Browsing by Author "Ogueri, E. I."
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Item Open Access Characterization and analysis of rural community associations in a peri-urban community of Imo State, Nigeria.(U. P., 2018) Ajaero, J. O.; Ogueri, E. I.; Matthews-Njoku, E. C.; Adesope, O. M.This paper focuses on characterization and analysis of rural community associations in a peri-urban community of Imo state, Nigeria. A qualitative methodology was used to characterize rural community associations in the study area. In Agbala community, these social units exist, comprising of six (6) women organizations, two (2) men organizations, two (2) church groups, one (1) agricultural group and seven (7) age grades. There are more social interactions among the women organizations than the males. However, inter group interaction could be described as weak and might be a manifestation of poor social cohesion in the community. Their scope of activities cover infrastructural development, education concerns, membership welfare and agriculture. Agricultural activity is the least of activities engaged in by these organizations. There is the need to educate the membership of existing community organization on the importance of incorporating economic oriented projects in their programmes. Extension service should concentrate efforts in designing a clear strategy that would utilize the existing social organizations as veritable tools for economic empowerment through grass root mobilization.Item Open Access Climate variability, incidences and mitigation strategies among poultry farmers in Abia state, Nigeria(Conscientia Beam., 2018-09-28) Odok, G. N.; Unaeze, H. C.; Ogueri, E. I.; Essien, U. A.; Ukpong, C. A.; Bassey, J. E.; Onini, M. T.; Ezebuike, I. R.; Ohajianya, D. O.This paper investigated climate variability, incidences and mitigation strategies among poultry farmers in Abia State, Nigeria. It specifically analysed the trend of climate variables over the period of 30 years, the perception of poultry farmers as regards the impact of climate variability on poultry production in the study area, and examined the different mitigation strategies adopted by these farmers. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed in choosing the required sample of 120 poultry farmers. Data were collected with validated structured questionnaire, and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result showed a high inter-annual variability in the volume of rainfall from 1983 to 2012 with insignificant correlation (0.0781) between rainfall volume and time. Also, the result showed reduction in number of rainy days and sunshine duration between 1983 and 2012 with correlation coefficients of 0.146 and 0.132respectively. Temperature had significant positive relationship with time with correlation coefficient 0.638.High mortality rate, disease outbreak, smallness of egg size, poor quality of egg shell, heat stress and reduced feed intake actually impacted on poultry production in the study area. Climate variability was therefore found to have affected poultry production in the study area and this has serious environmental and food policies implication. The respondents identified the use of climate resilient breeds, closeness to hatchery, feed improvement, mixed farming, use of artificial cooling system and stocking less during harsh season as major mitigation strategies to climate variability. It is therefore recommended that the government should come up with appropriate policy that will assist the poultry farmer to be more resilient and able to cope with effect of climate variability. Policies should also be formulated to reduce the emission and accumulation of green-house gases in our environment.Item Open Access Constraints and extent of access to productive resources and agricultural services among women farmers in Awka and Aguata agricultural zones of Anambra State, Nigeria(Elixir Publishers, 2015) Ani, A. O.; Chikaire, J. U.; Ogueri, E. I.; Orusha, J. O.The study investigated constraints and extent of access to productive resources and agricultural services among women farmers in Anambra State, Nigeria. Specifically, it identified income generating activities of women farmers in the state, identified the productive resources and agricultural services available to them and determined the extent of availability of the resources and services and constraints to accessing the resources. Purposive random sampling technique was used to select a total of 120 women farmers. Data were collected with aid of a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using mean, percentages and frequencies. Results showed that majority (60%) of the respondents are married and a majority (50%) has formal education. It was further revealed that the respondents had diversified income