North-East Benin Research Articles

Nutritional Status And Quality Of Food In Childeen Under Five Years Of Age In Benin

Background Malnutrition is a public health problem in developing countries. The aim of our work is to assess the nutritional status and dietary quality of children under 5 years of age.
 Objective This study focused on children seen in the pediatric department of the Saint Martin de Papanè Hospital during the period from April 6 to July 6, 2021. It is a descriptive and analytical survey by questionnaire on 208 children aged 0 to 59 months.
 Results The evaluation of the nutritional status of these children under 5 years of age is predominantly male (sex ratio 1.2) and the analysis of the answers to the questions asked of their respective mothers has made it possible to better appreciate the nutritional situation of the children in this study area and to identify the determinants associated with this malnutrition. The study revealed that 74.88% of children are stunted, 90.34% suffer from global acute malnutrition and 79.43% are underweight. Exclusive breastfeeding is very rare, with only 11% of children between the ages of 0 and 6 months receiving only breast milk. The evaluation of dietary diversity reveals that 76.92% of children have a low dietary diversity. In fact, 86% of the children surveyed receive an inadequate complementary diet based on cereals and 67.31% are subjected to the family dish that is poor in nutrients. 59% of the homes in which the children live are more than 5 km from the health centers, 56.73% of the children's mothers have no education and 25% have a low level of education.
 Conclusion According to our results, poor weaning practices, diseases, sibling rank and low level of education of mothers are the associated determinants of malnutrition observed in the study population in this area of northeast Benin.

Dissertation Abstract: The Contribution of Paul Hiebert to Folk Religion: A Missiological Study among the Dendis of Northeast Benin

Completed in September 2022 with the department of Practical and Missional Theology of the University of the Free State, South Africa.

Niyanpangu-bansu: An Important Archaeological Site for the Reconstitution of the History of Caravan Trade in Northern Benin

Abstract Regarding the history of Borgu (North Benin), well-known events are the legend of Kisra, the war of Ilorin (1835-1836), and the destruction of the city named Niyanpangu. Referred to as Niyanpangu-bansu after its destruction, this archaeological site is known mostly from oral tradition and is located approximately three hundred kilometers west of Nikki (northeast Benin Republic). It has great historical significance which could contribute to our understanding of the history of caravan trade in northern Benin. This paper presents the results of the first ever archaeological research on the site in 2013 and 2014.

Geology, Mineralogy and Geochemistry of the Oligocene Oolitic Iron Ore of the Continental Terminal Formation, Kandi Basin, North-East Benin

The Oligocene Continental Terminal Formation of the Kandi Basin contains high grades of iron mineralization (~56.72% Total Fe). The microscopic study under the polarized and reflected light showed that the iron ore consists of silicate minerals (quartz 50% and zircon 1%) and non-silicate minerals (goethite 30%, hematite 7%, magnetite 3%, pyrite 1%, chalcopyrite 1%, blende 3%, galena 3%, scheelite 1% and gold 2%). The X-rays fluorescence shows that the iron ore is characterized by various elements, such as Fe2O3 (57.91% to 91.33%), SiO2 (3.07% to 33.19%), aluminum (2.94% to 7.74%), vanadium (0.04% to 0.11%), phosphorus (0.79% to 2.29%) and sulfur (<0.3%). The deleterious elements grade is above the permissible limit in metallurgy (0.05% - 0.07% for phosphorus and 0.1% for sulfur). Their high grades indicate that the Kandi Basin iron ore characteristics are not favorable for steel manufacturing despite its good vanadium contents (0.04% to 0.11%). However, it could be used for the cast iron manufacture. Spectrometric analysis by atomic absorption confirms the presence of low-grade gold associated to the iron ore (from 0.006 to 0.015 ppm). The comparative study of discontinuous stratiform iron ore of the Kandi Basin with other oolitic iron ores in exploitation from other countries such as Brazil, Australia, China, Russia, Uganda and the United States shows that iron ore of the Kandi Basin can be mined despite its high silica content.

Identification and genetic characterization of Piroplasmida and Anaplasmataceae agents in feeding Amblyomma variegatum ticks from Benin.

