Cassava Production Enterprise in the Tropics

Cassava, a tropical root crop, provides the staple food for millions of people around the world. It is one of the tuber crops that could be cultivated on a small scale in an environment with erratic rainfall, and without necessarily needing heavy equipment and machineries. Cassava could be successfully cultivated by resource-poor farm family. Farmers’ productivity could be as much as 70 tonnes per hectares under favourable conditions. However, smallholder farmers do among other things improve productivity through proven cultural practices and a mix of organic and inorganic measures. Irrigation is very necessary for achieving bumper harvest in areas with shortage of rainfall and insufficient soil moisture content. The concept of sustainability in the practice of agriculture has been on the front burner world over in recent time. Therefore, the cultivation of cassava with the aim of increased productivity without jeopardising the factors of production meant for future time is encouraged. Practices that combine traditional knowledge with modern technologies that are adapted to the needs of small-scale farmers are on the increase around the world. Depending on the purpose, cassava could be harvested anytime from eight month. Cassava leaves could serve as vegetable and the stems use as fire wood

Optimal control of the coronavirus pandemic with both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions

Coronaviruses are types of viruses that are widely spread in humans, birds, and other mammals, leading to hepatic, respiratory, neurologic, and enteric diseases. The disease is presently a pandemic with great medical, economical, and political impacts, and it is mostly spread through physical contact. To extinct the virus, keeping physical distance and taking vaccine are key. In this study, a dynamical transmission compartment model for coronavirus (COVID-19) is designed and rigorously analyzed using Routh–Hurwitz condition for the stability analysis. A global dynamics of mathematical formulation was investigated with the help of a constructed Lyapunov function. We further examined parameter sensitivities (local and global) to identify terms with greater impact or influence on the dynamics of the disease. Our approach is data driven to test the efficacy of the proposed model. The formulation was incorporated with available confirmed cases from January 22, 2020, to December 20, 2021, and parameterized using real-time series data that were collected on a daily basis for the first 705 days for fourteen countries, out of which the model was simulated using four selected countries: USA, Italy, South Africa, and Nigeria. A least square technique was adopted for the estimation of parameters. The simulated solutions of the model were analyzed using MAPLE-18 with Runge–Kutta–Felberg method (RKF45 solver). The model entrenched parameters analysis revealed that there are both disease-free and endemic equilibrium points. The solutions depicted that the free equilibrium point for COVID-19 is asymptotic locally stable, when the epidemiological reproduction number condition (R&lt; 1). The simulation results unveiled that the pandemic can be controlled if other control measures, such as face mask wearing in public areas and washing of hands, are combined with high level of compliance to physical distancing. Furthermore, an autonomous derivative equation for the five-dimensional deterministic was done with two control terms and constant rates for the pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical strategies. The Lagrangian and Hamilton were formulated to study the model optimal control existence, using Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle describing the optimal control terms. The designed objective functional reduced the intervention costs and infections. We concluded that the COVID-19 curve can be flattened through strict compliance to both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical strategies. The more the compliance level to physical distance and taking of vaccine, the earlier the curve is flattened and the earlier the economy will be bounce-back.</p

Nutrient composition of five varieties of commonly consumed Nigerian groundnut (<i>Arachis hypogaea</i> L.)

