Local Farmers’ Perceptions about Covid-19 Impact on Agriculture: Case of Selected Rural Areas in Ekiti State, Nigeria

The outbreak of the Corona virus that ravaged most parts of the globe including Nigeria had impacted all sectors in all economies. Understanding the perception of rural farmers about Covid-19 pandemic impacts on agricultural activities becomes imperative as it will help local government authorities identify possible vulnerabilities and prioritize interventions. This study therefore seeks 1) to know farmer perceptions of the probable impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on agricultural production process of rural farmers and 2) to examine if this perception varies by the population subgroups of farmers? Using selected rural areas in five local government areas in Ekiti state as case study, primary data obtained through the administered questionnaire were analysed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. Results indicated that the two most potential and identified possible vulnerabilities are agricultural output and access to finance, and income with respect to production process and welfare, respectively. ANOVA results indicated that both age and gender are not statistically significant at 5 percent in explaining perceived impact of covid-19 on agricultural output likewise others such as educational attainment, years of farming experience and marital status. Hence, none of the levels in each of the chosen categorical variables is found to be statistically different from the other ones in impacting agricultural production. It is therefore recommended that government policies aimed at stimulating agricultural production should not be gender bias and age driven. Similarly, other factors such as years of farming experience, educational attainment and marital status should be de-emphasized when initiating such policies

Agro-processing Output and Agricultural Sector Employment: Evidence from South Africa

This paper empirically examined the relationship between agro-processing sub-sector output and agricultural sector employment in South Africa by using time series data from 1975-2015. The study employed ARDL-bounds testing approach to examine the existence long-run equilibrium relationship. The result of the ARDL test confirmed the existence of long-run relationship among the variables examined. The long-run estimate result revealed that the relationship between agro-processing output and agricultural sector employment is negative in the long-run. The study further examined the causality between agro-processing output and agricultural sector employment using TYDL causality test and it observed a unidirectional causal relationship running from agro-processing output to agricultural sector employment. While it is deduced that agro-processing sector output is found to be unable to promote agricultural sector employment, this study recommends stimulation of agricultural export for agricultural sector employment generation in South Africa

Proximate, Mineral and Sensory Qualities of ‘Amala’ Prepared from Yam flour fortified with Moringa leaf powder

The study was conducted to determine the proximate, mineral and sensory qualities of ‘amala’ prepared from yam flour fortified with Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP). Moringa oleifera leaves were dried milled, sieved and added to yam flour in different proportions (0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5% and 10%). Samples were mixed to ensure uniform distribution of the leaves within the flour and subsequently prepared into ‘amala’. Generally, the proximate composition except for moisture and carbohydrate content of all the samples increased significantly with an increase in the level MOLP with values ranging from 0.34-1.99% for crude fat; 1.10-2.21% for crude fibre; 1.74-2.78 for ash and 5.73-8.46% for crude protein and carbohydrate values from 8.35 -12.38%. Reduction in moisture content (wet basis) was observed from 78.72-76.21% and 12.375-8.350% for carbohydrate. The mineral composition ranged between (198.72-292.45 mg/100g), (140.23-159.00 mg/100g), (435.56-597.85 mg/100g), (473.95-543.02 mg/100g), (3.64-5.04ppm), (127.76-147.93ppm), (3.64-6.93ppm) and (4.77-5.54ppm) for Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Iron (Fe), Phosphorus (P), Manganese (Mn) and Copper (Cu) respectively. Generally, the mineral profile of the fortified ‘amala’ increased significantly (P?0.05) with increase in addition of MOLP. There was no significant difference (p<0.05) among the samples for the sensory qualities of colour, mouldability and mouth feel except for sample fortified with 10% MOLP. However, the addition of MOLP greatly affected the aroma and overall acceptability of the sample. The sample prepared from yam flour fortified with 2.5% MOLP compared favourably well with the control in all sensory attributes. It was apparent that fortification of yam flour with MOLP at 2.5% level improved the proximate and mineral composition without affecting the overall acceptability and hence, could be used to improve the nutritional status of people and serves as an opportunity for the utilization of Moringa oleifera leaves.   Keywords: Amala, Moringa oleifera leaves, yam flour, proximate, mineral sensory

Perceived potential of web2.0 technologies in agriculture among agricultural students in tertiary institutions of Osun state, Nigeria

