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Background: Mental health problems disproportionately affect young people in developing countries. However, there is limited research on help-seeking behaviours and the social support systems that improve mental wellbeing among vulnerable youth populations. Objective: This mixed-methods study aimed to examine the relationship between social support reciprocity and mental health among young informal construction workers in Nigeria, a population at high-risk for occupational and socioeconomic stressors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 686 informal workers to measure reciprocity, mental health-related quality of life, and covariates. In-depth interviews with 32 participants provided qualitative context. Results: Quantitative analyses showed 25% of participants reported poor mental health. Reciprocity positively predicted mental health after controlling for covariates. Qualitative findings revealed reciprocity occurs directly between individuals as well as indirectly through trade unions and religious groups. Indirect exchanges through groups helped address limitations of direct support due to limited resources. Conclusions: This study fills important gaps in understanding how social relationships impact mental health in developing country contexts. Findings emphasize the role of collective action and community-based support systems in promoting mental wellbeing among vulnerable populations. Insights can inform culturally relevant, systems-level mental health interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the factors that influence the selection and productivity of informal service-oriented family enterprises in Nigeria. Using nationally representative micro-data from the Nigerian General Household Survey (2010–2015), we employed random-effect probit and selectivity-adjusted regression models to estimate and analyze the results. The findings reveal that the location of informal Non-Farm Household Enterprises (NFHEs)–whether home-based or non-home-based—significantly impacts the wholesale, retail, personal, and consultancy service sectors operated by informal NFHEs. This impact remains significant even after accounting for variations in individuals, households, or locational characteristics. Furthermore, when considering selectivity in the earnings equation, we found that home-based informal enterprises exhibit lower productivity compared to non-home-based enterprises, a difference that varies across sectors. Overall, factors such as the gender of business owners, educational levels, geopolitical zones, infrastructure, and business characteristics play a crucial role in determining the locational and productivity disparities among service-oriented enterprises in Nigeria. Key recommendations stemming from this study include addressing gender-based segregation and economic disparities, prioritising financial inclusion for small business development, bridging infrastructure gaps, and implementing policies that acknowledge and bolster the informal sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A definitive element of labor market is gender-based occupational segregation. Most previous studies on the subject of gender and labor have concentrated on gender mainstreaming and glass ceiling in formal economy with little attention to gender and informal economy. Hence, there has been very little attention to men venturing into female areas of traditional informal economy of Africa. This article, therefore, contributes fresh insights and interesting new knowledge on the emerging gender dynamics in contexts of Africa's informal economy usually dominated by women. This article investigates men's involvement in hairdressing, an area commonly considered as women's jobs, the factors that led men to engage in hairdressing, the unique challenges male hairdressers face as a result of working in a female-dominated field, and their coping mechanisms. Qualitative and quantitative data gathered were analyzed through Content analysis (qualitative data) and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS; quantitative data). Quantitative data were analyzed at univariate and bivariate levels. The results show that a large percentage of the customers prefer Male Hairdressers as they believe male hairdressers are good at the profession. Findings suggest the country's high unemployment rate is, largely accountable, for men's venturing into the Hairdressing Industry as an adaptive mechanism in complicated and precarious socioeconomic context and tidal system of social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurial activities are fast becoming the primary means of livelihood as an increasing number of people are embracing it to overcome socio-economic challenges. However, many in certain sectors of the entrepreneurial activities are faced with many policy challenges. This study seeks to find out the lived experiences of the retailers involved in entrepreneurial activities related to the border closure and the effect of the policy on entrepreneurs' businesses as it influences the informal sector in the Ibadan metropolis. The study adopts the Mertons' Functionalist theory to situate study concepts. The descriptive research design with the use of qualitative methodology was adopted for the study. The in-depth interview was conducted with 10 entrepreneurs in the Ibadan metropolis and analysed in themes in line with the study objectives. This is adjudged sufficient for a qualitative study and many of the responses were almost similar. Study findings show that there have been more complaints about their activities since the border closure policy was enacted. That is, the state of entrepreneurial activities has been deteriorating since the implementation of the policy. However, irrespective of the challenges, the study reveals that the entrepreneurs still make their profit, even though at a reduced rate. Based on the findings, it was recommended that entrepreneurs be educated and sensitised on the impact and usefulness of any government decision on the business environment to prevent opposition within the society. In addition, the porosity of the border (land border) and not the closure of the wall should be of much concern to the government and their officials; hence, the government should tighten up the borders by having strict