Northern Nigerian States Research Articles

You’re not welcome! Violence and support for an open grazing ban policy in Kaduna, Nigeria

This study examines the effect of victimization and religious affiliation on support for a policy banning the open grazing of livestock in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna. This policy, which aims to reduce the incidence of conflicts between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers, has been implemented to varying degrees in some states across Nigeria. Kaduna is a suitable case study for investigating these relationships because, despite having the third-highest incidence of farmer–herder conflicts out of Nigeria’s 36 states, the state government has not implemented an open grazing ban policy there. The regression results show that victimization by herders increases the likelihood of supporting the policy. On average, Muslims are more supportive of the policy than Christians. The higher support among Muslims is quite surprising because most of the respondents who have been victimized by herders are Christians. Muslims might be more supportive of an open grazing ban policy due to a contagion effect: the common religion of Islam that they share with nomadic herders could lead to the attribution of blame for farmer–herder conflicts to Muslims, making them more eager to see an end to the conflict. This eagerness might be what leads to increased support for an open grazing ban policy. JEL Codes: D74, N57, Z12

Conflict exposure and expected victimization in Nigeria

ABSTRACT Although the Northern Nigerian state of Kaduna has the second highest incidence of violent conflicts among Nigeria’s 36 states, the population generally reports a low level of expected victimization. A large-N survey conducted in the state in 2021 showed that 65% of the population believe they are unlikely to be directly affected by violent conflict in the future. This is surprising, given that 42% of respondents experienced at least 10 conflict incidents within a 10 km radius around their dwellings between 1997 and 2020. Ordered logit regressions reveal that the more individuals are exposed to conflict, the less worried they are about getting victimized. The negative correlation between violent conflict and expected victimization might be due to the existential threat posed by violent conflict, which prompts people to rely more heavily on their ethnoreligious kinship ties for both material and non-material support. This, in turn, attenuates their fear of victimization.

An evaluation of a multi-partner approach to increase routine immunization coverage in six northern Nigerian States

BackgroundGlobal health partnerships are increasingly being used to improve coordination, strengthen health systems, and incentivize government commitment for public health programs. From 2012 to 2022, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) forged Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) partnership agreements with six northern state governments to strengthen routine immunization (RI) systems and sustainably increase immunization coverage. This mixed methods evaluation describes the RI MoUs contribution to improving program performance, strengthening capacity and government financial commitment as well as towards increasing immunization coverage.MethodsDrawing from stakeholder interviews and a desk review, we describe the MoU inputs and processes and adherence to design. We assess the extent to which the program achieved its objectives as well as the benefits and challenges by drawing from a health facility assessment, client exit interview and qualitative interviews with service providers, community leaders and program participants. Finally, we assess the overall impact of the MoU by evaluating trends in immunization coverage rates.ResultsWe found the RI MoUs across the six states to be mostly successful in strengthening health systems, improving accountability and coordination, and increasing the utilization of services and financing for RI. Across all six states, pentavalent 3 vaccine coverage increased from 2011 to 2021 and in some states, the gains were substantial. For example, in Yobe, vaccination coverage increased from 10% in 2011 to nearly 60% in 2021. However, in Sokoto, the change was minimal increasing from only 4% in 2011 to nearly 8% in 2021. However, evaluation findings indicate that issues pertaining to human resources for health, insecurity that inhibits supportive supervision and vaccine logistics as well as harmful socio-cultural norms remain a persistent challenge in the states. There is also a need for a rigorous monitoring and evaluation plan with well-defined measures collected prior to and throughout implementation.ConclusionIntroducing a multi-partner approach grounded in a MoU agreement provides a promising approach to addressing health system challenges that confront RI programs.

Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used in the Treatment of Transmissible Diseases

Herbal medicine, as an ancient traditional medical method, predates the establishment of contemporary healthcare systems within human culture. Globally, several groups develop their own indigenous forms of medicine and corresponding methodologies for treating and enhancing overall well-being. The research presents a comprehensive ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in the treatment of transmissible diseases in Katsina State. A random selection technique was employed in conjunction with an open-ended interview guide over the period spanning from October 2022 to June 2023. The demographic information of the respondents was ascertained using Excel 2016. Quantitatively, the documented plants were subjected to analysis based on their Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC). This study identified 26 medicinal plants used in the administration and treatment of various transmissible diseases in the northern Nigerian state of Katsina. Moringa oleifera (28%) is the most frequently reported plant, followed by Olea Europaea (24%) and Azadirachta indica (20%). Leaves were the most frequently used part of the plants (69%), common method of preparation is decoction (65%). As their popularity and recognition expanded throughout the world, plants with medical potential remain the sole hope for the future. According to the current study, people of Katsina citizens had a solid awareness of the medicinal plant. Even with the progress of contemporary medicine, the people in the area still depend on using traditional plants for medical purposes.

The Performance of Drought Indices on Maize Production in Northern Nigeria Using Artificial Neural Network Model

Drought is widely known to put the ecosystem at risk. It ensues when there is a major rainfall shortage that causes hydrological discrepancies and alters the land productive structures. The degree of rainfall influences the growth and harvests of maize, particularly where irrigation is not practicable. In some parts of northern Nigeria, rainfall is unpredictable and often lower than the quantity needed for a viable crop. For the detection, classification, and control of drought conditions, drought indices are used. There has been notable progress in the last few years in terms of modelling droughts by utilizing statistical or physical models. Despite the successes documented by most of these approaches; a plain, effective, and well-built statistical model is the artificial neural network (ANN). The use of artificial neural networks (ANN) to evaluate the impact of drought indices on maize output in the 17 northern Nigerian states is presented in this research. For a 25-year period from 1993 to 2018, observed annual data of drought indices, RDI, and the Palmer drought indices, which comprise SCPDSI, SCPHDI, and SCWLPM, as well as maize yield (measured in tonnes) in Northern states of Nigeria. The ANN model was evaluated using several activation functions (sigmoid, hyperbolic tangent, and rectified linear unit), hidden layers (1, 2, and 3), and training sets (70%, 80%, and 90%). The Mean Square Error (MSE) was employed to evaluate each ANN model's performance. In summary, most of the states' lowest mean square errors (MSEs) were generated via RELU. Also, as the training percentage increases, the mean square error increases.

Occurrences and characteristics of forced marriages among girls married before the age of 16 in a Northern Nigerian State

Abstract Background: Child marriage is deeply ingrained in Nigerian tradition, culture, and religion, and the country has one of the highest rates of child marriage globally. The objective of this study was to examine the occurrence and characteristics of coerced marriages among girls married before turning 16 in Borno, Nigeria. It perceives premarital unions as a substantial violation of human rights, particularly affecting the independence of adolescent girls. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study took place in three local government areas (LGAs) situated in Borno, Nigeria, namely Konduga, Jere, and Maiduguri Metropolitan City LGAs. Structured questionnaires were distributed to 210 female participants aged between 15 and 49, who were married before reaching 16, from 1989 to 2019, to gather data. Data analysis was done using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25.0, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Results: The incidence of forced marriage among girls under 16 years old was recorded at 23.8%, notably higher during the period spanning from 1980 to 1989 at 37.5%. Among respondents currently married, approximately one-fifth (23.1%) disclosed being coerced into marriage. A higher proportion underwent forced marriage during the ages of 9–12 years, accounting for 33.3%. Moreover, a considerable portion of respondents with no formal education (28.6%) and those who attended Qur’anic schools (25.5%) were compelled into marriage. The prevalence of fistula among girls married early stood at 8.6%, with 10.6% among those not subjected to forced marriage and 2.0% among girls who were coerced. Among early married girls, 20.5% reported facing ill-treatment from their spouses, with a higher proportion (30.0%) among those coerced into marriage compared to those not coerced (17.5%). Additionally, gender-based violence from family members was notably more prevalent among girls forced into marriage (32.0%), with a significance level of P < 0.05. Conclusion: Efforts directed toward reducing the prevalence of girl-child marriage in Nigeria should focus on tackling entrenched cultural norms that differ among ethnic groups and religious beliefs. The public health implications encompass gender-based violence, abuse, and the breakdown of marriages.

