Nigerian Populace Research Articles

Assessing sweet potato chips as a cost-effective alternative for maize in broiler’s diet

Abstract. The consistent increase in the price of feedstuff, especially maize, is one of the many challenges faced by the Nigerian populace, especially the livestock farmers. The post-COVID-19 influenced food insecurity had increased the cost of feed available for livestock production especially in poultry industries. This study aims to assess sweet potato chips as a cost-effective alternative for maize in broiler’s diet. One hundred and fifty broiler chickens were raised on deep litter intensive management system for eight (8) weeks and fed with sweet potato-based diet at the finisher phase (4th – 8th week). At 4 weeks of feeding the one hundred and fifty birds were distributed based on weight equalization from the pool into five treatments of three replicates each with ten birds per replicate. Milled sweet potato were incorporated to replace maize in diet at 25, 50, 75 and 100% inclusion. The diets were compounded to supply 21.32% crude protein and 3360.20 kcal/g ME on average. Data on performance were collected weekly, data on digestibility were collected daily during the last seven (7) days of the 28 days’ experimental trial. The carcass yield was weighed at the last day of the experiment. The economic analysis was conducted based on the prevailing price at the time of the study. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and significant differences were compared using DMRT while a t-test (p<0.05) was used for economic analysis. Birds on maize diet utilized the feed better than those on sweet potato. Birds on T1 (100% maize-based diet) digested crude protein (27.44%) significantly better than those on sweet potato which resulted in the highest final weight (3.431 kg), dressing percentage and higher weights of breast, thigh and drum stick. On the other hand, the birds on 100% sweet potato diet were able to digest more soluble carbohydrates, hence, more energy than those on another treatment. The economic analysis revealed that 100% maize diet is economically better than sweet potato diet, although the latter has a great potential to serve as feedstuff for broiler finisher. It was recommended that further study should be carried out using pelletized feed as birds may pick grains in their diets rather than non-grains.

Efficacy of lifestyle interventions in preventing cardiovascular disease in Nigeria: A review

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent a critical public health issue worldwide, with Nigeria experiencing a marked increase in prevalence due to rapid urbanization, lifestyle changes, and socioeconomic factors. Lack of sufficient exercise and increased consumption of fatty foods, salty, and processed foods are causal factors of the risk factors associated with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and obesity. Consequently, this review assesses the effectiveness of lifestyle intervention in dietary modifications, exercising, smoking cessation, and stress reduction on these factors among the Nigerian populace. Clinical studies support that communicating specific dietary measures together with the DASH modified for Nigerian foods and moderate aerobic exercise duration decreases blood pressure and cholesterol levels by dropping 12-15mm Hg and LDL cholesterol by 20mg/dL-Anticipated empirical analysis results show the significance of smoking cessation and stress management on CVD intervention. For instance, nicotine replacement therapy accompanied by behavioural counselling produced a 30% abstinence rate among the participants, and MBSR stress reduction programmes reduced the participants' blood pressure by 10 %. It also reflects the fact that cultural orientation to preventive measures needs to be culturally appropriate for the Nigerian setting, given that socioeconomic factors perpetuate risks. The findings of statistical studies in this review are presented regarding the changes in CVD indicators, which are valuable for forming subsequent public health policies. Because the burden of CVD is increasing in Nigeria and most low and middle-income countries, the use of lifestyle approaches to address risk factors is a good strategy. However, success is determined by countering systemic barriers such as poorly preventing or treating diseases and having a favourable perception of traditional diets. Within these developments, this article seeks to advance the implementation of these efficacious interventions into the Nigerian context, but with ideas for improving its accessibility, cost and receptiveness to accept these innovative practises in the country's health care system.

Implication of Macroeconomic Fundamentals on the Twin-Evil of Macroeconomic Phenomena: “With the Focus on Nigeria”

