Ondo State Of Nigeria Research Articles

Expression of Classroom Management Principles by Secondary Schools’ Teachers’

Expression of classroom management principles by secondary schools’ teachers is the submission in this article. Six (6) secondary schools were randomly selected from western section of Owo, in Ondo State of Nigeria. Twelve (12) teachers selected using non- probability quota sampling technique, from the population, participated under observation in classrooms. Subjects that the teachers taught in Junior Secondary School (JSS) were Social Studies and English Language while Economics/Accounts/Commerce as a group and Geography/Government as another group, were taught in Senior Secondary School (SSS). A Summary of classroom management principles (SCMP) was used to record observation of each teacher. Also used was a form to obtain demographic data of each teacher after observation and a tape recorder which was put on from beginning to the end of a class. Analysis of data collected showed that only two and a half out of seven principles which centered on physical arrangement were adequately expressed; one teacher only demonstrated with-it-ness once, another teacher expressed pacing skill, while 11/12 of the teachers exhibited self- presentation; three teachers out of the twelve passed classroom management principles which directly hinged on teacher-learners’ inter-actions. Curriculum specialists especially those that are focused on effective teaching, have much work to do with respect to students as well as serving teachers to improve this situation so that effective teaching may be realizable. Key words: Classroom management, classroom organization, classroom discipline, classroom control, effective teaching.

Efficacy of Senna occidentalis leaves powder on oviposition, hatchability of eggs and emergence of Callosobruchus maculatus (Fab)on treated cowpea seeds

The efficacy of Senna occidentalis leaf powder against Callosobruchusmaculatus (F) on cowpea treated seeds was evaluated under ambientcondition (32±0.64°C and 68±3% R.H.) at the laboratory of AgriculturalTechnology of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo. C. maculatus was obtainedfrom Oja‐Oba market, Owo, Ondo State of Nigeria. The insects were rearedand bred in the laboratory. The cowpea seeds used for the bioassay werekept in the freezer for 15 days to eliminate infestation from the field. Theleaf powder was obtained after milling and four dosages of the powder (0.5,1.0, 1.5 and 2.0g) were separately admixed with 20g of cowpea in separatepetri dishes. Ten pairs of C. maculatus were introduced into each petri‐dish.Number of adult mortality, egg laid, percentage egg hatching, adultemergence and weight loss from each treatment were compared withcontrol treatment. It is concluded that the Senna occidentalis contains toxicproperties valuable for the control of C. maculatus.

Assessment of extension media use among youth farmers in Oyo and Ondo states, Nigeria

The study on assessment of extension media among youth farmers was carried out in Oyo and Ondo States of Nigeria . Data were obtained from 48 youth farmers and 24 extension agents from one zone of the ADP per state. The youth farmers were purposively sampled for having participated in extension media training at one time or the other, or their parent being contact farmers. Structured and validated questionnaires were used to elicit necessary information coupled with personal interview. The data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages and correlation co-efficient. The respondents were 30 years and below with the modal group being 16 – 20years. The respondents were educated only 25percent were without formal education. Majority of them (67.5%) got innovation disseminated through television. Over 80 percent were aware of extension media in the study areas while only 20percent were not aware. Technologies disseminated include agricultural mechanization, improved seed production, mixed farming, and fertilizer application among others. The channels that were popular among the respondents include: radio and personal contact (53.7%) each. While demonstration was popular among the extension agents. There was negative correlation between age of respondents and diffusion of innovation. All the variables fitted were significant with exception of farm size. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were proffered: Government should make provisions for creating extension service departments in agricultural establishment where they do not exist.

DETERMINANT OF TECHNICAL, ALLOCATIVE AND ECONOMIC EFFICIENCIES IN THE PLANTAIN (MUSA SPP.) PRODUCTION INDUSTRY, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

ISHS IV International Symposium on Banana: International Conference on Banana and Plantain in Africa: Harnessing International Partnerships to Increase Research Impact DETERMINANT OF TECHNICAL, ALLOCATIVE AND ECONOMIC EFFICIENCIES IN THE PLANTAIN (MUSA SPP.) PRODUCTION INDUSTRY, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Ethnobotanical studies of west african okra [<i>Abelmoschus caillei (a. Chev) stevels</i>] from some tribes of south western Nigeria

