THE NIGERIAN AGRICULTURE AND POVERTY INCIDENCE: THE NEED FOR PRIVATE SECTOR EMPOWERMENT

Poverty in Nigeria is concentrated in rural areas. Low resource or resource-poor farmers characterized by preponderance of small farm units, fragile soils, rain-dependent, minimum inputs and poor yield dominate the agricultural sector. The incidence of poverty is highest among households in which the head is engaged in agriculture as the main source of income. Agricultural growth is therefore important to the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger in Nigeria. Conscious policy efforts by government towards poverty alleviation began during the SAP era. Some companies like Shell and certain State Governments have shown real interest in alleviating poverty through their agricultural programmes and policy statements. Nigeria’s current vision for agricultural development is expressed in the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), the New Agricultural Policy (NAP), and the Rural Sector Development Strategy (RSDS). This paper posits that provision of electricity, potable water, health centres and formal schools will facilitate the sustainability of any impact of poverty alleviation programmes in Nigeria. Encouraging community development projects evolved by the communities themselves will minimize poverty incidence. Increasing the access of the poor to land and other productive resources will reduce poverty and generate employment. Development of infrastructural facilities in the rural areas has the two pronged approach of reducing poverty and developing the rural areas. Encouraging processing through adequate incentives to SMEs will also further empower the private sector.Farm Management, Food Security and Poverty,

Physicochemical and Microbial Assessment of Roadside Food and Water Samples in Lagos and Environs

This study assessed the quality street vended food and water as well as the effects of environmental pollution on them in 3 local government areas (LGAs) representing low, medium and high income areas in Lagos State in coparison to samples collected from 5 locations in Ogun, Oyo and Osun States being previously established as places of origin of most migrants to Lagos. Street vended roasted plantain and maize as well as water samples were collected as composites from each of the sample locations. All samples were analysed for physico-chemical as well as microbiological parameters. The study revealed that roasted plantain in the low income area had the highest level of contaminants such as Pb, Cd, Zn and Fe. The lowest value was in the high income area. Lead levels ranged between 0.2 \u2013 125 \ub5g/g with the highest value observed at the low income, high population density and high traffic area. Cd, Zc and Fe levels also followed a similar trend in the other three States. They ranged between 0.48 \u2013 18.3 \ub5g/g, 2.0 -4.5 \ub5g/g and 0.4 \u2013 13.5 \ub5g/g respectively. It is opined that the pollution sources for the roasted plantain and maize include those from emissions from leaded gasoline. The aerobic mesophilic organisms, mould and Staphylococcus aureus were present in all the water samples. These results imply that government and its agencies should attend to the problem of unavailability of potable water and calls for greater monitoring and control of the environment where roadside foods are prepared. @ JASE

Application of mathematical modelling to inform national malaria intervention planning in Nigeria

Background For their 2021–2025 National Malaria Strategic Plan (NMSP), Nigeria’s National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), developed a targeted approach to intervention deployment at the local government area (LGA) level as part of the High Burden to High Impact response. Mathematical models of malaria transmission were used to predict the impact of proposed intervention strategies on malaria burden. Methods An agent-based model of Plasmodium falciparum transmission was used to simulate malaria morbidity and mortality in Nigeria’s 774 LGAs under four possible intervention strategies from 2020 to 2030. The scenarios represented the previously implemented plan (business-as-usual), the NMSP at an 80% or higher coverage level and two prioritized plans according to the resources available to Nigeria. LGAs were clustered into 22 epidemiological archetypes using monthly rainfall, temperature suitability index, vector abundance, pre-2010 parasite prevalence, and pre-2010 vector control coverage. Routine incidence data were used to parameterize seasonality in each archetype. Each LGA’s baseline malaria transmission intensity was calibrated to parasite prevalence in children under the age of five years measured in the 2010 Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS). Intervention coverage in the 2010–2019 period was obtained from the Demographic and Health Survey, MIS, the NMEP, and post-campaign surveys. Results Pursuing a business-as-usual strategy was projected to result in a 5% and 9% increase in malaria incidence in 2025 and 2030 compared with 2020, while deaths were projected to remain unchanged by 2030. The greatest intervention impact was associated with the NMSP scenario with 80% or greater coverage of standard interventions coupled with intermittent preventive treatment in infants and extension of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) to 404 LGAs, compared to 80 LGAs in 2019. The budget-prioritized scenario with SMC expansion to 310 LGAs, high bed net coverage with new formulations, and increase in effective case management rate at the same pace as historical levels was adopted as an adequate alternative for the resources available. Conclusions Dynamical models can be applied for relative assessment of the impact of intervention scenarios but improved subnational data collection systems are required to allow increased confidence in predictions at sub-national level