The nutrient composition of the five major varieties of groundnut (<i>Arachis hypogaea</i> L.) commonly consumed in the south-western part of Nigeria was investigated. Raw dryshelled samples were analyzed for proximate (moisture, ash, protein, fat, fiber and carbohydrate), ‘vitamins’ (β-carotene, thiamine, niacin and tocopherol) and minerals (Na, K, Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Se, Co, Al, As, Cd and Pb). Results showed that the groundnuts had 4.12-9.26% moisture, 2.77-3.31% ash, 24.26-26.35% protein, 45.41-48.14% fat, 2.51-2.94% fiber and 15.90-17.75% carbohydrate. All the varieties analyzed showed β-carotene (63.32-65.35mg/100g), thiamin (0.73-0.98mg/100g), niacin (14.00-16.03mg/100g) and tocopherol (18.62-21.07mg/100g) activities; with boro red having significantly (P < 0.05) higher values in all but β-carotene. Heavy metals like Co, As, Cd and Pb were not detected in any of the samples and the other minerals vary with K> P> Mg> Ca> Mn> Cu> Na> Zn> Fe> Al> Se in most of the varieties. Boro red also had the highest elemental contents in most of the minerals analyzed. Thus, these groundnuts can be considered useful foodstuffs in minimizing proteinenergy malnutrition (PEM) and micronutrient deficiencies in Nigeria. However, the boro red variety is most recommended. The outcome of this research is a contribution to the food composition table.<br><br>Se ha investigado la composición en nutrientes de las cinco principales variedades de maní (<i>Arachis hypogaea</i> L.) de consumo habitual en la parte sur-occidental de Nigeria. A las muestras crudas con cáscara y secas se les analizó su composición proximal (humedad, ceniza, proteína, grasa, fibra e hidratos de carbono), vitaminas (β-caroteno, tiamina, niacina y tocoferol) y minerales (Na, K, Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Se, Co, Al, As, Cd y Pb). Los resultados mostraron que el maní tenía entre 4.12 - 9.26% de humedad, 2.77- 3.31% de cenizas, 24.26 - 26.35% de proteína, 45.41 - 48.14% de materia grasa, 2.51 - 2.94% de fibra y 15.90 -17.75% de carbohidratos. Todas las variedades analizadas contenían β-caroteno (63.32-65.35mg/100g), tiamina (0.73-0.98mg/100g), niacina (14.00-16.03mg/100g) y tocoferoles (18.62-21.07mg/100g), siendo la variedad <i>“Boro rojo”</i> la que contiene las cantidades significativamente más altas (P < 0.05), de casi todo. Los metales pesados como, Co, As, Cd y Pb no fueron detectados en ninguna de las muestras y los demás minerales varían en la mayoría de las variedades de la siguiente manera: K> P> Mg> Ca> Mn> Cu> Na> Zn> Fe> Al> Se. La variedad <i>“Boro rojo”</i> también tuvo el mayor contenido elemental en la mayoría de los minerales analizados. Por lo tanto, estos cacahuetes <i>de la variedad “Boro rojo”</i> es la más recomendable y pueden ser considerados unos productos alimenticios útiles para minimizar la malnutrición proteico-energética (MPE) y las deficiencias de micronutrientes en Nigeria. El resultado de esta investigación puede suponer una significativa contribución a la tabla de composición de alimentos

EFCC, Money Laundering regulation and Politically Exposed Persons: Evidential burden and the cobweb of legalism

This dissertation compares the use and effect of money laundering regulation and sanction in some African and Western jurisdictions - arguing that excessive use of criminal jurisdiction in this area of the law, in respect to African Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), is misplaced. The author suggests that a criminal sanction and the opprobrium attached to it, in respect to political figures, does not have the same resonance in Africa as it does in Western jurisdictions. As a result, the rush for criminal indictment of officials by many AML agencies in Africa, regardless of the implausibility of the evidence masks a fundamental divergence of values in the way a criminal indictment is conceptualised across different jurisdictions

Financial crime prosecution, legal certainty and exigency of policy: case of Nigeria's EFCC

Purpose – In its fight against money laundering involving politically exposed persons (PEPs), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has the dual mandate of maintaining equilibrium between two fundamental, but sharply contradictory objectives: establishing guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and responding to the policy imperative of nipping corruption in the bud through a pro-active involvement in preventative measures. This paper contends that as a result of the tension between these two divergent ends, the agency has found itself the spider in a cobweb of legalism designed by its adversaries to stymie its operations. Furthermore, and as a matter of priority, the paper calls for a major rethink of the appropriateness of criminal jurisdiction in the prosecution of financial crimes in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Case study and textual analysis of literature. Findings – Civil jurisdiction of extracting the proceeds of the criminal activities of PEPs provides a better mode of deterrence than any criminal sanction could hope to achieve. Originality/value – Creative in deciphering a major root cause of the ineffectiveness of criminal sanction as an anti-corruption weapon. </jats:sec