Beans are an important, affordable source of plant-based protein for urban households in Nigeria, yet they are often treated as a homogeneous commodity in food consumption studies and policy discussions. Limited empirical evidence exists on how urban households differentiate among bean varieties and how socioeconomic factors influence these choices. Understanding varietal preferences and expenditure behavior is essential for improving dietary diversity and food security in rapidly urbanizing settings. This study aimed to examine urban households’ purchase decisions for different bean varieties in Ogun State by analyzing consumption patterns, expenditure allocation, varietal preferences, and the socioeconomic determinants of choice and diversity. Data were collected from 360 urban households using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyse consumption and expenditure patterns, while a double-hurdle regression model was used to identify factors influencing both the decision to purchase specific bean varieties and the level of expenditure on them. The poison regression model was used to determine the factors influencing the common bean type/preference chosen by the respondents. Cereals and non-food items accounted for the largest shares of weekly household expenditure, while pulses formed a smaller but nutritionally important share. Nigerian brown beans (Ewa Olotu/Drum) and honey beans (Ewa Oloyin) were the most consumed varieties, with preferences shaped by cooking time, grain size, and perceived quality. The double-hurdle model showed that education, employment status, income, gender, and household size significantly influenced purchase decisions and expenditure levels (p<0.05). Female-headed households and those with higher education and employment status had a greater likelihood of purchasing preferred varieties and exhibited higher varietal diversity, while larger household sizes were associated with reduced diversity in bean choices. Urban households in Ogun State make economically rational and differentiated choices regarding bean varieties rather than viewing beans as a uniform commodity. Policies that enhance income opportunities, education, women’s empowerment, and access to affordable, fast-cooking, and high-quality bean varieties can improve household welfare, dietary diversity, and food security.

This study examines the burden of psychostimulant use disorder among consumers in Ogun State, Nigeria, using three domains: health, public safety/crime, and productivity, from a cross-section of 216 users. It was found that depressants accounted for 66.67%, and sedative-hypnotics accounted for 59.26% of the psychostimulant use among the consumers. Sleep and psychiatric disorder accounted for 16.38 and 15.7% of the total prevalent illness episodes, confirming that mental and behavioural disorders are the major psychostimulant disorders experienced. The highest (14.45%) contributors to the disorder are direct costs, such as inpatient admissions and the cost of medicines. Also, 34.26% of the selected psychostimulant consumers are willing to quit the consumption. The Logit regression shows that the awareness of the risk associated with substance use and early initiation increases the likelihood of their willingness to quit the psychostimulant use. By addressing the socioeconomic and psychosocial drivers of continued use, these measures can significantly increase willingness to quit psychostimulant use.

Background: Poorly prepared food has been attributed to many deaths over the years, and thousands of people around the world are at risk of foodborne diseases. Thus, the place of food vendors in ensuring safe handling practices in food preparation is of great importance. The objectives of the study were to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of the food vendors, examine food safety knowledge and practice level as well as to determine the factors influencing food safety practice among food vendors in the study area.Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was adopted and multistage sampling technique was used to sample 120 food vendors in the study area. A structured questionnaire designed to meet the study objectives and also validated by the experts in the team was used to elicit information on the socio-economic characteristics, food safety knowledge and food safety practices. The data collected were subjected to descriptive analysis, mean criterion and logit regression using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20.Results: The findings indicated that the majority (87.5%) of the food vendors are female, with a mean age of 36.8 years. The food vendors (84.4%) have good knowledge of food safety but poor practice levels, as the mean criterion value of 1.4 obtained from the study was significantly lower than the standard mean criterion value of 2.5 at 1 percent significance level. Food vendor's age (β = -0.19, p < 0.01) and monthly income (β = 2.77, p < 0.01) significantly impacted food safety practices.Conclusion: Food vendors in the study area have a sufficient understanding of food safety, however the level of food safety practice is low. Educative programmes on proper food handling practices is crucial.