West African Okra [Abelmoschus caillei (A. Chev) Stevels] is a multipurpose annual, biennal herb sometime perennial woody crop plant common in the humid West African subcontinent. It is produced in traditional agriculture especially when other vegetables are not in season and an important cash crop in the local economy. This study is aimed at generating information and documenting the ethnobotany of A. caillei via the indigenous knowledge among tribes of Delta, Edo and Ondo States of Nigeria). Primary information was collected from randomly selected respondents through survey using structured questionnaires and guided walks within 54 sites. A total of 540 persons were surveyed aged between 18-87 years old. Of this number, 259 (48%) were males and 281 (52%) females. Nine ethnic tribes were recorded in the 3 States. The tribes varied in their socio-cultural and economic characteristics and local knowledge about the crop. One-two local names of the crop was recorded with one related “type”. Traditional uses of the crop include food (100%) and nonfood purposes. The information from non-food uses include medicine (27%), myth/religion (32%), soil fertility indicate (19%), rainy season indicator (8%), dry season/harvest time indicator (100%), fuel (15%) and sponge (11%). These sets of information indicate that the crop plant is of prime importance in the area. Keywords: Ethnobotany, Indigenous Knowledge, West African Okra, Traditional Uses, Ethnotaxonomy.

Morphological distinctiveness and metroglyph analysis of fifty accessions of West African okra (Abelmoschus caillei) (A. Chev.) Stevels

The Morphological uniqueness and metroglyph analysis of 50 accessions of West African okra (Abelmoschus caillei (A Chev.) Stevels) were assessed under three agro-ecological environments at Abeokuta, Ibadan and Mokwa in Nigeria. They were grown in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications; data were collected on 5 randomly selected plants from each plot. Data on twenty-one agronomic characters were collected; eleven traits were subjected to metroglyph analysis to investigate the extent of distinctiveness among the 50 accessions. The eleven agronomic characters representing the most commonly used in distinguishing between okra genotypes were used to construct a metroglyph chart. All accessions were grouped into seven distinct groups. The index scores ranged from 19.0 to 42.3 with groups I and VII showing the two extremes among the 50 accessions evaluated. The fruit surface of Akure-2-2 and Akure-1-1 were smooth while Akure-2-9 and Akure-2-4 showed slightly prickly fruits. This suggests that accessions from Akure town in Ondo state of Nigeria were domesticated to large extent and possibly are more related. The metroglyph showed that accessions with very poor yield had short plant height, an indication that for West African genotype okra to produce substantial yield, it must possess a strong stem, hence early planting is encouraged. Key words: Abelmoschus caillei, accessions, genotype, index score, metroglyph.

Assessment of information dissemination among women farmers in Ekiti and Ondo States of Nigeria

The study was carried out to assess the dissemination of information among women farmers in Ekiti and Ondo states of Nigeria using a tested interview schedule to elicit information from 176 women farmers randomly selected from 44 cells in 11 agricultural blocks from three zones in Ekiti and Ondo State Agricultural Development Projects. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analysis. The study revealed that majority of the women farmers in the two states were young and active food producers and processors but with low educational status. Impediments to information dissemination among the women include explanatory ability, inappropriate time of message dissemination, heterophyl factors, shortage of farm input, inadequate information, poor irregular electricity supply, ambiguity of message and inadequate co-ordination of extension agents. The study further revealed that age and level of education affect the dissemination of agricultural information and that a significant relationship existed between the flow of agricultural information, and rice, vegetables and plantain production. It is recommended that efforts should be geared towards increasing the literacy level of women farmers through adult literacy programme in order to improve information dissemination to them. Keywords : Assessment, information dissemination, women farmers Bowen Journal of Agriculture Vol. 5 (1&2) 2008: pp. 91-101

Analysis of agricultural land market in Ondo State of Nigeria

Analysis of agricultural land market in Ondo State of Nigeria

Housing Policy Formulation in Developing Countries: Evidence of Programme Implementation from Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

The paper explores the circumstances in which housing policies are articulated and implemented in developing countries using Akure in Ondo State of Nigeria as a case study. The paper examines the s...

Economies of Scale and Cost Efficiency in Small Scale Maize Production: Empirical Evidence from Nigeria

This paper presents empirical study of economies of scale and cost efficiency of small scale maize production in Ondo State of Nigeria, using farm level survey data collected from 200 farms in the study area. The results shows that there is a relative presence of economies of scale among the farmers meaning that an average farm in the sampled area produce at a minimum cost considering the size of the farm which is an indication that they operates in stage II of production surface (stage of efficient utilization of resource).This result was further collaborated by the mean cost efficiency of 1.161 obtained from the data analysis which shows that an average farm in the sample area is about 16% above the frontier cost, indicating that they are relatively efficient in allocating their scarce resources. The result of the analysis indicate that presence of cost inefficiency effects in the maize production as depicted by the significant estimated gamma coefficient of about 0.81 and the generalized likelihood ratio test result obtained from the data analysis.

