Ife Central Local Government Area Research Articles

Ethnobotanical study of twenty species in the family Asteraceae in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

Ethnobotanical study was conducted on 20 plants belonging to 18 genera of the Asteraceae family. The aims of this research were to explore the current ethnobotanical status of the identified plant species, document their indigenous utilization for diverse purposes within the specific research area and assess the extent of Asteraceae plant usage by the local population. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and open-ended interview techniques with different categories of informants in the Ife Central Local Government Area of IleIfe, Osun State, Nigeria. Demographic data of respondents were analyzed using a descriptive statistical method, providing understandings into their characteristics. The ethnobotanical survey results were subjected to quantitative analysis employing several parameters. The Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) was utilized to determine the prominence of plant species in terms of citations. The Use Value (UV), Fidelity Level (FL), and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) were employed to assess plant importance, therapeutic efficacy, and consensus among informants, respectively. Ethnobotanical study of the selected Asteraceae plants revealed the traditional uses of these plants for diverse purposes for both humans and livestock. The average ICF value was 0.92, indicating a relatively high consensus among the respondents. Ageratum conyzoides, Tithonia diversifolia, Aspilia africana, Launaea taraxacifolia and Tridax procumbens were the most cited of all the species, hence their high RFC values. Fidelity Level (FL) had the highest value in Aspilia africana, Tithonia diversifolia and Ageratum conyzoides while Acmella radicans had the lowest FL value. According to this study, Ageratum conyzoides (0.10) and Launaea taraxacifolia (0.10) had the highest use value. The study concluded that the Asteraceae species have several edible, ornamental and medicinal uses, which have not been explored extensively in the study area.

Assessment of Fadama Farming Inile-Ife, Osun State

The notion of food security in the global system has been a major issue in the sustainable development programme. The global system has been very keen on the nutritional and hunger eradication level of the world’s population. In line with global initiatives and strategic planning on food security, this study focuses on the impact of Fadama farming on the socio-economic transformation of Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State. The data were collected through a structured questionnaire from a sample of 160 respondents drawn from five (5) randomly selected communities from the study area. The data collected were analyzed by using descriptive statistics such as percentage, frequency and tables. The findings from this study showed that the majority (60.6%) of them joined their respective Fadama User Groups after it was registered. When compared with their income after joining Fadama, there was a significant increase in their income level as 21.9% of the respondents claimed they received ₦40,000 and above and none of them received below ₦18,000 as just 12.7% received ₦18,000-₦28,000 per month. From the findings, the majority (75.7%) of the respondents fell within the working age or active population. 21.8% agree that Fadama has increased food production, 6.3% of the respondents have built houses out of it and 3% have acquired motorcycles.. The findings from this study implied that the males were more actively involved in Fadama farming than the females; also, enough profit was generated to sustain individual families involved. It was recommended that Government should encourage the education of farmers and also provide loans, agricultural inputs and research assistance

The Roles of Women in Nigeria’s Quest for Rural Economic Development: A Case Study of Ife Central Area, Osun State

The role of women in rural economic development in Nigeria is pivotal amidst ongoing efforts to alleviate poverty and enhance community well-being. This study examines women’s contributions within Ife Central Local Government Area, Osun State, highlighting various government and non-governmental initiatives aimed at grassroots development. Despite substantial policy frameworks like the Better Life for Rural Women and Microfinance, challenges such as ineffective implementation and corruption persist, impacting rural communities disproportionately. Data for this study were gathered using quantitative methods and analyzed through content analysis. Drawing on Thirlwall’s development goals and the basic needs approach, this research underscores the importance of local participation and effective governance in achieving sustainable rural economic growth. It advocates for enhanced women’s involvement and community-focused strategies to overcome existing barriers and foster inclusive development.

