This paper takes a critical look at the 20-hectares research/demonstration farm at Bayero University Kano’s Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA) in Kano, Nigeria. The paper examines how knowledge-based mode farm driven by scientific, ethical, and technological innovations contributes to ensuring some level of food security during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main research question driving the current study is: in what ways can universities demonstration farms support urban food security during pandemics? The study circumvented lockdown restriction challenges by deploying elevator pitch approach, walk-in interviews, document analysis, and covert observation to elicit the needed data for the study. The CDA farm produced several tons of variety of vegetables using its clean energy and locally recyclable water sources to secure food needs of some urban households during the lockdown. The ability of the farm to effectively embrace sustainable farming system suggests that transitioning to bioeconomy based food security is achievable and affordable in developing countries. Essentially, the paper recommends the need for universities to take a leading role and responsibility in promoting the principles of bioeconomy in agriculture through engagement and collaborations with municipalities and planned and unplanned urban communities in Africa’s fast urbanising cities.
Improper treatment during recycling of e-waste materials by means of open burning is on the rise which has led to increase in air pollution. This study looked at heavy metal concentrations, concentration in relation to threshold values and assessment of risk for non-carcinogenic and cancer risk threat. MP-AES 4210 series instrument of Agilent technology, USA was used in analyzing the heavy metals (Cd, Cu, and Pb) concentration. The result of the analysis at Kuka Bulukiya treatment point revealed Pb has the highest mean concentration of 0.0693 ppm, Cu 0.0525 ppm and Cd having 0.0042 ppm. The mean concentration at PRP G/Ruwa for Cd was found to be 0.0059 ppm, Cu was 0.0363 ppm and Pb was 0.049 ppm respectively. The result of the adult and children population calculated shows that the HQ and HI values are not up to 1 in all the pathways (inhalation, ingestion, and dermal) at both treatment points (1.2 10 -4 and 9.8 10 -5 ) and (6.4 10 -4 and 5.9 10 -4 ) respectively. The cancer risk for Kuka Bulukiya 6 10 -10 and PRP G/Ruwa 5 10 -10 for adults and 7 10 -10 and 4 10 -10 for children were both lower than the threshold set for cancer risk by United States Environmental Protection Agency. This meant that both adults and children were not at risk of cancer and non-carcinogenic threat based on the assessment in this study. The study concluded that informal e-waste burning has substantially helped in the relatively high levels of air pollution identi ed in the treatment points and in turn posed environmental and public health concerns to people around the area. Climate change adaptation has to do with an environmentally friendly method of dismantling, extracting, refurbishing and recycling of valuable materials that should be at the forefront of policies that will be speci cally enacted on e-waste management in developing countries. If not the adverse effects on the environment, humans (damage reproductive, nervous system, kidney, liver, heart and also lead to birth defects and diseases) and animals will be enormous. Government should identify a suitable location for e-waste collection and treatment points to avert the danger posed to the agricultural practices at PRP G/Ruwa treatment point and the pond at Kuka Bulukiya treatment point. Samples of the vegetable products at PRP G/Ruwa treatment point should be investigated immediately and adequate restrictions and regulations should be enacted and enforced in order to safeguard the environment and the populace. There is need for caution from the authorities to avert the possible implications (e-waste extractors and the public) of being affected with non-carcinogenic or carcinogenic ailments over time.
Noise remains an important challenge, particularly in informal settings where planning and regulation are relatively weak. This study aims at developing a model to predict noise in a largely informal urban Kano, the second most populated city in Nigeria. Sound level meter (SLM) 200 TL was used to measure noise at locations covering different land use: residential, industrial, commercial, educational, and administrative areas. Data were collected for seven days, and each day measurements were taken for six hours: 8–10 a.m., 12–2 p.m. and 4–6 p.m. Land use, population density, residential division, traffic volume, and land cover were used to generate a noise model using weighted geographic regression. The findings revealed that noise in the area is higher than the permissible limits set by the WHO and Nigeria’s regulatory agency. The model identified population density as the most influencing factor, followed by land cover, traffic volume and distance to the road, then land use. Seventy three percent of the model’s residual are below five, indicating a significant association between noise and the variables used. The R2 ranges between 18% and 26% depending on the time of the day. Noise in the area can be effectively control by paying serious attention to city planning and enforcing traffic regulation measures.
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