In many African countries including Benin, the reluctance of some livestock owners to blood collection from their cattle makes epidemiological surveys cumbersome and prevents regular monitoring of tick-borne diseases. In the present study, Amblyomma variegatum ticks were used to find out more about bovine tick-borne pathogens. DNA extracts from 910 adult ticks collected off cattle in North East Benin were examined for Babesia bigemina, B. bovis, Theileria taurotragi, T. annulata, T. orientalis, T. parva, T. mutans, Anaplasma marginale and Ehrlichia ruminantium using pathogen-specific PCR assays and sequence analyses. Altogether, 21.6% of the ticks carried at least one pathogen. A. marginale (142/910) was the most frequent pathogen, followed by E. ruminantium (57/910), B. bovis (10/910), T. mutans (3/910) and B. bigemina (1/910). Theileria taurotragi, T. annulata, T. orientalis, T. parva were not detected in the samples. Babesia bigemina, B. bovis and T. mutans were present in only one location whereas A. marginale and E. ruminantium were found in ticks from 7/8 locations surveyed. Coinfections occurred in 7.1% of all positive ticks. The analyses of partial sequences of B. bovis spherical body protein 4, B. bigemina rhoptry-associated protein-1a, T. mutans 18S rRNA and A. marginale major surface protein 5 showed high sequence conservation and homologies between Benin isolates and those from other African countries. However, E. ruminantium pCS20 partial sequences were different from published West African isolates and presented similar genetic variation with South and East African isolates. These results provide information on the pathogens circulating in North East Benin and suggest that Am. variegatum, one of the most abundant ticks in Africa, may play a role in the transmission of A. marginale.

Determinants of The Participation of Economic Actors in The Agro-Pastoral Fair in North-East Benin: Case of The Departments of Borgou and Alibori

Determinants of The Participation of Economic Actors in The Agro-Pastoral Fair in North-East Benin: Case of The Departments of Borgou and Alibori

The Modified New Two Plates Test for Detecting Tetracycline, Beta-Lactam, and Sulfonamide Antibiotic Residues in Kidney and Muscle of Cattle Slaughtered in North-East Benin

In Benin, veterinary antibiotics are widely used for cattle breeding. This livestock contributes to 57% of the locally produced meat. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the large use of antibiotics by determining the contamination level with antibiotic residues in bovine meat, in North Benin. Kidney and muscle samples taken from 50 bovine carcasses in the 2 main slaughterhouses of Parakou were analyzed for the presence of antibiotic residues by a screening method modified from the “New Two Plates Test” (NTPT), to identify tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and beta-lactam groups of antibiotics. Thirteen kidney and muscle samples were subjected to liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry analysis for the confirmation of tetracycline and sulfonamide residues. After modified NTPT screening, tetracycline residues were identified in 54% of cattle carcasses while beta-lactam and sulfonamide residues were present, respectively, in 2 and 6% of sampled animals. The LC-MS/MS analysis confirmed the presence in the kidney tissue of oxytetracycline, epi-oxytetracycline, tetracycline, and epi-tetracycline at maximum levels, respectively, of 1380, 350, 190, and 230 μg kg−1. Sulfamethazine residues were confirmed in one of cattle carcass at very high levels of 3900 μg kg−1 in kidney and 2220 μg kg−1 in muscle. Antibiotic residue levels were found above the maximum residue limit applied in the European legislation in 38% of the carcasses subjected to the LC-MS/MS analysis. These high levels of contamination with antibiotic residues are a potential threat for the health of consumers, and are of concern regarding the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals and humans.

The use of antibiotics in cattle in North-East Benin: pharmaceutical inventory and risk practices of cattle breeders.

