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This study aims to explore dietary diversity (DD) and nutritional status of adolescents among rural farm households in Southwestern Nigeria. It analyses whether higher commercialization levels of farm households translate to better nutrition.

This study was conducted in Ogun and Oyo States of Southwestern Nigeria, using primary data from 352 farm households with a total of 160 adolescent members. The individual version of dietary diversity score (DDS) of nine food groups was used to calculate adolescent DDS over a 24-h recall period. World Health Organization AnthroPlus software was used in analyzing adolescents’ anthropometric data (height-for-age z-score and body mass index-for-age z-score) while household crop commercialization index (CCI) was estimated for each farm household. Separate logit models were used to examine the drivers of adolescents’ DD and malnutrition.

The study findings indicated that 100% of the adolescents consumed starchy staples while 0%, 3.1% and 12.5% consumed organ meat, milk/milk products and eggs, respectively. Results revealed that 74.1% and 21.2% of boys were stunted and thin while the prevalence in adolescent girls was 50.7% and 9.3%, respectively. Prevalence of stunting was found to be very high (60%–83%) in all the four CCI levels’ households indicating that belonging to highly commercialized households (CCI 3–4) may not necessarily translate to better nutrition of adolescent members. Food expenditure (p < 0.01) and access to piped water (p < 0.01) negatively influenced adolescents’ stunting mainly because of lower expenditure on food items and lower percent of household having access to piped water, respectively, while education (p < 0.01) had positive effects on adolescents’ DD.

Previous studies have contributed to the body of knowledge concerning the link between agricultural commercialization and nutrition using under-five children of the households. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigated the influence of CCI on DDS and nutritional status of adolescent members of farm households in Nigeria. This study fills this existing knowledge gap in investigating adolescents’ DD and malnutrition among smallholder farm households.

The purpose of this paper is to present research assessing the level of qualitative adequacy of newly constructed public housing in urban centres in Ogun State, Nigeria.

The study followed a quantitative research strategy. A survey of 517 housing units constructed through four different strategies and selected based on quota of their existence in nine public housing estates was conducted with a questionnaire as the key data collection instrument. A five‐point Likert scale was used in measuring the level of qualitative adequacy of four key housing sub‐components. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

Residents found the overall housing to be inadequate; they indicated that housing unit attributes were the most adequate and thus contributed most, while neighbourhood facilities were the least inadequate and contributed the least to qualitative housing adequacy.

The sample population comprised mainly house heads in public housing constructed between 2003 and 2009 therefore, the findings may not be considered to be applicable to all the public housing in the study area. However, the findings can form the basis for judging the performance of public housing in the current democratic dispensation in the study area.

The findings imply that giving adequate attention to the provision of infrastructural facilities and maintenance of existing ones can enhance the qualitative adequacy of public housing.

This paper is a pioneering effort at evaluating the qualitative adequacy of most recently constructed public housing in the study area.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the development of cattle value chain can influence employment creation and income of both cattle farmers and merchants. The study focusses on cattle farmers in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States where there are the largest cattle farms and live cattle merchants in Southern Nigeria.

It employs a research approach that uses key informant interviews and structured questionnaire in garnering needed information from cattle farms, abattoirs and merchant.

The results suggest that with some minimal supports, employment creation and income generation can be improved.

None of the reviewed empirical studies is specific to the cattle value chain in South Western Nigeria. Among other values, the study identifies employment and income opportunities in corporate and non-corporate farms in the cattle value chain in South Western Nigeria.

The aim of this study was to investigate the dimensions of housing adequacy evaluation by residents in public housing with a view to identifying how government and construction professionals can deliver adequate housing facilities.

The research is based on household surveys involving 517 respondents selected from nine public housing estates constructed between 2003 and 2010 in Ogun State Southwest Nigeria. The data were collected using structured questionnaire administered to the residents by the researchers through visits to the housing estates. A total of 33 variables derived from the review of the literature were used in measuring housing adequacy. Descriptive statistics and factor analyses were used in analysis of the data.

