JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT VOL. 5, NO. 1/2, SEPTEMBER, 2008 PP. 2-11
RURAL LIVELIHOOD INSECURITY IN ETSAKO EAST AREA OF
EDO STATE, NIGERIA
ONAKUSE STEPHEN AND EAMON LENIHAN
University College, Cork, Ireland
ABSTRACT
This study assessed
the source of livelihoods of rural poor people in Etsako East. These
livelihoods are primarily based on the declining subsistence agriculture, which
means that livelihoods in rural areas and household economies are increasingly
diversified to reflect income and food needs. This situation has resulted in
changes in livelihood strategies, along dynamic process of economic, social and
cultural transformation, which needs to be better understood. The study
concludes that rural livelihoods are continually diversified, both in on-farm
and off-farm activities, to secure minimal livelihood in a rural context. The
paper also demonstrates the lack of external government programme intervention
despite the much paraded livelihood and poverty alleviation programmes for the
poor which exist only to service political machineries. More comprehensive and
inclusive poverty alleviation programmes should be focused on poor communities
taking their access to resources into consideration.
Keywords:
Rural, Livelihoods, Insecurity, Nigeria
JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT VOL. 5, NO. 1/2, SEPTEMBER, 2008 PP. 12-18
WOMEN
EMPOWERMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCE USE: A MODEL FOR CHOICE CONSIDERATION IN
POVERTY REDUCTION POLICY
ABDULSALAM
– SAGHIR, P. B.
University
of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. E –mail:-petrajib@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The Binary
Probability Model (Logit) is used to develop numerical coefficients that could
assist in estimating natural resource use and exploitation as a choice decision
in empowerment and poverty response in Zaria metropolitan and Zaria environs.
Data were collected from a geographical “lead on” stratified sample of
individuals in 1000 households. The model indicated that income; employment
number and level of education exert a significant influence on the respondents’
choice decision between empowerment and exploiting natural resources. The
result also shows that exploiting natural resource would intensify if women are
not empowered by poverty reduction policies. In conclusion, the study calls
for choice consideration in poverty reduction policy to facilitate effective
women empowerment and natural resource conservation and enhance sustainable development.
Keywords: Poverty, Women empowerment, Natural
resources, Policy
JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT VOL. 5, NO. 1/2, SEPTEMBER, 2008 PP. 19-28
CONVERTING
TECHNOLOGICAL WASTES INTO WEALTH FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH OPEN
SOURCE TECHNOLOGIES
SOROYEWUN MICHAEL
BAMIDELE * AND OBINIYI AYODELE AFOLAYAN**
* Iya Abubakar
Institute for Information Technology Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria
Email: dele_mike@yahoo.com
** Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
Email: aaobiniyi@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The technological
development of any nation depends on how they can look inward to make do with
what they have or what they can do at little or no cost for the growth of their
country. Technology is the process by which human beings fashion tools and
machines to increase their control and understanding of their material
environment. In this paper, we consider how developing countries which are
dumping ground for obsolete technologies can become resourceful and rich
nations by turning these technological wastes into wealth through open source
technologies and capacity building. The authors herein present the methodology
of converting technological wastes generated by old computing machinery into
wealth using Linux. The authors’ findings
while using FREESCO Linux, a free and open source operating system, to turn an
old Pentium I and Pentium II machines into a three and four port router
respectively for managing routing in a laboratory setup are clearly stated. The
economic gains and performance benefits that can engender sustainable
development are also highlighted.
Keywords:
Technology, Wastes, Machinery, Computing, Performance, Pentium, Open Source,
Router
JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT VOL. 5, NO. 1/2, SEPTEMBER, 2008 PP. 29-36
COMMUNAL APPROACH
TO COST- EFFECTIVE AGRICULTURAL LAND DEVELOPMENT IN SIERRA LEONE
ADEWUNMI TAIWO,
Department of
Agricultural Engineering, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, P.M.B.
4000, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria E- mail: padetaiwo@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
In order to make
agricultural production cost effective, there is need to make the cost of all
the operations minimal relative to the value of the harvested produce (a
condition which could only be achieved with appropriate mechanization). Generally,
in developed countries of the world, success has been achieved in developing
the technologies required for their economies. However, in the developing
countries of the world and Nigeria in particular, various efforts that have
been made in the past to introduce the modern high technologies of the
developed countries into the development of agricultural mechanization have
failed to achieve the desired results. This is mainly because these
technologies seem not to be appropriate to the economic environment of the
developing countries where majority of the farmers are peasants. This paper
describes a method of solving this problem using a successful Inland Valley
Swamp, rice- based production project among resource poor farmers in Sierra-
Leone as a case study. In the project, farmers in the selected communities were
encouraged to organize themselves into associations in order to benefit from
the use of technologies that are more efficient than those currently in use by
them. They were first given appropriate, simple management and technical
training. The technical training included innovative grassroots surveying
methods using simple locally -fabricated agricultural surveying instruments as
well as land clearing methods using simple tools such as mechanical hand winch,
PTO powered skidding winch and stump grinders. The result of the application of
the acquired skills was quite remarkable as the project was able to exceed the
set target of 25 hectares of fully developed swamp area in the two years of the
project life by an additional ten hectares. In addition, the women’s group in
the farmers’ association voluntarily participated in the tree felling exercise
against their gender stereotypical roles, in view of the ease of tree felling
which they observed in the use of the mechanical hand winch.