This study, conducted in Yewa North, Ogun State, Nigeria, investigates the effects of conflict on the technical efficiency of 120 randomly selected cassava-based farmers. Results reveal that conflict episodes and their economic costs significantly increase the technical inefficiency of cassava-based farmers. Those unexposed to farmer-herder clashes exhibit lower inefficiency levels. The study highlights the intensity of conflicts, with encroachment of cattle on farmland being a major contributor, leading to forced displacement and economic burdens. Gender imbalances are evident, with a predominantly male farming population, and concerns arise from the relatively low average age of farmers, signaling fewer young individuals engaging in farming. Performed study confirms that the unceasing incidence of herdsmen-farmers conflicts have claimed lives and property, and displaced people, with attendant economic consequences on cassava-based farm household technical efficiency. It is recommended that the designation of grazing fields for nomadic herdsmen, tax imposition, and targeted policy interventions to enhance farmers' production efficiency. The study underscores the need for state governments' intervention, emphasizing policy measures to address farmers-herder's conflicts in promoting agricultural development.

Studies have shown that women’s stronger rights to productive assets, particularly land, are linked to household overall welfare due to increased female intra-household bargaining power. Through in-depth interviews with 282 rural women in Ogun State, Nigeria, this study examines women’s involvement in land-related decision-making in their households as well as its socioeconomic determinants. This study models the empirical relationship between women’s land-related bargaining power over land. Women’s land-related bargaining power was estimated with principal component analysis (PCA), and Tobit regression model was used for its determinants. It was found that the women’s mean age was 44 years. On average, the household size was six persons. Women have low bargaining power regarding household land-related decision-making, particularly bequeathing land. Farm households’ land endowment shows that married monogamous households hold an average of 2.64 hectares, cohabiting monogamous households hold 1.82 hectares, and polygamous households hold an average of 4.01 hectares. Women in polygamous household types have lower (19 per cent) access to households’ land through marriage compared to their monogamous counterparts with 61 per cent and 44 per cent for both married and cohabiting monogamous households. 78 per cent of the women have low land-related bargaining power. A mean score of 0.19 was estimated for women’s land-related bargaining power. Women’s land-related bargaining power is influenced by their marital status among other factors; the reverse is the case of their husbands, regardless of whether they are monogamous or polygamous.

ABSTRACT: Among major development organizations, the unchallenged consensus is that war and conflict are development issues ravaging local economies, often leading to forced migration, refugee populations, and acute food insecurity. Food insecurity when caused by a rise in food prices is a threat for violent conflict. This study was conducted in Nigeria using three types of quantitative data which are the general household panel data, monthly retailed commodity prices, and violent conflict data from 2010 to 2019. This study examines the linkages between conflict, food price shocks, and food security outcomes of households in Nigeria. Per capita daily calorie intake, household dietary diversity, and per capita monthly food consumption were the three food security outcomes used for this study. Fixed effects panel regression models were used to determine the effects of conflict-induced food price shocks on the food security outcomes of households. I was found that dietary diversity appeared to be higher in the first wave than in the other three waves. The measure of dietary diversity for the post-harvests were slightly higher than the post-plantings. The high dietary diversity associated with the post-harvest periods is partly related to the relatively higher net value of foods consumed during the same season. This is because the amount of food calories consumed during the post-harvest periods are relatively lower than the amount consumed during the post-planting periods. Regardless of the conflict level in Nigeria, an increase in conflict-induced price shock of wheat, and rice is associated with a decline in calorie intake, dietary diversity, and the actual food value consumed. The conflict-induced price shocks of other cereals negatively influence the actual food value consumed, and dietary diversity. It is concluded that violent conflict influences some aspects of food insecurity, through adjustment in diets in response to price increases. Conflict-induced price shocks is a necessary condition for food security. Therefore, policy issues aimed at improving the food security outcomes of households in the face of conflict-induced price shocks should focus on price scheme that will stabilise price placing a price floor on food commodities.

Panel data on farm household output for a full range of commodities are scarce, and as a consequence, only a few other studies have considered estimating farm household output supply and input demand response to price changes in Nigeria using panel data within the multiple inputs and multiple outputs frameworks. This study examined the extent to which farm households' respond to production inputs and output price changes using panel data covering the period 2010-2016. Specifically, to determine whether a commodity output's price positively affects its supply and other output categories; and whether an input price negatively affects its usage in Nigeria within the multiple input and multiple output (MI-MO) framework. The translog profit function was used to simultaneously examine the production response of farm households' in terms of the factor demand and produce supply. Seven output supply and four input demand equations were estimated. The results indicated that the response of output supply to own price ranged from 0.59 for animal products and 1.24 for cereals. The own-price demand elasticities of farm input range from -0.82 for mechanisation to -1.46 for intermediate inputs. Also, a substantial degree of farm households' response to input price shocks. Farm inputs and outputs were economic complements to price changes. Therefore, price policy issues aimed at improving the production response of farm households' to both input and output price shocks should be developed with a particular focus on farm inputs.