Economic Benefits of Fungicide Use Among Cocoa Farmers in Osun and Ondo States of Nigeria

This study examines the costs, returns and productivity due to fungicide use in cocoa production under the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in South Western Nigeria. Budgetary (gross margins) and production function analyses are the techniques used to analyze the primary data derived from a sample survey of cocoa farmers in Osun and Ondo States of Nigeria. The data were analysed to provide estimates of economic benefits of fungicide use. The study shows that net returns to fungicide use are positive. Fungicides are efficiently utilized by the respondents. However, the efficiency of use varies from one state to the other. It is higher amongst growers in Osun than those in Ondo State but the use rate of fungicide may be increased without any adverse economic consequences in both states.

Bean Sourcing Methods by Gender Among Nigerian Cocoa Marketers

This paper analyses the methods of sourcing for cocoa beans by marketers in Nigeria. Data were obtained from a study carried out in Idanre a town in Ondo state of Nigeria between April 2000 and April 2001. Stratified random sampling technique was used in selecting 150 respondents. The study reveals that marketers who got their beans by planting some and complementing some by other purchases have the highest overall mean gross profit (N2 079314) but the difference in the mean gross profit of marketers using any of the sourcing methods is not significant at the ten percent level. The study also reveals that female cocoa marketers were more efficient than their male counterparts in terms of efficient utilization of resources whether mindful or regardless of sourcing methods used. It was concluded that the mostly patronized source of cocoa beans was from farmers which were achieved by granting loans or supplying some inputs to farmers during the planting season and collecting dried cocoa beans later in return. It is therefore recommended that male marketers should make more use of see and buy method to prevent them from falling victim of fraudsters female marketers should increase the volume of cocoa they market because dealing with low volume limits their total profits and finally cocoa marketers are advised to use any of the cocoa sourcing methods hence there is a dare need to increase cocoa production. (authors)

Rural farmer's participation in agricultural development project (ADP) and the effect on their addoption of innovations: A case study of Ekiti-Akoko ADP in Ondo State of Nigeria

Rural farmer's participation in agricultural development project (ADP) and the effect on their addoption of innovations: A case study of Ekiti-Akoko ADP in Ondo State of Nigeria

Rural livelihood benefits from participation in the taungya agroforestry system in Ondo State of Nigeria

This study examines the strategies and benefits of the taungya farming system to both the government and the rural economy in Nigeria. An interview survey was conducted in which data were collected from 115 randomly selected farmers in five villages in the Oluwa forest reserve, Ondo State, Nigeria. The study examines the extent of participation of rural dwellers in plantation development through taungya farming and the degree of success of this system as an afforestation method. The farmers were predominantly illiterate, within the age bracket of 35–54 years and with small farm holdings. Twenty nine percent relied totally on food from the forest reserve for their livelihood, while 71% also had farm holdings in free areas. Land within the reserve is allocated to farmers free of charge but compensation is paid to landlords on land from free areas. A statistically significant difference was detected in income from the two sources of farmland for the households and but not in the size of land allocated under taungya and free areas. About 184 farmers are involved in taungya annually, and 410 ha of Tectonia grandis has been established for the government of Ondo State.

Yield performance of commercialized upland fish farms in Ondo state of Nigeria

The study examined the socio-demographic characteristics of fish farmers, evaluated the profitability of upland fish farms in the study area and determined the key variables to which profitability is responsive. Empirical results showed that majority of the fish farms came into business less than ten years ago while 62.0% of the managers of the fish farms had formal education. The total farm size of the twenty-two fish farms surveyed was 229,112m2 and the average size of a fish pond unit was 1,863m2. Table fish production was preponderant over fingerlings production. About 70.0% of the fish farms practised monoculture, 23.33% used polycultural method and 6.67% employed both. The major fish species commonly cultured were Tilapia, Alestes, Heterotis and Catfish. The fixed cost per hectare of fish farm for the period studied was N517,591.48 while variable cost stood at N2,053,806.68. The most important components of fixed costs were labour (41.02%), bore-hole and water pumps (22.10%) and land and pond construction (14.50%). For variable cost, the most expensive items were fish feeds (51.44%), fish seeds (17.30%) and transportation and fuel (13.16%). The average net profit per hectare of fish farm was N960,037.57 per year. Various profitability ratios revealed that investment in upland fish farms is a worthwhile business but investors need to do something about the fluctuating trends of some of the indices since the desirable trend is either a consistent increase or decrease. A sensitivity analysis carried out showed that profitability is more responsive to the unit price of fish compared with cost of inputs. The NPV, B/C and IRR were N1,571,710.15, 1.53 and 52.4% respectively. The three indicators attest to the fact that fish culture is very profitable in the study area. It is recommended that the various governments make access to land and investible funds at affordable rates a priority in the study area. There is also the need for the establishment of a modern hatchery which will supply fingerlings to fish farmers at subsidized rate. Keywords: Yield performance, fixed and variable costs, gross revenue, upland fish farms, Ondo State.

