The cocoa subsector remains one of Nigeria’s most critical non-oil export earners and a cornerstone of rural livelihoods, particularly in southern rainforest zones. Cross River State, with Ikom Local Government Area as a flagship production and aggregation hub, contributes substantially to national output. Despite unprecedented international cocoa price surges in 2024 (peaking above $12,000 per tonne) driven by supply shocks in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, and continued volatility into 2025–2026, smallholder farmers in Ikom often capture a disproportionately small share of value. This study investigates the extent of market power exercised by intermediaries using primary survey data from 230 cocoa farmers and 60 market actors (licensed buying agents, village assemblers, exporters) collected in the 2025/2026 season, supplemented by secondary monthly price series from ICCO, NBS, and CBN sources. Employing descriptive statistics, market concentration indices (CR₄ and HHI), Gini coefficient, marketing margin analysis, and Multinomial Logit regression for channel choice, the findings reveal moderate-to-high buyer concentration (CR₄ = 58%, HHI = 1,850), significant marketing margins captured by intermediaries (26–35% at LBA level), asymmetric price transmission favoring downward adjustments, and socioeconomic determinants strongly influencing farmers’ marketing decisions. These imperfections undermine farm-gate prices, reduce production incentives, and limit welfare gains despite favorable global conditions and recent policy pushes for local processing and regional alliances. The study provides robust empirical evidence for targeted interventions to enhance competition, farmer organization, price transparency, and value addition in Nigeria’s cocoa value chain.
The study focused on the activities of Free Trade Zones and the impact on the infrastructural development of host communities with reference to Calabar Free Trade Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria. The study adopted the survey research design to measure the strength of the relationship between the activities of Free Trade Zones operators and infrastructural development of host communities within the study area. Data analysis for this study essentially involved the use of both descriptive and inferential statistics. The Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficient was used to test the hypothesis given the coefficient “R” value. SPSS statistical tool was applied for analysis of the field data. Questionnaire and Key Informant Interview were the instruments for data collection. The sources of data collection were primary and secondary. In selecting the sample, the researcher purposively selected 97 households each from the four villages that make up Ikot-Ansa Clan which is the host community of the Free Trade Zone. The result of the study showed that, there is a strong relationship between Free Trade Zones operations and infrastructural development of host communities. The study suggests that communities around the Free Trade Zone should take ownership of projects initiated or facilitated by the Free Trade Zones for sustainability.
The paper investigated the dynamic relationship between trade liberalization and ecological footprints, across 35 Sub- Sahara African (SSA) economies from 1999 to 2024. Specifically, the paper sought to investigate the impact of foreign direct investment, trade openness, economic growth, globalization, and exchange rates on ecological footprints, proxied by carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Control variables include urbanization, agricultural land use, and energy consumption. With data sourced from the World Development Indicator (WDI) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) bulletins, the study employed the Cross-Sectionally Augmented Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) technique and Augmented Mean Group (AMG) estimators for robustness. Based on the analysis, the study found that trade openness and FDI inflows significantly increases CO₂ emissions. Globalization (KOF Index) reduces CO₂ emissions and exchange rate depreciation has a weak positive effect on emissions. The error correction term (-0.345) indicates moderate adjustment speed of 34.5% annually. Conclusively, trade liberalization in SSA currently exacerbates CO₂ emissions, but broader globalization offers mitigating pathways. Hence, the paper recommends the inclusion of green FDI screening, renewable energy investment, and environmental development assistance to reduce degradation and protect the environment.
This research investigates the socio-economic resilience of female-headed households in rural Burundi, specifically within the province of Gitega. By challenging the prevalent deficit-based narrative that defines these families solely through their vulnerability and the "feminization of poverty," this study employs a qualitative phenomenological lens to uncover active strategies of agency. Drawing on twenty-six in-depth interviews and field observations, the research identifies a stratification of resilience determined primarily by the demographic dependency ratio rather than simple marital status. The findings reveal a triad of resilience mechanisms: the agrarian bypass through land rental markets, strategic frugal accumulation leading to micro-trade, and associative solidarity through Village Savings and Loan Associations. The study concludes that while these households face significant structural barriers, the absence of a male partner can paradoxically create a space for decision-making sovereignty and prioritized reinvestment in human capital, transforming sheer survival into sustainable resilience
Despite significant investments in malaria control and health programmes, malaria remains widespread due to many factors, including those that hinder effective message delivery through mass media. In this context, this study examined factors influencing farmers' utilisation of anti-malarial messages transmitted through the mass media in rural and urban areas of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study described the socio-demographic profile of farmers, identified the primary media channels used by farmers to access anti-malarial messages, the frequency of exposure to such anti-malarial messages, and factors affecting farmers’ utilisation of such messages. Data were collected through validated questionnaires served on 3f n00 farmers, 150 each from rural and urban areas, who were selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. The collated data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. Results indicated that most respondents were males (61. 7%), married (76. 0%), and within the economically active age group (21–40 years, 53. 3%), with an average household size of four (4) persons. Education and income levels were unevenly distributed, with rural farmers less advantaged (13.4% for rural, and 26.7% urban), hence limiting their capacity to process malaria information. Regarding media exposure, radio (x̅ = 1.42) and television (x̅ = 1.31) were the primary communication channels, although rural respondents relied more on radio and pamphlets, while urban respondents preferred television. Regression analysis (R² = 0.658; p < 0.001) confirmed that education (r = 0.303), income (r = 0.271), awareness (r = 0.251) and perceived message effectiveness (r = 0.327) were the most significant predictors of utilisation of anti-malarial messages, with stronger effects observed in urban areas due to better infrastructure and higher literacy levels. The study concludes that although both rural and urban farmers are exposed to malaria-prevention messages, structural and socio-economic disparities influence their adoption, with rural communities facing greater barriers in access and comprehension. It recommends that malaria interventions be tailored to demographic realities: enhancing the use of affordable, accessible, and trusted radio platforms in rural areas; leveraging television for urban farmers; incorporating low-cost, community-based media such as posters and pamphlets; and ensuring messages are simple, credible, and culturally relevant.