Purpose of the Study: This study was designed to analyze the implication of Macroeconomic fundamentals on twin-evil of Macroeconomic phenomena: “with the focus on Nigeria.’’ Methodology: The study Utilized annual time-series data on exogenous variables (Government Deficit Spending, GDS; Official exchange rate, OEXCHR; Monetary policy rate, MPR) to capture Macroeconomic fundamentals. While, Unemployment rate, UNEMPLR; Inflation rate, INFLR and Consumer price index, CPI were used as a summation of Macroeconomic phenomena to capture Misery index. The data on variables used in the study were sourced from Nigerian federal ministry of finance; Central Bank of Nigeria; and World Bank data bank between 1991and 2022 respectively. The study employed econometric techniques of ordinary least square and Two-stage least to analyze its data. Findings: The study of Ordinary Least Square revealed that Government deficit spending and official exchange rate significantly eradicate misery index in a positive manner. Meanwhile, monetary policy rate insignificantly eradicate misery index in a negative manner. There was also a further revelation from the findings of two-stage least square that government deficit spending and official exchange rate exert concerted significant strength to eradicate misery from every citizen of Nigeria within the periods under study.. Meanwhile, the result found that it was insignificantly weak for monetary policy rate (MPR) to minimize misery index from every Nigerian citizen within the periods under study. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study concluded that the authority should maintain a sound policy that will oversee money borrowed for critical projects and use it to create employment opportunity for Nigerian citizenry, ensure exchange rate is kept within a certain band that will reduce high cost of goods and services in the economy that we are currently facing and jettison the idea of increasing monetary policy rate, since this displayed a negative sign to help reducing misery index of the Nigerian populace during the periods of study.

Rural Households’ Preference and Consumption Patterns of African Breadfruit in Osun State, Nigeria: Implication for Food Security

The study assessed the acceptance, frequency of consumption and mode of consuming African breadfruit among rural households in Osun State, Nigeria. Specifically, it examines the socio-economic characteristics of the rural household; examines rural households’ frequency and mode of consumption of African breadfruit; and determines the attitude of rural households towards the production and consumption of African breadfruit in the study area. A multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted to select 288 respondents and a structural interview schedule was used to collect data for the study. Data collected was analysed using appropriate descriptive statistics such as mean, frequency count, and percentages and inferential statistics such as chi-square and correlation analysis. The results revealed that the mean age was 47.8 ± 1.32 years; the majority (62.2%) of the respondents were male. Also, the majority (85.4%) of the respondents were Yoruba, 12.2 percent were Igbo, and 2.4 percent were Hausa. The mean years of formal schooling was 9.7 ± 4.67 years. The mean average monthly income was ₦41,759 ± 19,461. Similarly, the findings indicated that boiling of breadfruit ranked first (mean =3.11) as the most preferred mode of consumption while puree ranked least (mean = 0.22) as the least preferred mode of consuming African breadfruit. The findings also indicated that the rural household had an indifferent attitude towards the production and consumption of African breadfruit. There was a significant relationship between level of education (r = 0.202), years of formal schooling (r =- 0.165) and cosmopoliteness (r = 0.172) and acceptance of African breadfruit in the study area at p ≤ 0.01. Also, there was a positive and significant relationship between rural households’ attitudes towards the production and consumption of African breadfruit and acceptance of African breadfruit (r = 0.219, p ≤0.01). The study concluded that African breadfruit has the potential to increase the health status of the inhabitants in the study area if well consumed, it can benefit the nation and possibly enhance food security among the Nigerian populace. The study recommended among others that agricultural and rural development stakeholders should help in the organisation of the rural households through training, seminars and so on about the importance of African breadfruit thereby promoting its acceptance.

A Historical Analysis of Ethnic Conflicts in Nigeria

Evidently, a significant number of developing nations exhibit ethnic diversity. The presence of a variety of ethnic groups within a given society has the potential to result in heightened levels of civil unrest. Nigeria's National Question is widely regarded as one of the most intricate in the world, owing to the country's vast array of over 250 ethnic groups and the presence of approximately 120 distinct languages. The colonial authorities, under the guise of promoting ethnic harmony, deliberately and methodically divided the diverse Nigerian populace, thereby fostering a conducive environment for inter-group strife. The diverse composition of the nation leads to a proclivity among its constituent groups to prioritise local awareness over national awareness. The present study employs content analysis as its research methodology to investigate ethnic conflicts in Nigeria. The study also analysed the underlying factors that give rise to ethnic conflicts within the nation and delineated potential avenues for their amelioration juxtaposing between the old and new dimensions.