Information on micro-enterprises involved in cassava and palm oil processing in the Osun and Ondo states of Nigeria

Micro-enterprises involved in post harvest processing play a key role in the economies of less developed countries as a basic source of goods, income and employment especially for women. A study was undertaken to assess the capacity and technology needs of women agro-processors in Osun and Ondo states with a view to better understand their characteristics, problems and needs. This paper reports on some general information about agro-allied micro-enterprises that are useful to project planners and assisting agencies. The number of micro-enterprises established by individuals in the food processing sector has increased significantly over the last ten years. Group owned enterprises are usually government assisted and these groups need training in the art of business management. Infrastructural facilities at processing centres are inadequate. Inadequate supply of water affects the process and product hygiene and environmental cleanliness especially during the dry season and requires urgent intervention. Half walled structures are recommended for food micro-enterprises for effective ventilation. The sex of the machine operator is dependent on the type of prime mover. Petrol engines are operated by women and diesel engines by men. The study revealed a poor operational and maintenance practices of equipment by operators and this has reduced their functional life span to about five years. With proper training, the functional life of these equipment can be prolonged. Mode of transporting raw materials to the processing centres is grossly inadequate and limits the quantity of materials available for processing resulting in under utilisation of equipment capacity. Recommendations are made that can enhance the programme of donor/government agencies in achieving their objectives taking into consideration the information provided by the study.

Technological assessment of palm oil production in Osun and Ondo states of Nigeria

The potential economic returns from the oil palm are high if processed with efficient technologies. This study was undertaken to evaluate the technologies in use for the production of palm oil from a gender perspective. A survey was conducted in Osun and Ondo States of Nigeria using a structured questionnaire and the participatory learning approach. A total of 28 palm fruit processing centres were surveyed. The various technologies available in the field for each unit operation were evaluated using certain criteria. Palm oil production is dominated by female processors and male assistance is sought in operating the machines and in carrying out strenuous tasks. Only two of the unit operations (digestion and extraction) have been partially mechanised while the other processes (quartering, stripping, sterilising, and clarifying) are performed manually. None of the machine operators interviewed had any formal training in machine operation and maintenance but they perform these tasks after learning by observation. The result of this study indicates an urgent need for establishing a training program both for machine operators and the maintenance personnel. There is no organised drainage system in the palm oil processing centres except at the industrial mills. Waste water is disposed of in surrounding bushes. The traditional technologies exposed the processors to the vagaries of the weather and other operational hazards. The technology profile proposed for the various unit operations is that of modest but accessible changes that work within the existing system and could be adopted by large numbers of women.

An investigation of technical inefficiency of production of farmers under the National Directorate of Employment in Ondo State, Nigeria

This study was carried out to investigate technical inefficiency of production among the food crop farmers of the National Directorate of Employment in Ondo state of Nigeria. The study considers translog stochastic frontier production functions in which the technical inefficiency effects are defined by three different sub models. Given the specifications of the stochastic frontier production function, the null hypothesis, that the frontier is adequately represented by the Cobb-Douglas function, is accepted, but the null hypothesis that the farmers are fully technically efficient, which implies that inefficiency effects are absent from the model, is rejected. Further, the null hypothesis of half-normal distribution for the inefficiency effects is rejected. Predicted technical efficiencies vary widely across farms, ranging between 21.7% anal 87.8% and a mean technical efficiency of 67%.

Adoption of Recommended Agrochemical Practices among Crop Farmers in Kaduna and Ondo States, Nigeria

This study assessed the level of adoption of recommended agrochemical practices among crop farmers in Kaduna and Ondo States of Nigeria. It measured the perception of farmers on pesticides and their knowledge on the harmful effects of pesticides. A total of 260 crop farmers who have sustained the use of agrochemicals for at least five years were selected for the study using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using pretested, structured interview schedule. Descriptive statistics (mean and percentages) were used for data analysis. The results obtained revealed that 33.1% of the farmers considered pesticides as always favorable (harmless) whereas 30% of the respondents perceived pesticides as sometimes unfavorable (harmful). All (100%) the respondents indicated that pesticides cause damage to human health. Furthermore, the level of adoption of recommended agrochemical practices (RAPs) was generally low (weighted mean =1.49) despite high level of awareness (weighted mean =2.24). This study recommends that campaign for attitudinal changes on the use of agrochemical should be mounted by extension agencies in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.Key words: Recommended agrochemical practices; Adoption; crop protection chemicals.