Evaluation of Alanine Aminotransferase (Alt), Aspatate Aminotransferase (Ast) and Albumin (Alb) Among Blood Donors Infected with Hepatitis B and C Virus and Malaria in Ife Central Local Government Area, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

Liver diseases are responsible for over one and half million deaths annually and are characterized by permanent inflammatory processes that predispose to liver cancer.Liver function biomarkers are important indices that help in assessment of disease severity. Several studies reveal changes in activity level of liver enzymes and protein in the serum due to Plasmodium infection and Hepatitis infection. Liver enzymes play an important role in the assessment of liver function because of liver injury resulting in cytolysis or necrosis that causes release of enzymes into circulation. Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are major global health problems. Moreover, infection with these viruses might associate with increased mortality rate as the infection may predisposes to the development of serious liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The objectives of the study are to determine the prevalence Hepatitis B and C infections among blood donors, analyze the relationship between socio- demographic variables and Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspatate aminotransferase (AST) and Albumin (ALB), analyze the relationship between malarial and ALT and AST and evaluate the effect of hepatitis infections on the liver cells. The study was conducted in Ife Central Local Government .Area, Ile Ife, Osun State. Five (5) ml of venous blood was obtained from each of 400 blood donors into plain bottles and labeled accordingly. Sera were separated from aliquots of the blood and screened for hepatitis-B and C surface antigens (HBsAg and HCV), and enzymes such as aspatate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). The total percentage of elevated AST was 14(3.5%), ALT 15 (3.8%) and ALB 32(8.0%), while that the least AST 24 (6.0%), ALT 23 (4.8%) and ALB 6 (1.5%). There was significant difference between Occupation and ALT (p= 0.040) and ALB (p= 0.030), Marital status and AST (p=0.014), ALT (p= 0.012), ALB (p=0.014), there was no significant difference between HCV and AST (p=0.532), ALT (p=0.532), but with ALB (p=0.000). There was no significant difference between HBV and AST ( p=0.285), ALT (p=0.593) and ALB (p=0.033), the general hepatitis viral infection had no significant difference with AST ( p=0.516), ALT (p=0.516), but with ALB (p= 0.000), There was no significant difference between malaria infection and AST (p= 0.906), ALT (p= 0.999) and ALB (p= 0.718). in conclusion, although the prevalence hepatitis B and C viral infections was low and there was no significant relationship between the Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspatate aminotransferase,(AST) and Hepatitis infection in the local government, critical screening of blood donors is of prime importance because they serve as an asymptomatic reservoirs and a potential source of transmission of these infections. The strengthening of creating awareness on the general public regarding HBsAg and HCV transmission and prevention should be of paramount important.

Complementary Dietary Practices for Infants among Educated and Non-Educated Women

This study examined the complementary dietary practices for infants among educated and non-educated women of Ife central local government area of Osun State, Nigeria. It was a descriptive survey research. A total of one hundred and fifty (154) respondents participated in this research. The research instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire on a 4-point scale. The major findings of the study revealed the complementary dietary practices for infants, identified possible factors affecting complementary dietary practice which are economic status, maternal education, employment status, residence type. It further revealed effects of inadequate complementary dietary practices which include sub-optimal growth and development and malnutrition, low intelligence level and others and revealed possible strategies to be adopted for adequate and proper complementary feeding practices which are provision of accurate dietary information to caregivers and family at large, introduction of developmental health system. Based on the findings, recommendations were made among which are adequate information should be given to upcoming mothers, hospitals, clinic and health center officials should educate mothers about the appropriate time to start feeding their children on complementary diet, mothers should breastfeed for at least six months of age before introducing semi-solid food to their children.

Influence of Entrepreneurship Education on Youth Empowerment in Nigeria

The main objective of this study was to examine the influence of entrepreneurship on youth empowerment in in Ife Central Local Government area of Osun State. The study employed survey research design. A total of 125 youths in the study area was recruited by means of questionnaire administration. Data analysis was done using frequency counts and percentage distribution. The findings revealed that the youths in the local government are highly knowledgeable in entrepreneurship education and its influence on youth empowerment in the local government. The study revealed that 60% of the respondents have benefited from youth entrepreneurial programmes in the study area. Commonly identified entrepreneurial programmes in the study area includes Hair dressing. 48.3% were females while males” hairdresser accounted for 26.7%. On the other hand, more males 41.7% are tailors while 25% of the tailors were females. Also, 5.0% women does photography while male photography accounted for 3.3%. Overall. 65% of the respondents were males who engage in one form of entrepreneurial business or the other.

