DETERMINANTS OF INFLATION IN NIGERIA: A CO- INTEGRATION APPROACH

Inflation is undeniable one of most leading and dynamics macroeconomics issues confronting almost all economies of the world. Its dynamism has made it an imperative issue to be considered. Hence the study examines the factors affecting inflation in Nigeria. Time series data were employed for the study. The data was sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria and National Bureau of Statistics. Descriptive statistics and cointegration analysis were the analytical tools used. It was observed that there were variations in the trend pattern of inflation rate. Some of the variables considered were significant in determining inflation in Nigeria. The previous total export was found to have a negative impact on current inflation while the previous total import exerts a positive effect likewise the food price index. It has thus been recommended that policies that will set the interest rate to a level at which it will encourage investment and increase in production level could be institutionalized, importation should be reduced in Nigeria such that it will not encourage change of consumer taste resulting to inflating prices, exchange rate system should be maintained at a level that will not impose threat on the Nigeria economy and the domestic consumption of petroleum product should be focused, not only exportation.Financial Economics,

Analysis of poultry farmers perception on environmental issues associated with poultry farming in Kwara State, Nigeria

This study examined the poultry farmers perception on environmental issues associated with poultry farming in Kwara State of Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: (i) describe the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers (ii) determine respondents’ perceptions  of environmental issues associated with poultry farming and (iii) determine the level of farmers’ awareness of environmental protection agency’s activities. A well-structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from one hundred and twenty five (125) randomly selected commercial poultry farmers from the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Kwara state Chapter. Data were analysed using descriptive statistic and Multiple Regression Analysis. Results of analysis showed that mean age of respondents was 45years, average farm size was 1320 birds and poultry farming experience was 11 years. Also, majority were male (79.2 %), married (83.2%), and had tertiary education (97.6%). The perceptions of farmers on environmental issues was high (mean =3.80). and significantly influenced by farmers’ age (β= 0.225, p < 0.05), level of education (β= 0.178, p < 0.01), farming experience (β= 0.142, p < 0.05), and farm size (β= 0.177, p < 0.05). Level of farmers’ awareness of the activities of environmental protection agency was also low (38.8%) in the study area. The study concluded that poultry farmers’ perception on environmental issues associated with poultry farming was high in the study area. The study recommends among others that this high perception potential could be used as premise by relevant stakeholders or agencies responsible for environmental protection, in providing farmers with appropriate innovations on environmental management and protection. Keywords: Poultry farming, Perception, Environmental issues, Kwara stat

Food Security and Poverty of the Rural Households In Kwara State, Nigeria

A fundamental challenge the world faces today is ensuring that millions of households living in poverty have access to enough food to maintain a healthy life. Africa over the years has been looking for ways to solving the problem of food security and it is an important topic in discussions of Africa leaders. While there are national data on food security and poverty, information on rural food security and poverty are not readily available especially in Nigeria. This study, therefore, employed discriminant analysis to examine the levels and the major determinants of food security and poverty among the rural households who are the major producers of food in Nigeria. Using the basic calorie and protein requirement per capita of households, our result revealed that accessibility to health facilities; household size, farm size and household expenditure on food were the major determinants of a household’s food security status. Non-farm income was a major determinant of the probability of a household being non-poor. The study suggests family planning as well as specific programmes targeted at the rural poor and food insecure as policy options

Curtailing Fertilizer Scarcity and Climate Change; an appraisal of Factors Affecting Organic Materials Use Option in Nigeria’s Agriculture

Global trends nowadays towards long term sustainable crop production is hinged on either supplementing the use of chemical fertilizers with organic materials or a complete use of organic materials. This is more so since substituting chemical fertilizers with organic materials reduces the risks of exposure to ailments that arise on account of synthetic compounds and increases farmers’ gains via reduced soil erosion and carbon emissions and increased bio-diversity. In this vein, the current study investigated organic materials use in Nigeria’s agriculture. Specifically, the study examined availability and use of chemical fertilizer and organic materials substitutes and investigated factors affecting the use of organic materials in the Nigerian food sector. The study data were drawn from a survey of sixty-one farm households that used organic materials as major nutrients inputs or as supplement with chemical fertilizers for their cropping activities. The study area is Shira in Nigeria. Farmers in this area usually incorporate the use of organic materials in their agriculture. The descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to analyse the study data. Results indicate that farmers in the study area source their chemical fertilizer inputs from the open market at an exorbitant price of N2000 (US dollar $13.8) per bag on average thereby using very low rates of chemical fertilizers. Organic materials used by farmers were sourced from cattle, goats, sheep and poultry droppings. The quantity of organic material used was 12,513.0 kg per hectare at a cost of N15,015.6 (US dollar$103.5). Major constraints in the use of organic materials by farmers include poor transport facilities and cutworm infestations of the organic materials. Factors revealed to influence the quantity of organic material used by farmers were the cost of organic materials and the quantity of chemical fertilizers used by the farmers. The study therefore calls for stakeholders in the food sub-sector to encourage the establishment of blending plants for the production of organic materials, burning of organic materials before usage, and the need to enhance researches aimed at establishing optimal material mixtures and application rates for organic materials used in the Nigerian farming systems

Analysis of the profit margin along the plantain value chain in Osun State, Nigeria

Plantain is a crop of economic value and can serve as a source of foreign exchange if given proper attention. There is, thus, the need to explore this potential, especially as regards the profit accrued by the various actors in the plantain value chain. This study sought to estimate the profit margin of players along the plantain value chain, examine the factors affecting the margins of actors and identify the constraints faced by them. Random sampling technique was used to select 125 producers, processors and marketers in Osun state. The primary data used were collected using well-structured interview schedule. Gross margin, net marketing margins; ordinary least square regression; and Likert-type scale were used for data analysis. The study revealed that the gross margin accrued to plantain producers was ₦639,148.31/ha per annum, while the net marketing margin/bunch for the plantain processors and marketers were ₦1836.61 and ₦204.96 respectively. Household size, quantities of labour, suckers, and pesticide used were factors affecting the gross margin of producers. Total input cost significantly affected the marketing margin of the processors, while it was transportation cost for the marketers. The major constraint faced by the plantain farmers was high cost of labour whilethe processors and marketers had the challenges of high cost of plantain and lack of a uniform unit of measurements respectively. The study concludes that the plantain value chain is profitable for all the actors, and recommends that the government should provide incentives that would encourage more people to go into plantain production, processing, and marketing.Keywords: Plantain, Value chain, Actors, Profit margin, Constraint