regulations when it comes to trading, importation and exportation of commodities across borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exposed weaknesses in the health systems of countries such as Nigeria, which affected the effectiveness of the health system response to the pandemic. This paper provides new knowledge on the level of the availability, effectiveness and equity of resources in response to COVID-19 in Nigeria. This is valuable information for improving the delivery of countermeasures against future pandemics. Methods The study was conducted at the federal level and in two states in Nigeria. The states were Lagos in the southwest and Enugu in the southeast. In-depth interviews were undertaken with 34 key informants. NVivo version 12 software was used for coding and thematic analysis. Results There were inadequate, inequitable and suboptimal resources (human, financial, equipment and materials) for the response. In some of the countermeasures, only people that were employed in the formal sector benefitted from the distribution of welfare materials and financial packages; the informal sector, which constitutes the majority of the poor population in Nigeria, was excluded. Conclusions Inequity and suboptimal availability of resources to control COVID-19 led to reduced effectiveness of the health system response to the disease in Nigeria. Such negative factors must be mitigated in future responses to pandemics in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that influence the patronage of street food vendor in Nigeria. The data for this study was collected from 385 street food customers in northwest Nigeria, and was analyzed using multiple regression. Also, composite reliability and Average Variance Extracted were used to test the reliability and validity of the instrument. The finding shows that patronage of street food vendor is taken as a function of quality food, value for money and familiarity of the food contents. Since the industry is one of the sources of employment generation, understanding what makes people patronize them can be a contribution to the development of the literature and an important step in designing a more effective policy mechanism for economic growth. Informal sectors are under researched and most researchers delved more on formal economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the subject of numerous scholarly discussions. However, scholars have yet to pay more attention to the link between its official containment measures and the struggle of informal workers for sustainable livelihoods in Nigeria. This study argues that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown policing was one aspect of the state-society encounter that had a deleterious effect on the economic security of vulnerable populations. The research employs the thesis of neoliberalism and a qualitative-dominant mixed methods approach to explore this state-society encounter during the pandemic. It concludes that a subtle and humane approach to policing in emergencies presents a more civil engagement in policy enforcement that would foster happier encounters between security forces and the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal ready-to-eat food vending is an important, cheap, convenient, accessible and readily available urban food supply sector that has become an increasingly important part of the diets of people in developing cities in Africa and throughout other contexts in the Global South. Over decades, despite challenges associated with health and hygiene, street foods have been informally accepted as part of the urban food supply system, particularly among the urban poor. Despite the importance of street foods to food security and employment needs in urban Nigeria and elsewhere, very little is known about the governance arrangements (whether formal or informal) revolving around their food provisioning practices. The paper explores governance arrangements that steer and shape food provisioning practices in Ibadan, Nigeria. Taking a social practice approach, the paper analyses the interconnections between governance and ready-to-eat food vending practices. It doing so, it draws on insights generated through a qualitative study incorporating in-depth interviews and participant observation methods to understand different governance arrangements revolving around food vending practices. The findings reveal that formal and informal governance structures are jointly steering and shaping practices of informal ready-to-eat food vending. They furthermore highlight the crucial role informal middlemen fulfill in informal food governance chains. These insights provide new avenues for thinking about food governance of urban food supply systems in terms of co-governance between formal and informal actors. They also provide empirical evidence that can aid policy application and implementation on urban food supply systems going forward. The paper concludes by discussing the potential of a co-governance informal food sector framework that recognizes and encompasses the formal-informal nature of the food sector. Such an approach recognizes and involves informal middlemen in the governance of informal ready-to-eat street food vending embedded in a larger framework of food system governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the role of the informal sector in unemployment reduction in Delta State vis-a-vis Ethiope East local government area. Unemployment has been a hydra problem in the country, and the youths happen to be the most vulnerable cum volatile among the population of the country. In that regard, there have been incessant calls by various top government functionaries, economic experts, international organizations, bureaucrats, and academics, for a diversification of the economy but to no avail. One sector that has not been given full support by the Nigerian government is the informal sector. Failure to focus on this sector and at least put in some measures so as to ensure that development occurs in this sector of the economy, has to some extent been responsible for chronic unemployment in the state. In ensuring that objectives of this research are attained, the secondary data were resorted to in the research. The Keynesian unemployment theory guided our work. This theory is known as the cyclical or deficient-demand unemployment. It is of the view