Fire Disaster Preparedness among Residents in a High Income Community

Fire disaster preparedness (FDP) is of paramount importance in preventing the globe’s most prevalent disaster. This has been a big issue for developing nations. The study investigated FDP among residents in a high-income community of a part in Southwestern Nigeria. The aim of the study was to identify the preparedness of residents regarding fire disasters in residential buildings in Parakin, Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. To achieve the objectives, a quantitative study was carried out, primary data was sourced from structured, self-administered questionnaires. 80 buildings was purposively selected for the study. Affiliated literature was reviewed. Descriptive statistical tools such as frequency distribution and percentage was used in analysing the data. Chi-square tests at a significance level of 0.05 was done. SPSS version 23.0 was used in analysing all the data. Findings revealed that FDP is very low in the study area as respondents have very little or no firefighting facilities or gadgets, awareness, training about FDP. Chi-square tests revealed that there was no statistical significance between age of respondents and preparedness, ownership of home and preparedness, education and preparedness and sex and preparedness. It was established that preparedness for fire is very low. The study, however, recommended the provision of active and passive fire protection facilities in buildings, proper training of building users on FDP, enabling laws are also needed to promote the installation of fire protection, prevention, detection and suppression.

Assessment of Child Labour Practices among Market Women and Food Sellers in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria

Assessment of Child Labour Practices among Market Women and Food Sellers in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria

MAPPING SCHOOLS FOR INCLUSIVITY IN IFE CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

The investigation created data sets using administrative boundaries and road networks in Ife Central Local Government area of Osun State, Nigeria. The study also mapped spatial distribution of primary schools in the study area and determined its primary school enrolments. The geo-database was also linked while a spatial decision support system for educational planning purposes in Ife Central LGA. These were with a view to ascertain the importance of GIS technologies in school mapping. The study gathered through field work using the Global Positional System (GPS) tool to collect the coordinate positions of the primary schools while oral interviews were held with 10 head teachers (N=31) or their proxies. The data so gathered were incorporated into the Geographic Information System (GIS) environment for analysis of water body in the study area while direct estimation of schools’ enrolments, number of classrooms, number of teachers and their qualifications using survey approach. Results indicated the existence of 276 classrooms, 4677 pupils and 416 teachers in the 31 public primary schools located in little ‘water body’ areas; and major roads concentrated towards the southern part of the LGA. Most of the primary schools are located in the south (4.25 to 7.235 degrees) while the northern part of the study area had only four primary schools (7.237-7.350 degrees). The enrolment range of primary schools in the south was 259 to 600 pupils much more than enrolment range in the northern part (30 to 144). Results also showed the existence of a range of two classrooms (L.A. Middle School in Iremo Ward 1) to 22 classrooms at Baptist Elementary School in Ilare Ward 4 in the study area. The teachers possessed both Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) which is described as ‘highly qualified middle level manpower in the National Policy of Education’ (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2013) and Bachelor degrees. The study recommended, among many other steps, a better spread of the schools towards the northern part in order to reduce the distance of schools thus complying with United Nations Children Fund two kilometres distance from homes in the study area; the need to build more classrooms in the northern part and thus divert some resources from the south to the northern part of the study area particularly in the urban slums; and thus, disaggregating crowded settlement in the south. The study concluded that the GIS technology was capable of engendering inclusivity and efficiency in the management of schools’ establishment. Article visualizations:

Is chronotype profile a risk indicator for caries in children and adolescents in sub-urban Nigeria?

To determine the association between chronotype and the prevalence of caries among in-school pupils aged 6- to 16-year-old residing in a sub-urban area in Nigeria. We hypothesize that in-school pupils who are evening chronotypes will have significantly higher prevalence of caries than those who are intermediate or morning chronotypes. This secondary analysis of a dataset collected in 2019 from 1502 children aged 6- to 16-year-old attending private and public primary and secondary schools in Ife Central Local Government Area, Nigeria. The dependent variable was caries prevalence. The explanatory variable was participants' chronotype profile (morning, intermediate, and evening). The confounding variables were caries risk factors (socio-economic status, age at last birthday, sex, use of fluoridated toothpaste, frequency of consumption of refined carbohydrates, and oral hygiene status). Poisson regression analysis was conducted. Data of 1001 (66.6%) students were retrieved. Of these, 59 (5.9%) had caries, 42 (4.2%) were evening type, 526 (52.5%) were intermediate type, and 433 (43.3%) were morning type. There was no significant association between chronotype and the prevalence of caries though children who were intermediate type (APR=0.83; 95%CI: 0.41-1.66) and morning type (APR=0.57; 95% CI: 0.27-1.18) were less likely to have caries than were those who were evening type. The children and adolescents' chronotype was not a significant risk indicator for caries in the study population.