Web2.0 has put together viable ICT tools via internet operation for the development of Agriculture with little or no documentation of its potential uses. This study assessed the perceived potential of Web2.0 technologies in agriculture among agricultural students in tertiary institutions of Osun State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted to select 360 agricultural students for the study. Data were collected using questionnaire and analyzed using appropriate descriptive statistics. The results revealed that over 50 percent of the respondents used Facebook, Whatsapp, YouTube, BBM, Google plus, Instagram, Twitter and Blogs. In addition, (many 67.5%) had high knowledge level of Web2.0 technologies. Furthermore, over 50 percent of the respondents perceived at least three of Facebook, Whatsapp, YouTube, BBM, Google plus, Instagram, Twitter, Blogs and skype as having potentials for dissemination of agricultural innovations to farmers; connect farmers with market for their produce; advertise agricultural produce; receive feedbacks from farmers; boost social interactions among stakeholders; teach agriculture to the children; and organize online meetings among agricultural stakeholders. It was concluded that the agricultural students, being future experts in agriculture, were conversant with the use of Web2.0 technologies as potential tools to further develop agriculture in Nigeria. Keywords: Perceived potential, Web2.0, Agricultural Students, Farmer

Knowledge and Attitude Towards Dietary Risk Factors and Prevalence of Obesity Among Newly Admitted Undergraduates of Osun State University, Nigeria

The epidemic of overweight and obesity poses a global challenge to chronic disease prevention, driven by increased consumption of energy-dense, fatty foods and a rise in physical inactivity due to sedentary lifestyles. Westernisation, urbanisation, and eroding traditional values contribute to this issue, leading to childhood obesity persisting into adulthood and triggering various diseases. Middle and low-income countries face a double disease burden, grappling with infectious and non-communicable diseases due to escalating obesity rates. This study assessed the knowledge and attitudes towards dietary risk factors and the prevalence of obesity among newly admitted undergraduates at Osun State University, Nigeria. The findings revealed a relatively low prevalence of obesity (4.7%) among the studied population, with encouraging knowledge about obesity among the students. Socio-demographic factors such as family standard of living and parents' were found to influence obesity among undergraduates. However, limited community exercise facilities, poverty, and poor nutritional education contribute to poor dietary habits. Further efforts are needed to address obesity in this population and its potential impact on health and the economy. Stakeholders should support childhood obesity prevention interventions, including marketing and advertising restrictions on unhealthy foods and beverages adolescents consume.The research employed a descriptive cross-sectional study design, sampling 320 participants from three university campuses through a multistage sampling method. Data collection was facilitated through a semi-structured questionnaire administered to themselves. The data was analysed using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate approaches.The 320 respondents were 47.8% male and 52.2% female; a more significant percentage were 15-19 years old. 8 out of 10 respondents had good knowledge, and the attitude of the respondents was significantly associated with their age and religion, such that the respondents between 15-19 years of age and the Muslims were more likely to have good knowledge than their counterparts.Family standard of living (father and mother occupational status) was the socio-demographic factor influencing obesity among Osun State University undergraduate students. Adequate intervention is required to enable adolescents and their parents/guardians to understand the health-related problems they are prone to by being obese. Concerned stakeholders should support childhood obesity prevention interventions such as marketing and advertising restrictions on unhealthy foods and fizzy drinks adolescents consume

Academic entrepreneurial engagement for frugal innovation in higher education institutions: a systematic literature review [version 3; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]

Higher education institutions (HEI) are faced with increasing challenges related to shrinking resources, high operation costs, the COVID-19 pandemic, decreasing student enrolment rates, and pressure to contribute to regional development and economic growth. To overcome such challenges, academics must move beyond their traditional functions of research and teaching and engage in entrepreneurial activities. Through engagement in entrepreneurial activities, academics can contribute to frugal innovation (FI) in private HEI (PHEI). The literature in this context emphasizes that academic entrepreneurial engagement (AEE) will lead to innovation, the identification of opportunities for new business ventures, financial rewards for institutions and academics, an impact on the economy, and the enhancement of social welfare. This study presents a systematic review of the literature and adopts the Transfield five-phase strategy to review the literature on AEE from the past two decades (2000–2020). A total of 1,067 papers on FI are obtained, only five of which focus on AEE. Moreover, papers related to AEE for FI are few. The study presents the research gaps, challenges, and potential factors for further research in this context. We conclude that FI for AEE in PHEI can be a game-changer for future sustainability. Moreover, we believe that the outcome of this review warrants further research

