No abstract

Available statistics confirmed that men have access to credit more than women in Nigeria because men have assets which serve as collateral for accessing credit. Credit is essential to farmers, especially the small-scale farmers who have limited capital for their production but constitute the greatest force in food production in many developing countries. The study was carried out to investigate micro-loan sizes accessed by male and female small-scale agro-entrepreneurs in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria on a comparative basis. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect data from 373 respondents who were either client of formal, semiformal or informal microcredit institutions. Z-test results revealed that loan sizes accessed from formal source showed that there was no significant difference between the mean amount accessed by men and women borrowers. Also for the informal micro-credit, there was no significant difference (p>0.50) between the mean amount of loan accessed by male and female agroentrepreneur borrowers. The result of the semiformal loans showed that there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the mean amount of loan, accessed by male and female borrowers. The study recommends that micro-credit schemes which are the major strategy for formal financial inclusion in Nigeria have really impacted positively on women's loan sizes, and should be sustained to close the gap existing between men and women in accessing microcredit.

The study examined the socio-economic determinants of level of adoption of risk management strategies by fish farmers in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State. The study specifically described the socioeconomic characteristics of fish farmers, identified the various sources of risk and determined the socioeconomic factors that influence the level of adoption of risk management strategies. A two-stage sampling technique was used to select sixty-seven (67) fish farmers. Structured questionnaire and interview schedule were used for data collection. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and multiple regression. The result showed that majority were young male with an average age of 40 years. The most common sources of risk were the fluctuation in prices of fish feed and fish. The age of farmers, household size, and farming experience were some of the factors that influenced the adoption to risk management strategies. However due to the inadequate extension service activities, farmers were not able to fully utilize the different and essential risk management strategies. Hence, the study recommends that young women should be encouraged to invest in fish farming business. Also, extension agents should be encouraged to disseminate useful information to farmers on essential risk management strategies.

The study examined gender roles in climate change adaptation strategies used by cassavabased farmers in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. It specifically described the socio-economic characteristics of cassava farmers across all gender levels, identified adaptation strategies practiced by these farmers across gender levels and the problems encountered by cassava farmers in the use of adaptation strategies in the study area. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 60 respondents in the study area. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results of socio-economic characteristics of the farmers showed that 56.6% of the male farmers were married which is greater than 46.60% of the married females. The males had more average income of N1,620,000.13 compared to N 133,000.66 for the females. The females had more farm experience than the males, while the male cultivated larger farms. The main adaptation strategies used by cassava farmers in the study area were change of planting date, moving to a different site, mixed cropping and changing the timing of land preparation. Irregular extension services were the major constraint faced by the cassava farmers with a mean value of 3.722 for male farmers and mean of 4.411 for female farmers. It is concluded that gender plays several roles in climate change adaptation strategies in cassava-based farming in the study area. Based on the findings, efforts should be made by government and relevant stakeholders to educate cassava farmers on climate change adaptation strategies along gender lines.

Digital finance is widely regarded as one of the most effective means of financially empowering women and increasing their financial inclusion. On the other hand, cybercriminals are constantly looking for new ways to exploit vulnerabilities and developing ever more sophisticated attack methods. As a result, the cyber risk exposures and prevention of female heads of farm households in Southern Nigeria were investigated in this paper. Unsuccessful transactions by mobile applications and POINT OF SALES (POS) terminals were often encountered by female heads, and yet their money was debited, and it took a long time for their money that was debited from unsuccessful transactions to be reversed. Avoiding lonely ATMs and not going to the ATM during late hours, ignoring emails and text messages instructing them to provide online banking details, no longer using birthdates, addresses, and other words or numbers that would make it easier for attackers to figure out their passwords, and not using the same passwords for all their different accounts were the most common cybersecurity measures used by female heads. Access to digital financial products and services was influenced by factors such as marital status, household size, business experience, internet access, possession of an ICT device, and perceived security risks. These findings call for interventions by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through policies that will improve consumer education and reduce vulnerabilities, especially among women. The CBN should also develop a forum that is easily accessible to customers for filing complaints, and erring banks should be sanctioned.