Association between maternal socioeconomic factors, decision-making status, and dental utilization by children with early childhood caries in sub-urban Nigeria.

To determine the association between maternal education, income, and decision-making status and the presence of early childhood caries (ECC) and dental-service utilization among young children. This cross-sectional study was based on data from a household survey of 1,549 mother-preschool-aged-child dyads conducted in Ife Central Local Government Area, Nigeria. The explanatory variables were maternal education, income, and decision-making status (related to healthcare, large household purchases, and visits to family/relatives). Outcome variables were the presence of ECC and the child's history of dental-service utilization. Poisson regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with outcomes; the models were adjusted for maternal age, child's socioeconomic status, oral hygiene status, and frequency of sugar consumption. The study recruited 1,549 mother-child dyads, of which 66 (4.3 percent) children had ECC, and 90 (5.9 percent) children had a history of dental-service utilization. Fewer than half (42.3 percent) of the mothers earned between N18,001($49.00) and 60,000 ($168.00) per month. Also, 896 (57.8 percent) reported not making any independent decisions, 152 (9.8 percent) made one of three decisions independently, and 313 (20.2 percent) made two or three decisions independently. In the adjusted model, children of mothers with monthly income higher than N60,000 were more likely to have used dental services than were those whose mother's monthly income was less than or equal to N18,000 (adjusted prevalence ratio = 2.29; 95%CI: 1.30-4.02; P = 0.004). No other maternal factor was associated with ECC. Although maternal socioeconomic factors and decision-making abilities were not associated with ECC prevalence, more preschool children whose mothers had high income used dental services.

Awareness, Knowledge and Perceived Barriers to Male Involvement in Safe Motherhood among Men in Ife Central Local Government Area, South West, Nigeria

Awareness, Knowledge and Perceived Barriers to Male Involvement in Safe Motherhood among Men in Ife Central Local Government Area, South West, Nigeria

GIS based Flood Vulnerability Studies for Ife Central Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria

Flood has negatively affected Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. This work is aimed at mapping the vulnerability of the area to flood. Its objectives addressed the ranking of various natural and artificial factors causing flood, the determination and delineation of vulnerability to flood in the study area. Using remote sensing and GIS techniques, coordinates of flooded sites were acquired with Global Navigation Satellite System receiver; Landsat 8 data were acquired from the USGS website. To map land use, elevation data were acquired from the Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission Digital Elevation Models, soil data was obtained from the Nigerian Geological Survey website, and rainfall data was acquired from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellit. Using Pairwise Comparison, the various weights of factors constituting flood in the area were acquired. Weighted Linear Combination and Analytical Hierarchical Process was used in producing the flood hazard and flood vulnerability maps. ArcGIS 10.2 Software was used in spatial and attribute data acquisition, processing, and information presentation. The Pairwise Comparison method adopted was validated and observed to have a consistency ration of 0.003. Results obtained show that 9.2% of the study area is highly prone to flood hazards 20.4% is prone to flood hazard and 44.3% is moderately prone to flood hazard. The method adopted correctly identifies all existing flood incidence areas within the flood- prone areas in the hazard map. The maps produced will serve as an effective tool to aid the prevention and mitigation of flood disaster in the flood-prone area.

Teachers’ Effectiveness and Students’ Academic Achievement in Senior Secondary School Civic, Osun State Nigeria

The study assessed the level of teaching effectiveness of Civic teachers in Osun State. It also determined the relationship between teachers’ effectiveness and senior secondary school students’ academic achievement and examined the difference between the academic achievement of the students taught by male Civic teachers and those taught by female Civic teachers in the study area. The study employed Correlational research design and the population for the study comprised of Civic teachers and the senior secondary school students in Osun State. The sample size for the study consisted of forty (40) Civic teachers and two hundred (200) students selected using multistage sampling procedure. A research question and two hypotheses were raised to guide the study. Two instruments: Teachers’ Effectiveness Rating Scale (TERS) and Civic Achievement Test (CAT) were developed and used for data collection. The two instruments were given to experts in Civic Education and Test and Measurement for face and content validity and were later subjected to a reliability test using Pearson moment product correlation which yielded values of 0.65 and 0.72 respectively. Data collected were analysed using frequency counts, simple percentages, mean, standard deviation, linear regression and t-test statistics. Findings of the study showed that the level of teaching effectiveness of Civic teachers in the study area is moderate. The study concluded that teachers’ effectiveness is a correlate of senior secondary school students’ academic achievement in Civic in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State.

