EZINNE EMEANA - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by EZINNE EMEANA

International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

In Kuje Area Council, Abuja, research was conducted to examine women's empowerment in cassava pro... more In Kuje Area Council, Abuja, research was conducted to examine women's empowerment in cassava production as a means of reducing household poverty. The 100 respondents for the study were chosen using a simple random sampling procedure. The study's precise objectives were met using descriptive statistics. The average age of the responders was found to be 40.62. The majority of the respondents were married, with an average household size of 6.08 people. The majority of the respondents had a secondary education and an average of 6.12 years of experience. The respondents' average farm size was 2.47 hectares, with an annual income of N187,241.37. Demand for Cassava products is the most important factor influencing the intensity of Cassava production and processing in the research region, while the ADP is the most important source of empowerment initiative among women Cassava farmers. Access to inputs is the greatest impediment to women's empowerment in the research area. Government and even commercial extension groups should ensure that agro-inputs are widely available and accessible to women Cassava farmers, particularly in the study area, it was proposed. In addition, financial institutions should ensure that agro-loans are made available to women farmers and that gender obstacles that prevent women from accessing credit are addressed.

International Journal of Agricultural Economics

This study explored smallholder farmers' perception on the uptake of agricultural innovat... more This study explored smallholder farmers' perception on the uptake of agricultural innovations in Kuje area council of Abuja, FCT. The study was carried out in three communities in Kuje namely, Chukuku, Chibiri and Dafara. The study was guided basically by four objectives which were all analysed using descriptive statistics. The communities in which the study was carried out were sampled purposively and 80 smallholder farmers were in total selected from the three communities. Well structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data. However, assistance was given to a few farmers who weren't literate enough to read the contents of the questionnaire. Findings from the study were presented in frequency and percentage distribution tables. Results from the study revealed that smallholder farmers had varying perceptions about agricultural innovations ranging from good, bad to indifferent. Most of the smallholder farmers in the study area believed that agricultural innovations are good, they however insisted that agricultural innovations were sometimes difficult to understand and also there were issues with poor follow up by the introducer of innovations (mostly agricultural extension agent). Based on this, it was recommended that: agricultural innovations should meet the needs of farmers and should be at their level of understanding. Also, introducers of agricultural innovations should endeavour to improve on their follow up activities to ensure ultimate uptake of innovation by farmers.

The main objective of this study was to identify the problems associated with financing community... more The main objective of this study was to identify the problems associated with financing community development projects in Obowo Area of Imo state. The specific objectives were to: determine the sources of financing community development projects, identify the commonest projects initiated and executed in the community, describe the roles of these source In financing community development projects, examine the problems of financing community development projects, and to make policy recommendations based on the findings. One hundred and twenty {120} respondents were randomly selected from ten (10) autonomous communities in Obowo Area of Imo state. Data were obtained using structured questionnaire. Simple statistical tools such as frequency, percentages, and tables, were used in data analysis. Results s showed that the self-help group is the most available source (99.1%) than other sources. The major problems encountered during financing/execution of the projects include: Embezzlement o...

