Adult Learners' Demographic Variable as Predictor of Access and Participation in Literacy Programmes in Oyo and Ondo States, Nigeria.

Assessment of pesticide knowledge, Safety Practices and postharvest handling among cocoa farmers in South Western Nigeria

The study examined the water sanitation facilities utilization among the rural households of south west Nigeria. The study specifically described the socio-economic characteristics of the rural household heads; identified various sources of water supply and their providers; examined the rural household heads’ knowledge of water source contamination; examined respondents’ awareness of adequate water treatment methods and the awareness of waterborne disease. The population of the study comprised of all the rural households in Ondo and Oyo States in Southwestern of Nigeria. The sampling procedure employed was multistage sampling technique to select 355 household heads comprising a total of 167 rural household considered out of 278 rural households from the selected cells in Oyo state while a total of 188 rural household heads selected out of 314 rural household heads from the selected cells in Ondo State for the study. The data for the study were analyzed with descriptive statistics such as frequency count, percentage, mean and standard deviation while inferential statistical tool such as logistic regression analysis model
 The mean age of the respondents from Ondo State was 47 years while that of respondents from Oyo State was 45 years. Rain water collection was the major source of improved water supply from Ondo State (87.4%) and Oyo State (86.7%). In both Ondo and Oyo States, the knowledge of water source contamination is still on moderate level. Households in Ondo State (WMS = 2.98) and Oyo State (WMS = 2.91) were more aware of boiling of water as the major adequate water treatment methods. In both states, the awareness of adequate water treatment methods is still on moderate level. In both States, the awareness of water-borne diseases is still on moderate level, majority had favourable attitude towards utilization of water sanitation facilities while the level of utilization of water sanitation facilities is still on moderate level. The result of the Regression analysis model indicated that years of schooling (t=-3.758***; p=0.000) and households’ size (t=-2.089**; p=0.037) were significantly related to utilization of water sanitation facilities.
 It was therefore concluded that the utilization of water sanitation facilities was influenced by income level, knowledge of water source contamination, awareness of adequate water treatment methods, awareness of water-borne diseases, household size. The local council being the agency saddled with water provision, should be more empowered in terms of resources and facilities in order to be able to do their work of water provision and water sanitation information dissemination effectively