CLASSIFICATION MODEL FOR LEARNING DISABILITIES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUPILS

Learning disability is a general term that describes specific kinds of learning problems. Although, Learning Disability cannot be cured medically, there exist several methods for detecting learning disabilities in a child. Existing methods of classification of learning disabilities in children are binary classification – either a child is normal or learning disabled. The focus of this paper is to extend the binary classification to multi-label classification of learning disabilities. This paper formulated and simulated a classification model for learning disabilities in primary school pupils. Information containing the symptoms of learning disabilities in pupils were elicited by administering five hundred (500) questionnaire to teachers of Primary One to Four pupils in fifteen government owned elementary schools within Ife Central Local Government Area, Ile-Ife of Osun State. The classification model was formulated using Principal Component Analysis, rule based system and back propagation algorithm. The formulated model was simulated using Waikatto Environment for Knowledge Analysis (WEKA) version 3.7.2. The performance of the model was evaluated using precision and accuracy. The classification model of primary one, primary two, primary three and primary four yielded precision rate of 95%, 91.18%, 93.10% and 93.60% respectively while the accuracy results were 95.00%, 91.18%, 93.10% and 93.60% respectively. The results obtained showed that the developed model proved to be accurate and precise in classifying pupils with learning disabilities in primary schools. The model can be adopted for the management of pupils with learning disabilities.

Characterization and Antimicrobial Resistance Profile of Pathogenic Bacteria Isolated from Freshly Sold Amaranthus viridis in Ile-Ife, Southwest Nigeria

Amaranthus viridis is known to have excellent nutritional value because of its high content of essential micronutrients which are considered heat labile, thus little or no heat is applied during its preparation to destroy microbial contaminants acquired during planting, harvesting or processing. This study was conducted to characterize pathogenic bacteria isolated from freshly sold Amaranthus viridis and determine their susceptibilities to commonly used antibiotics. Fresh, green and firm Amaranthus viridis were collected at different retail and cultivation sites across Ife Central Local Government Area of Ile–Ife and microbiologically assayed for the presence of pathogenic bacteria such as Shigella species and Escherichia coli using standard methods described by APHA. The result shows that 21 isolates were recovered of which 7 isolates showed characteristics of Shigella which appear colourless without a black centre on SSA and 5 isolates were typical of Escherichia coli with characteristic green metallic sheen on EMB agar. The isolates were all sensitive to ofloxacilin, more than 86% of the isolated Shigella spp. and Escherichia coli exhibited multi resistance to other antibiotics especially nitrofurantoin and amoxicillin. This study concludes that the freshly sold Amaranthus viridis in Ile-Ife were contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, hence, the result creates awareness on the dangers of consuming these vegetables.

Estimating occupational risks associated with roadside automobile vulcanizing trade in a part of southwestern Nigeria

This study investigated occupational risks associated with roadside vulcanizers in Ife Central Local Government Area, Southwestern Nigeria. The objectives of the study included the determination of spatial distribution pattern of vulcanizers, examination of location factors as well as the assessment of risks that vulcanizers were exposed to. High resolution imagery (IKONOS) was downloaded and roads of interest were extracted from the imagery to produce a map of the distribution of vulcanizers. Nearest Neighbour Analysis was carried out to determine the spatial pattern of distribution of vulcanizers in the study are. Factor analysis was carried out to extract most manageable factors of location choice, other descriptive statistics were conducted to determine risks factors that vulcanizers were exposed to in the study area. Results revealed that vulcanizers were distributed in a dispersed pattern in the study area given the NNI of 3.489. Also, proximity to traffic, distance from home, nearness to motor park, low competition, high traffic volume and opportunity for shelter were extracted factors which contributed a total of 61.314% of variance explained by the variables. However, traffic noise, exposure to weather condition and dust and smoke formed the major risks that vulcanizers were exposed to in the study area. The study concluded that most roadside vulcanizers were exposed to risks and actions be taken to relocate them from roadside to reduce mortality that may arise from unsafe trade location.

