Rural Land Market, Livelihood and Welfare among Households in Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria

With rapid population growth and resulting increased land fragmentation, landholding becomes smaller, negatively impacting on the living standard of rural households. Thus, the need to understand the potentials of land markets to improve rural households’ access to land through the adjustment of households’ landholding for livelihood activities, and its consequent effect on their welfare. This paper examined the relationship between rural land market, livelihood and welfare among households in Oyo state, Southwest Nigeria. Using a structured questionnaire, a survey was conducted on a sample of 200 respondents, who were selected through multistage sampling procedure. Descriptive statistics, Land Market Index (LMI), Tobit model and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the primary data. Results show that majority (74.0%) of households were involved in crop farming with mean income of ₦53 833.33 (±26 784.560), which was relatively higher than livestock ₦31 567.08 (±20 897.47). The mean total monthly expenditure was ₦26 548.50 (±8945.5692). Identified land transaction methods include purchase (76.3%), lease (19.8%), and rent (3.9%). On the average, 97.0% of land held by households were acquired through market (LMI=0.97). Sex and household status had significant positive effects on the extent of households’ participation in land market at p<0.01. Also, LMI, crop farming and livestock farming had significant positive effect on households’ welfare. Obtaining land through market for livelihood activities promotes households’ welfare. Rural land market and livelihood activities have significant positive effects on the welfare of farmers. There is need for Government to facilitate formal land markets in rural areas

Motherism, African Women and Ecological Advocacy in Aminata Sow Fall’s L’Ex-père de la nation and Douceurs du bercail

The literary discourse of francophone Africa, has been indicted for ecocritical passivity. Yet many literary texts emanating from francophone Africa are replete with portraits of the environment. Even though Aminata Sow Fall, the Senegalese socio-realist falls within the category of authors who seek equilibrium in their treatment of African postcolonial issues, most of her works are laden with ecocritical concerns. Hidden within the literary portraits of postcolonial and environmental chaos of Africa lies Sow Fall’s projection of African problems and their alternative solution via her characters’ sensitization of ecological consciousness in readers. Through the theoretical framework of Catherine O. Acholonu’s environment-inclined Motherism: The Afrocentric Alternative to Feminism (1995), the present study embarks on an ecocritical focus on women characters’ roles in Sow Fall’s L’ex-père de la nation (1987) and Douceurs du bercail (1998). Against the backdrop of the main characters’ roles that threaten the environmental well-being of Africa, we contend that women characters present a symbiotic relationship with nature; they highlight the advantages Mother Earth bestows on human beings, displaying how women’s leadership roles enhance African environments. It is in this respect that the article argues that women characters’ roles suggest an advocacy for ecological Motherist ideals as a means to counter postcolonial societal ills. In conclusion, the novels showcase African women as environmental Motherists whose roles preserve an Edenic African environment that connotes benefits and hopes for human in the midst of literal and metaphorical postcolonial degradation of the environment

Prevention of Congenital Transmission of Malaria in Sub-Saharan African Countries: Challenges and Implications for Health System Strengthening

Objectives. Review of burden of congenital transmission of malaria, challenges of preventive measures, and implications for health system strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. Literature from Pubmed (MEDLINE), Biomed central, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Database were reviewed. Results. The prevalence of congenital malaria in sub-Saharan Africa ranges from 0 to 23%. Diagnosis and existing preventive measures are constantly hindered by weak health systems and sociocultural issues. WHO strategic framework for prevention: intermittent preventive therapy (IPT), insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), and case management of malaria illness and anaemia remain highly promising; though, specific interventions are required to strengthen the health systems in order to improve the effectiveness of these measures. Conclusion. Congenital malaria remains a public health burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Overcoming the challenges of the preventive measures hinges on the ability of national governments and development partners in responding to the weak health systems

Permeability Characteristics of the Foundation Materials of Gurara Dam, North Central Nigeria