This Campbell systematic review examines the effectiveness of women's economic self‐help groups (ESHG) on individual women empowerment in low‐and middle‐income countries. It also examines the mechanisms that empower women through female participants' experiences of ESHG membership. The review summarises findings from 23 quantitative studies and 11 qualitative studies. The vast majority of these studies was conducted in South Asia. ESHG have positive effects on women's economic and political empowerment, as well as social empowerment ‐ such as, women's family size decision‐making power and social mobility. There is no quantitative evidence to indicate positive effects on women's psychological empowerment. However, the qualitative studies suggest that women participating in ESHG perceive themselves as psychologically empowered. ESHG with a training component, such as financial and business education or life skills training, have a larger effect than programs that do not involve training. Important mechanisms which facilitate empowerment are gaining financial skills (economic empowerment); gaining the capability to speak in front of others, access to household decision‐making (psychological empowerment); improved networks and the experience of mutual support from and solidarity with fellow group members (social empowerment); and access to wider social participation combined with an increased understanding of political contexts and individual rights (political empowerment). There is no evidence of increased levels of domestic violence. Qualitative data indicate that ESHG may decrease domestic violence as women gain respect from their partners, families and access to household decision‐making. Few qualitative studies report experiences of disappointment, mistrust and stigma among women who attended ESHG. ESHGs do not reach the poorest citizens. The ‘poorest of the poor’ do not participate for economic and religious reasons, and mechanisms of self‐selection. Plain language summary Motivation: Self‐help groups (SHGs) are implemented around the world to empower women, supported by many developing country governments and agencies. A relatively large number of studies purport to demonstrate the effectiveness of SHGs. This is the first systematic review of that evidence. Approach: We conducted a systematic review of the effectiveness of women's economic SHG programs, incorporating evidence from quantitative and qualitative studies. We systematically searched for published and unpublished literature, and applied inclusion criteria based on the study protocol. We critically appraised all included studies and used a combination of statistical meta‐analysis and meta‐ethnography to synthesize the findings based on a theory of change. Findings from quantitative synthesis: Our review suggests that economic SHGs have positive effects on various dimensions of women's empowerment, including economic, social, and political empowerment. However, we did not find evidence for positive effects of SHGs on psychological empowerment. Our findings further suggest there are important variations in the impacts of SHGs on empowerment that are associated with program design and contextual characteristics. Findings from qualitative synthesis: Women's perspectives on factors determining their participation in, and benefits from, SHGs suggest various pathways through which SHGs could achieve the identified positive impacts. Evidence suggested that the positive effects of SHGs on economic, social, and political empowerment run through the channels of familiarity with handling money and independence in financial decision making, solidarity, improved social networks, and respect from the household and other community members. In contrast to the quantitative evidence, the qualitative synthesis suggests that women participating in SHGs perceive themselves to be psychologically empowered. Women also perceive low participation of the poorest of the poor in SHGs due to various barriers, which could potentially limit the benefits the poorest could gain from SHG membership. Findings from integrated synthesis: Our integration of the quantitative and qualitative evidence suggests there is no evidence for adverse effects of women's SHGs on the likelihood of domestic violence. Women's perspectives in the qualitative research indicate that even if domestic violence occurs in the short term, in the long term the benefits from SHG membership may mitigate the initial adverse consequences of SHGs on domestic violence. Executive Summary BACKGROUND Women bear an unequal share of the burden of poverty globally due to societal and structural barriers. One way that governments, development agencies, and grassroots women's groups have tried to address these inequalities is through women's SHGs. This review focuses on the impacts of SHGs with a broad range of collective finance, enterprise, and livelihood components on women's political, economic, social, and psychological empowerment. OBJECTIVES The primary objective of this review was to examine the impact of women's economic SHGs on women's individual‐level empowerment in low‐ and middle‐income countries using evidence from rigorous quantitative evaluations. The secondary objective was to examine the perspectives of female participants on their experiences of empowerment as a result of participation in economic SHGs in low‐and middle‐income countries using evidence from high‐quality qualitative evaluations. We conducted an integrated mixed‐methods systematic review that examined data generated through both quantitative and qualitative research methods. SEARCH METHODS We searched electronic databases, grey literature, relevant journals and organization websites and performed keyword hand searches and requested recommendation from key personnel. The search was conducted from March 2013–February 2014. SELECTION CRITERIA We included studies conducted from 1980–January 2014 that examined the impact of SHGs on the empowerment of and perspectives of women of all ages in low‐ and middle‐income countries, as defined by the World Bank, who participated in SHGs in which female participants physically came together and received a collective finance and enterprise and/or livelihoods group intervention. To be included in the review, quantitative studies had to measure economic empowerment, political empowerment, psychological empowerment or social empowerment. We also examined adverse outcomes including intimate partner violence, stigma, disappointment, and reduced subjective well‐being. We included quantitative studies with experimental designs using random assignment to the intervention and quasi‐experimental designs with non‐random assignment (such as regression discontinuity designs, “natural experiments,” and studies in which participants self‐select into the program). In addition, we included qualitative studies that explored empowerment from the perspectives of women participants in SHGs using in‐depth interviews, ethnography/participant observation, and focus groups. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We systematically coded information from the included studies and critically appraised them. We conducted statistical meta‐analysis from the data extracted from quantitative experimental and quasi‐experimental studies, and used meta‐ethnographic methods to synthesize the textual data extracted from the women's quotes in the qualitative studies. We then integrated the findings from the qualitative synthesis with those from the quantitative studies to develop a framework for assessing how economic SHGs might impact women's empowerment. RESULTS We included a total of 23 quantitative and 11 qualitative studies in the final analysis. Initially, we reviewed 3,536 abstracts from electronic database searches and 351 abstracts from the gray literature searches. We found that women's economic SHGs have positive statistically significant effects on various dimensions of women's empowerment, including economic, social and political empowerment ranging from 0.06‐0.41 SD. We did not find evidence for statistically significant effects of SHGs on psychological empowerment. We also did not find statistical evidence of adverse effects of women's SHGs. Our integration of the quantitative and qualitative evidence indicates that SHGs do not have adverse consequences for domestic violence. Our synthesis of women's perspectives on factors determining their participation in, and benefits from SHGs suggests various pathways through which SHGs could achieve the identified positive impacts on empowerment. Women's experiences suggested that the positive effects of SHGs on economic, social, and political empowerment run through several channels including: familiarity with handling money and independence in financial decision making; solidarity; improved social networks; and respect from the household and other community members. Our synthesis of the qualitative evidence (key informant interviews and focus groups) also indicates that women perceive there to be low participation of the poorest of the poor in SHGs, as compared to less poor women. IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE AND RESEARCH</jats