Experimental Study of the Effects of Some Selected Geotechnical Indices on the Unconfined Compressive Strength of Lateritic Soil

This study undertook an experimental study of the comparative effects of Atterberg limits, particles size and compaction parameters on the unconfined compressive strength of selected soils. This was with a view to ascertaining which of the combinations of the soil properties will produce a good prediction of the unconfined compressive strength. To achieve this aim, soil samples were obtained from selected locations within Ife Central Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria. The following tests were conducted on the soil samples, following standard procedures: natural moisture content determination, specific gravity, Atterberg limits, compaction and unconfined compressive strength. Using Regression tool, the results obtained from the laboratory tests were used to develop the relationships between each of the index properties and unconfined compressive strength. Results showed that the natural moisture content of soil samples ranges between 18.48 % and 25.03 %; specific gravity ranges between 2.35 and 2.69; liquid limit ranges between 39.95 % and 83.98 %; plastic limit ranges between 29.32 % and 51.18 %; and plasticity index is between 8.74 % and 33.56 %. The maximum dry density ranges between 15.30kN/m3 and 19.30kN/m3 with their optimum moisture contents ranging between 13.80 % and 35.50 % while unconfined compressive strength is between 36.00 kN/m2 and 97.14 kN/m2. The results of regression analysis showed that effective size and coefficient of uniformity have the greatest effect (R2 = 0.82) on unconfined compressive strength of the tested soil samples. Therefore, the study concluded that effective size and coefficient of uniformity could be used to estimate the unconfined compressive strength of the soils.

Oral habits and malocclusion in children resident in Ile-Ife Nigeria.

To determine the: prevalence of oral habits in children aged 1-12years in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State Nigeria; association between oral habits and malocclusion in children aged 6-12years; differences in orthodontic treatment needs of children with and without oral habits and the effect of digit sucking severity on occlusal profile. This was a cross-sectional study that collected data through a household survey. Information collected included the age, gender, and oral habits of study participants. Intra-oral examination was conducted. The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) was used to assess orthodontic treatment needs for 6-12-year-old participants. Independent sample t test was used to compare mean DAI scores of participants with and without oral habits. A digit sucking severity index was developed and digit sucking severity was determined. One hundred and thirty (13.1%) study participants had 142 oral habits. The most common oral habit was digit sucking. The most common malocclusion traits were spacing (29.9%), crowding (21.7%) and increased overjet (16.4%). DAI scores were significantly higher in participants with tongue thrusting (p < 0.001) and bruxism (p = 0.01) habits compared with participants without the habits. Among the 67 participants with oral habits, 54 (80.6%) had no need for treatment, 9 (13.4%) needed elective treatment and treatment was mandatory for 4 (6.0%) participants. Digit sucking was the most frequently practiced oral habit in the study population. Tongue thrusting and bruxism were significantly associated with greater severity of malocclusion in children 6-12years old when compared with peers who had no habits. Most children with oral habits had no need for treatment.

English

Medical waste, despite the relatively small amounts in which it is generated, is a major concern for healthcare professionals and the government mainly because it poses risks to humans and the environment. Previous studies have shown that there is poor management of medical waste in developing nations, and Nigeria is not an exception. Some have surveyed the associated risks but few have studied the risk perceptions among healthcare professionals, particularly in this environment. This study therefore aimed at assessing the waste management practices among healthcare professionals at privately owned health facilities in Ife Central LGA. The study was a cross sectional study that assessed 24 private health facilities in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun state, Nigeria using self-administered questionnaires, observational checklist and weighing of wastes. Risk perception of respondents was graded on a scale of 1 – 10 as low risk (1-4), average risk (5-6) and high risk (7-10). The facilities assessed generated a median waste of 500 g/day. 62.5% of them separated the waste, while 25% colour coded; however, none correctly matched the colours with the appropriate category of waste. 79.2% stored their waste in dustbins, and 75% of them burned while 20.8% buried the waste as a means of disposal. 45.8% had sharps boxes, 29.2% disinfected sharps before disposal; disposal was mostly by burning (41.7%).Over 90% of respondents were aware of health risks associated with health care waste management, with HIV (71%) and HBV (67%) being the most reported. Over a third (38%) of the respondents considered themselves to be at average risk with regards to health care wastes. Generation of medical waste is low in Private health facilities. However, open burning remains the way of disposal for such wastes and the health care professionals do not consider themselves at high risk from these wastes. Key words: Health care waste, management, private facilities, hospital, medical.