Sweet potato is an important food security promoted crop in Nigeria. The recognition of its relative health benefits has resulted in fresh consumption as well as the utilization of processed products such as sweet potato chips, fries and pre-cut, flour, and pureed sweet potatoes. This study examined the determinants of sweet potato value addition among smallholder farmers in Kwara. A multi-stage sampling techniques was used to obtain information from 163 small holder farmers in Offa and Oyun local government areas of Kwara state. Descriptive statistics and Heckman two-stage model were used to analyse the data. The results indicate that 44% of the respondents were involved mainly in slicing and sun-drying; 39% took part in slicing, sun-drying and grinding into flour, while the main value adding activity of 15% of them was slicing and frying into chips. The results of the Heckman two-stage model showed that training and quantity of sweet potato harvested significantly increased farmers' decision to add value by 0.494 units and 0.003 units respectively. Furthermore, membership of association extension visits and access to credit significantly increased farmers' level of value addition to sweet potato by 1.301units, 0.821 units and 15.350 units respectively. Also, household size decreased the level of value addition by 2.174 units. For sweet potato farmers to be fully involved in value addition of their produce, loan packages, increase in extension outreaches, training and sensitization on birth control measures are necessary policy options.

AbstractThis study examined the coping strategies of crop farmers to pastoralist activities in Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 120 farmers. The data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire and interview and were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools. The result revealed various levels of damage caused to food security by the pastoralist as follows: compaction of soil (84%), damage and eating of the crops on the field (79%), indiscriminate bush burning leading to fire outbreak on farms (73%), stealing of farm produce by herders (73%), pollution of water points (54%), killing of farmers (13%) and others. The result further revealed the coping strategies used by crop farmers: praying for peace (98%), early harvesting (95%), early planting (92%), multiple farm plots (91%), group farming (90%), relocating farm (77%), police intervention (60%), government intervention (9%), NGO intervention (9%) and insurance (4.2%). The results of Chi-square analysis showed that there is a significant relationship between the educational status (X2 = 13.06, P = 0.01) and coping strategies used against pastoralist activities. Therefore, it is recommended that the government should formulate a policy that will stimulate peace among crop farmers and pastoralist to sustain food security and reduce poverty among rural dwellers, thereby transforming the rural environment into an attractive centre.

The premise for this article is that a significant proportion of patients presenting in the clinic with osteoarthritis have hypertension as co-morbidity. A common drug of choice in managing symptoms of osteoarthritis including those affecting the knee joint is the Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) groups. It has been reported however that NSAIDs diminish the effects of anti-hypertensive drugs and may lead to an ineffective hypertension therapy. In order to avoid complications in the health of the patient with concomitant hypertension and osteoarthritis and who are on both antihypertensive and NSAIDs, it becomes imperative to consider using non-pharmacologic approaches such as physiotherapy in managing the symptoms of osteoarthritis in this group of patients and thereby maximizing the effects of their antihypertensive therapy. This is more so that information exists on efficacy of physiotherapy in form of therapeutic exercises and electrotherapeutic modalities in management of clinical features of osteoarthritis.

The study was conducted to assess beekeepers' knowledge of improved management practices in peri-urban areas of southwestern Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select 90 respondents from the study area. Results show that beekeepers in southwestern Nigeria had inadequate knowledge of improved beekeeping management practices, which resulted in low skill in most of the practices. Most of the beekeepers encountered problems ranging from inadequate skill, drought, honeybee pests and diseases, and death of the colony. The authors recommend that farmers be well-trained in improved management practices so as to enhance food security.

Sustainable rural development cannot occur without rural youth empowerment for entrepreneurship. In the face of the current staggering level of youth unemployment in Nigeria, there is the obvious need to seek for ways of empowering the youth for sustainable development. Poultry keeping stands as resource that can generate employment for millions of Nigerian youths in rural and peri-urban areas as entrepreneurs, skilled and unskilled workers. This paper through a review of literature examined the importance of poultry and explored how it can be exploited as a panacea for youth unemployment through entrepreneurship. It explores the potentials of it and shows the way the potentials of poultry can be harnessed for all youth empowerment programmes. It recommended that government, big farms, international and national corporations, should be involved in youth empowerment programmes through youth entrepreneurship in poultry production. Banks and other financial institutions should be mandated to assist the youth with soft loans in cash and kind through the provision of poultry infrastructure so as to make poultry farming attractive to the youth. A well-funded poultry extension advisory service need to be established to ensure the sustainability of the youth empowerment/ entrepreneurship poultry programmes across the country.     Le développement rural durable ne peut que se faire sans l'autonomisation des jeunes ruraux pour l'esprit d'entreprise. Face au niveau actuel stupéfiant de chômage des jeunes au Nigéria, il est évident qu'il est nécessaire de chercher des moyens d'autonomiser les jeunes pour le développement durable. L'élevage de volailles est une ressource qui peut générer des emplois pour des millions de jeunes Nigérians dans les zones rurales et périurbaines en tant qu'entrepreneurs, travailleurs qualifiés et non qualifiés. Cet article, à travers un examen de la littérature, a examiné l'importance de la volaille et exploré comment elle peut être exploitée comme panacée pour le chômage des jeunes par l'entrepreneuriat. Il explore les potentiels de celui-ci et montre comment les potentiels de la volaille peuvent être exploités pour tous les programmes d'autonomisation des jeunes. Il a recommandé que le gouvernement, les grandes exploitations agricoles, les entreprises internationales et nationales participent à des programmes d'autonomisation des jeunes par l'entrepreneuriat des jeunes dans la production avicole. Les banques et autres institutions financières devraient avoir pour mandat d'aider les jeunes avec des prêts à taux doux en espèces et en nature par la fourniture d'infrastructures avicoles afin de rendre l'élevage avicole attrayant pour les jeunes. Un service consultatif bien financé de vulgarisation de la volaille doit être mis en place pour assurer la durabilité des programmes d'autonomisation des jeunes et d'entrepreneuriat de la volaille dans tout le pays.