This study explores the key enablers of persistence among adult literacy learners at Sebenta National Institute in Eswatini. Adult literacy serves as a fundamental pillar of national development, empowering individuals to actively participate in society and contribute meaningfully to the economy. However, high dropout rates among adult literacy learners remain a significant challenge, underscoring the need for a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence those who persist until the completion of the programme. Employing a qualitative approach and a case study design, data were collected through individual interviews with five (n=5) facilitators and three (n=3) instructors, as well as focus group discussions with sixty (n=60) adult learners. Thematic analysis was utilized to identify key factors influencing learner retention, including the desire for self-improvement, a supportive learning environment, and access to resources. The findings revealed that the relevance of learning content to real-life applications significantly influenced persistence, as learners’ perceived practical value in their education. Additionally, supportive learning environments, characterized by encouragement from adult educators and peers, played a crucial role in maintaining motivation for learning. Family and community support also emerged as vital enablers, fostering a sense of belonging and accountability. Lastly, participants expressed that hope for a better future and personal aspirations strongly motivated their commitment to completing the literacy program. These insights provide valuable recommendations for improving the design and development of adult literacy programs to enhance learner persistence and success.

Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to empirically examine the predictive influence of locus of control (internal and external) on adult learners’ academic attitude and engagement using the theory of andragogy. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study adopted a quantitative research approach and data were collected from 216 adult learners participating in literacy programmes in Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria. The study's data collection tool was a structured questionnaire that focused on four domains: demographic parameters, locus of control (internal and external), academic attitude and academic engagement. A partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis with SmartPLS software was used to analyze the collected data. Findings: The findings of the study indicated that adult learners' academic attitude significantly influenced their academic engagement. It was revealed that the internal locus of control had a significant positive impact on the academic attitude and engagement of the adult learners. Furthermore, the relationship between academic attitude and engagement was moderated by internal locus of control. However, the external locus of control had no significant effect on the academic attitude and engagement of adult learners. Conclusion: Interventions aimed at improving adult learners' academic attitude and engagement should take into account the role of the internal locus of control. Strategies such as goal-setting and self-reflection critical to developing a stronger internal locus of control may be effective in promoting positive academic attitudes and engagement among adult learners. Practical Implications: This study’s results have implications for both literacy organizers and facilitators regarding support strategies to maximize learners’ engagement, motivation and effective learning.

The study investigated the effect of budget implementation on performance: a comparative analysis of six Southwest states in Nigeria over the period of 10 years spanning from 2012- 2021. This is done specifically to explore the effect of capital expenditure, recurrent expenditure, statutory allocation and intervention fund on per-capita income in Nigeria. Ex-post-facto research design was employed in the study because the data were obtained secondarily from National Bureau of Statistics. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. Finding revealed that capital expenditure, recurrent expenditure, statutory allocation and intervention fund have positive and significant effect on performance in Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states respectively. It however revealed that capital expenditure and statutory allocation have positive and significant effect in Osun state, while capital expenditure and intervention fund was discovered to portrayed a positive and significant effect on performance in Ondo state, and the study further showed that statutory allocation and intervention fund have positive and significant effect on performance in Ekiti state. The implication of this result is that Lagos state as well as Ogun state and Oyo state have shown an exemplary example in its budget implementation which significantly affected performance, the role statutory allocation and intervention have been judiciously used and channeled to respective quarters in the case of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states whereas, the reverse is the same in Ondo, Osun and Ekiti States, as such, statutory allocation and