A Novel Approach to Eliminating Halitosis Among the Nigerian Populace Using Local Remedies- A Review

A Novel Approach to Eliminating Halitosis Among the Nigerian Populace Using Local Remedies- A Review

Education, Electricity Access, and Income Inequality in Nigeria

Education and electricity access are argued to be important determinants in the income inequality literature, especially with regard to developing countries. This present study explores in Nigeria the roles of both education and electricity access, as well as the interaction of the aforementioned variables for income inequality over the period of 1990 to 2019. Utilizing Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) estimation preceded by the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root test and ARDL bounds test for cointegration, the study found that while there was no long-run relationship between income inequality and it's determining variables, including education and electricity access, in the short run, electricity access was significant for reducing income inequality, while education was not significant for income inequality in Nigeria. On the other hand, education in the presence of greater electricity access was found to play a significant role in raising income inequality in Nigeria. The policy implications derived from the study findings emphasized the need for greater creation of employment opportunities by the Nigerian government, while electricity is made affordable for greater access by the Nigerian populace and is adequate in supply. Recommendations were also proffered based on the findings of the study.

Fulani herder-farmer identity conflict in West Africa with a particular focus on security implications for Nigeria

ABSTRACT In recent years, the Nigerian populace has been affected by the menace of Fulani herder-farmer clashes. Conflict between Fulani herder and farmers which poses far reaching consequences in almost all geopolitical zones of the country has been attributed to weak security institutions and architecture, vast ungoverned spaces, ethnic cleansing tendencies, illegal migration, the search for pastures to mitigate adverse effect of global warming and climate change. While existing arguments on the causes and implications of Fulani herder and farmers remain valid, I contend, using the conceptual-theoretical nexus framework and drawing from secondary source of data that dealing with these factors are exiguous without dealing with the root cause (identity conflict) of the menace. The study argues that the psycho-social disposition, beliefs and stereotypes instigate Fulani herder-farmer clashes to the extent of threatening Nigeria’s nationhood. The study also affirms that the phenomenon of identity conflict is a long-term neglected social issue of discrimination and structural exclusion of the Fulani group from benefiting from the commonwealth of natural resources based on the locomotive nature of their traditional occupation. It is therefore concluded that identity conflict though the root cause of the Fulani herder-farmer conflicts is more for economic survival than ethnic affiliation.

Ulcerative colitis in a young Nigerian male: A case report

Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease which is rare in the Nigerian populace. It is often misdiagnosed as most patients may not have ready access to endoscopy services which is key to diagnosis. We present a 22 year old Nigerian male who was referred to our clinic on account of passage of frequent blood-stained and mucoid stools of about two months duration.

Lexico-Syntactic Study of English Usage in Online News Responses and Their Implications for 21st-Century Pedagogy

Online news reading is becoming a part of people’s daily lives, and this medium gives readers the opportunity to comment and share their opinions. It is noteworthy that the comments posted in response to online news articles encompass the entire Nigerian populace of over 250 ethnic groups and more than 400 languages for whom English is a second language. Therefore, this study examined the diverse ways in which Nigerians use English in their comments on online news articles and how these usages affect the teaching and learning of English in the 21st century. A study corpus of about 100 sentences was collected from Opera news responses over a period of three months. Analysis revealed that the use of English in online news responses differs from standard English usage due to users’ habits to code switch and mix, translate directly from their mother tongue to English, give different meanings to existing words, or coin words to represent things that are new to ease their communication. In the attempt, grammar, punctuation, and spelling were either badly used or omitted. This linguistic habit, when transferred by students to their academic work, influences how they are subsequently evaluated. Therefore, there is a critical need for teachers to identify and distinguish between the usages of English that are “incorrect,” “dialectical,” and those that conform to “Standard English” so that students do not mistakenly interchange them.

Tracking Soil Moisture Levels and Automated Plant Watering System Utilizing IOT Technology

Nowadays, technology plays a tremendous role in serving humanity, and food is a man’s basic and primary need. Approximately 70% of Northern Nigerians are directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. Water pump irrigation cannot be maintained due to frequent power outages, the inaccessibility of grid lines in remote areas, and the scarcity and cost of fuel to run pumps. This IoT-based automatic irrigation system is proposed to create a sustainable field monitoring system for improved crop growth and production. In this system, IOT and WSN control and monitor the irrigation system. IoT collects saved data and monitors diverse soil contents in real time. WSN is utilized to create a user-friendly wireless system for cultivating and irrigating the field. Sensors of several types are utilized. This article uses the “Thing Talk Cloud Server” to operate and monitor a fully automated drip irrigation system. The temperature and humidity of the soil are constantly monitored. The system notifies the user of any abnormal conditions, such as low moisture content, rising temperature, or water concentration, by sending notifications via the wireless module. This will significantly improve food security and the well being of the Nigerian populace all through the year while boosting the economy.