that, unemployment happens when there are not enough aggregate demand in the economy to provide job for everyone who wishes to work. The following findings were obtained: that failure to encourage small and medium scale enterprises, skill acquisition and what have you, is a cause of rise in unemployment rate. That the informal sector development is a veritable source of employment for the unemployed in the country, as it gives these persons some level of leverage. That failure to industrialize the economy and create room for economic diversification is to some extent responsible for Nigeria's unemployment brouhaha. That unemployment in Nigeria has continued to be on the increase despite the abundant human and natural resources available in the country. In conclusion, the following recommendations were suggested: that there should be the introduction of a progressive tax system in the country stemming from the Federal down to local government areas. That the mode of production in the country should be transformed from the primitive, subsistence cum crude form, to the production of manufacturing as well as, finished products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal Sector Activities (ISAs) dominate the economy in most African cities, and they continue to proliferate without consideration for environmental sustainability. This study analysed spatial ordering of ISAs in four Nigerian cities, selected for their differential urban forms and social practices. The study assessed the conformity of the spatial ordering of ISAs with industrial location principles, the implications of urban spatial form and government/policy makers' awareness of environmental consequences of ISAs spatial ordering. The ISAs were identified, classified and sampled, and their GPS coordinates were used in mapping the ISAs on Landsat images in an ArcGIS environment. Findings show that the existing ISAs do not conform to locational principles. Poor governance and environmental awareness of policy/decision makers explains the poor spatial ordering of ISAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to investigate the impacts of micro-pension schemes on small and medium-sized enterprises that operate within the informal sector of Nigeria. Data was elicited from one hundred and three (103) small and medium-scale enterprise business operators and their employees in Nigeria via the administration of a questionnaire. The study used a regression analysis model to test the stated hypotheses. According to the results, the adoption of micro-pension plans in Nigeria during the study period was significantly influenced by income level and financial literacy, but not by the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. Therefore, it was recommended that in a bid to increase the participation of Nigerian SMEs in the uptake of micro pension schemes, efforts should be geared toward improving their level of education through various mandatory continuous education programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic downturn that began in Nigeria in the early 1980s worsened from the mid-1980s due to the implementation of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). This resulted in widespread social and economic disruption, especially for the poor who comprise most of the population. One response among youth has been to migrate abroad in search of better opportunities, despite stricter entry requirements in Europe and the United States. This paper examines the desperation behind Nigerian youths' attempts to leave the country for better lives in the Middle East, Europe, or the United States. It also explores the social protection programmes now available in Nigeria that are meant to address unemployment, poverty, and deter youths from desperately migrating. The paper argues that the misinformed decision to embark on the continuing dangerous Mediterranean Sea crossings, resulting in loss of life, has become a national disgrace. It calls for a review of social protection policies and programmes to halt the flow of youths in dire need of assistance. The analysis is framed by Everett S. Lee's Push and Pull Theory of Migration and Michael J. Piore's Dual Labor Market Theory. While formal sector workers in Nigeria have long enjoyed social safety nets like pensions, informal sector workers lack access to sustainable, well-funded social protection programs. Existing initiatives are often emergency-based, ad-hoc, neglected and changed with each administration. Intended beneficiaries lose faith in the system. This contrasts sharply with robust regimes in more technologically-advanced countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the interactions between commuters with disabilities and transport services providers and to contribute to a better understanding of transformative service design, ensuring equitable access and the overall well-being of individuals. Design/methodology/approach: This study collected qualitative data through ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with commuters with disabilities and transport services providers. The data were thematically analysed using NVivo. Findings: Evidence suggests that there are opportunities for service users to be included in the co-creation of transformative transport service at different stages of a journey: entering service interaction, transitioning through service interaction and exiting service interaction. However, the reluctance of service providers to transform their services was recognised, due to a lack of awareness, interest, regulator demands and financial capabilities. Research limitations/implications: This study broadens the comprehension of procedures and strategies for engaging consumers experiencing vulnerabilities in transformative service design and pushes the limits of the current understanding to recognise the inherent challenges of unregulated service providers designing transformative services in an unregulated market. Practical implications: This newfound knowledge is crucial for developing better approaches that cater to the needs of these individuals and further contributes towards developing transformative service initiatives, which are activities that serve people experiencing vulnerabilities and that try to improve their well-being. These include specialised training and social marketing campaigns for service