exchange rate, interest rates, ARDL. JEL Classification: Q19, F13, E52. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/12-16-08 Publication date:August 31st 202

Biodiversity conservation and rural development: inseparable options for Protected Area management. A case study of four Nigerian national parks

The establishment and management of Protected Areas have become the cornerstones of biodiversity conservation strategies. However, efforts aimed to manage these areas have paid little or no attention to livelihoods and needs of the surrounding communities. Therefore, this study assesses the socio-economic predictors of the local people's needs and also establishes the link between biodiversity conservation and rural development. A survey of villages around four Nigerian national parks has been carried out to determine available infrastructural facilities, the facilities mostly desired by villagers and the socio-economic predictors of the local people's needs and their dependence on the national park resources. The selection of the study areas was performed through multi-stage random sampling, with a focus on villages within a 10-km radius of each national park boundaries. Primary data were collected from 1500 respondents in 106 local communities around four national parks, i.e. 22 around the Cross River National Park (CRNP), 22 around the Gashaka Gumti National Park (GGNP), 27 around the Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP), and 35 around the Old Oyo National Park (OONP). The collected data were analysed and presented descriptively, while logistic regression was used to identify the socio-demographic predictors of needs by local people. Results of the demographic characteristics show that there were more male respondents interviewed (73.2%) than female respondents (26.8%) in all four national parks. In all the four studied national parks, farming has a predominant occupation: CRNP (99.3%), GGNP (93.9%), KLNP (90.5%), and OONP (85.2%). The major number of respondents is married: CRNP (77.0%), GGNP (70.0%), KLNP (84.4%), and OONP (79.6%), and is within the age group of 15–25 years: CRNP (43.0%), GGNP (30.0%), KLNP (36.2%) and OONP (25.2%). All of the respondents interviewed in CRNP were Christians (100%), while the majority of respondents in GGNP (87.3%), KLNP (99.2%), and OONP (53.1%) were Muslims. In terms of educational qualifications, there was a high level of illiteracy among the people living around the studied national parks as most of the respondents in CRNP had primary (45.3%) and secondary education (32.7%). However, for the other three national parks, we demonstrated a higher percentage of non-formal education: GGNP (61.5%), KLNP (63.1%) and OONP (68.1%). The obtained results show that the study area is characterised by a lack of infrastructures, such as roads (96.4%), electricity (97.7%) and limited provision of service, such as medicine (91.1%), potable water (96.5%), and education services (86.6%). The majority of the interviewed respondents in communities around the national parks indicated the provision of health care centres (78.5%), boreholes/portable water (77.7%), roads (68.6%), the establishment of schools (59.7%) and employment (56.2%). Our results show that the communities' expectation was for basic infrastructures, such as the provision of potable water (77.5%), health care centres (78.5%), electricity (78.1%), and roads (68.9%). The logistic regression analysis indicated that the predictors of the respondents' infrastructural needs were gender (β = 0.068, p < 0.01), age (β = 0.032, p < 0.01), and education level (β = 0.047, p < 0.05). The study concludes that there is a need for the federal, state and local governments to provide the basic infrastructures in villages surrounding the studied national parks to reduce the pressure and over-dependence of the local people on the national park resources. The literacy campaign and conservation education should be taken to the grass-root because the majority of the local people are illiterates and live around biodiversity hotspots

Green synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles using extracts of Solanum macrocarpon fruit and their redox responses on SPAu electrode

Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstrac

Specialisation Preferences and Perceived Motivation in Ecotourism and Wildlife Management Programme at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria

This study determined specialisation preferences and perceived motivational factors in ecotourism and wildlife management programme among students in the Department of Ecotourism and Wildlife Management, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. A sample of 156 students was randomly drawn from 261 students in the Department. Data were collected with questionnaire while analysis was through independent t-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation. Results show that 74.4% of the students preferred ecotourism management while 25.6% preferred wildlife management. Furthermore, observed mean values of the perceived motivational factors (self-actualisation=4.20, job opportunity=4.08, field attractiveness=3.88, ease of study=3.55, and scholastic achievement=3.93) were lower than reported in previous studies. It is recommended that the departmental curriculum should enhance opportunities for study exchange programme with institutions offering similar programmes overseas and also field practical exposure in all areas of the programme that could bolster students' job opportunities after graduation.Keywords: Specialisation, preferences, perceived, motivation, programm

Carcinoma of the scrotum in a Young man with HIV Infection: Is there a Possible Association?