Deterministic Model and Analysis of Fuel Subsidy in Nigeria Commodity Market Dynamics

The Nigerian populace’s anxieties, pessimism, and optimism over removing fuel subsidies have broughteconomic tension. The conflicting views are centered on the overbearing effect of subsidy removal on the costof living and the commodity market. The federal government has hinged the decision on the excessive revenueleakages due to the huge subsidy and the need to re-channel the subsidy fund to more developmental projectsimpacting the Nigerian economy’s growth. Trade union and civil society hinge their opposition to the removalof fuel subsidies based on their overbearing effect on the livelihood of citizens in terms of the subsidy-inducedhigh cost of living and production. In light of this commotion, there is a need to study Nigeria’s fuel subsidy,consumer purchasing power, and commodity market dynamics using mathematical modeling and analysis.This paper proposes a deterministic model to study the dynamics of fuel subsidy, consumer purchasing power,oil-pirating groups, and commodity markets. To gain insight into the impact of oil leaks on the government oilrevenue, the time delay is used to depict the oil theft control by the Nigerian government. Analytically, threesteady-states, namely subsidy-free, pirate-free, and critical steady-states, are obtained, and the conditionsfor their existence are determined and analyzed. The findings of this work highlight veritable conditions foracceptable implementation of these states. The analytical results were numerically verified, and the dynamicsunder these states were demonstrated graphically. The work further recommends the conditions for theacceptable implementation of fuel subsidy removal and the blockage of oil thefts.

Awareness, Coverage, and Barriers to COVID-19 Vaccination Among Undergraduate Students in Nigeria

BACKGROUND: With the resumption of physical learning activities across Nigeria's higher education institutions, tertiary-level students, a prioritized group according to the WHO SAGE in the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccines, face circumstances that necessitate widespread vaccination coverage among them. This is critical in view of vaccine hesitancy attitude and low vaccination coverage that has been reported among this subpopulation and the larger Nigerian populace. Surmounting these barriers is necessary to achieving a successful national vaccination program and for future pandemic preparedness and response. To this end, this study aimed to assess Nigerian undergraduate students' knowledge, coverage, and barriers to COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of Nigerian undergraduates was conducted in October 2021, using an online questionnaire and a non-probability convenient sampling technique. The questionnaire included sections on respondents' demographic characteristics, COVID-19 vaccine awareness, coverage, barriers, and recommendations. A total of 326 respondents electronically completed and returned the informed consent form along with the questionnaire. Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 25 were used to code and analyze the data, respectively. RESULTS: The overall awareness of COVID-19 vaccines among the sampled students were high, with 62.3% having good knowledge, 20.9% having average knowledge, and 16.9% having poor knowledge. However, the majority of the respondents (81.3%) had not received the vaccines. The most prominent barrier to vaccination was misinformation about vaccine safety (23.6%). Opening vaccination centers on campuses (18.6%), demonstrating vaccine effectiveness and safety (18.7%), and organizing awareness campaigns (17.2%) were the most frequently recommended actions. CONCLUSION: Most respondents were aware of the availability and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccines; however, coverage remained extremely low. Our findings emphasize the importance of addressing vaccination barriers by public health stakeholders to achieve optimal COVID-19 vaccine coverage.

Two years of COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria: a review of the current situation of the pandemic: a literature review.

Curtailing COVID-19 outbreaks has been the major focus for many countries following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nigeria expanded its effort with the commencement of its vaccination program against COVID-19 in March 2021 after several less effective interventions as vaccine introduction was implemented. Following the introduction of the vaccines, Nigeria is expected to meet the worldwide COVID-19 eradication target of vaccinating 40% and 70% of the population, respectively, by the end of 2021 and 2022. Nigeria was unable to meet the target at the commencement of the program. The low vaccination rate, attributed to a low acceptance rate of vaccines, a lack of access to vaccines, poor communication, a weak cold-chain system, and inadequate infrastructure in the country, resulted in the complete vaccination of only 15% of the Nigerian populace as of 21 September 2022. To improve the vaccination rate, the COVID-19 Crisis Communication Centre was launched. Also, the implementation of delivery of service, logistics, accountability, supportive supervision, communication, and electronic management of immunization data scaled the vaccination rate to more than 54% of the target populace as of December 2022. Since the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine, a substantial change in the prevalence and mortality rate has been perceived owing to the country's progress toward achieving herd immunity against COVID-19. The country ascertained the percentage of cumulative deaths before the vaccination process to be 60.4%, which was reduced to 39.6% post-vaccination. In comparison, the percentage of confirmed COVID-19 cases was reduced from 58.3 to 41.7% post-vaccination. The authors recommend that the government and relevant public health authorities ensure meticulous documentation of the outcomes resulting from vaccination initiatives and facilitate the accessibility of this information to the general public to boost the vaccination rate.