generating activities with a majority engaging in processing of agricultural products (98.3%) and farming (95.8%). The results also showed that majority of the respondents indicated labour as the most available productive resource in the area. On the extent of access to productive resources, the result revealed that labour (x=3.0) and processing facilities (x = 2.50) are the accessible productive resources. Finally, the result revealed sharing of knowledge (x = 2.56) and marketing facilities (x = 2.98) as the only agricultural services accessible to the farmers. Constraints encountered lack of capital, poor electricity connection, lack of access roads, poor radio signals, illiteracy among others. It was recommended that the existing land ownership policies in the country should be reviewed to promote ownership be improved as well.Item Open Access Effects of crop farmers/pastoralists conflicts on sustainable livelihood assets and strategies of displaced farmers in Imo State, Nigeria(2019-05-17) Ogueri, E. I.; Chikaire, J. U.; Ibe, M. N.; Ajaero, J. O.One of the effects of crop farmers/pastoralists conflicts is displacement of the farming population the world over, Nigeria not exceptional. This work investigates the effects of conflicts on livelihood strategies and assets of displaced farmers in Imo state. A total of 300 crop farmers was selected randomly from the affected communities. Questionnaire complimented with oral discussion were used to elicit information from the respondents. Data collected were analyzed using percentage, mean and standard deviation presented in tables. Results showed that major livelihood strategies of the crop farmers were farming with 100 percent response, followed by wage labour (94.6%), sales of wild fruits (70%) and migration of work labour outside the community (73.3%). Conflicts affect livelihood strategies by restriction of movement which prevents farmers from moving and risks to personal safety (72.3%). Conflicts affect all the five livelihood assets beginning with the social assets by its disruption of community life (M=2.79), collapse of local authority (M=3.40), disruption of family goals/life (M=2.50) among others. On the human assets, conflicts leads to death of laborers /farmer workers (M=3.32), sexual harassment (M=2.56), separation of family members (M=2.45). The physical assets affected included disruption of health services and infrastructures, closure of schools, looting of possessions among others, while the financial and natural assets affected included destruction of crops and animals, market closure, destruction of water wells, contamination of water, and low abandoned and limited asset to farmItem Open Access Effects of livelihood sustenance activities on off-farm income of poultry farmers in Imo state, Nigeria(U. P., 2018-08) Ogueri, E. I.; Unaeze, H. C.; Odok, G. N.; Mbah, G. O.; Ugwu, J. N.; Essien, U. A.; Onini, M. T.; Ohajianya, D. O.The study analysed the off farm income and its effect on livelihood sustenance of poultry farmers in Imo state. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 120 respondents. Data for the study were obtained with the aid of structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and ordinary least square bivariateregression model. Results showed that: the mean off-farm income of poultry farmers was N410223 per annum. Livelihood sustenance activities of poultry farmers positively and significantly affected their off-farm income. It is recommend that government should come up policies that will center on establishment of more livelihood sustenance activities for poultry farmers that will generate increased off-farm income and promote agricultural development simultaneously.Item Open Access Influence of public and private sector extension services in the adoption of improved cassava varieties by famers in Rivers state, Nigeria(Ontario International Development Agency, 2013) Ogueri, E. I.The public sector extension service in Nigeria was anchored by the Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs). In Rivers State, the ADP was established in 1987 as a semiautonomous, self accounting unit with the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and funding was based on the following ration, RSG – 14%, FG-20% and world bank-66%.Similarly, the private sector extension services in Rivers State was provided by the multinational oil and gas companies notably, SPDC, TEPNG and NAOC with SPDC taken the lead, hence its choice in the study. SPDC started agricultural projects in 1965 in Ogoni but the activities were blown to limelight in early 90s with 9 extension officers resident in the company’s host communities called zones. The main objectives of the public and private sector extension services was to ensure food security through communication of