Quality of Counselling, Exposure to Vaccination Messages, and Caregivers’ Knowledge on the Uptake of Pentavalent Vaccine in Six Northern Nigerian States

Quality of Counselling, Exposure to Vaccination Messages, and Caregivers’ Knowledge on the Uptake of Pentavalent Vaccine in Six Northern Nigerian States

Effect of Multi-Month Dispensing on Viral Suppression for Newly Enrolled Adolescents and Adults in Northern Nigeria.

We evaluated the effect of multi-month dispensing (MMD) on viral suppression among newly enrolled adolescents and adults with HIV in 11 northern Nigerian states. We conducted a retrospective analysis of longitudinal data from 75 health facilities. We abstracted electronic medical records for patients ≥10 years, initiated on ART April 1, 2019 - June 30, 2021, and with a 6- or 12-month viral load (VL) result. We categorized participants in the MMD group to see if they received antiretroviral treatment (ART) for ≥84 days at any visit within 6 months of ART initiation. We consider cut-offs for viral suppression at 50 copies/mL. The period when the VL was performed was classified as pre-COVID-19 (before April 1, 2020) or during the COVID-19 pandemic. We estimated relative risks (RR) by comparing the unsuppressed proportion of those on MMD to those not on MMD, adjusted for age, gender, and COVID-19 period. Overall, 19,859 participant records were abstracted. Median age was 33 years, 64% were female, 91% were started on a dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimen, and 65% were on MMD. Overall, 15,259 (77%) participants were followed for ≥6 months, 4136 (27%) had a VL at 6 months and 3640 (24%) had a VL at 12 months after ART initiation. A slightly higher proportion of patients on MMD had undetectable VL levels at 6 months (65% vs 58%) and 12 months (66% vs 62%). In the adjusted analysis, we found no significant differences in undetectable VL at 6 months and 12 months between newly enrolled patients on MMD and those not on MMD. Those on Protease inhibitor-based regimen had 54% lower likelihood of undetectable VL compared to those on DTG-based regimen. MMD does not result in poorer viral suppression among newly enrolled patients.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Routine Immunization Programs in Northern Nigeria

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine immunization (RI) programs in six northern Nigerian states: Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, and Yobe. This was a cross-sectional analytical study that compared programmatic data from 2019 and 2020, as well as survey data collected during the pandemic. RI program variables included service delivery, leadership and governance, monitoring and evaluation/supportive supervision, community engagement, vaccine supply chains, and health finance and management. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 23, IBM), Student’s t-test, and structural equation modeling. The results showed that RI programs were affected by the pandemic in terms of reduced meetings and low completion rates for action points in certain states. However, routine immunization support services increased owing to improved monitoring techniques and consistent vaccine deliveries, with fewer reports of stockouts. The most significant impact of the pandemic was observed on activities coordinated at the healthcare facility level, whereas those at the state level were less impacted. The major challenges encountered during the pandemic included insufficient supplies and consumables, movement restrictions, shortages of human resources, and fear of infection. In building a more resilient health system, governments and non-state actors will need to invest in strengthening delivery mechanisms at the core implementation level with a focus on facilities and communities.