Design of Robotic System for Rice Farmers Against Birds' Invasion in Nigeria Using Arduino Nano Technology

Rice is one of the most important staple foods for most Nigerians, Africans and indeed for about 50% of the world. An estimated 70% of Nigerian populace feed essentially on rice, with about 30% of their cereal-based diets also derived from rice. The constraints faced by the rice farmers in Nigeria are: inaccessible road, high cost of transportation, inadequate credit, birds' invasion, inadequate extension support and inaccessibility to cheap farm inputs. Prominent among these is that of birds' invasion especially the quela bird. This has been one of the major constraints in Africa especially Nigeria, leading to 48–100% yield reduction and sometimes complete crop failure, thereby threatening food security. To tackle this challenge, women and children are sent to the fields to guard against birds. But this also has serious consequences because it adds to the women’s workload and keeps children away from school. Some farmers through the help of state and federal government use air plane to spray chemicals. However, this is costly and may not available at all time. Some farmers have adopted the use of other methods like cassette tape, the scarecrows method, the castanets method, and the use of nets. With all these methods, yet farmers complain of birds’ invasion. This is attributed to the fact that all these methods have not been able to mimic human being in totality. So, very rapidly, the birds adapt to the method and it becomes less efficient. This work proposes the use of use Arduino Nano Technology for the design of robotic system for rice farmers against birds' invasion in Nigeria. Demonstration was carried out in Igbemo Ekikti Farm, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The performance evaluation was based on production and Cost/Benefit Analysis. The results show a better performance over the use of human and cassette tape. Keywords: Birds’ invasion, Robotic System, Cost, Profit, Arduino Nano Journal Reference Format: Akingbesote, A.O. (2023): Design Of Robotic System For Rice Farmers Against Birds' Invasion In Nigeria Using Arduino Nano Technology. Journal of Behavioural Informatics, Digital Humanities and Development Research. Vol. 9. No. 2, Pp 55-68 Available online at https://www.isteams.net/behavioralinformaticsjournal. dx.doi.org/10.22624/AIMS/BHI/V9N2P5

Attitude, Subjective Norm, Perceived Behavioural Control and Digital Ṣukūk Adoption in Nigeria: The Mediating Effect of Awareness

Purpose ‒ There is an increasing number of digital ṣukūk issuances worldwide but the level of awareness and adoption in Nigeria is very low. This research examines the mediating effect of awareness on the relationship between attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and digital ṣukūk adoption in Nigeria. Design/Methodology/Approach ‒ The data for the research were collected from 750 questionnaires that were distributed using the systematic sampling technique to operators of the capital market and individuals in Nigeria, out of which 410 were retained. The partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS–SEM) algorithm was used for the reliability measurement and constructs validity while the bootstrapping technique was used for testing the study hypotheses. Findings ‒ The findings reveal that awareness mediated the relationship that exists between subjective norm, attitude, perceived behavioural control, and digital ṣukūk adoption in Nigeria. Overall, the empirical findings rejected seven out of 10 null hypotheses developed to answer the research questions. Originality/Value ‒ The study serves as a pioneering effort towards unlocking the viability of digital ṣukūk adoption amongst the Nigerian populace. Research Limitations/Implications ‒ The findings provide empirical evidence that awareness mediated the interrelationship between the explanatory variables (subjective norm, attitude and perceived behavioural control) towards digital ṣukūk adoption in Nigeria. Practical Implications ‒ The findings suggest the need for the Debt Management Office (DMO) in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to facilitate the required regulation and standard pertaining to digital ṣukūk issuances and structures. Article Classification ‒ Research paper

PROGRESS ON DRINKING WATER QUALITY MONITORING IN THE NORTHERN PART OF NIGERIA: A CATALYST TO ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS


 Access to clean water for drinking and domestic activities remains a critical issue in Nigeria, especially in the northern region. The increasing global population and importance of water for life have led to a quantitative and qualitative increase in its demand. This paper reports a comprehensive review of the quality of water sources utilized for consumption in northern Nigeria over the last decade. The report aims to serve as a reference point to assess the possibility of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation) by 2030 based on the level of quality of water sources in the region. The study found that well and borehole water remain the primary sources of drinking water in northern Nigeria, with little or no established networks of pipe-borne water across the region. Significantly, 55.74% of these sources were reported to be unfit for consumption due to poor portability. Additionally, 31.14% of the water sources were categorized as fair, meaning they required additional treatment to prevent disease outbreaks and health implications due to some level of contamination that did not conform to WHO standards. The report indicates that only 13.11% of clean water is accessible to the northern Nigerian populace, making it difficult to achieve SDG goal six by 2030 unless all stakeholders take action drastically. Failure to achieve SDG goal six could also impede Nigeria's progress towards achieving other SDGs, as they are all directly or indirectly linked to it.

Physical Activity: A Means of Enhancing Health and Well-Being of the Elderly in the Nigerian Populace

Physical inactivity and sedentariness are becoming rampant among the elderly within the Nigerian population. The reasons are traceable to changes in lifestyle as a result of diet, social activity and orientation. Most of the elderly believe that they need more rest out their age and should not subject their body to stress. However, experience has revealed that a lot of them experience health challenges that could have been averted if they were physically active. This study identified the causes of inactivity, addressed the importance and benefits of physical activity on health and well-being of the elderly in the Nigerian populace. The study also advocated for a need to engage and physical activity and the type of activities that are beneficial to the health of the elderly people. This study concluded by suggesting ways of overcoming identified barriers to physical activity participation. It was recommended that stakeholders such as medical, paramedical, sports and exercise scientists and other practitioners should develop programmes to address the problem of physical inactivity and facilitate behavioural change among the elderly.

Impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on financial health and food security in Nigeria: A survey‐based analysis

This study investigates the impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on the health, food security and financial lives of Nigerian households. The data for the study were collected from 813 households from the six geo‐political zones in Nigeria using a questionnaire and the results were analysed using descriptive statistics and andordinal logistic regression model. The ordinal regression model is appropriate for regression results with ordinal scales as the dependent variable. The findings reveal that the COVID‐19 pandemic has affected households' personal savings significantly. The majority of the households' healthcare financing is borne out of their personal income and savings in the absence of a health insurance scheme. Households experiencing worsening financial status largely did not have food during the pandemic. Many households have a positive expectation that they will recover from the unfavourable financial condition they are currently experiencing and there is a strong traditional support system existing in the localities during the study period. Furthermore, food insecurity during the pandemic was significantly occasioned by an increase in prices, a fall in income, adverse financial well‐being and insufficient welfare benefit provisions. The study recommends, amongst others, the need to urgently enhance the economic and financial well‐being of the Nigerian populace to guide against the devastating impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on food security in Nigerian households.This can be achieved through robust fiscal and monetary policy mix in ensuring sustained development trajectory.

A survey of chloroquine use for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

Rampant chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine poisoning in Nigerian hospitals following suggestions of its possible efficacy in the treatment and prevention of the newly emerged COVID-19 disease informed this survey. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and perception of the Nigerian populace on the use of chloroquine in the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was done by administering an electronic questionnaire created using Google Docs, through social media cascade methods including the WhatsApp application software to capture data on chloroquine use between April 20 and June 20, 2020. Six hundred and twenty-eight people responded to the questionnaire (response rate 99.2%, mean age 41.05 ± 12.3) from the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria with 556 (88.5%) having tertiary level education. Only 21 (3.3%) of the respondents took chloroquine for treatment or prevention. Respondents from the North-west geopolitical zones used chloroquine 5.8 (95% CI: 1.55, 21.52, p=0.02) more times than other zones while the age group 20-29 were 8.8 times more likely to use chloroquine than any other age group (95% CI: 3.53, 21.70, p = 0.00). Female respondents were 2.3 times more likely to use chloroquine than the males (OR 2.26 95% CI: 0.90-5.68; p=0.08) and those in the income bracket of N75,000-99,000, 2.5 times more than other income groups. Young adults, North-western geopolitical zone, and female gender should be target groups for education on rational chloroquine use. The danger of chloroquine overdose should be communicated to the general population in Nigeria.