A comparison of refraction seismic velocities, electrical resistivity and in-situ permeability   values were  used in this study to evaluate the relationship between permeability values and geophysical parameters in the basement rocks in Gurara Dam area, Kaduna State, North Central Nigeria. Seismic refraction shootings, borehole drilling and rock coring enhanced the interpretations of the geo-electrical studies. The presence of low resistivity values (200-700 W-m) on the electrical resistivity soundings coincided with low velocity transmission of seismic waves (500-1,500 m/sec.) in the saprolite. The results of drilling, coring and water testing, show that the basement rock is fresh and moderately permeable. The Lugeon values from the water pressure tests performed in boreholes show local variations of the generally moderate overall permeability. The permeability values in the basement rock fractures which lie between the depths of 20 and 40m vary between 35 and 1,620 x 10-7 m/s, meaning that the rocks require cement grouting for structural foundation works at these depths. The permeability values of rocks between 40 and 60m vary between 2.67 and 94.8 x10-7 m/sec. This study has established the relationship between low seismic velocity and low electrical resistivity and high permeability in the basement rock. Permeability increases down the profile in the up thrown side of the dam axis until where the fractures close up at depths, while it decreases downwards at the down thrown side. These areas need extra care in the construction stages, if the dam foundation is not to be “threatened”. Key words;  Permeability, saprolite, fresh rock, grouting

Educación y empleo femenino en Nigeria

This paper examined female education and employment in Nigeria. The 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data (NDHS, 2018) was used. After sorting out for missing data, 28,494 women’s individual data were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Multinomial logit regression. Only 0.3% of women in Nigeria are  unemployed while 99.7% are employed in skilled and unskilled jobs. However, only 13.4% of the women are engaged in skilled employment; 8.5% are in professional/technical/managerial jobs while 4.9% are involved in skilled manual. The majority (86.3%) are in the unskilled manual employment category; 1.6% in clerical, 49.4% in sales, 9.5% in services, 0.1% in unskilled manual and 25.7% in Agriculture. The likelihood of being involved in professional/technical/managerial employment by women in Nigeria increases with age (0.06), region {North West (1.18), South West (1.87}, educational level {secondary (0.68), tertiary (1.64)}, wealth index{richer (0.90), richest(0.95)}. On the other hand, the likelihood of being engaged in professional/technical/managerial employment type reduces with large household size &gt;10persons (-0.71). Engagement of women in skilled employment types are driven by education while education discourages them in engaging in unskilled employment types. However, because the highest proportion of the women have secondary education, they are found more in the unskilled employment types. Also, engagement in skilled employment types is driven by wealth index while age drives skilled and unskilled employment types. Nigerian women are not much involved in skilled employment, the right policy should be put in place to educate girls beyond the secondary education level and enlighten them on the need to be involved in skilled employment.Este documento examina la educación y el empleo femenino en Nigeria. Se utilizaron los datos de la Encuesta Demográfica y de Salud de Nigeria de 2018 (NDHS, 2018). Después de depurar los datos faltantes, se utilizaron los datos individuales de 28,494 mujeres. Los datos se analizaron utilizando estadísticas descriptivas y regresión logit multinomial. Solo el 0.3% de las mujeres en Nigeria están desempleadas mientras que el 99.7% están empleadas en trabajos calificados y no calificados. Sin embargo, solo el 13.4% de las mujeres están involucradas en empleos calificados; el 8.5% en trabajos profesionales/técnicos/gerenciales, mientras que el 4.9% están en trabajos manuales calificados. La mayoría (86.3%) está en la categoría de empleo manual no calificado; el 1.6% en trabajos clericales, el 49.4% en ventas, el 9.5% en servicios, el 0.1% en trabajos manuales no calificados y el 25.7% en agricultura. La probabilidad de estar involucrada en empleos profesionales/técnicos/gerenciales para las mujeres en Nigeria aumenta con la edad (0.06), la región {Noroeste (1.18), Suroeste (1.87)}, el nivel educativo {secundaria (0.68), terciaria (1.64)}, el índice de riqueza {más rico (0.90), el más rico (0.95)}. Por otro lado, la probabilidad de estar involucrada en empleos profesionales/técnicos/gerenciales disminuye con un tamaño de hogar grande &gt;10 personas (-0.71). La participación de las mujeres en tipos de empleo calificado está impulsada por la educación, mientras que la educación las desalienta de participar en tipos de empleo no calificado. Sin embargo, debido a que la mayor proporción de las mujeres tiene educación secundaria, se encuentran más en los tipos de empleo no calificado. Además, la participación en tipos de empleo calificado está impulsada por el índice de riqueza, mientras que la edad impulsa tanto el empleo calificado como el no calificado. Las mujeres nigerianas no están muy involucradas en empleos calificados, se debe implementar la política adecuada para educar a las niñas más allá del nivel de educación secundaria y concienciarlas sobre la necesidad de involucrarse en empleos calificados