English

For decades, debates among African leaders have centred on possible solutions to the continent's food security dilemma. If not addressed, the continued increase in population density and the accompanying pressures from conflicting demands for land in many Sub-Saharan African nations, including Nigeria, have the potential to exacerbate the arable land situation in the near future. To achieve increased production, African farmers must increase their use of productivity-enhancing tools such as irrigation, improved seeds, fertilizer, and modern farm management practices. The use of Urea Deep Placement (UDP) technology to boost nitrogen availability, a key ingredient in rice production, was introduced to rice farmers in selected Northern Nigerian states. Empirical information on the economics of the use of this technology in rice production is scanty, hence this study. Based on data collected from three hundred UDP users and non-users, this study examined the cost structure, the profitability and productivity of rice farm in the presence of technological heterogeneity. The study employed descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and the Latent class generation modes. The data was divided into two groups based on their production functions. The study concluded that farmers that used urea deep production technology outperformed non-users. However, in the short run, this technology is labour intensive. To solve the excessive labour use in the short run and to make rice production appealing to the young people who make up the majority of Nigeria's labour force, labour-saving technology must be combined with UDP technology. Key words: Productivity, profitability, technological heterogeneity, urea deep placement, rice.

A Sociolinguistics Application of Language, Culture and Communication as Panacea to Incessant Conflicts and Banditry in North-West, Nigeria

The tenant of peace has been distorted with bunches of crises, especially in the Northern part of Nigeria. Security in the Nigerian states has become a major problem in recent times. Cases of abduction, kidnapping, terrorism, senseless killings, maiming, nihilism, burgeoning restlessness, banditry and others vices, have been unabatedly rampant. Therefore, Nigerian citizens, despite the state security apparatus to ensure the safety and protection of lives and property, are incessantly living in perpetual fear and worry. It is against this backdrop that this research article employs other means of trying to resolve the scenario of crises and banditry through the application of sociolinguistics, language, culture and communication as a panacea to incessant crises and banditry in Northern Nigeria. The principal aim of the study is to identify how language and culture could lead to the achievement of peacebuilding across the Northern Nigerian states, especially in North-west Nigeria. Interviews and questionnaires were complementarily adopted to gather data for the study. Whorf Hypothesis Theory was used as the theoretical framework of analysis for the study. On the whole, the study discovered among other things that, language, culture and effective communication are better instruments for settling disputes rather than the use of force. Therefore, the study concludes that the roles of language, communication and culture in the management of crises and other conflict-related activities can never be over-emphasized in the settling of disputes among warring parties.

Major chemical carcinogens and health exposure risks in some therapeutic herbal plants in Nigeria.

People of all ages and genders utilize herbal medicine to treat varieties of problems all around the world. The accumulation of Cd and Cr in therapeutic herbs (Adansonia digitata, Psidium guajava, and Carica papaya) can lead to a variety of health complications. These leaf extracts are used to treat varieties of ailments, including cancer, in the northern Nigerian states of Borno, Jigawa, and Kano. The researchers employed high-resolution continuous source atomic absorption spectrometry. The statistical parameters such as mean, range, minimum and maximum were computed along with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to assess activity concentrations of Major Chemical Carcinogens (MCCs) in the herb extracts from the three states. The result demonstrated substantial statistical variation in the concentration of Chromium between groups with C. papaya (F = 190.683, p = 0.000), P. guajava (F = 5.698, p = 0.006), A. digitata (F = 243.154, p = 0.000). The post hoc test revealed that the C. papaya and A. digitata observed concentrations were statistically significant across the three states (p = 0.000). It was observed that there is no statistically significant difference between concentrations of the extracts between Kano and Borno states for P. guajava (p = 0.686). For Cd, the one-way ANOVA showed significant statistically variation in the concentration between groups with C. papaya (F = 77.393, p = 0.000), P. guajava (F = 4.496, p = 0.017), A. digitata (F = 69.042, p = 0.000). The post hoc test with multiple comparisons revealed that the activity concentration of all extracts was statistically significant across the three states (p<0.05). The target risk quotient (THQ) for Cd was more than unity in A. digitata and C. papaya, except for P. guajava from Borno State. The probable cancer risk was observed for consumption of plant extracts as a result of Cr and Cd.