providers in the informal market and new mobility start-ups or social enterprises with the potential to disrupt the informal economy and offer innovative solutions, such as assistive technologies, mobile apps and journey planners that provide exceptional customer service. Originality/value: Previous studies on transformative service designs have focused on regulated service providers, such as health care and financial services. This study, however, explores the unregulated transport sector in a developing country and recognises how the intricate nature of informal service provision may jeopardise the prospects of developing a transformative service for consumers experiencing vulnerabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extending health insurance coverage to informal sector populations remains a major challenge toward achieving universal health coverage. This study aimed to fill the gap in the literature by examining barriers to enrollment in National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) among informal sector workers in Nigeria. Data were drawn from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. The study population comprised of men (n = 10,163) and women (n = 22,216) working in the informal sector. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine barriers to enrollment in NHIS. Results show that the majority of men (98.9%) and women (98.6%) were not enrolled in NHIS. Age, gender of household head, educational level, socioeconomic status, geopolitical zone, distance to a health facility, frequency of reading newspapers or magazines, and watching television were significantly associated with non‐enrollment in NHIS. Findings suggest that enrollment in NHIS in Nigeria is very low. Additionally, there are significant barriers to enrollment. There is a need for governments and policymakers to address these barriers. The use of voluntary prepayments from informal sector workers as a strategy to extend health insurance coverage has not been effective. Key Points: This study examined barriers to enrollment in National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) among informal sector workers in Nigeria.Findings indicate that the majority of men (98.9%) and women (98.6%) were not enrolled in NHIS.Authors also found that age, gender of household head, educational level, socioeconomic status, geopolitical zone, distance to a health facility, frequency of reading newspapers or magazines, and watching television were significantly associated with non‐enrollment in NHIS.The use of voluntary prepayments from informal sector workers as a strategy to extend health insurance coverage has not been effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the key determinants of the level of informalization of micro-enterprises in Nigeria. We seek to understand the motives of entrepreneurs doing business in different segments of the informal sector and to clarify further the relationship between formal and informal economic activity. To fill the research gap, we developed a theoretical framework that focuses on a decision matrix regarding the level of informality. The quantitative approach involved a sample of 120 entrepreneurs operating in the Nigerian informal economy. Our results show that institutional constraints significantly affect the decision to engage in the informal sector. The institutional constraint is related to ambiguity in tax assessment and business registration policies and procedures, including the mismanagement of those in power. We conclude that the presence of informal firms is not always as harmful as it sometimes is considered to be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic has undermined the functionality of formal and informal economies globally, with developing countries suffering the social, political and economic effects of the pandemic. Economic downturns in the global south, including Nigeria, have given rise to declining state control in the face of human insecurity. This study, hinging on the neoliberal political economy thesis, examines the economic crisis and declining state control the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown engendered in managing the security situation in Nigeria. The study, utilizing the dominant qualitative methods, comprising interviews, focus group discussions, and documented evidence, highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown disproportionately affected the people, mainly poor people, households and communities in different parts of the country. The failure of the government to engage in an effective social protection policy generated discontent and led to criminal activities undermining security in Nigeria. The study concludes that the insecurity and economic crisis the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown engendered have weakened the state's authority in Nigeria. The study suggests that engaging effective social protection policy presents an opportunity for mitigating security challenges to bring about socioeconomic stability in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how neoliberalism affected the management of Covid-19 in Nigeria. As a result of its emphasis on privatisation and austerity, neoliberalism discouraged social investment programmes and provisioning. The privatisation of Nigeria's health sector severely stifled health financing, which led to the collapse of public health institutions and the proliferation of private and informal health delivery systems. It limited universal access to quality healthcare, worsened the health conditions of poor Nigerians and rendered the health sector incapable of managing emergency health situations, such as Covid-19. The absence of well-coordinated social investment programmes to cushion the effects of lockdown widened social inequality and misery, making it impossible for citizens in the informal economy to adhere to the Covid-19 guidelines. The state responded with repression to enforce the rules. This study recommends overhauling the Nigerian state and its political economy as a condition for reducing citizen's vulnerability to a pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the relationship between good governance and the shadow economy in Nigeria from 1996 to 2020. Employing the autoregressive distributed lag modelling approach, the study found that only the regulatory