This study's aim is to inventory antibiotics used in cattle in North-East Benin and assess risk practices that could be the cause of both food chain contamination by antibiotic residues and selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals and humans. A survey was conducted among 98 cattle breeders in the districts of Banikoara, Kandi, Bembereke, and Kalale in North Benin. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, covering breeder status, breeding system, and antibiotic use. Multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical classification analysis were conducted to establish a breeder typology. Breeders mainly belonged to the Fulani ethnic group (71.4 ± 8.9%) and almost all of them received "no formal education" (96.9 ± 3.4%). Cattle herds were mainly composed of a single breed, the Borgou (76.4 ± 8.1%) or the Fulani Zebu (16.0 ± 7.0%). Some herds were mixed. Antibiotics groups used in cattle breeding were tetracyclines, beta-lactams, sulfonamides, aminoglycosides, and macrolides, used by respectively 100%, 69.4 ± 9.1%, 56.1 ± 9.8%, 44.9 ± 9.8%, and 34.7 ± 9.4% of breeders. These drugs were purchased in local markets (59.0 ± 15.4%) and veterinary pharmacy (41.0 ± 15.4%). They were mainly used against respiratory diseases, lameness, mastitis, omphalitis and neonatal enteritis, and skin diseases. Only 49.0 ± 9.9% of breeders seek veterinary services to treat animals and 92.9 ± 5.1% of them did not respect antibiotic withdrawal times. These practices suggest that both contamination of bovine meat with antibiotic residues and selection of resistant bacteria are to be expected, resulting in adverse health effects on consumers.

Assessing the productivity and profitability of the Solar Market Garden

Successful scale-up of any development project requires a deep understanding of the real-world economics of the intervention, and compelling evidence that such an investment would be worthwhile. This cost-benefit estimate is typically assessed in two ways: (a) by comparing the coefficient of impact along some margin measured in an impact evaluation (βˆ) to the unit implementation cost of the project, and/or (b) by conducting adoption studies, where autonomous adoption is assumed to indicate that the adopter has deemed the investment worthwhile (i.e., financially sustainable). However, these two techniques can be particularly difficult for development engineering projects that are large at the unit scale (or are group-based) and for projects that may have impacts on many margins or outcomes at once. Here we present the framework for, and analysis from, a field monitoring campaign in the interim evaluation period for community-scale solar-powered irrigation systems (Solar Market Gardens, or SMGs) in northeast Benin, West Africa. We used this interim monitoring to directly construct a CBA, and to document the pathways of impact actually at play for a project hypothesized ex-ante to have potential economic, food security, and gender impacts. We monitored all garden activity a the individual and group level for most of the dry season, including total production, sales, home consumption, input use, marketing, and labor (a key factor often overlooked when considering the cost of agricultural development projects). By combining production and sales data with cost information, we show that the most productive agricultural groups using the system only in the dry season would be profitable in a full cost-recovery model with no economies of scale, but that lower performing groups would not; we also show that many plausible scale-up models and financing mechanisms would be profitable. We then show how this type of monitoring can complement impact evaluation by elucidating different pathways of impact that could be used to understand heterogeneity in outcomes among beneficiaries. We document variance both within and between groups across numerous potential pathways of impact for the SMG; the heterogeneity in intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) across these indicators highlights the importance of understanding the causal chain(s), especially for cross-sectoral development engineering projects like the SMG. We conclude by discussing how this monitoring effort fits into the larger evaluation of the SMG, and how such data have been used to both adaptively refine the project, improving the likelihood for successful scale-up.

Determinants of credit access by smallholder farmers in North-East Benin

Financing agriculture is a key issue in rural development. Despite the efforts of the government to make credit services available and affordable in most of the rural areas, access to credit among smallholder farmers remains low. This paper analyzes the determinants of credit access by farmers in the North East, Benin. Primary data were collected from one hundred and twenty respondents randomly selected and interviewed through structured questionnaire. A Logit model was specified to identify the relationships between access to credit and selected farmers’ socio-economic characteristics. Following this, the marginal effects of the selected farmers’ socio-economic characteristics on the probability to access credit were estimated. The analysis revealed that access to credit among smallholder farmers is determined by the number of years of schooling, literacy, membership, guarantor, collateral and interest rate. For each additional year of schooling, the likelihood of access to credit was found to increase by 3.9% while literacy in the local language was found to increase the likelihood by 10.9%. Membership of farmers’ cooperatives was found to increase the likelihood of access to credit by 31% while having a guarantor increases this likelihood by 18.9%. However, the availability of collateral decreases the likelihood of credit access by 12.4% while credit with high interest rates decreases it by 11.7%. Thus, to improve rural farmers’ access to credit, governments and non-governmental organizations should promote education, literacy and cooperative membership among farmers. Moreover, financial institutions should also play a key role by keeping interest rates for loans at a low level. Key words: Smallholder farmers, credit, determinants, logit, Benin.