In paper was used the panel data from the Nigeria General Household Survey and commodity prices from alternative sources between 2010-2016 to estimate farm households' food and non-food demand in Nigeria. The commodity bundles of all the food groups were necessities goods, as their budget elasticities were positive and also inelastic. Animal products were a luxury good. There is no strong complementary and substitutive relationship existing between the commodity groups as the cross price elasticities estimated were smaller than the own price elasticities. Households' expenditure on pulses is not affected by changes in their own prices. Policy issue such as stable food prices is important in ensuring that households are assisted in and encourage consuming balance diets.

It has been widely confirmed that diversity in farm production is a strategy for enhancing nutritional outcomes of smallholders as malnutrition remains widespread in the poor population most especially the Sub-Sahara Africa smallholder households'. Hence, the question of what extent does farm production diversity influence nutritional outcomes of farm households' in Nigeria. This study used 2012-2016 nationally representative households panel data. Two measures of smallholder nutritional outcomes quantities of food calories consumed, and dietary diversity were used as the outcome variable. A food group-based index was used in the estimation of farm production diversification. The farm households have low farm diversity with an index of 0.31. Seasonal analysis of the nutritional outcomes revealed seasonal consumption poverty as the average calorie consumption and dietary diversity were higher in the seasons of the post-harvest than in the post-planting. Production diversity has a positive significant influence on the nutritional outcomes of farm households'. Other demographic drivers of nutritional outcomes were location (rural areas), limited market access, sex, age, and income of the household heads. This study confirmed that even-though, farm production diversity is a crucial factor influencing households' nutritional outcomes, it is important that policy issues aimed at improving households' nutritional outcomes focus on increasing farm production and market-related aspects of smallholder agriculture. Keywords: Calorie, Consumption, Livestock, Market, Season

This study examined the effect of occupational hazards on the technical efficiencies of oil palm processors in Edo State. A multistage sampling procedure was used in selecting 210 oil palm processors in the study area. Data were analyzed using percentages, frequencies, Occupational Hazard Indices and Stochastic Frontier Production Analysis (SFPA). Results revealed that 79%, 90.5% and 80.5% of the processors were male, married and educated respectively. Also, the mean age, processing experience and household size were 42 years, 15 years and 7 persons respectively. The most prevalent occupational hazards experienced were smoke irritation (100%), presser injury (94.3%) and spikelet injury (83.8%). The occupational hazards indices computed were, lost time rate, incidence rate and severity rate with values of 15.85, 23.77 and 2.4 respectively. SFPA revealed that the mean technical efficiency of the oil palm processors was 0.75. Furthermore, palm fruits (β = 0.662, p<0.01), the volume of water used (β = 0.180, p<0.05) and labor in man-day (β = 0.415, p<0.01) increased the production of palm oil. Also, processing experience (β = -0.110, p<0.05),), loss time rate (β = 0.087, p<0.05), incidence rate (β = 0.03, p<0.1), and severity rate (β = -0.098, p<0.01), decreased technical efficiency. The study concluded that occupational hazards had a negative influence on the technical efficiency of oil palm processors. The study recommended that stakeholders in oil palm processing should create health awareness and consistently research occupational hazards peculiar to oil palm processing as well as safety practices to enhance technical efficiency.

This study examined food demand response to rising food prices among farm households in Nigeria using the three waves of the General Household Survey (Panel) conducted between 2010 and 2016. Analysis was within the Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System framework from which price elasticities and compensated and uncompensated expenditure were computed. The results show that higher prices of almost all of the food categories affected their demand by households. Harvest and location dummies as well as household demographic variables were found to influence household food demand. Poor households consumed less of all the food categories compared to their non-poor counterparts. Escalating prices result in a welfare loss of household expenditure on commodity groups such as rice, wheat, pulses, tuber and other food and non-food items. Overall, 70.1% of the households suffered welfare loss that amounted to an average of 7.52% of the household budget annually.