Income Diversification, Inequality and Poverty among Rural Households in Oyo State, Nigeria

&nbsp;The study examined income diversification, inequality and poverty among rural households in Oyo state, Nigeria. Cross-section data were generated from the survey conducted on a sample of 200 households with the aid of structured questionnaire using multi-stage sampling procedure. Descriptive statistics, diversification index, Gini coefficient, FGT poverty index, and the Probit regression model were used to analyze data. Mean income diversification index of 1.22 shows that majority of the respondents had multiple streams of income but crop farming had the largest share (90%) in total income. Mean income of respondents was ₦77,613.2±83575.01, and Gini coefficient of 0.48, 0.46, and 0.39 were obtained for total income, nonagricultural income, and agricultural income respectively. The poverty line was ₦6,490.50 and mean per capita expenditure was ₦9,735.74. The head count ratio showed that 53.5% of the households were poor while 46.5% were regarded as non-poor, and poverty gap was 0.214. From probit results, age, secondary occupation, and farm size had significant inverse relationship with poverty status. Having primary and secondary income sources is poverty reducing, therefore, rural households should be encouraged to remain in farming, especially crop farming, and motivated through skill acquisition to diversify into other income generating activities.&nbsp; &nbsp

Oral Health Attitudes and Practices of the Elderly People in South East Local Government Area (SELGA) In Ibadan

The aetiology of many dental diseases is influenced by behavioral and lifestyle factors. It is the aim of this study to determine the oral health attitude and practices of the elderly people in SELGA in Ibadan, Nigeria.The study was conducted on 690 randomly selected individuals from 23 wards in SELGA. Two trained interviewers interviewed them on their oral health knowledge attitude and practices.Positive attitude was demonstrated towards care of the teeth, infection of the gum and regular cleaning of the teeth (99.3%, 88.1%, 97%) and negative attitude towards dental treatment (74.6% ).Majority (59.86%) clean their teeth twice daily but only 13% visit the dental clinic regularly and 65.7% have not been to the dental clinic before.Whilst there was strong correlation between frequency of tooth cleaning and attitude to tooth cleaning, the desire to visit the dental clinic (84.2%) did not translate into regular dental clinic attendance. Keywords: Oral Health, Attitudes, Practices, Elderly

Learning Alphabets Through Infographics

Early stages of reading and writing rest solely on the alphabet.  Learning of letters with infographics in the elementary classes makes learning more easy and meaningful.  The study examined the potentials of infographics in enhancing learning at an early childhood level especially on letters.  The researcher utilized experimental design which including pre and post-test. The package was validated by experts with a reliability coefficient of 0. 77. The findings of this study showed that the experimental group means a score of 30.60 is higher than the control group means a score of 30.50 co-efficient. Moreover, the means score of 30.742 for females and 30.345 for male pupils was obtained. The study concluded that children at the early childhood level could learn better using infographics based approach. It was recommended that incentives should be provided for pre-school teachers to participate in highly effective staff development to help them integrate infographics into their teaching and learning. Also, infographics based approach be used for all subjects in early childhood education in Nigeri