Pan-African deformation markers in the migmatitic complexes of Parakou–Nikki (Northeast Benin)

The analysis of structural markers collected from the petrostrutural units of Parakou-Nikki, in Northeast Benin, indicates that the Pan-African remobilization or rejuvenation (600 ± 50 Ma) of the Benino-Nigerian Metacraton consits of a wide migmatization accompanied by five tectogenetic phases (Dn–Dn+4). The Dn phase is penecontemporaneous with the collision between the Benino-Nigerian shield and the oriental margin of the West-African Craton. This phase is associated with the granulitization or migmatization episode, and materialized by the Sn foliation on which the Dn+1 deformation markers (major Pan-African structuring phase in the Dahomeyide orogenic belt) are superimposed. Thus, the Sn+1 plane and the Ln+1 lineations indicate a perfect transposition of the Sn plane and a syn-Dn paragenesis remobilization in the syn-Dn+1 amphibolite facies retromorphosis. The strong resumption of the main foliation (Sn+1) corresponds to the Dn+2 deformation phase. The latter, associated with a second retromorphosis, is materialized by Pn+2 folds, with submeridian to NE–SW axes, and by a Sn+2 foliation or strain-slip cleavage. It is also the phase of emplacement of the Kandi mega-shear zone associated with the development of Cn+2 dextral shear plane very generalized over all the petrostructural units of Parakou–Nikki. At a large scale, the Dn+3 phase is expressed as Pn+3 kilometric synform and antiform structures with NE–SW to ENE–WSW trending axes. This Dn+3 phase can be considered as a transpression responsible for the development of the Cn+3 sinistral shear plane and flat shear structures displaying a westward overlapping. It ends with a fracturing episode materialized by strike-slip fault systems defining a main stress σ1 trending ESE–WNW to SE–NW. The late Dn+4 phase only corresponds to conjugated strike-slip faults which resulted from a major SE–NW to SSE–NNW compression.

Total Factor of Productivity (TFP) of the Northeast Benin rice producers: A case study of Malanville Municipality

Rice producers’ efficiency is widely assessed by using the Stochatistic Frontier Analysis (SFA). But because of gaps between the output(s) implied by the regression line for a given level of input(s) and the real output(s) at the same level of input(s), the Frontier Analysis can provide misleading measures and this is a limit. This article aims at analyzing the economic efficiency levels of rice producers using a framework which does not impose any parametric function: the indexes of productivity (Total Factor of Productivity (TFP) for instance). To reach this objective, primary data were collected from hundred and twenty (120) rice producers in Malanville Municipality. From the data analysis, it comes out that the average indexes of productivity (TFP) are 1.32 (± 0.57) in wet season, 1.45 (± 0.78) in dry season, and 1.33 (± 0.55) for both seasons. On one hand,this indicates that rice producers are economically efficient. On the other hand the access to credit, the experience in rice farming and the rice farming system are the main factors determining the producers’efficiency level.Keywords: Rice production, Indexes of productivity, Total Factor of Production, Economic efficiency, Malanville.

Identification and typing of Salmonella enterica serotypes isolated from guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) farms in Benin during four laying seasons (2007 to 2010)