Northern Nigerian intellectuals, Sudan, and the “eclectic style” in contemporary Islamic thought

AbstractThis article examines two northern Nigerian Muslim intellectuals – Aminu Sagagi and Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (enthroned as Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II of Kano, 2014–20) – whose approaches, in different ways, exemplify a self-consciously eclectic Islamic intellectual style. Their eclecticism breaks with categories familiar from the study of Islam in Africa and Nigeria, categories such as Sufis, Salafis and Islamists. The eclecticist style – or rather, styles – draw on northern Nigerian Islamic modernist traditions, the curriculum and atmosphere of Sudan’s International University of Africa (where both of these Nigerian intellectuals received degrees), and a wider set of global influences. Given their diverse intellectual formation, the eclecticists’ writings and careers allow for an examination of the translocal exchanges that have shaped what is sometimes perceived as a self-contained unit called ‘northern Nigeria’. The article further explores how the eclecticist style manifests in legal and political thought, analysing the critiques that Sagagi and Sanusi made of sharīʿa implementation in northern Nigerian states in the early 2000s. The article draws on Nigerian and Sudanese sources, as well as unpublished and published writings by Sagagi and Sanusi, to describe their intellectual trajectories and outlooks and offer a portrait of the eclecticist style.

A Social-Legal insight into Child Marriage and Islam under Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

Islam is a regulative dogma that guides adherents. There is respect for children under Islam; however, female children are discriminated against on issues concerning marriage. All children, regardless of gender, deserve the protection of their fundamental human right as stipulated in various international, regional and domestic laws against child marriage. COVID-19 pandemic has acerbated forced into early marriage impinging rights of female-children to attain their fullest potential. The fusion of basic Islamic principles and traditional practice of under-aged marriages prevents their protection under the Penal Code in comparison with recently enacted Child Rights Act (CRA). While there is no express prohibition in Islam against child marriage, female children have right of marriage refusal in principle (talaq). However, patriarchy, innocence, parental domination, COVID-19 induced poverty, often makes that choice non-existence. Child marriage is illegal in federal and southern states, the illegality becomes ineffective due to refusal of most northern states to adopt the CRA or abide by international and regional conventions that protect early children's marriages. Using doctrinal methodology, the paper begins with the historical concept of child marriage in Islam within the current socio-political situation of abduction of female children and educational backwardness of most northern Nigerian states. The philosophy of Islamic and socio-cultural attitudes to child marriage follows, then an examination of extant laws on child marriage and how COVID-19 has impacted their rights. In conclusion, there is need to protect female children through educational access, legislative reform, sensitization, preventing socio-religious practices to optimize meaningful development in Northern Nigeria. Keywords: Islam, Child's Rights Act, Penal Code, Human rights instruments, COVID-19.

Human Capital and Higher Education as a Catalyst for the Development of Knowledge Economy in Northern Nigeria

The aim of this paper is to look at implications of higher education and human capital vis-a-vies Nigeria developing its economy into knowledge based. The study employs cross-sectional research design as secondary data collected on documents on investments in education infrastructure in Nigeria and knowledge economy index of the World Bank. The sample of the study is 11 Northern Nigerian states with low Human Capital Index of 0.483 and below, which were purposively selected. The descriptive and inferential statistics was employed as methods of data analysis. The finding of the study reveals that Northern Nigeria is lacking behind in all the indices of human capital development and hence its backwardness. The study concludes that though the reforms being undertaken in the educational sector is commendable, more efforts need to be done to make Nigeria and indeed the Northern part of the country, a truly knowledge-based economy in order to compete with the southern part of the country in all spheres of human endeavour, especially in this era of digital economy. Furthermore, the paper implores reducing the high illiteracy rate in the region by timely funding of our educational system and enrollment, as well as inculcation of relevant skills acquisition through entrepreneurship education to our teeming populace with a view to reducing poverty and improving human capital of the region via a quality higher education.