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the University's requirements for the Degree of Docto... more A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the University's requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy i Research declaration The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge entirely my own, any use of materials from others is appropriately acknowledged as reference in-text citations and compiled accordingly in the bibliography. I also declare that all the activities carried out to complete this project complied with the Coventry University research ethics policy. Signature Date 11/06/2021 "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." Paulo Coelho, the Alchemist At first, it appeared like a mountain without any path to the top, but with all the wonderful people I met at the foothill, I found me. Thank you, Michel Pimbert, Carol Fox and Mina Thompson, for your absolute support that saw me through to this end! My profound gratitude to my supervisory team for helping me to stair through the shores of this PhD journey. I am indebted to my ever-helpful Director of Studies, Liz Trenchard-like a caring parent you have thought me how to navigate through the toughest storms, always patient and ready to listen to me no matter your schedule, offer comfort during my rollercoaster episodes, or help structure and make sense of my winded sentences. It does take a team to pull together, and you have made one. Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz, my second supervisor, thank you for encouraging me to try my wings for peerreview publications and your readiness to always step in with your advice and input. I must say that it really paid off. Siraj Shaikh, my third supervisor, thank you for your experience and encouragement. And to you Kunal Bose, you became interested in my research and made me see the bigger picture of this thesis, I say thank you. This journey will not have taken place without the foundational support of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I sincerely appreciate my generational hero, the former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for honouring me with great opportunity to start this journey. My heartfelt gratitude goes to the National University Commission and the Federal Scholarship Board for their Support. Also, a big thank you to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abuja for granting my study leave. I once researched about how PhD life is and lots of people highlighted it as a lonely one, but I will say it has been a great journey full of amazing people and experiences. To all my friends and colleagues in the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience and to all the members of the Operations Team, I say thank you. Julia Wright, you have always made me believe in myself even from the start with your passion for agroecology and extension services, thank you ever so much for your comments on my manuscripts. Thank you, Ernest Nnadi for your inspirational advice. A special thank you to Paola iii Guzman Rodriguez, my unanticipated sister! Your lightening conversations, hugs and vegetables for share made life meaningful. A special thank you to the Executive Director of the National Agricultural and Research Liaison Services [NAERLS] Prof. M.K Othman for his hospitality and the opportunity he availed me to meet special people their incredible support saw this work through. To you Mr Basil Okoro and all my study participants, I say a big thank you! Finally, my sincere appreciation to my entire family, I am forever indebted to you Kenneth Azubuike my behind the scene technical advisor, Norah Emeana my evergreen support officer and Virginus Amushie my start off light. With special thanks to my siblings-Kenneth, Ugochukwu and Ezinwanne and to my beloved stars-Ogoamaka, Chimezirim, Osisioma, Rejoice and Sullivan for their enduring love and passion for education. iv Dedication This journey would not have been complete without the grace, mercy and favour of Almighty God. This thesis is dedicated to my entire family (the Emeana's, Amushie's and Azubuike's) for their encouragement and support throughout this journey. Without them, I would not have been on this level today. This piece is also dedicated to my late father, Christian Onwenieke Emeana, of whose dream I have accomplished. Daddy, as you rest in heaven, I am confident that you are proud of me. Despite all the rollercoaster challenges, I got to the finish line.

Considering the important role extension agents perform in the rural community, potential exists ... more Considering the important role extension agents perform in the rural community, potential exists to measure the performance of extension workers from the smallholder perspective. The study investigated farmers' perceptions of agricultural extension agents' performance in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Data were collected with structured questionnaires distributed to 200 rural smallholder farmers and 20 agricultural extension agents using a multiple stage sampling technique. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of extension agents on agricultural production. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square analysis was used to test significant relationship between farmers' perception regarding the role of extension services and increase in crop production. The result of the socio and demographic characteristics of the farmers showed that more than half (59%) are within the active age and are married and had one form of education or the other. The estimated chi-square value of 12.84 revealed that there is no statistical significant relationship between extension services and increase in crop production among farmers in the study area. In addition, majority (89%) of the respondents perceived lack of regular contacts with extension agents as a great challenge in the area, while a large proportion (82%) of the respondents reported that extension services was not effective in the area. However, since contact with extension agents was ineffective, the results obtained showed that smallholder farmers preferred traditional ICT, mainly radio (63%) as their main source of accessing agricultural information. The study however recommends that government should employ and train more agricultural graduates. More extension workers need to be hired in order to significantly reduce the problem of the extension workers to farm families' ratio which is currently 1:3000 in Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Sustainability, 2020

The provision of information through mobile phone-enabled agricultural information services (m-Ag... more The provision of information through mobile phone-enabled agricultural information services (m-Agri services) has the potential to revolutionise agriculture and significantly improve smallholder farmers’ livelihoods in Africa. Globally, the benefits of m-Agri services include facilitating farmers’ access to financial services and sourcing agricultural information about input use, practices, and market prices. There are very few published literature sources that focus on the potential benefits of m-Agri services in Africa and none of which explore their sustainability. This study, therefore, explores the evolution, provision, and sustainability of these m-Agri services in Africa. An overview of the current landscape of m-Agri services in Africa is provided and this illustrates how varied these services are in design, content, and quality. Key findings from the exploratory literature review reveal that services are highly likely to fail to achieve their intended purpose or be abandone...

Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 2018

ABSTRACT Agroecological farming approaches sustain food production with zero or reduced dependenc... more ABSTRACT Agroecological farming approaches sustain food production with zero or reduced dependence on agro-chemicals. This study investigated the impact of the public agricultural extension activities in enhancing the transition to agroecological approaches, in particular organic farming, in south-eastern Nigeria. Data were collected from 30 farmers and 20 extension personnel using in-depth interviews. The respondents were selected using a purposeful random sampling technique. The results show that extension and advisory activities are influenced by current agricultural policy. Extension personnel currently focus almost exclusively on intensive agricultural practices because of the agricultural transformation agenda which surprisingly ignores the principles of organic farming. Factors such as policy, social, environmental, research, and extension management were observed to impede organic farming transition. It is concluded that there is need for a clearly enunciated organic agriculture policy that supports farmers, organic agricultural research, and information dissemination. A participatory approach in policy formulation and information dissemination that incorporates farmers’ traditional knowledge with capacity to strengthen the agricultural information dissemination structure is recommended to improve agroecological transition.

Farmers’ transition to agro-ecology is an ambitious challenge requiring a concerted effort to ups... more Farmers’ transition to agro-ecology is an ambitious challenge requiring a concerted effort to upscale adoption. Information communication technology (ICT) plays a significant role in improving smallholder farmer’s livelihoods by linking them to markets, access to weather forecasts, agricultural techniques and other essential services. Hence, application of ICT such as mobile phone in agroecology could address the challenges in agro-ecological transition. Nigeria is amongst the subSaharan countries where agro-ecology is yet to gain a foothold. Mobile phone companies have invested extensively in Nigeria taking advantage of the huge population which was estimated at 191 million in 2017, resulting in improved access to mobile and internet facilities. Hence, Nigeria appears set for a pioneering revolution in ICT application for agro-ecology transition. In a six month pilot, a mobile phone-enabled platform known as SmartAgroecology was developed with 30 farmers and 20 extension personnel ...

International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

In Kuje Area Council, Abuja, research was conducted to examine women's empowerment in cassava pro... more In Kuje Area Council, Abuja, research was conducted to examine women's empowerment in cassava production as a means of reducing household poverty. The 100 respondents for the study were chosen using a simple random sampling procedure. The study's precise objectives were met using descriptive statistics. The average age of the responders was found to be 40.62. The majority of the respondents were married, with an average household size of 6.08 people. The majority of the respondents had a secondary education and an average of 6.12 years of experience. The respondents' average farm size was 2.47 hectares, with an annual income of N187,241.37. Demand for Cassava products is the most important factor influencing the intensity of Cassava production and processing in the research region, while the ADP is the most important source of empowerment initiative among women Cassava farmers. Access to inputs is the greatest impediment to women's empowerment in the research area. Government and even commercial extension groups should ensure that agro-inputs are widely available and accessible to women Cassava farmers, particularly in the study area, it was proposed. In addition, financial institutions should ensure that agro-loans are made available to women farmers and that gender obstacles that prevent women from accessing credit are addressed.

International Journal of Agricultural Economics

This study explored smallholder farmers' perception on the uptake of agricultural innovat... more This study explored smallholder farmers' perception on the uptake of agricultural innovations in Kuje area council of Abuja, FCT. The study was carried out in three communities in Kuje namely, Chukuku, Chibiri and Dafara. The study was guided basically by four objectives which were all analysed using descriptive statistics. The communities in which the study was carried out were sampled purposively and 80 smallholder farmers were in total selected from the three communities. Well structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data. However, assistance was given to a few farmers who weren't literate enough to read the contents of the questionnaire. Findings from the study were presented in frequency and percentage distribution tables. Results from the study revealed that smallholder farmers had varying perceptions about agricultural innovations ranging from good, bad to indifferent. Most of the smallholder farmers in the study area believed that agricultural innovations are good, they however insisted that agricultural innovations were sometimes difficult to understand and also there were issues with poor follow up by the introducer of innovations (mostly agricultural extension agent). Based on this, it was recommended that: agricultural innovations should meet the needs of farmers and should be at their level of understanding. Also, introducers of agricultural innovations should endeavour to improve on their follow up activities to ensure ultimate uptake of innovation by farmers.