Participatory Development of Demand-Driven Curriculum for Career-Ready E-Extension Services in Nigeria

This paper described and contextualized participatory development of demand-driven curriculum for career-ready e-extension services in Nigeria as introduced by the Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education. The stages of participatory development were participatory need assessment, participatory stakeholders’ workshop and validation among 124 stakeholders selected as key informants in relation to agricultural extension training, delivery, end users and policy makers. The stakeholders were grouped as follows: community leaders and policy makers; extension agencies / organisations / institutions / employers; farmers; input suppliers / marketers / agro-based traders / other value actors; and potential candidate groups. Stakeholder meetings were held separately with different groups three times, and then a combined meeting took place. The aggregated major decisions/consensus were subjected to content analysis using ATLAS.ti. The validation process included reading of each agreed decision to all participants, then participants indicated their agreement or otherwise, which led to either rejection or acceptance of the decision. This paper concludes that participatory curriculum development has enhanced the stakeholders to identify areas of demand-driven training in response to community needs. The stakeholders preferred more online than face-to-face training. The major perceived advantages of e-extension were reduced risk, time and cost effectiveness while infrastructural and human challenges were the perceived challenges that could possibly hinder the smooth running of e extension

Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: Population estimates underpin demographic and epidemiological research and are used to track progress on numerous international indicators of health and development. To date, internationally available estimates of population and fertility, although useful, have not been produced with transparent and replicable methods and do not use standardised estimates of mortality. We present single-calendar year and single-year of age estimates of fertility and population by sex with standardised and replicable methods. Methods: We estimated population in 195 locations by single year of age and single calendar year from 1950 to 2017 with standardised and replicable methods. We based the estimates on the demographic balancing equation, with inputs of fertility, mortality, population, and migration data. Fertility data came from 7817 location-years of vital registration data, 429 surveys reporting complete birth histories, and 977 surveys and censuses reporting summary birth histories. We estimated age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs; the annual number of livebirths to women of a specified age group per 1000 women in that age group) by use of spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression and used the ASFRs to estimate total fertility rates (TFRs; the average number of children a woman would bear if she survived through the end of the reproductive age span [age 10–54 years] and experienced at each age a particular set of ASFRs observed in the year of interest). Because of sparse data, fertility at ages 10–14 years and 50–54 years was estimated from data on fertility in women aged 15–19 years and 45–49 years, through use of linear regression. Age-specific mortality data came from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 estimates. Data on population came from 1257 censuses and 761 population registry location-years and were adjusted for underenumeration and age misreporting with standard demographic methods. Migration was estimated with the GBD Bayesian demographic balancing model, after incorporating information about refugee migration into the model prior. Final population estimates used the cohort-component method of population projection, with inputs of fertility, mortality, and migration data. Population uncertainty was estimated by use of out-of-sample predictive validity testing. With these data, we estimated the trends in population by age and sex and in fertility by age between 1950 and 2017 in 195 countries and territories. Findings: From 1950 to 2017, TFRs decreased by 49\ub74% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 46\ub74–52\ub70). The TFR decreased from 4\ub77 livebirths (4\ub75–4\ub79) to 2\ub74 livebirths (2\ub72–2\ub75), and the ASFR of mothers aged 10–19 years decreased from 37 livebirths (34–40) to 22 livebirths (19–24) per 1000 women. Despite reductions in the TFR, the global population has been increasing by an average of 83\ub78 million people per year since 1985. The global population increased by 197\ub72% (193\ub73–200\ub78) since 1950, from 2\ub76 billion (2\ub75–2\ub76) to 7\ub76 billion (7\ub74–7\ub79) people in 2017; much of this increase was in the proportion of the global population in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The global annual rate of population growth increased between 1950 and 1964, when it peaked at 2\ub70%; this rate then remained nearly constant until 1970 and then decreased to 1\ub71% in 2017. Population growth rates in the southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania GBD super-region decreased from 2\ub75% in 1963 to 0\ub77% in 2017, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, population growth rates were almost at the highest reported levels ever in 2017, when they were at 2\ub77%. The global average age increased from 26\ub76 years in 1950 to 32\ub71 years in 2017, and the proportion of the population that is of working age (age 15–64 years) increased from 59\ub79% to 65\ub73%. At the national level, the TFR decreased in all countries and territories between 1950 and 2017; in 2017, TFRs ranged from a low of 1\ub70 livebirths (95% UI 0\ub79–1\ub72) in Cyprus to a high of 7\ub71 livebirths (6\ub78–7\ub74) in Niger. The TFR under age 25 years (TFU25; number of livebirths expected by age 25 years for a hypothetical woman who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) in 2017 ranged from 0\ub708 livebirths (0\ub707–0\ub709) in South Korea to 2\ub74 livebirths (2\ub72–2\ub76) in Niger, and the TFR over age 30 years (TFO30; number of livebirths expected for a hypothetical woman ageing from 30 to 54 years who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) ranged from a low of 0\ub73 livebirths (0\ub73–0\ub74) in Puerto Rico to a high of 3\ub71 livebirths (3\ub70–3\ub72) in Niger. TFO30 was higher than TFU25 in 145 countries and territories in 2017. 33 countries had a negative population growth rate from 2010 to 2017, most of which were located in central, eastern, and western Europe, whereas population growth rates of more than 2\ub70% were seen in 33 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, less than 65% of the national population was of working age in 12 of 34 high-income countries, and less than 50% of the national population was of working age in Mali, Chad, and Niger. Interpretation: Population trends create demographic dividends and headwinds (ie, economic benefits and detriments) that affect national economies and determine national planning needs. Although TFRs are decreasing, the global population continues to grow as mortality declines, with diverse patterns at the national level and across age groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide transparent and replicable estimates of population and fertility, which can be used to inform decision making and to monitor progress. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Erratum: Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Interpretation: By quantifying levels and trends in exposures to risk factors and the resulting disease burden, this assessment offers insight into where past policy and programme efforts might have been successful and highlights current priorities for public health action. Decreases in behavioural, environmental, and occupational risks have largely offset the effects of population growth and ageing, in relation to trends in absolute burden. Conversely, the combination of increasing metabolic risks and population ageing will probably continue to drive the increasing trends in non-communicable diseases at the global level, which presents both a public health challenge and opportunity. We see considerable spatiotemporal heterogeneity in levels of risk exposure and risk-attributable burden. Although levels of development underlie some of this heterogeneity, O/E ratios show risks for which countries are overperforming or underperforming relative to their level of development. As such, these ratios provide a benchmarking tool to help to focus local decision making. Our findings reinforce the importance of both risk exposure monitoring and epidemiological research to assess causal connections between risks and health outcomes, and they highlight the usefulness of the GBD study in synthesising data to draw comprehensive and robust conclusions that help to inform good policy and strategic health planning