Keywords:
Inland Valley Swamp, Agricultural development, Sierra Leone
JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT VOL. 5, NO. 1/2, SEPTEMBER, 2008 PP. 37-43
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AMONG COOPERATIVE
AND NON-COOPERATIVE FARMERS REVISITED IN OYO WEST AREA, NIGERIA
SALAHU, B. F* AND A. OYEGBAMI**
* Federal College of Agriculture, Institute of
Agriculture Research & Training, Ibadan
Email: bukkysalahu@yahoo.com
** Institute of
Agriculture Research & Training, Obafemi Awolowo University, Moor
Plantation, Ibadan Email: titi_oyegbami@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The study focused
on agricultural production differentials among cooperative and non cooperative
farmers in Oyo West Area in Nigeria. A random sampling of five (5) out of
twelve (12) major villages in the Area was done and twenty (20) farmers were
randomly sampled per village without considering whether they were cooperators
or not. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data while Chi-square analysis
ant t-test was used to test for the relationship between variables. The result
revealed that 40 percent of the respondents are within the age range of 41 – 50
years, 92 percent are married, and 72 percent literate while 73 percent are
male. Cassava and maize are the major crops grown in the area; the most common
livestock produced in the area is poultry (55.60%). Most o the farmers (62
percent) are cooperators and majority (48.39%) has joined the cooperative
societies for about 3 -4 years. It was also found that cooperators have larger
farm size than non-cooperators due to availability of input and loans. The Chi-square
test shows that marital status and level of education have significant
relationships with cooperative membership while t-test shows that the
difference in the production levels of cooperators and non-cooperators are
significant. It is conclude that mass mobilization and enlightenment will help
in getting more farmers to join cooperative societies
Keywords:
Agricultural production, Cooperatives, Nigeria
JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT VOL. 5, NO. 1/2, SEPTEMBER, 2008 PP. 44-52
A FRONTIER FUNCTION ANALYSIS OF AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH IN WEST AFRICAN AGRICULTURE
Akinleye, S. O.
Department of
Agricultural Economics, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Productivity growth
in an economy is important because it is an essential source of overall growth.
The study evaluates the total factor productivity growth in the agricultural
sector of West African countries between 1961-2000 and also determined the
technological change and technical efficiency change within the period using
data from the FAOSTAT Database. Stochastic frontier production function was
used to analyse the data. The results revealed land, labour, time and
irrigation to be the inputs that most influenced agricultural output. All the
West African countries except Benin and Burkina Faso experienced positive total
factor productivity change which translates into increased productivity growth.
The technical efficiency change was positive for all the countries and it was
responsible for the greater portion of total factor productivity among the
countries. Given the results of the analyses, it was concluded that agriculture
in West Africa is still mainly subsistence and therefore, needs to be transformed
through the use of higher levels of modern inputs.
Keywords: Total factor productivity, Stochastic frontier
function, West Africa
JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT VOL. 5, NO. 1/2, SEPTEMBER, 2008 PP. 53-57
CompArative
Economics of Feeding indigenous turkey poults on diets based on different
argo-industrial by- products
EKWE1,
C.C., UKACHUKWU2, S. N AND K. C. EKWE1
1. National Root
Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria
2. Micheal Okpara University of
Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria
abstract:
the biological
responses of 4-week old indigenous turkey poults to inclusion of three
agro-industrial by-products in their diets, as well as the economics of the
systems were investigated. The experimental treatments, wheat offal, rice husk
offal and palm kernel meal (PKM) each at 20% inclusion level were compared
against the standard diet with maize at 50% inclusion level. The trial was
conducted in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments each replicated
twice and with six birds as an experimental unit. The results of the 10-weeks feeding trial
showed that birds fed on PKM- supplemented diet had significantly lower feed
intake/weight gain ratio and were consequently thriftier than those fed on the
control diet. The latter in turn were thriftier than their counterparts placed
on rice husk and wheat offal, in that order. The lower feed/gain ratio from
PKM- based diet was reflected in the significantly lower cost of weight gain
and the correspondingly high revenue from weight gain and high profit margin.