The Intractable Malaise: Understanding the Patterns That Maintain the Terrorist Stronghold in Nigeria

The global manifestation of terrorism has been evident in Africa, with a significant allusion to Boko Haram jihadists in Nigeria. A critical corollary of this manifestation is a decade of humanitarian crisis that threatens human security in the country. Following Boko Haram’s re-emergence in Nigeria, the group has taken pre-eminence to present itself as the most intractable malaise ever known to ravage the peace and social fabric of the northern Nigerian state. The undue supremacy of the sect has not only earned it global notoriety but has also generated a continuum of controversial academic debates on the patterns that maintain the sect as a terrorist stronghold in Nigeria. However, rather than dwell on the questions of “who Boko Haram terrorists are” or “what the nature of their modus operandi and the number of casualties of their activities in Nigeria have been,” the study focuses on determining the influential factors that have fueled the burning flame of the insurgency in the affected region. It contends that submerging the problem in the traumatized region would have to do with resolving the causal efficacy of each of the foregoing triggering factors that are known to be fanning the flames of the insurgency. Accomplishing this aim, the study recommends provision and implementation of more effective research designs and policy recommendations to address the challenges and reposition the fight for better results.

COVID-19 knowledge, beliefs, prevention behaviours and misinformation in the context of an adapted seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign in six northern Nigerian States

BackgroundSeasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and amodiaquine is an efficacious intervention for protection of children against Plasmodium falciparum malaria during the rainy season. In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Malaria Consortium adapted its SMC delivery model to ensure safety of distributors, data collectors and beneficiaries. We conducted a SMC monitoring survey in July 2020 in the states of Bauchi, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Yobe, with questions on COVID-19 prevention behaviours and symptoms, and belief in misinformation. We investigated the associations between receipt of information on COVID-19 by different sources, including from SMC distributors, and these three outcomes using logistic generalised estimating equations. We also considered moderation of effectiveness of message delivery by SMC distributors and adherence to use of face coverings.ResultsWe obtained a representative sample of 40,157 caregivers of eligible children aged 3–59 months, of which 36,914 (91.92%) reported knowledge of COVID-19. The weighted proportions of respondents who correctly identified COVID-19 prevention behaviours and symptoms, and who reported belief in COVID-19 misinformation, were 80.52% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 80.02–81.00), 81.72% (95% CI 81.23–82.20) and 22.90% (95% CI 22.24–23.57). Receipt of information on COVID-19 from SMC distributors during the campaign was significantly associated with higher odds of caregiver knowledge of COVID-19 prevention behaviours (odds ratio [OR] 1.78, 95% CI 1.64–1.94, p < 0.001) and symptoms (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.59–1.90, p < 0.001) and lower odds of belief in COVID-19 misinformation (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.85–1.00, p = 0.038). The associations between message delivery by SMC distributors and the three outcomes were moderated by their adherence to face covering use. Receipt of information by other sources used to deliver government public health messages, including radio and health facility workers, was also associated with knowledge of COVID-19.ConclusionsMalaria Consortium’s SMC programme was successfully adapted in the context of COVID-19 and was a conduit for high-quality public health messages. Standard SMC monitoring and evaluation activities can be adapted to gather evidence on emerging public health issues such as the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Serospatial epidemiology of zoonotic Coxiella burnetii in a cross section of cattle and small ruminants in northern Nigeria.

The persistent and highly transmissible Coxiella burnetii is a neglected infection that negatively affects reproductive parameters of livestock. It is also of zoonotic importance and has been reported to cause devastating human infections globally. Domestic ruminants represent the most frequent source of human infection. Data from Nigeria are very few and outdated. There is a significant gap in up-to-date information on the exposure, spatial distribution and risk factors of infection of this important disease. The exposure to C. burnetii was determined using sensitive serological assays in cattle and small ruminants. A total of 538 animals made up of 268 cattle and 270 small ruminants were sampled from three northern Nigerian states. The proportion of cattle sampled that were seropositive from the study locations were: Kwara 14/90 (15.6%; 95% CI: 8.8–24.7); Plateau 10/106 (9.43%; 95% CI: 4.6–16.7) and Borno 4/72 (5.56%; 95% CI: 1.5–13.6) states. Lower seroprevalence was recorded among the small ruminants sampled, with positives recorded from sheep and goat sampled from only Kwara state 6/184 (3.3%; 95% CI: 1.2–7.0); while none of the small ruminants sampled from Plateau were seropositive. The results of the bivariate analysis showed that none of the tested independent variables (village, age group, sex, breed of cattle, presence of ticks, reproductive status, and management system) were statistically significant factors associated with seropositivity of cattle for antibodies to C. burnetii. Stakeholders involved in animal husbandry should be duly educated on proper disposal of birth products as well as bodily fluids in order to reduce environmental contamination, persistence and human infection.