The main objective of this study was to identify the problems associated with financing community... more The main objective of this study was to identify the problems associated with financing community development projects in Obowo Area of Imo state. The specific objectives were to: determine the sources of financing community development projects, identify the commonest projects initiated and executed in the community, describe the roles of these source In financing community development projects, examine the problems of financing community development projects, and to make policy recommendations based on the findings. One hundred and twenty {120} respondents were randomly selected from ten (10) autonomous communities in Obowo Area of Imo state. Data were obtained using structured questionnaire. Simple statistical tools such as frequency, percentages, and tables, were used in data analysis. Results s showed that the self-help group is the most available source (99.1%) than other sources. The major problems encountered during financing/execution of the projects include: Embezzlement o...

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the University's requirements for the Degree of Docto... more A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the University's requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy i Research declaration The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge entirely my own, any use of materials from others is appropriately acknowledged as reference in-text citations and compiled accordingly in the bibliography. I also declare that all the activities carried out to complete this project complied with the Coventry University research ethics policy. Signature Date 11/06/2021 "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." Paulo Coelho, the Alchemist At first, it appeared like a mountain without any path to the top, but with all the wonderful people I met at the foothill, I found me. Thank you, Michel Pimbert, Carol Fox and Mina Thompson, for your absolute support that saw me through to this end! My profound gratitude to my supervisory team for helping me to stair through the shores of this PhD journey. I am indebted to my ever-helpful Director of Studies, Liz Trenchard-like a caring parent you have thought me how to navigate through the toughest storms, always patient and ready to listen to me no matter your schedule, offer comfort during my rollercoaster episodes, or help structure and make sense of my winded sentences. It does take a team to pull together, and you have made one. Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz, my second supervisor, thank you for encouraging me to try my wings for peerreview publications and your readiness to always step in with your advice and input. I must say that it really paid off. Siraj Shaikh, my third supervisor, thank you for your experience and encouragement. And to you Kunal Bose, you became interested in my research and made me see the bigger picture of this thesis, I say thank you. This journey will not have taken place without the foundational support of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I sincerely appreciate my generational hero, the former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for honouring me with great opportunity to start this journey. My heartfelt gratitude goes to the National University Commission and the Federal Scholarship Board for their Support. Also, a big thank you to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abuja for granting my study leave. I once researched about how PhD life is and lots of people highlighted it as a lonely one, but I will say it has been a great journey full of amazing people and experiences. To all my friends and colleagues in the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience and to all the members of the Operations Team, I say thank you. Julia Wright, you have always made me believe in myself even from the start with your passion for agroecology and extension services, thank you ever so much for your comments on my manuscripts. Thank you, Ernest Nnadi for your inspirational advice. A special thank you to Paola iii Guzman Rodriguez, my unanticipated sister! Your lightening conversations, hugs and vegetables for share made life meaningful. A special thank you to the Executive Director of the National Agricultural and Research Liaison Services [NAERLS] Prof. M.K Othman for his hospitality and the opportunity he availed me to meet special people their incredible support saw this work through. To you Mr Basil Okoro and all my study participants, I say a big thank you! Finally, my sincere appreciation to my entire family, I am forever indebted to you Kenneth Azubuike my behind the scene technical advisor, Norah Emeana my evergreen support officer and Virginus Amushie my start off light. With special thanks to my siblings-Kenneth, Ugochukwu and Ezinwanne and to my beloved stars-Ogoamaka, Chimezirim, Osisioma, Rejoice and Sullivan for their enduring love and passion for education. iv Dedication This journey would not have been complete without the grace, mercy and favour of Almighty God. This thesis is dedicated to my entire family (the Emeana's, Amushie's and Azubuike's) for their encouragement and support throughout this journey. Without them, I would not have been on this level today. This piece is also dedicated to my late father, Christian Onwenieke Emeana, of whose dream I have accomplished. Daddy, as you rest in heaven, I am confident that you are proud of me. Despite all the rollercoaster challenges, I got to the finish line.