quality index was found to be consistent in taming the size of the shadow economy in Nigeria in both situations. Other indicators, such as the control of corruption, government effectiveness index, political stability index, and perception of the rule of law, had a short-run desirable impact on the shadow economy but portended serious boosters to the prevalence of shadow economic activities in the long run. This points to the prevalence of very weak institutional quality. The Nigerian government should improve more on its legislative quality to consolidate on the gains of regulatory quality. Again, the need for willful desire and action of all Nigerians to build stronger institutions to lay a solid foundation for an enduring system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- This paper aims to examine the relationship between the shadow economy and income inequality in Nigeria. Method -- The paper employed Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL), Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS), and Granger causality. This methodology is used to avoid endogeneity and heterogeneity in the model. This paper gauged income inequality using two diverse indicators of the Gini coefficient: the Gini index in proportion to household disposable income and the Gini index in proportion to household market income. In accordance with the literature, our empirical analysis draws on data from the Standardized World Income Inequality Database (SWIID), the World Bank, World Development Indicators, and the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG) for Nigeria from 1991 to 2018. Result -- The findings of ARDL and FMOLS suggested a positive relationship between income inequality and the shadow economy, based on both measures of income inequality. In the short term, however, the shadow economy and income inequality are negatively correlated. Furthermore, we discovered a one-way causal relationship exists in Nigeria between the shadow economy, household disposable income, institutional democracy, household market income, and corruption control (CCI). Recommendation -- Shadow economy has been regarded as an avenue to create job opportunities and raise poverty-income levels. It is critical that, for the shadow economy to reduce income inequality in Nigeria, policymakers should develop much better policies aimed at addressing income inequality. Contribution - In order to understand the relationship between income inequality and shadow economy activities in Nigeria, this study employed three methodologies, namely: Autoregressive Distributed Lags (ARDL), Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), and Granger Causality. The result offers reliable recommendations for pro-poor interventions that aim to limit the growth of informality via redistributing incomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the nature and operations of schools commonly regarded as "Miracle Examination Centres (MECs)" in Nigeria, through the lens of stakeholders in education. This study also assessed stakeholders' perspectives on the possible solutions to the problem of MECs. Design/methodology/approach: The study design was a stakeholders' approach involving 39 key actors within the examination system from northern and southern Nigeria. The stakeholders comprised people from the Ministries of Education (MoE), Examination Councils (EC), school owners and teachers, security agencies and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who were invited to interact, interrogate and debate the subject of MECs in Nigeria. Using thematic analysis, recurrent themes were identified from the data and used for a narrative synthesis of the findings. Findings: MECs may attempt to circumvent quality assurance and regulatory requirements and may find support from prominent leaders and members of the communities through a wider informal economy. Interventions against MECs might only yield incremental results and must involve various groups like CSOs, anti-corruption agencies, EC and faith- and community-based groups. These interventions will be even more effective if the MoE will strengthen its integrity and improve its monitoring and regulatory functions without political interference. Originality/value: This paper revealed that improving examination integrity and building a solid and reliable secondary educational level in Nigeria will be achieved through the combination of horizontal and vertical approaches that involve local actors and those in authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Nigerian enterprise survey data, this paper examines whether there is a gender dimension in the capacity of informal firms to contribute to tax revenues, a more specific question asked is whether tax rates and female gender ownership effects informality. Gender categorization of the firm's ownership shows an overwhelming dominance of men holding over women, with a favorable ratio of 6:1 of the total sample. The results of the investigation on firms owned by females revealed that they are more likely to remain in the informal sector. By using the cross-sectional logit regression approach, we found no statistical significance between tax rates and a firm's propensity to join the informal sector. It explains a typical scenario where the tax rates mechanism has failed to transmit effectively. Finally, we attained a divergent policy indication that suggests tax compliance enforcement and incentivizing female firms' owners, among other measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its economic relevance, the informal sector in Nigeria is plagued by occupational health and safety (ohs) anomalies. This study assessed ohs conditions among informal sector workers (isw s) operating in three Nigerian cities (Sokoto, Owerri and Port Harcourt). A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a total of 717 isw s. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analysis. Logistic regression was used in predicting good ohs practices, based on gender, education level, occupation, health impairments and common health and safety practices. The findings show that many isw s have inadequate water sources and sanitary facilities and poor occupational health and safety practices. The overall model was statistically significant in predicting the likelihood of having good ohs practices. The study concludes that ohs conditions among isw s are poor as a result of insufficient water and sanitation facilities and poor environmental health practices. Improved water and sanitation provision and ohs awareness and education programmes for isw s, in line with their specific occupations and susceptibility to certain kinds of occupational health impairment, are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of digital platforms in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) has increased job opportunities for informal businesses. However, the technological affordance of digital platforms in SSA has received very little attention in literature review. This paper presents an analytical review of the technological affordances of digital platforms in SSA. We adopted a systematic literature review methodology that entailed gathering evidence from relevant literature and digital platforms in three countries in SSA (South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya). Three research questions focusing on (i) critical issues of discussion on digital platforms in SSA and their distribution; (ii) understanding the technological affordances of digital platforms in SSA; and (iii) assessing the extent to which the technological affordances digital platforms can address the challenges of the informal sector in SSA drove the investigation. The study developed an affordances criteria framework, the first of its kind, to evaluate digital platforms affordances in SSA. Our findings revealed the key topics that have gained researchers' attention so far and digital platforms distribution in SSA. We also found that most digital platforms in SSA currently lack affordances that support multimodal interface and native language contents, limiting their accessibility to persons with minimal digital literacy. Most platforms also lack support for public/private partnerships. The lack of critical affordances that match the profile of the informal sector in SSA makes existing digital platforms incapable of addressing many critical challenges of the informal sector. These challenges include low literacy levels, minimal/lack of government support, lack of electricity or expensive power supply, expensive internet connectivity, and health and safety issues. However, existing digital platforms can reasonably address the absence of social protection, lack of formalization, and poor operational infrastructure. As a contribution, this paper offers a new perspective on the technological affordances of digital platforms in SSA. It also provides insight into the imperatives for designing inclusive and accessible digital platforms for the informal sector in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The informal business sector has made enormous contributions to Nigeria's economic growth and development, but this sector is not given the necessary attention to transforming these businesses toward sustainability. This study explores the depth of informal business sector practices in Nigeria. It underscores the inputs of stakeholders in the transformation of businesses in the Nigerian informal sector to increase tax remittances and employment generation for job security in the Nigerian economy. Also, it underpins value chain performances to transform the informal sector and rescue it from liquidation through voluntary company arrangements, administration, merger, takeover, and acquisition schemes. The study adopts a conceptual review. The research relies on extant literature relating to the antecedence of informal business sector activities in Nigeria. It relies on reports from tertiary data sources such as academic articles, books, newspapers, the Internet, and website sources. It further explores the views of researchers, covering the informal sector development and the support of the provisions of the social services in Nigeria. There is the absence of a model for the transformation and sustainability of the informal sector enterprises in Nigeria. This study recommends a model approach to address informal sector enterprises' issues and challenges necessary to transform the businesses into a formal status while supporting their sustainability and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, there has been a surge in the size of the informal economy in recent years. However, the effect of monetary policy on the informal economy and informal economy responses to shocks from the formal economy is yet to receive empirical attention. Our study aims to explore monetary policy effect on the informal economy and response to shocks in the formal economy in Nigeria for 48 years (1970–2018). Using Autoregressive Distributed Lag and Impulse Response Function, we examined empirically how various monetary policy instruments affect the informal economy and responses to shocks in the formal economy. Our result indicates that credit to the private sector along with the exchange rate had a positive and significant effect on the informal economy both in the long run and short run. The estimate further indicates bank lending rate had a positive and insignificant effect on the informal economy. Our research reveals that in the short run, the informal economy responds positively to shocks in the formal economy while the reserve is the case in the long run. These results underscore the importance of factoring the informal economy in monetary policy decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the dynamic link between institutional quality, financial inclusion and the informal economy in Nigeria. These were with the view to examining the institutional influence of financial inclusion on the development of informal economy. Annual data covering the period 1991 to 2020 were used for the study. The study made use of Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) as the technique of estimation. The study found a long run association between the variables and also reveal that financial inclusion and institutional quality directly has a negative but significant effect on shadow economy in Nigeria. This reveals that the development of financial sector as well as quality institutions aids formal sector participation as against the informal sector thus a decrease in shadow economy size in Nigeria. The effect of the interaction of financial inclusion and quality of institution on shadow economy is also found to be positive and