Squamous cell carcinoma of the scrotum is rare and its occurrences in the young is even rarer. A 39-year-old gentleman presented with a large non-healing ulcer developing on his left hemi-scrotum 9 months after the excisional biopsy of multiple pruritic nodular lesions on the scrotum. On histological examination it was found to be squamous cell carcinoma. Examination under anaesthesia revealed that the tumour was not resectable and patient was offered radiotherapy. Historically, scrotal carcinoma is occupation related, but none of the occupational predisposing factors was identified in this patient. Patient was however, found to be positive for HIV 1. We suggest that the occurrence of scrotal carcinoma which is normally seen in elderly men in a young man might be due to the associated HIV infection. NQJHM Vol. 16 (3) 2006: pp. 93-9

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SOYA BEANS PRODUCTION IN SAKI EAST LOCAL GOVERNEMNT AREA, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

The study employs a stochastic frontier production function analysis to examine the productivity and technical efficiency of Soya beans production in Oyo State, Nigeria and also to identify the factors affecting the technical insufficiency using farm level survey data. The result shows that Soya beans farmers operated on a very small scale and are profitable, the productivity analysis shows that agro chemicals fertilizer, farm size and labour were all positive and significantly related to the technical efficiency. The return to scale (TRS) of 0.9904 shows that soyabean production was in rational state of the production surface. The technical efficiency varies from 0.1094 to 0.9568 with a mean technical efficiency of 0.6649, indicating that farmers were operating below the efficiency frontier. Thus, in the short run, there is a scope to increase output by 34%. The inefficiency model revealed that education of the farmers; extension visits and access to credit are the main factors that affect technical efficiency of the farmers

Support Zone Communities' Perspectives on the Potential Benefits of Ecotourism in Old Oyo National Park, Nigeria

Ecotourism benefits to local communities are germane to support for conservation. This study determined the perspectives of the residents of support zone communitieson of Old Oyo National Park on the potential benefits of ecotourism. It was a questionnaire survey involving 150 residents of the support zone communities (rural and urban communities) of the Park. Data obtained were subjected to descriptive, independent t-test, chi square, and Pearson’s correlation analysis. Results indicated that 60.9% and 69.5% of respondents in rural and urban communities respectively were male, the mean age for rural communities’ residents was 42.1 while it was 38.4 for urban communities, In addition, 42.9%% and 40.7% had non-formal and primary education respectively in rural communities while 35.6% and 33.9% had primary and secondary education in urban communities. Economic development, social development, community capacity building, and environmental potential benefits of ecotourism were perceived very high by the respondents while cultural benefits were perceived high. In all, environmental protection benefits of ecotourism were rated highest while the least were cultural benefits. For the environmental benefits of the park to be sustainable, support for conservation of cultural, historical and biodiversity resources of the park by rural communities, who are the custodians of these resources, social development of the rural areas through continuous and sustained interventions should be improved upon

IMPACT OF UNIVERSITY LIBRARY IN THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ENGINEERING: A CASE STUDY OF ADELEKE UNIVERSITY

The library is a resource center for providing a wide range of educational resources to supply information needs of staff and students. However, the use of academic library resources depends on the information literacy skills of staff members and students. The study investigated the university library's impact on the teaching and learning of engineering courses in Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State. Parameters measured include library usage, satisfaction, and implications for teaching and learning of engineering. The study used random sampling and survey research design with a population of 170 comprising members of staff and students of the engineering faculty. Descriptive statistics was used for data analysis and ANOVA was used to test the hypothesis at the 95% level of confidence. Findings revealed that 93% of Faculty of Engineering staff members and students utilize and consult the library regularly for teaching and learning purposes. The study concluded that the university library is instrumental, and it does have a positive impact on teaching and learning of engineering in Adeleke University. The study recommended that the university library should ensure a continuous provision and availability of library resources for effective teaching and learning of Engineering

OPTIMIZATION OF A CONVECTIVE DRYING PROCESS FOR PRODUCING STARCH-ALBUMEN POWDER AS COATING MATERIAL IN FRIED FOODS

Dried starch was added to egg albumen at concentration of 10-30% to increase solid matter content prior to convective air drying at 40-60oC with hot air velocity of 4.5 m/s. The functional properties of starch-albumen powder (SAP) and properties of the coated fried yam chips were fitted to response surface regression model. Our findings suggest that for a multiple objective of minimizing oil uptake and moisture content and, maximizing acceptability of fried chip drying at temperature of 40oC and starch content of 11.3% should be used