Considering the important role extension agents perform in the rural community, potential exists ... more Considering the important role extension agents perform in the rural community, potential exists to measure the performance of extension workers from the smallholder perspective. The study investigated farmers' perceptions of agricultural extension agents' performance in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Data were collected with structured questionnaires distributed to 200 rural smallholder farmers and 20 agricultural extension agents using a multiple stage sampling technique. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of extension agents on agricultural production. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square analysis was used to test significant relationship between farmers' perception regarding the role of extension services and increase in crop production. The result of the socio and demographic characteristics of the farmers showed that more than half (59%) are within the active age and are married and had one form of education or the other. The estimated chi-square value of 12.84 revealed that there is no statistical significant relationship between extension services and increase in crop production among farmers in the study area. In addition, majority (89%) of the respondents perceived lack of regular contacts with extension agents as a great challenge in the area, while a large proportion (82%) of the respondents reported that extension services was not effective in the area. However, since contact with extension agents was ineffective, the results obtained showed that smallholder farmers preferred traditional ICT, mainly radio (63%) as their main source of accessing agricultural information. The study however recommends that government should employ and train more agricultural graduates. More extension workers need to be hired in order to significantly reduce the problem of the extension workers to farm families' ratio which is currently 1:3000 in Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Sustainability, 2020

The provision of information through mobile phone-enabled agricultural information services (m-Ag... more The provision of information through mobile phone-enabled agricultural information services (m-Agri services) has the potential to revolutionise agriculture and significantly improve smallholder farmers’ livelihoods in Africa. Globally, the benefits of m-Agri services include facilitating farmers’ access to financial services and sourcing agricultural information about input use, practices, and market prices. There are very few published literature sources that focus on the potential benefits of m-Agri services in Africa and none of which explore their sustainability. This study, therefore, explores the evolution, provision, and sustainability of these m-Agri services in Africa. An overview of the current landscape of m-Agri services in Africa is provided and this illustrates how varied these services are in design, content, and quality. Key findings from the exploratory literature review reveal that services are highly likely to fail to achieve their intended purpose or be abandone...

Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 2018

ABSTRACT Agroecological farming approaches sustain food production with zero or reduced dependenc... more ABSTRACT Agroecological farming approaches sustain food production with zero or reduced dependence on agro-chemicals. This study investigated the impact of the public agricultural extension activities in enhancing the transition to agroecological approaches, in particular organic farming, in south-eastern Nigeria. Data were collected from 30 farmers and 20 extension personnel using in-depth interviews. The respondents were selected using a purposeful random sampling technique. The results show that extension and advisory activities are influenced by current agricultural policy. Extension personnel currently focus almost exclusively on intensive agricultural practices because of the agricultural transformation agenda which surprisingly ignores the principles of organic farming. Factors such as policy, social, environmental, research, and extension management were observed to impede organic farming transition. It is concluded that there is need for a clearly enunciated organic agriculture policy that supports farmers, organic agricultural research, and information dissemination. A participatory approach in policy formulation and information dissemination that incorporates farmers’ traditional knowledge with capacity to strengthen the agricultural information dissemination structure is recommended to improve agroecological transition.

Farmers’ transition to agro-ecology is an ambitious challenge requiring a concerted effort to ups... more Farmers’ transition to agro-ecology is an ambitious challenge requiring a concerted effort to upscale adoption. Information communication technology (ICT) plays a significant role in improving smallholder farmer’s livelihoods by linking them to markets, access to weather forecasts, agricultural techniques and other essential services. Hence, application of ICT such as mobile phone in agroecology could address the challenges in agro-ecological transition. Nigeria is amongst the subSaharan countries where agro-ecology is yet to gain a foothold. Mobile phone companies have invested extensively in Nigeria taking advantage of the huge population which was estimated at 191 million in 2017, resulting in improved access to mobile and internet facilities. Hence, Nigeria appears set for a pioneering revolution in ICT application for agro-ecology transition. In a six month pilot, a mobile phone-enabled platform known as SmartAgroecology was developed with 30 farmers and 20 extension personnel ...