A linha do horizonte: uma metáfora mal-resolvida dos africanos no filme Chocolat de Claire Denis

No filme Chocolat, de Claire Denis (1989), os colonizadores fazem alusão constante a uma linha do horizonte aparentemente banal; um discurso que corrobora as complexidades do poder paralelo e a singularidade cultural entre os africanos e os colonizadores/ocidentais. Este trabalho argumenta que a inter-relação colonial de europeus e africanos se incorpora na alusão do filme à linha do horizonte, uma metáfora, com o seu fim visível mas restritivo, inacessível e inexistente. Por um lado, a linha do horizonte significa um lamento da apreciação interna de autocondenação do colonizador — uma característica raramente percebida no discurso do colonizador. Por outro, a linha do horizonte simboliza a pouca profundidade dos colonizadores, o que sugere suas limitações e sua incompetência na tentativa de sustentar o poder colonial. Pela sua insensibilidade e seu desinteresse em procurar conhecer os africanos como seres com quem se podia contar, os colonizadores/ocidentais acabaram não descobrindo, nem dominando completamente, os africanos. A nossa tese é a de que a linha do horizonte motiva uma inadequação que representa a inadequação e a incapacidade dos ocidentais para compreender a personalidade dos africanos.Palavras-chave: colonizador/ocidental - poder - conhecimento - ilusão - africanos

Managing Science and Technology Occupations of Women in Nigeria

The study examined the occupational activities of female graduates in science and technology related fields with a view to assessing factors influencing their performance and make recommendations to enhance women work experiences in S&amp;T occupations. The data for the study was collected through questionnaire and interview schedule from a sample of 2110 respondents comprising of employed female Science and Technology (S&amp;T) graduates and heads of departments in tertiary institutions and S&amp;T firms in Nigeria. The study reveal that most female S&amp;T graduates (FSTGs) employed in tertiary institutions and research institutions were engaged in S&amp;T based occupations. However, in corporate firms, most of the FSTGs work either in administration, finance or R&amp;D departments. In addition, a large proportion takes less paying non S&amp;T jobs for domestic reasons and lack of suitable vacancies. This suggests gross under-utilization of human resource. Some S&amp;T organizations did not have any female working in S&amp;T departments. Recommendations were made to enhance the recruitment, retention and performance of women in S&amp;T employment in Nigeria.The study examined the occupational activities of female graduates in science and technology related fields with a view to assessing factors influencing their performance and make recommendations to enhance women work experiences in S&T occupations. The data for the study was collected through questionnaire and interview schedule from a sample of 2110 respondents comprising of employed female Science and Technology (S&T) graduates and heads of departments in tertiary institutions and S&T firms in Nigeria. The study reveal that most female S&T graduates (FSTGs) employed in tertiary institutions and research institutions were engaged in S&T based occupations. However, in corporate firms, most of the FSTGs work either in administration, finance or R&D departments. In addition, a large proportion takes less paying non S&T jobs for domestic reasons and lack of suitable vacancies. This suggests gross under-utilization of human resource. Some S&T organizations did not have any female working in S&T departments. Recommendations were made to enhance the recruitment, retention and performance of women in S&T employment in Nigeria.The study examined the occupational activities of female graduates in science and technology related fields with a view to assessing factors influencing their performance and make recommendations to enhance women work experiences in S&T occupations. The data for the study was collected through questionnaire and interview schedule from a sample of 2110 respondents comprising of employed female Science and Technology (S&T) graduates and heads of departments in tertiary institutions and S&T firms in Nigeria. The study reveal that most female S&T graduates (FSTGs) employed in tertiary institutions and research institutions were engaged in S&T based occupations. However, in corporate firms, most of the FSTGs work either in administration, finance or R&D departments. In addition, a large proportion takes less paying non S&T jobs for domestic reasons and lack of suitable vacancies. This suggests gross under-utilization of human resource. Some S&T organizations did not have any female working in S&T departments. Recommendations were made to enhance the recruitment, retention and performance of women in S&T employment in Nigeria