Determinants of ability, motivation, and opportunity for academic entrepreneurial engagement

In today’s global changing environment, entrepreneurial activities have been recognised as a key driver of innovation and financial sustainability in higher learning institutions (HLI). Academics are now required to do more than their traditional core mission of research, administrative tasks, and teaching activities and engage in entrepreneurial activities. However, despite the strategic efforts of the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) to support the sustainability of the entrepreneurship agenda in HLI, little progress is seen in academic engagement in entrepreneurial activities. Hence, recent studies had focused on investigating the ability and motivational factors of universities’ faculty members' entrepreneurial intention. Nevertheless, limited attempts have been made to simultaneously investigate the ability, motivational and opportunity factors associated with academic engagement in entrepreneurial activities. Accordingly, drawing on the ability-motivation opportunity theory using quantitative method, this research examined the effects of ability factors in terms of academics’ prior entrepreneurial experience and research knowledge, and motivation in terms of personal growth and career advancement. The opportunity factor entails the contextual effects of access to digital technology, organisational support, and peer networking. Furthermore, a quantitative method based on positivistic approach with survey instrument as a data collection technique was used in this study. Findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between prior entrepreneurial experience, organisational support, academic peer networking, access to digital technology and academic entrepreneurial involvement in Malaysia HLI. In addition, results from this study can help guide the policy makers in higher learning institutions (HLI) and Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education, in their attempts to enhance entrepreneurial activities among Malaysian academics and enable HLI to prioritise the appropriate interventions to engage their academics in entrepreneurial activities