The study reveals that residents perceived their housing situation as inadequate. They evaluated housing adequacy based on four key dimensions: ambient condition of interiors spaces, security, utilities and neighbourhood facilities; social infrastructure; level of privacy and size of sleeping; and living and dining areas in the residences. These dimensions of housing adequacy evaluation were found not to be exactly the same way experts conceived housing adequacy in the literature.

The concept of housing adequacy can be used to examine occupants’ housing preferences and their standard of living, the quality of housing and the performance of mass housing projects.

The paper makes practical suggestions to government and construction professionals on how to improve adequacy levels of public housing. Specifically, in the areas of giving more attention to ambient condition of interiors, security, utilities and neighbourhood facilities as well as privacy and sizes of main activities areas in dwelling units in the design, construction and management of public housing projects.

The study identifies dimensions of housing adequacy evaluation by residents in public housing and compares these with experts’ conception of housing adequacy.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the trends in crop diversification (CD) while examining its impact on the technical efficiency of peasant farmers in Nigeria.

The paper employs the Herfindahl and Ogive indices to compute the diversification indices and the stochastic frontier production model (SFPM) to estimate the technical efficiency (TE) level of the farms using unbalanced panel data covering three farming seasons (2006/2007 to 2008/2009).

The results of both the Herfindahl and Ogive indices showed that cropping pattern increased significantly with the intensification of crop diversification in the study across the three seasons. The result of the SFPM shows evidence of decreasing returns‐to‐scale and technical progress in the food crop production in the region. Education, extension, and CD are identified as efficiency increasing policy variables while an average TE level of about 81 percent was obtained from the analysis.

To the best of the author's knowledge, this the very first study that employs panel data to analyze technical efficiency of farms in Nigeria.

Nigeria, like any other country in the world, was overtaken by the coronavirus, a global pandemic that started as a local problem in China. The pandemic had a complex outlook, coming with threat to health and graduated to threat to the governance of the world community in all respects, including economy, social life and even politics. The threat to global health was a threat to which all nations have to respond, even when the infection level was quite low. The federal government in Nigeria responded in many ways in order to contain the pandemic. The federal government responded to the pandemic through presidential actions, institutional measure and support systems in order to contain the spread of the pandemic. These governance instruments have different outcomes in terms of the limitation of the spread of the pandemic, perception of the pandemic, changing attitudes in order to live with the pandemic and building resilience among the population. The objectives of this chapter are to trace the dynamics of the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, examine the executive actions to contain the pandemic, examine the institutional and legal instruments for the containment of the pandemic, to assess the medical management responses of the pandemic, relate the governance process to the outcome of the pandemic and draw lessons for the governance of future health disaster.

This study aims to examine the innovations available in the small-scale palm kernel processing firms in southwestern Nigeria. The sample population of 265 respondents was obtained through respondent-driven sampling tools. The research tools used were questionnaire, personal observations, interviews and secondary data collection approach. The questionnaire was administered to palm kernel processors and elicited information on innovations available in the firms. Both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used for data analysis.

The study area consisted of Oyo, Ogun, Osun and Ondo states in the southwestern Nigeria, because of the abundant supply of palm kernel as well as the presence of small and medium palm kernel oil (PKO) processing firms. The study population consists of all small palm kernel processing enterprises in these states. A total of 265 firms were purposively selected for the study. The sampling procedure involved the initial purposive selection of a palm kernel processing firm in a location, from where other firms within the locality were then identified. The primary data were collected through the use of questionnaire, interview and personal observation.

The results of the study showed that only process, organisational and market innovations were recorded by the palm kernel processing firms. Apart from the sieving operation where majority of the firms (91.30 per cent) used manual method, other unit operations were done mechanically. There was evidence of one or two innovation(s) available in the unit operations of these firms. Also, improvements were carried out occasionally in the process and marketing operations; the major sources of ideas for innovation were from related firms and customers. The organisations where majority of these firms had linkage with were Nigeria Palm Kernel Processing Association, government agencies and customer/suppliers.

The findings are limited to the south-western part of Nigeria, there is need to extend the study to other states in the southern part where palm produce is the major cash crop. This will assist in making better generalisation on the innovation and innovation capability of the processors in Nigeria.

