A B S T R A C TRecently, it is acknowledged that mobile phones provide multiple functionalities and diverse applications that affect all forms of capital accumulation, necessary for sustainable livelihood. However, there is no empirical result regarding the impact of mobile phones on asset accumulation in Nigeria. This study examined the socio-economic determinants of mobile phone use and intensity of use for sustainable capital formation in farming households in Kwara state, Nigeria. Accordingly, 120 rural farming households were randomly sampled and count data on the number of calls made with respect to livelihood capitals generated. Binary logistic regression and zero-inflated negative binomial regression models were used in analyzing the data. The study revealed that 73% of the respondents have access to mobile phone use. The study identifies major uses of mobile phone for sustainable livelihood enhancement activities. Significant determinants of mobile phone use are; possession of formal education, household size, age, marital status, annual farm income, diversity of crop cultivated and the number of family members living outside the community (p<0.05). This study highlights the relevance of mobile phones for sustainable development and recommends the need for increased investment in facilitating access to mobile phone use across rural communities in Nigeria.

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Extent and financial cost of cassava postharvest loss along the cassava value chain in Kwara State, NigeriaAbstract: Cassava has been identified as Africa's second most important staple food after maize, in terms of calories consumed, with Nigeria as the World leading producer. This study estimated postharvest loss of cassava along the cassava value chain in Kwara State. It estimated the size of postharvest loss of cassava; analysed the factors responsible and the financial implications of loss; and identified the strategies employed in the mitigation of loss in the study area. A threestage random sampling technique was used to select 117 cassava farmers whom were administered structured questionnaire to elicit data analysed by the study. Descriptive statistics, Shannon's diversity index and Tobit regression model were the analytical techniques utilised. The results show that 68 % of the loss occurred at the harvesting. The loss was estimated to be about 3.8 t ha −1 . The financial implication was valued at $ 300 ha −1 . Analysis of the factors responsible for cassava postharvest loss showed that the quantity expected at harvesting, household size and age of the farmer were significant factors affecting cassava postharvest loss. The result also revealed that farmers mitigate these losses by processing the roots and reburying unused roots into the soil. Steps needed to reduce loss have to take these factors into consideration to improve the economic status of cassava farmers-processors. Obseg in stroški izgube v pridelovalni verigi manioke po spravilu pridelka v državi Kwara, NigeriaIzvleček: Manioka je postala za koruzo v Afriki druga najpomembnejša vsakodnevna hrana glede zaužitih kalorij, z Nigerijo kot vodilnim svetovnim pridelovalcem. V raziskavi je bila ocenjena velikost izgube pridelka manioke po spravilu. Analizirani so bili dejavniki, odgovorni za izgubo in njene finančne posledice. Identificirane so bile strategije, ki so bile uporabljene za blaženje izgub na preučevanem območju. Uporabljena je bila tristopenska metoda vzorčenja, v kateri je bilo 117 pridelovalcev manioke, ki so izpolnili vprašalnik za pridobitev podatkov analiziranih v tej raziskavi. Za analizo pridobljeni podatkov so bile uporabljenne metode opisne statistike, Shannonov diverzitetni indeks in Tobit regresijski model. Rezultati kažejo, da je 68 % izgube nastalo med spravilom. Izguba je bila ocenjena na okrog 3,8 t ha −1 , njena vrednost pa $ 300 ha −1 . Analiza dejavnikov, odgovornih za izgubo pridelka manioke po spravilu je pokazala, da so bili pri tem najpomembnejši velikost pričakovanega pridelka, velikost gospodinjstev in starost pridelovalcev. Rezultati so še pokazali, da pridelovalci zmanjšujejo izgubo pridelka po spravilu s predelovanje in ponovnim zakopavanjem v tla. Koraki, potrebni za zmanjšanje izgube pridelka so torej upoštevanje teh dejavnikov in s tem izboljšati ekonomičnost predelave manioke pri pridelovalcih Ključne besede: manioka; izguba po spravilu; finančna ocena; Shannonov diverzitetni indeks; Tobit regresija

The local effect of extractive industries on households’ living standards is viewed in this study as a signal of non-homothetic preferences for education. Hydrocarbonbased industries are intensive in capital and high-skilled labor; our theory predicts that further development could increase investment in education due to local employment opportunities. However, investment in education can generate surplus skilled labor. Under imperfect markets, these constitute dynamic social costs with weak backward integration and ambiguous implications on welfare. Using annual household data from the Niger Delta between 2010 to 2016, we employ a geographic difference-in-difference estimation that exploits spatial and temporal variation in oil production and locations. We find that costs of living are higher by proximity to oil fields but find that the mechanism is via non-homothetic preferences for education. We find inconclusive evidence on other welfare indicators; limited employment opportunities in non-oil sectors may explain the weak backward linkages and potential positive spillovers. JEL Codes: O13, O18, Q32, J24, I2, R20

The increase in relative level of education and the growing middle-class income earners in Nigeria have made packaged food items attractive to consumers. These foods provide handy, nutritious and convenient food for consumers; however, they also come with public health concerns. From a policy perspective, food labelling can gauge consumers' response to the safety conditions of packaged food. However, understanding consumers' awareness and the use of food label information has attracted little research attention in many developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, we investigated consumers' awareness of the use of food safety labels in Lagos state, Nigeria. We used primary data collected using pretested structured questionnaire from 220 food shoppers who bought pre-packaged foods. A two-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Consumers' awareness and use of food safety information was revealed using descriptive statistics; Ordinal Regression Analysis was used to examine the socioeconomic factors determining the frequency of reading food safety labels. We found evidence of the influence of socioeconomic characteristics on how consumers read food labels. The study therefore recommends that there should be continuous awareness campaigns on the importance of food labels in ensuring safety and food producers should make sure their food labels are legible.