This study examines whether greater women’s household bargaining power is associated with the improvement in children’s welfare in Ogun State, Nigeria. Using data from 320 farm households with a Logit regression model, the study revealed that 31.86 % of children under-five years of age were stunted, 32 % were underweight and 16.2 % were wasted. Children growing up healthy were 62 %, implying that one – third of under-five children in the study area still experience nutrition deficiency. About 3.33 % and 1.05 % children simultaneously experienced stunting and wasting together, which perhaps suggests a harsh deprivation environment. In addition, 63.33 % of women in the study area had low bargaining power implying that they lack control over important decisions in their households. Women who enjoy decision-making power in their households, particularly with large purchasing power, are associated with having children with better height-for-age, mass-for-age, and mass-for-height ratios. Women’s inequality as relates to intra-household bargaining power negatively affects children’s welfare and leads to chronic malnutrition. As a policy recommendation, it is therefore, important to enhance women’s status, which, with time will lead to more investment in their children’s education, health, and overall welfare.

This study examines the socioeconomic determinants of women’s empowerment or bargaining power among married couples living in farm households in Nigeria. A multistage random sampling technique is employed to collect cross-sectional data from 320 farm households aged between 15 to 50 years. Women’s empowerment or bargaining power is measured using 18 questions, and a Tobit regression model is used to analyze all the variables employed. According to the findings, husbands have five more years of formal education than wives and literacy rates are higher for men (62%) than for women (30%). This differenceleads to more decision-making power for men. The result shows that there is a visible gender disparity in the worth and value of assets brought into the marriage, with the men bringing around 34% while that of the women is around 3% making men the main decision-makers and women less empowered. As a policy recommendation, women’s status in society should be enhanced through investment in education and well-being. Additionally, policies and programs aimed at leveraging the bargaining power of the woman in her attempts to make decisions in the household and increasing her empowerment should be formulated and implemented by policymakers.

This study examined the pattern and determinants of asset ownership among farm households in Odeda local government area of Ogun State, Nigeria. Primary data were used for the study which was sourced via a three stage sampling technique. A total of one hundred and twenty farm households were selected. The study models were the principal component analysis, asset index and the ordinary least squares regression analyses. Results revealed that most of the respondents (84%) were less than 50 years, with a mean age of 42 years. Most of them (70%) had over 5 years of formal education. Domestic assets owned by the respondents were radio, refrigerator, transport assets and agricultural productive assets including agricultural land and real estate. Substantial gender disparity in asset ownership was revealed. Wide asset wealth gap in the value of assets accruing to men was higher than that to the women. Inequality was highest for real estate and agricultural land, with an asset wealth gap of 0.32:0.06 and 0.41:0.10 respectively. The pattern of asset ownership showed that television had the highest scoring factor of 0.728 while grinding machine had the least scoring factor of -0.260. The result of regression analysis showed that age (p<0.01), gender (p<0.05), marital status (p<0.01), household size (p<0.10) and education (p<0.01), were the major factors influencing asset ownership among farm households in the study area. The study therefore recommends the need to avail farm households’ access to productive assets through micro financing, savings and credit associations’ activities. There is need to improve the level of education among the rural household heads. Government on its part should enable policies targeted at enhancing women literacy and their access to productive assets.

This study examined the effects of food price spikes on the quantity and quality of the dietary composition of farm households in Nigeria using the 2010/2011, 2012/2013 and 2015/2016 household survey panel data. The fixed effects models were estimated while controlling for participation in non-farm livelihood activities. Analysis indicated that seasonal comparisons of the average per capita daily calorie intake is lowest in the post-harvest season of 2011 (2511.44 kilocalories), which is higher than the average recommended intake. Results showed that rural households had lower per capita calorie intake and dietary diversity than urban households, which may be an indication of a shift in the calorie inadequacy from urban to rural farm households’ setting in Nigeria. In addition, income and education improvement are crucial for raising food calories and satisfaction of hunger needs among households with total food consumption expenditure of 79.0%. The study recommended that a combination of policy strategies, including income growth, agricultural development and targeted food distribution programs could reduce the problems of inadequate calorie consumption among farm households. Keywords: Food price increase, household, nutrition, dietary diversity

This paper analyzed the welfare effects of price changes over categories of farm households in Nigeria taking into consideration the dual role of farm households as both consumer and producer of food between 2010–2016. This study attempts to shed some light on the differences between the direct approach and indirect. Estimated Compensating Variation reveals that 79.0% of farm households were net food buyers and suffered welfare loss (mean = 2.98) with the mean expenditure of N529, 397.5 per annum while 21.0% were net food sellers and enjoyed welfare gain (mean = −1.66) with the mean expenditure of N513, 755.7 per annum. Cereal was identified as food for which the households were most vulnerable to price shocks. When adjustments are allowed, households can adapt their consumption and production patterns resulting in lower deteriorations in welfare with significant differences across quintiles. Therefore, efforts to mitigate extreme price spikes are relevant for improved overall household welfare.