The study showed that the palm kernel processing firms experienced low innovation capability which could be due to their weak interactions with the knowledge institutions. Hence, there is need for these palm kernel processing firms to establish strong linkage with the knowledge institutions where their innovation capability can be enhanced.

The findings in this paper can serve as an input to the design of policies that can enhance the innovation capability of the various actors in the value chain. This will assist in preventing wastages, increasing the quantity and quality of products and creating job opportunities. This is because the quality of PKO depends on the processing method; hence, better process innovation will improve the characteristics of the oil and widen its application.

Much has been written about palm kernel processing in medium and large enterprises, but information is still scanty on the small-scale processing enterprises. This paper contributed to knowledge by examining the innovations existing in the palm kernel processing enterprises in the south-western part of Nigeria and the innovation capability possessed by these enterprises.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the economic relation between China and Nigeria in the area of foreign direct investment (FDI).

The study employed the use of quantitative (descriptive analysis such as ratios, percentages and correlation as well as cross tabulations), qualitative (key informant interviews and surveys) and case studies – for example the railway transport project handled by the Chinese. The use of surveys assisted the study to generate firm‐level data that allowed the analysis of China‐Nigeria investment relations with respect to concerns such as the employment effects as well as the competitive and/or complementary effects of Chinese firms to local firms. The use of content analysis of relevant documents and reports obtained from various sources was equally involved to corroborate the results obtained from primary data.

The findings reveal that the major characteristic of Chinese investment in Nigeria is its concentration in a few sectors that are of strategic interest to China, especially in the extractive industries which are carried out largely by state‐owned enterprises or joint ventures. In addition, the analysis clearly shows that the engagement with China, just like any bilateral relationship, has some advantages and disadvantages and that optimal outcome of the engagement will depend on the policies and institutions that are put in place to maximize the complementary effects and to minimize the competing effects. However, there is need to ensure implementation of laws and regulations in Nigeria and to ensure compliance by the Chinese investors.

This is the first study to carry out an empirical analysis of the China‐Nigeria relation. The study was able to establish the sectors where the incoming FDI from China is directed and the extent at which Chinese FDI is bundled with inflows of aid. The study was also able to show that the incoming Chinese FDI are in resource seeking, and the output targeted at the external market. The study will be of value to academia and to policy makers who are interested in studying the China‐Africa relation.

Rice processing, an important feature in rice production involving the transformation of harvested paddy into edible rice, is dependent on the type of rice processing techniques used. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the choice of processing techniques among rice processors in Nigeria.

The study was carried out in Nigeria using structured questionnaires among 410 rice processors selected from four states (Ebonyi, Ekiti, Ogun and Nasarawa) from three geo-political zones (Southeast, Southwest and North-central) of Nigeria. Information on socio-economic characteristics (age, sex, household size, marital status and education) and processing characteristics (experience, paddy source, processing activities, processing techniques, credit and distance) were obtained. Data were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression model at 0.05.

The mean age of processors was 47.8±9.9 years, mean household size was 6.5±4.2 persons and 88.7 percent were married. In total, 73.6 percent had formal education and mean years of experience was 16.4±9.2 years. Main processing activities were parboiling and drying (50.0 percent); milling (40.0 percent); and de-stoning (10.0 percent). In all, 65.7, 20.4 and 13.9 percent used traditional and modern techniques (TMTs), traditional techniques (TTs) and purely modern techniques (PMTs), respectively. The probability of choice of TT relative to TMT reduced by years of education (4.5 percent), paddy source (1.8 percent) and distance to processing center (4.4 percent), while probability of choice of PMT relative to TMT increased for male processors (7.3 percent), membership of association(18.0 percent) and other income sources (6.2 percent).

Level of education of processors and reduction in the distance taken to paddy source reduced choice of TTs.

Other income sources increased the choice of PMTs of rice processing in Nigeria.

Processors with high level of education, who also engage in other income generating activities, were able to choose modern processing techniques.

This research was an original research carried out among rice processors in Nigeria.