technologies to farmers for enhanced adoption of improved varieties and farming systems mostly in the areas of crop, fisheries and animal productions. This study x-rayed the adoption of improved cassava varieties that was considered in great demand over local varieties (due to its numerous advantages) as a source of major staple food (garri, amala, fufu) in Nigeria. Participatory and interactive bottom-up approach was employed to obtain data from the farmers and extension officers. Simple descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation were used. Technologies considered influential on improved cassava varieties adoption were planting time, planting length/population, planting distance (spacing), planting regime, weed control, appropriate fertilizer availability / application methods, harvesting time and other agronomic procedures. Results showed moderate adoption of overall recommended technologies of improved cassava production from farmers served by the public and private sector extension services but relatively higher adoption rate by the private sector than the public sector. A phenomenon caused by additional incentives by the operators of the private sector extension system. However, there was a significant difference in the adoption of recommended planting date between farmers reached by public and private extension officers. Conversely, there were no significant differences between farmers served by the extension systems with respect to the adoption of spacing, fertilizer type and fertilizer quantity. Thus, it revealed that when the component technologies were pooled, their overall adoption was not significantly different between farmers served by the public and private sector extension services. It was also found that private sector extension system operates like a social responsibility without legislative framework; hence their continued operation in Nigeria was doubtful. This situation could impose a serious threat to food security and negatively affect government transformation plan for agriculture. It was recommended among others that the skills of extension officers of both public and private sectors be improved through periodic trainings. Regular logistics was important for effective extension system and that holistic approach using Research-Extension-Farmers-Inputs-Linkage-System (REFILS) should be employed and MTRM organized so that the farmers through the extension officers would constantly be informed of new varieties from the Research Institutes. Legislative framework would be a must for multinational oil and gas companies in Nigeria to continued support for agricultural developmentItem Open Access Perceived Effects of Resource-Use Conflicts on Rural Women Farmers in South-east Agro-Ecological Zone of Nigeria(Lupine Publishers, 2018-07-05) Anyoha, N. O.; Chikaire, J. U.; Ogueri, E. I.; Utazi, C. O.; Godson Ibeji, C. C.This study analyzed specifically the effects of resource-use conflict especially, land on rural women farmers in Southeast, Nigeria. .A total of 300 rural women farmers were purposively selected from 3 states in southeast where conflicts have occurred. Data collected were analyzed descriptively–using percentages, mean and standard deviation. Results got showed that farmer farmer conflicts, pastoralists– farmer conflicts and communal conflicts were predominant in the study area with 100% response. The major causes of resource use conflicts were increasing population (M=3.37), overgrazing of farmland (M=3.35), breakdown of moral economy (M=3.57), pollution of water (M=3.46), among others. The effects on women included reduced crop yields (M=3.37), burning of crops (M= 3.38), reduced farm, reduced income (M=3.01), loss of human lives (M=3.56), rape/abduction of women (M=3.00), hatred (M=2.63), fear (M=2.57), widowhood (M=2.93) among others. The following strategies were identified, giving financial assistance to victims (M=2.65), creating job opportunities (M=2.53), proper land use planning (M=2.63), compensation to land owner (M=3.67). These farmers could be helped provision of credt facilities and proper land use planning programme.Item Open Access Perceived rural interventions for meeting the energy and agri-food needs of smallholder farmers in Imo State, Nigeria(Kosmos Publishers, 2020-12-09) Chikaire, J. U.; Godson-Ibeji, C. C.; Ogueri, E. I.The study examined rural intervention programmes for meeting the energy and agri-food needs of smallholder farmers in Imo State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to identify energy sources available to farmers in the study area; examine energy and agri-food needs of respondents and ascertain perceived rural interventions for meeting the energy and agri-food needs of respondents in the study area. A total of 360 smallholder farmers were selected and