The study examined the Attitude of rural households of south west Nigeria towards utilization of water sanitation facilities the study specifically described the socio-economic characteristics of the rural household heads; identified various sources of water supply and their providers; determined the attitude of respondents to the utilization of water sanitation facilities and identified the constraints to water sanitation facilities utilization. The population of the study comprised of all the rural households in Ondo and Oyo States in Southwestern of Nigeria. The sampling procedure employed was multistage sampling technique to select 355 household heads comprising a total of 167 rural household considered out of 278 rural households from the selected cells in Oyo state while a total of 188 rural household heads selected out of 314 rural household heads from the selected cells in Ondo State for the study. The data for the study were analyzed with descriptive statistics such as frequency count, percentage, mean and standard deviation while inferential statistical tools such as logistic regression analysis model and Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis.&#x0D; The result revealed a mean age of the respondents from Ondo State was 47 years while that of respondents from Oyo State was 45 years. Rain water collection was the major source of improved water supply from Ondo State (87.4%) and Oyo State (86.7%). Majority had favourable attitude towards utilization of water sanitation facilities while the level of utilization of water sanitation facilities is still on moderate level. The result of the Regression analysis model indicated that years of schooling (t=-3.758***; p=0.000) and households’ size (t=-2.089**; p=0.037) were significantly related to utilization of water sanitation facilities. It was therefore concluded that the utilization of water sanitation facilities was influenced by income level, household size and people’s attitude/disposition towards water sanitation facilities. Since income level is a strong determinant of utilization of water sanitation facilities, there is need to make credit available to the rural households in case of breakdown of the facilities to enable immediate repairs thereby enhancing their health and utilization level

This article covers the issue of policy development on adult learning in Mali, West Africa. On January 2007, the Malian government adopted a policy document termed Adult Non-formal Education Policy Document. The document was intended to regulate the adult learning sector and federate the actions of policy makers, adult education providers, and adult learners. The purpose of this article is to critically review the policy document, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. The article first depicts the context in which the policy was initiated and developed. Later on, it discusses the policy's effect on adult education practice, its limits, and its implication for the future of the field in Mali. Evolution of Adult Education in Mali: Why a Policy? Various terminologies are used to refer to the field of adult education such as literacy, andragogy, continuing education, non-formal education, popular education, adult education, lifelong education, and many more. Until the 1990s, some countries have rather stressed literacy, the acquisition of reading, writing, and numeracy skills. This activity was widespread in countries that had a very high rate of illiteracy. Meanwhile, other countries stressed continuing education through the skill development of working adults (Merriam & Brockett, 2007). The terminology of non-formal education was later used to refer to remedial educational opportunities beyond the formal school arena (Coombs & Ahmed, 1974). The concept of adult education stressing a larger dimension of learning opportunities for adults became popularized and internationalized through the UNESCO conference on adult education in 1976 (Torres, 1990). That definition was clarified further during the fifth edition of the International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA) in 1997 to include all dimensions of learning opportunities for adults in all settings. CONFINTEA is the international adult education forum held by UNESCO every twelve years since 1949. As in many African countries, the concept of adult education is not widespread in Mali. The terminologies of literacy and non-formal education are often used when referring to adult education. The first literacy programs in Mali started in 1962, just a couple of years after the country got its independence (Ministry of Education and Literacy, 2007). From 1962 to 1990, literacy activities were carried out through several programs that were experimental and low in scale. Those programs related to the needs of the young country to undertake mass literacy initiatives. An important step was reached in the 1990s when the national context was influenced by the shift to democracy which saw the rapid growth of civil society organizations and their involvement in literacy. The same era was marked by UNESCO's Education For All conference in Jomtien, Thailand in 1990, setting an international agenda for adult education. The need for developing a policy document on adult learning became pressing in the year 2000. This movement was favored by both the national and international contexts. In the national arena, Mali moved to democracy and a decentralization era which called for reforms in several sectors including education. The Education Orientation Act and the Ten-Year Educational Development Program, both adopted in 1999 introduced the notion of adult nonformal education, which was supported by both technical and legislative organizations of adult education (African Platform for Adult Education, 2008; Doucoure & Diarra, 2006). The Poverty Reduction Strategy Documents adopted in 2002 and 2007 recognized the link between the low access to education among the population and poverty and the need to reorganize the adult learning sector (Ministry of Education and Literacy, 2008). The need for a policy to regulate adult learning was also inspired by the international agenda. Mali engaged in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and the Educational For All (EFA) frameworks adopted by the United Nations and UNESCO in 2000, which, among other objectives, stressed the need for improved adult education opportunities. …