Efficacy of Quasi Agro Binding Fibre on the Hybrid Composite Used in Advance Application

The choice for natural fibre obtained from agricultural products is on the rise due to its solution to eco-friendly, environmental and improved mechanical properties concerns. Its abundant availability, low cost, emission reduction and adaptability to base material for composite make it a prime material for selection. This review explores diverse perspectives to the future trend of agro fibre in terms of the thermo-mechanical properties as it applies to advanced application in building structures. It is important to investigate the ecofriendliness of the products of composites from fibres in agricultural wastes so as to achieve a green and sustainable environment. This will come to fore by the combined efforts of both researchers and feedback from building stakeholders

THE NIGERIAN AGRICULTURE AND POVERTY INCIDENCE: THE NEED FOR PRIVATE SECTOR EMPOWERMENT

Poverty in Nigeria is concentrated in rural areas. Low resource or resource-poor farmers characterized by preponderance of small farm units, fragile soils, rain-dependent, minimum inputs and poor yield dominate the agricultural sector. The incidence of poverty is highest among households in which the head is engaged in agriculture as the main source of income. Agricultural growth is therefore important to the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger in Nigeria. Conscious policy efforts by government towards poverty alleviation began during the SAP era. Some companies like Shell and certain State Governments have shown real interest in alleviating poverty through their agricultural programmes and policy statements. Nigeria’s current vision for agricultural development is expressed in the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), the New Agricultural Policy (NAP), and the Rural Sector Development Strategy (RSDS). This paper posits that provision of electricity, potable water, health centres and formal schools will facilitate the sustainability of any impact of poverty alleviation programmes in Nigeria. Encouraging community development projects evolved by the communities themselves will minimize poverty incidence. Increasing the access of the poor to land and other productive resources will reduce poverty and generate employment. Development of infrastructural facilities in the rural areas has the two pronged approach of reducing poverty and developing the rural areas. Encouraging processing through adequate incentives to SMEs will also further empower the private sector

Physicochemical and Microbial Assessment of Roadside Food and Water Samples in Lagos and Environs

This study assessed the quality street vended food and water as well as the effects of environmental pollution on them in 3 local government areas (LGAs) representing low, medium and high income areas in Lagos State in coparison to samples collected from 5 locations in Ogun, Oyo and Osun States being previously established as places of origin of most migrants to Lagos. Street vended roasted plantain and maize as well as water samples were collected as composites from each of the sample locations. All samples were analysed for physico-chemical as well as microbiological parameters. The study revealed that roasted plantain in the low income area had the highest level of contaminants such as Pb, Cd, Zn and Fe. The lowest value was in the high income area. Lead levels ranged between 0.2 – 125 µg/g with the highest value observed at the low income, high population density and high traffic area. Cd, Zc and Fe levels also followed a similar trend in the other three States. They ranged between 0.48 – 18.3 µg/g, 2.0 -4.5 µg/g and 0.4 – 13.5 µg/g respectively. It is opined that the pollution sources for the roasted plantain and maize include those from emissions from leaded gasoline. The aerobic mesophilic organisms, mould and Staphylococcus aureus were present in all the water samples. These results imply that government and its agencies should attend to the problem of unavailability of potable water and calls for greater monitoring and control of the environment where roadside foods are prepared. @ JASE