The success of market reforms in developing countries depends to a large extent on the strength of price signals transmitted between different level of markets reflecting extent of market integration and extent to which markets function efficiently. Market integration is an indicator that efficiency exists within the flow of information between markets. This study examined price integration and transmission of food grains markets in Southwest, Nigeria. Time series data of rural and urban retail prices of local and imported rice, cowpea and maize between 2004 to 2013 were obtained from the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) Offices in selected States. The degree of price transmission was analyzed within the framework of Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). The Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root test results revealed that the price series were stationary at first difference. Johansen cointegration results showed that even though two Cointegrating Equations (CEs) exist between linear combinations, some stable long run equilibrium relationships exist among the price series. The study concluded that Rural Price of Local Rice in Lagos State (RPLRLS), Rural Price of Cowpea in Oyo State (RPCOYS) and Rural Price of Maize in Lagos State (RPMLS) occupied the leadership position in price formation and transmission. The study therefore, recommended that policy measures aimed at increasing consumption of local rice, cowpea and maize be implemented, in identifying the leader markets.

This paper investigates the factors affecting consumers’ willingness to pay a premium price for organic products (green vegetables and tomato) in Abeokuta, southwest, Nigeria. The study collected primary data from a sample of 120 respondents. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Contingent Valuation Method (CVM). The results show that respondents are willing to pay a premium price of 59% and 68% for organic green vegetables and tomato, respectively. The results show that the bid price, prior knowledge, safety issues and income were significant for the two models. Moreover, In the first regression model for green vegetable, it was revealed that bid price, prior knowledge, safety issues, concern issues, level of education and income were significant at p<0.01, p<.1, p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.1 and p<0.01, respectively. Analysis further indicates that respondents are willing to pay a premium price for organic products if they have prior knowledge of the greater quality and health benefits. The study further discloses that the respondents with larger size in the household are less likely to pay a premium price for organic products. Analysis also indicates that the higher the price premium of organic products, the lower the respondent’s willingness to pay for organic products. Therefore, efforts aimed at attracting more consumers of organic products by policymakers, together with marketers and producers, should focus more on lowering the price of the organic products.

The study was carried out to examine the technical efficiency of organic and inorganic leafy vegetable production in Ogun State, Nigeria. This study employed the use of multistage sampling technique in selecting one Local Government from each of the four ADPs zones in Ogun state using simple random sampling. A total of one hundred and seven (107) respondents were selected using multi-stage sampling technique and interviewed with the aid of well-structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier production function for the technical efficiency of the farmer. The study reveals that majority of the farmers practicing organic leafy vegetable and inorganic leafy vegetable farming are predominantly males and are married. The mean technical efficiency of the farmers was 0.679. This indicates a fair level of technical efficiency of leafy vegetable production in the study area. More importantly, the study showed that there is no difference between the two categories of farms in terms of technical inefficiencies. Other results from the estimated inefficiency model show that the age, educational level, household size, gender and age square are significant determinants of technical inefficiency. Gender, household size, extension agents’ visit and age squared have negative coefficients with consequent implication of decrease in technical inefficiency level as these variables increase. Age, level of education, farming experience, marital status and socio economic group have positive coefficients implying an increase in technical inefficiency level as these variables increase. The study recommends that the government should introduce the farmers to formal education through adult literacy education and establishment of demonstration farms should be strengthened among the farmers.

The study examined the effect of asset ownership on the poverty status of rural households in Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 109 rural households in the study area. The study utilized primary data collected with the aid of well structure questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Principal Component Analyses (PCA), Asset Incidence, Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) poverty index, and the logit regression model. Asset Incidence results revealed that transport assets, followed by agricultural production assets, domestic assets and animal assets showed wide gender asset gaps in favor of men while productive assets shows a wide gender asset gap in favor of women.. FGT results showed that 59.6% of the respondents were poor while 40.4% were non poor. The result of the logit regression shows that poverty incidence reduced with asset ownership (p<0.01), and a higher level of income (p<0.01). The study therefore concluded that good percentages of the respondents were poor and that poverty level reduced with ownership of assets and increase in income. The study therefore recommends that rural households be sensitized on the importance of asset ownership and engaged in activities that will increase their incomes