Unfriendly environmental behaviours resulting from people's poor environmental knowledge and attitude (KA) have placed Oyo state at the risk of incessant environmental disasters in recent time. In Nigeria generally Education Level has not proven to be a strong determinant of people's Environmental (KA). Moreover previous efforts at Environmental Education (EE) in Nigeria have been majorly centred on children in schools while the peripheral attempt at the non-formal sector has been nonparticipatory in nature. This study examined the extent of the interaction effect of participatory nonformal EE programme and education level of the adult learners on their environmental (KA). 154 nonformal adult learners from 2 adult literacy centres inOyo State were purposively selected for the study.5 instruments were used and 2 null hypotheses were tested There was significant interaction effect of participatory EE programme and education level on adult learners' environmental knowledge and attitude.Participatory Non-formal EE Programme was recommended for the adult learners as it has the capacity of reaches out to people of varying education levels

PROTOCOL: The Effects Of Economic Self‐Help Group Programs On Women's Empowerment: A Systematic Review

The African forest, which was and still is the heart of biodiversity, is fast losing its bio-components due to natural disasters and human encroachment. A catalogue of the bio-components of the African forest is imminent so that conservation programs can be established to safeguard rare germplasm(s) from extinction. The population density of wild Auricularia (Mushroom) of Southwestern Nigeria was the focus of this research. DNA primers were obtained from Operon Technology, Alameda, California, USA. Characterization was done using phenotype, PCR and electrophoresis gel (RAPD). OPB-11 to OPB-21, OPH-3 to OPH-15, and OPT-1 to OPT-19 primers formed polymorphic bands with DNA samples of the specimens. Three (3) distinct species of Auricularia were identified in the forest of Southwest Nigeria based on PCR and RAPD analyses. Geospatial analysis showed that Auricularia auricula was present in the forests of Ekiti, Osun, Ogun, Oyo and Lagos states, but none was identified in Ondo State. On the contrary, Auricularia polytricha was only identified in the tropical rainforest and grassland vegetation of Ondo, Lagos and Oyo states. &nbsp; Key words: Auricularia, mushrooms, population density, Southwestern Nigeria, phenotypic description, genome similarity index.

The study examined the political empowerment of women through literacy education programmes in Edo and Delta States in the South-South Geopolitical zone of Nigeria. A sample of 1022 women was randomly drawn from the different levels of literacy classes organised by the Agency of Adult and Nonformal Education and non-governmental and private organisations in the area under investigation. Psychological empowerment scale and socio-political scale were used for data collection. These were complemented by four sessions of Focus Group Discussion (FGD). The results of the study revealed that literacy education programmes correlated with women participation in political activities and leadership roles. Women were able to participate more actively in decision-making processes and social interactions at home, in a public gathering and in the community at large. The FGD result showed that women gained self-esteem and self-confidence as a result of their participation in literacy programmes.