Key
words: Comparative Economics, Turkey, Diets, Agro-industrial by-products
JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT VOL. 5, NO. 1/2, SEPTEMBER, 2008 PP. 58-65
Effect
of utilization of biotechnology products on output of farm produce IN IMO
STATE, NIGERIA
matthews-njoku,
E. c.* AND **o. m. Adesope
Abstract
The paper is
focused on the effect of utilization of biotechnology products on output of
farm produce in Owerri Agricultural Zone of Imo State. Data were collected with
the aid of structured questionnaire from 60 randomly selected respondents. The
study revealed that the use of biotechnology can increase productivity and
total farm output in the study area. Education, unavailability of biotech
products (mean = 2.83), poverty (mean = 2.77), no knowledge of biotech products
by farmers (mean = 2.73), high cost of biotech products (mean = 2.63), and biotech
products given out without adequate information about them and incentives (mean
= 4.5) were the serious factors that limit use of biotech products. The
respondents who used biotechnology products were better off with output of
their farm produce. The study concludes that more investments should be made
into biotechnology, the end users of biotechnology products, and local farmers
need to know more about these products and their relative advantages over their
local varieties, as biotech products become more available to farmers and
relatively cheaper.
Key
Words: Biotechnology Products, Output, Farm Produce
JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT VOL. 5, NO. 1/2, SEPTEMBER, 2008 PP. 66-74
Entrepreneurial and Environmental iMPLICATIONS OF
AVIAN INFLUENZA in Ibadan, Nigeria
Rahji, M. A. Y.a and S. O. Akinleyeb
a. Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Ibadan Nigeria
b. Department of Agricultural Economics, Olabisi Onabanjo University,
Nigeria
ABSTRACT
This study examined
waste management practices of poultry farms in Ibadan. It estimated the
technical and environmental efficiency of a sample of poultry farms using a
stochastic translog production function. About 94 per cent of the farms used
illegal and unhygienic disposal outlets. Private and government waste disposal
agencies seemed to be of no relevance in the study area. The mean technical
efficiency was estimated to be 0.9032. The scale elasticity of 0.9951 tends to
indicate constant returns to scale in production. The mean environmental
efficiency was only 0.4025. Government should enforce existing environmental
laws on farms’ responsibility for disposing of the wastes. The implication of
this finding portends danger in the control of bird flu in Nigeria.
Keywords: Avian
flu, poultry wastes management, technical and environmental efficiency, Nigeria
JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT VOL. 5, NO. 1/2, SEPTEMBER, 2008 PP. 75-81
ARTISANAL FISHERS’
CREDIT WORTHINESS IN THE NIGERIAN AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE AND RURAL
DEVELOPMENT BANK (NACRDB)
EZEH, C. I.1,
A. ANENE2 AND I. N. NWACHUKWU3
1Department
of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Abia State University, Umuahia Campus,
Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria
2Department
of Fisheries Abia State University, Umuahia Campus, Umuahia, Abia State,
Nigeria
3Department
of Agribusiness & Management, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture,
Umudike – Umuahia,
Abia State, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
This study examined
artisanal fishers’ credit worthiness in Oguta Local Government Area (LGA) of
Imo State, Nigeria. A random sample of 100 loan beneficiaries of NACRDB in the LGA
was interviewed with two sets of structured and pretested questionnaire. The
result of the discriminant analysis showed that fishing experience, household
size, interest rate, and loan repayment made positive contributions to credit
worthiness while amount borrowed, age of fishers, educational level and annual
income made negative contributions to credit worthiness. However, the result
also showed that group cases correctly classified was 78%. Financial
institutions are strongly urged to pay strict attention to the above socio –
economics of intending credit applicants in order to minimize default.
Keywords:
Discriminant Analysis, Artisanal fishers, Credit Worthiness, Agricultural Bank
JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT VOL. 5, NO. 1/2, SEPTEMBER, 2008 PP. 82-90
JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT VOL. 5, NO. 1/2, SEPTEMBER, 2008 PP. 82-90
SOCIO ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF THE
ADOPTION OF YAM MINISETT TECHNOLOGY BY WOMEN FARMERS IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA
IRONKWE1
A. G., ASIEDU2 R. AND EKWE K1. C.,
1. National
Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Nigeria
2.
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
The yam minisett
technology was developed to address the problem of scarcity and high cost of
seed yam in Nigeria. This paper explores the socio-economic determinants of the
adoption of the technology using data obtained from 243 women farmers in the three
agricultural zones of Abia State. Data were collected with structured
questionnaires for a multiple regression analysis. The results showed that
household size, yield of seed yam, cost of production and income from seed yam
were significant factors determining the adoption of yam minisett technology in
the State. It is thus recommended that the technology should be promoted and popularized
in order to sensitize women farmers to adopt the technology. The necessary farm
inputs accompanying the technology such as fertilizer and minisett dust need to
be made readily available and accessible to the farmers in order to ensure full
adoption of the technology.