interviewed.Data were collected with a structured questionnaire and analyzed using percentages and mean. The available energy sources include human power (100%), mechanical power (70.5%), electrical power (66.6%), candles and kerosene (81.6%), charcoal/wood residues (78.8%). Energy is needed for cooking/preparing food (100%), crop production (100%), processing (88.5%) and the agri-food needs were to improve farmer livelihoods (66.6%), increase crop productivity (89.1%), reduction poverty (88.8%) among others. Rural interventions for meeting energy and agri-food needs included rural electrification programmes (M=4.09), standalone off grid energy solution (M = 3.91), agricultural mechanization (M=4.05), rural road /transport programmes (M=3.90) and training /retraining of both farmers and extension officers with mean of 4.08 and 3.41 respectively. Improved/clean energy facilities be provided to the rural populace by the relevant stakeholders – governments, donor agencies, NGOs, etc for improved livelihood and food security.Item Open Access Rural farm-households perception of land-related conflicts as an impediment to rural livelihoods in Imo State, Nigeria(AP Academia Publishing, 2018-01) Chikaire, J. U.; Nnadi, F.N.; Ajaero, J. O.; Ogueri, E. I.The aim of this was to establish whether or not land-related conflicts could be detrimental to the lives and survival of rural people in Imo State. The specific objectives were to identify livelihood strategies of the respondents, examine perceived causes of conflicts in the area; ascertain effects of conflicts on rural economy/livelihood of the respondents and determine measures to reduce conflicts in the study area. Purposive random sampling technique was used to select 300 respondents from conflicts affected areas in Imo State. Data were collected with structured questionnaire and oral discussion with the respondents. Data were analyzed using percentages and mean to achieve the objectives of the study. The results showed that 100% of the respondents engaged in farming for survival. The major causes of the conflicts were human population pressure (M=3.43), encroachment without permission (M= 3.30), land tenure system (M=3.45), among others. The major effects of conflicts on rural economy and livelihood were farmland abandonment (M = 3.37), decrease income (M=3.12), reduction in yield (M=3.31), loss of lives (M=3.60), insecurity (M=3.00), increased hunger and starvation ( M=3.47) among others. To curb conflicts, security be provided to the communities, settlement of dispute be done quickly, and educating all actors would be necessary.Item Open Access Sulphur status of selected crude oil polluted and unpolluted soils in Bayelsa, Niger delta, Nigeria(European Centre for Research Training and Development UK, 2017-07) Uzoho, B. U.; Okoli, N. H.; Osisi, F. A.; Ogueri, E. I.; Agomuo, C. I,; Nwadinobi, C. A.; Iwuanyanwu, U. P.; Ogueri, C. U.Soil sulphur status provides valuable information about its bioavailability and potential environmental consequences. Sulphur forms (total, organic, water soluble, adsorbed, organic matter bound and elemental S) of selected crude oil polluted and unpolluted soils in Bayelsa, Niger Delta, Nigeria were evaluated. Experimental design was a 3 x 2 x 2 factorial of location, soil depth and pollution status arranged in a randomized complete block set-up with 3 replications. Also relationship between S forms and selected soil properties was estimated using correlation and regression analyses. Averaged over soil depths and pollution status, soil S varied distinctly (LSD 0.05) as 1.59, 2.57 and 1.98 (elemental S), 26.25, 35.15 and 25.67 (water soluble S), 6.07, 6.34 and 6.58 (organic matter bound S), 51.71, 58.08 and 53.42 (adsorbed S), 1014.87, 998.90 and 940.13 (organic S) and 1094.92, 1092.14 and 1019.22 mg kg-1(total S) in Agudama-Epie, Elebele and Imiringi respectively. Also interactions of location x soil depths x pollution status yielded best elemental S (3.79 mg kg-1) in surface depth of polluted soil at Elebele, water soluble S (43.34 mg kg-1), organic matter bound S (10.00 mg kg 1) and adsorbed S (68.00 mg kg-1) in the subsurface depths of unpolluted soils at Agudama Epie, Imiringi, and Elebele respectively. Best organic (1228.06 mg kg-1) and total S (1296.73 mg kg-1) were in the surface depth of unpolluted soils in Agudama-Epie. Soil OM, pH, sand, silt, clay, P, N, Mg, Ca, K, Na and ECEC correlated with S forms. Besides clay whichaccounted for more than 40% of water soluble and adsorbed S, other S forms were poorly predicted by the soil properties. In general, concentrations of most S forms were higher in unpolluted than polluted soils, probably due to favourable conditions for S transformation andexistence of important S sources other than crude oil in the former than the later.