Non-formal education (NFE) programmes involve literacy and numerical programmes that aim at training people to read and write. Gaining such basic literacy skills enables a person to use the reading, writing and calculation to develop the self and the community as a whole. In the Ghanaian context, the Ministry of Education in the year 2000 established the National Functional Literacy Programme with the chief aim of making accessible literacy and life skills to the rural poor and the illiterate. The aim of this paper was to examine the extent to which non-formal education contributes to literacy improvement, poverty reduction and rural development in a rural community within a municipality in Ghana. The researchers employed Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach to economic and human development and Paulo Freire’s concept of education for conscientization.The findings of the study show that the non-formal education programme plays a very critical role in the reduction of illiteracy coupled with improving the living standard of the rural adult learners, once the programme is well organized and implemented. Thus, the activities of NFE have the potential to make the illiterate poor become functionally literate which is a necessary condition for poverty reduction. Providing skill training is one of the major ways of improving the livelihood of poor people. Based on the impact of NFE activities on those who had graduated from the programme has the potential of reducing illiteracy and improving the standard of living of the people. The impact has been felt in areas like literacy and numeracy, economic, social and political empowerment of learners in the community studied. However, the programme needs to be strengthened to address the issue of funding which has become a major challenge for the NFE. Facilitators and supervisors need enough motivation to commit them fully to the task and learners need support to start their own business to bring about meaningful poverty reduction.

The Nigerian Society is purely Patriarchy in Nature, and since this patriarchal nature is evident in traditionally social, cultural, economic, and religious realms or settings, there is a need for Women's Empowerment that directly influences these sectors. This Study assessed Women's Empowerment programs in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A descriptive Survey design was adopted. Sample size of 500 respondents were selected from 10 local government areas in the State. The Analysis was conducted using Statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 23. The set null hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The set null hypotheses for Psychological Empowerment (B = 0.399, t = 22.853; P&lt; 0.05), Social Empowerment (B = 0.318, t = 15.160, P&lt;0.05), Economic Empowerment (B = 0.305, t=`11.955 P&lt;0.05) and Political Empowerment (B=0.732, t= 21.221, P&lt;0.05). The findings revealed that Social, Economical, Political, and psychological empowerment has significant contributions to Women's Empowerment programs in Ekiti State. The study recommended that Social Empowerment, Economic Empowerment, Psychological Empowerment, and Political Empowerment are key contributors to Women's Empowerment.

ABSTRACTThis study explores the effectiveness of social practice approach by integrating social practices along with modern teaching strategies, and teacher training to address the challenge of low academic achievement among adult learners in basic literacy programs. For a 4‐month experiment, two of a metropolitan city's fourteen adult literacy centres were chosen as intact groups. There were 35 adult learners in each group, which included a control group and an experimental group. A mixed‐methods study design was employed to experimentally ascertain the impact of social practices along with modern teaching strategies, and teacher training on learners' academic attainment and explore the underlying elements influencing this effect. While the control group got conventional teaching utilising a literacy book and a chalkboard, the experimental group's literacy activities were incorporated into their daily tasks as adult learners. For quantitative data, a pre‐test and post‐test based on worksheets with items pertaining to the social setting and daily chores were used to gather data from both groups. For qualitative data, 10 learners from the experimental group were interviewed to obtain a better understanding of how the social practice approach had improved their academic achievement. Thematic analysis was used to examine the qualitative data, while independent‐sample t tests were used to assess the quantitative data. According to the results, the experimental group outperformed the control group in terms of knowledge, comprehension, and application. The experimental group's learners credited their improved academic achievement to the regular practice of acquired skills in the classroom and in real‐world scenarios, as well as to interactive, engaging, and everyday reading exercises. This study emphasises the need for socially inclusive and contextually relevant adult literacy programs in by integrating real‐world issues and fostering collaboration among various stakeholders. It also highlights the importance of active community involvement in the design and implementation of literacy programs, as this approach can enhance educational opportunities, address disparities, and ensure that the programs are relevant to the needs of local populations.