The main problem for the local guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) traditional farming and raising system in north-east Benin is the high mortality rate of the keets (up to 70%) due to a combination of climatic, nutritional, hygienic and infectious causes. The present study was carried out to identify and compare the isolates of Salmonella enterica from necropsied keets, laying guinea fowl, surrogate hen mothers, other contact animal species and farmers during four laying seasons (2007 to 2010). S. enterica belonging to eight different serotypes (Adelaide, Farakan, Kingston, Legon, Luke, Oakland, Sangalkam and Teshie) and one untypable isolate were isolated from 13 to 19% of the necropsied keets. The serotypes Adelaide, Farakan, Luke, Sangalkam and Teshie and the untypable isolate were isolated in only one township during 1 year of sampling, while serotypes Oakland, Legon and Kingston were present in two to three townships for 2 to 3 years of sampling. Serotypes Farakan, Kingston, Legon, Oakland and Sangalkam were also isolated from faecal samples of laying guinea fowl and/or surrogate domestic fowl hen mothers. Further comparison by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and virulotyping provided evidence for their clonality within each of those five serotypes and therefore for the adult guinea fowl and/or hens as the most probable origin of contamination of the keets. The antibiotic resistance profiles, with all isolates resistant to oxacillin, sulfamethoxazol and colistin, emphasize the rise of antibiotic resistance in salmonellas from guinea fowl in this area and the need for alternative therapy policies for these birds.

Extensive herding pastoral calendar in North-East Benin: A tool for cattle herd management

La necessite d’apprehender le complexe elevage-environnement a l’image des eleveurs qui recherchaient l’harmonie avec leur milieu devrait constituer un objectif fondamental des intervenants dans ce secteur. La necessite d’une exploitation adequate de l’environnement amene les eleveurs a etendre l’espace d’elevage par la mobilite du cheptel bovin de l’exploitation organise en troupeaux. Cette propension a agrandir l’espace s’est construite aussi sur la base de leur connaissance fine des facies de vegetation particulierement dans le Nord-Est du Benin et des territoires d’extension pastorale avec des reperages temporels de la disponibilite des especes fourrageres recherchees en des unites precises de leur territoire pastoral. Les facies de vegetation exploites couvrent les savanes herbeuses, les savanes arbustives, les savanes arborees et les forets claires. L’evaluation temporelle et spatiale de l’etat corporel des animaux du troupeau a permis aux eleveurs de construire les parcours des animaux et d’en determiner les periodes propices d’exploitation grâce au calendrier pastoral.

Farmer perceptions and pathological constraints in helmeted guinea fowl farming in the Borgou department in North-East Benin

Though the raising of helmeted guinea fowl ( Numida meleagris ) is an important part of rural farming in West-Africa, the death rate of keets within the first two months of life reaches values higher than 50%. The aim of this study conducted in North East Benin (Borgou department) was (i) to correlate the farming systems to keet morbidity and mortality rates; and (ii) to identify non-biological and biological factors responsible for keet deaths. The scavenging farming system is the basis of guinea-fowl breeding with overnight housing in overcrowded coops and “natural” feeding/watering conditions. This farming system is therefore understandably predisposed to the onset and spread of microbial and parasitic diseases, but the mortality rate (ca. 70%) was also influenced by the monthly rainfall and the circadian rhythm of temperature. None of the clinical signs or organ lesions at necropsy was specific to any microbial or parasitic disease. Accordingly, with the exception of salmonellae, the isolated bacteria represented post-mortem invaders and/or secondary pathogens and the helminth species identified were of low pathogenicity. In conclusion, the practice of guinea fowl breeding within the scavenging system will only be successful after improvement of hygienic parameters, such as housing, crowding, feeding, and watering conditions.

Institutional and organisational arrangements in relation to women actors in the rice parboiled innovation platform in north-east Benin

To address the complex challenges affecting the parboiled rice value chain in Benin, an innovation platform (IP) was participatory implemented in the municipality of Malanville in Benin. This study analysed the institutional and organisational arrangements that arise from the establishment of this innovation platform. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured and structured interviews were carried out at stakeholder level. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires from 200 women rice farmers, selected through a stratified random sampling method. Results showed that the platform strengthened interactions between the different stakeholders to overcome institutional and organisational issues such as standardisation of parboiling practices and steps; access to credit and to remunerative market; standardisation of the variety of rice; and the organisation of women into groups. In terms of governance, the platform was vertically integrated. The leading actors had a monopoly on decision-making and resource management. The study suggests the promotion of the innovation platform approach, to enable small producers to overcome the obstacles that hinder good production.