A clinicopathologic analysis of epulides from a subpopulation of Northern Nigeria

Context: Epulides are common oral lesions of the gingivae. Descriptive studies on epulides from a previously unreported Nigerian population are desirable. Aims: The aim of the study was to describe the characteristics of epulides from a subpopulation in the Northern Nigerian state of Sokoto. Settings and Design: This is a retrospective study of patients histologically diagnosed with epulis and treated at the Department of Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital. Methods: A 10-year (2007–2017) review of histologically diagnosed oral and maxillofacial lesion was used for this study. Data on age, gender, site and histological diagnosis were retrieved from the hospital records and classified into two groups: fibrous lesions and haemorrhagic lesions, reflecting their clinical presentations. Statistical Analysis Done: Data were summarised using frequency distribution and mean and standard deviation (SD). Comparisons were done with Chi-square test and t-test. Statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: A total number of 28 gingival epulides out of a total of 644 lesions that were diagnosed were included in the study. Epulis consisted of 15 (53.6%) fibrous epulides and 13 (46.4%) vascular epulides. There were 20 (71.4%) females and 8 (28.6%) males (female:male = 2.5:1). The average age of study participants was 29.4 years ± 16.4 SD. The mean age of fibrous epulides was 22.73 ± 14.7 years, which was significantly lower than the mean age of vascular epulides (37.1 ± 15.4) (P = 0.018). The most common epulides observed were pyogenic granuloma (PG), (35.7%) followed by fibroepithelial hyperplasia (14.3%) and peripheral ossifying fibroma (10.7%). Conclusions: The most common epulis in this study was PG. It is desirable for the clinician to have a good knowledge of the frequency and distribution of epulides when establishing a diagnosis and formulating a treatment plan.

Mitigating Gender and Maternal and Child Health Injustices through Faith Community-Led Initiatives.

Background and Objective:Congregational Health Empowerment and Social Safety Advocates (CHESS-Advocates) initiative, a project aimed at mitigating maternal and child health (MCH) and gender injustices in religiously pluralistic societies, was implemented in two Northern Nigerian states of Benue and Kaduna between September 2018 and July 2019. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness, sustainability and factors of success in the CHESS-Advocates model as a faith community approach to mitigating gender and MCH injustices in Northern Nigeria.Methods:Data were from desk review of monthly project reports which were documented monthly all through the 10-month project life, and qualitative assessment conducted in July 2019 at the end of project. The assessments involved focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and in-depth interviews conducted in four randomly selected communities in each of the project states. The variables of interest were sustainability, effectiveness of initiative, and the factors that contributed to the success of the program.Results:The CHESS-Advocate model was effective in the mobilization of community response that improved uptake and acceptance of antenatal care (ANC), immunization, and uptake of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing services. The model was cost-effective and able to instigate change in harmful practices, particularly in highly religious communities. The model showed promise of sustainability and identified some factors that led to its success in the different communities.Conclusion and Global Health Implications:The CHESS advocates model showed promises of efficacy in engaging faith communities as important actors in promoting MCH practices and mitigating gender injustices particularly in rural and underserved communities. Like other faith based models, the CHESS-Advocates model provided opportunities in faith congregations for building sustainable development in health and social justice. The model helped to improve MCH seeking behavior, influenced change in harmful gender norms and in community response against gender based violence in rural communities.