significant meaning that weak institution quality has its toll effect on financial inclusion and which result to growth in informal economy in Nigeria. The study concludes that quality of institution in Nigeria is weak and must be improved to favorably promote financial inclusion and successfully mitigate the effect of shadow economy in Nigeria. Therefore, reforms and policies that are required to improve transparency and accountability at all levels of governance as well as improvement in financial system are hereby recommended for policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milk handling practices in the Nigerian informal sector are usually poorly done. This is a threat to food safety and public health. We investigated the common practices by handlers involved in the milk processing and the contamination levels of raw cow milk marketed for consumption in Kwara State, Nigeria. In a cross-sectional survey, a pretested questionnaire (n = 500) was administered to consenting vendors to assess practices employed in milk processing. Raw cattle milk (n = 1225) sold in markets of Kwara State were assessed for contamination using the Total aerobic count (TAC) and Total coliform count (TCC) methods. Data were analysed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The majority of respondents were married (84%), females (65.2%), and had no formal education (43.2%). Some unwholesome practices among vendors such as pooling unsold milk (40.6%), adding unsterilized water to milk (22.2%), and sourcing water from streams (53.2%) were reported. Females (OR = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.040, 0.170; p < 0.001) and those with tertiary educational level (OR=0.01, 95% CI: 0.002, 0.041; p < 0.001) were less likely to be associated with unsatisfactory hygienic practices. All TAC and TCC were higher than 5logcfu/ml and higher counts were observed in the dry season. Because of public safety, a high-level hygienic and good milk handling practices – while enlightenment of vendors on standard hygiene, are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The film industry in Nigeria, popularly referred to as Nollywood, is the world's third-largest film industry (based on the volume of films produced); however, this does not translate to real economic benefit. It is a highly informal industry created in an informal sector of the economy and addressed to a mass audience with different characteristics from those in the Anglo-American/Anglo-European field. This article argues that piracy is economically harmful to Nollywood. To substantiate this claim, we engage with the body of literature on piracy to understand what piracy is and how it works. The jurisprudence on the concept of piracy is discussed, first at a general level, before specifically discussing the case of Nigeria. An attempt will be made to measure piracy as a statistical phenomenon, comparing several excellent studies carried out in the United States, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere in the world. The trends and lessons learned from these studies were critically considered in the Nigerian context. The impact of piracy was examined, identifying the different models that have successfully tackled piracy. We evaluate how piracy is tackled in the different levels of the Nigerian film industry, pointing out the distinction between legal rule and enforcement thereof and stressing how ignorance of copyright law, coupled with the specific cultural context of Nigeria, exacerbates the problem of piracy. Finally, workable solutions that could aid in curbing piracy in Nigeria were discussed. We conclude by advocating for an essential change of the mindset of the people, which can be achieved through aggressive educational campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Militancy is a continuing process in many developing regions where entrepreneurial activities in the informal economy have the potential to transform lives leading to sustainable development through local initiatives. Often militancy originates in protest against global encroachment and defending the livelihoods of local communities. Yet this leads to detrimental effects on such initiatives. The study focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Niger Delta in Nigeria and looks at how the lessons learned may be used in other developing regions facing similar issues. Findings suggest how violent conflict resulting in an adverse impact on enterprise development can be mediated by collective actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined entrepreneurial competencies as a viable pathway for improving the innovative performance of SMEs in Nigeria's informal sector and the contingent roles of the business environment. A survey research design was used to gather data from 296 entrepreneurs who operate informal SMEs in Nigeria. Based on the findings from the SEM-PLS multivariate analysis, the study concluded that entrepreneurial competencies, especially organizing, conceptual, learning, strategic, opportunity, and risk-taking competencies, are essential for achieving higher innovation performance. The study also reveals that entrepreneurial competencies are useful toward mitigating environmental pressures resulting from operational turbulence and erratic policy changes, as the firm drives toward improving innovation outputs. As such, the entrepreneurship environment is becoming more endogenous as entrepreneurs, through their entrepreneurial competencies, have started to gain control over it. This study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by highlighting the most essential competencies alongside the relevant contingencies. By doing that, this study offers a practical guide on priority competence area that entrepreneurship stakeholders, including entrepreneurs and policymakers, should consider for investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education and regulations of hygienic practices are poorly carried out in the informal sector of food supply chain in developing countries, especially rural communities. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate microbiological status of fish and meat retail surfaces in Ebelle market. Four swab samples of fish and meat retail surfaces were collected and examined for microbiological load and profile. Safety of selected isolates was assessed by haemolytic analysis and antibiotic susceptibility profile tests. The total bacterial counts from the surfaces were within the range of 5.06 - 6.40 Log10 CFU/cm². Coliforms were detected only in fish retail surface swab samples; EF1 (3.96 Log10 CFU/cm²) and EF2 (5.58 Log10 CFU/cm²). EF2 had a total E. coli count of 4.78 Log10 CFU/cm². The identified species include Bacillus sp. (23.08%), Escherichia coli (7.69%), Proteus sp. (15.38%), Pseudomonas sp. (7.69%), Salmonella sp. (97.69%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.38%) and Streptococcus sp. (23.08%). The total heterotrophic fungal counts were between 2.27 and 3.29 Log10 cfu/cm². β-, α- and γ-haemolysis was exhibited by 9, 2 and 2 isolates respectively. Antibiotic susceptibility test showed that some isolates were multidrug resistant. The results obtained in this study indicate the retail surfaces are potential sources of food contamination. Therefore it is pertinent for regulatory and public health authorities to establish cleaning and sanitation guidelines and train rural food vendor and retailers on the steps and importance of cleaning and sanitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition towards a circular economy, which has emerged as a promising approach to achieving sustainable development and which involves the reuse of e-waste, may cause significant social impacts on vulnerable groups if it is not addressed in a proper manner. The European Union has established a clear circular economy plan with particular attention on e-waste treatment. However, a considerable amount of e-waste still ends up outside Europe, mainly in African Countries. Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) has been recognized as a valid methodology to assess the social impacts caused by products or services to stakeholders involved along the life cycle perspective. Most S-LCA studies are conducted in the formal sector; however, informal sectors constitute a crucial element of the economy in emerging and developing countries. In particular, formal waste management practices are complemented by the informal sector in Indonesia, African and Latin American countries. The informal sector represents an important support element. Few studies have been conducted on the social impacts of the e-waste sector and even fewer have been implemented following the guidelines of Social Life Cycle Assessment for Products and Organizations. However, we are still far from a complete overview of the social impacts in the e-waste sector, in particular for developing countries. Knowing that most e-waste through illegal exportation ends up in African countries, a social hotspot analysis has been conducted on the electronic sector in African countries, focusing on Nigeria and Ghana, which are the most affected. The study also identifies a set of indicators needed to assess the social performance of e-waste in Nigeria and Ghana., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: [Marzia Traverso reports financial support and administrative support were provided by RWTH Aachen University.]., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

It is well known that informal workers in developing countries are exposed to occupational health problems (OHPs), and they work unsafely. However, little is known about how their religious beliefs influence their safety behavior at the workplace. This study explores the interaction between the automobile artisans' religious beliefs and their workplace safety behavior. Forty three male artisans (either Christian: n = 17; or Muslim: n = 26) were purposively interviewed. Even though their religious teachings are against risk-taking, the artisans took risks at their workplace. Specific programs like seminars and various outreaches for workers in religious settings influence their perception of OHP prevention. Religious organizations have a role to play in OHP prevention., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: health insurance is in the fore front of health financing and achievement of universal health coverage for all. It provides a means of coping with some of the risks faced by individuals in achieving optimal healthcare. Women are vital in the family especially when it comes to the health of their children. We therefore set out in this study to assess the healthcare payment method of women in the informal sector and their awareness of the National health insurance scheme (NHIS) in Nigeria. Methods: the study was a cross sectional descriptive survey involving women traders who were aged 18 years and above. Three hundred and fifty-three (353) womens were recruited using semi-structured interviewer questionnaire and data was analyzed using SPSS version 22. Results: the prevalence of awareness of NHIS among the women was 57.5% and educational status was contributor to awareness of the scheme. Also, only 9.9% of the women were registered under the NHIS and out of pocket payment for healthcare was practiced by as much as 88.7% of the respondents. Most respondents had poor perception about the scheme with 60% believing that the government cannot be trusted to keep its end of the bargain with regards to the NHIS. Conclusion: the need for awareness of the NHIS especially in the informal sector for women is brought to fore. The policy-makers should take into account how women in informal sectors should be captured to enrol in the NHIS in order to expand its coverage and this enrolment should be compulsory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: occupational practices continuously exposes workers to hazards of lead. This study aimed to compare the knowledge of occupational hazards associated with lead exposure, and blood lead estimation among roadside and organized panel beaters in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria. Methods: this was a cross-sectional study. Multistage sampling method was used to select 428 panel beaters in Enugu metropolis. Samples were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer at 283.3 wavelengths. Data were entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science 20. Comparative analysis were done using chi - square, T-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal- Wallis test, logistic regression and level of significance was set at 5%. Results: the majority of respondents on both roadside (59.8%) and organized (73.4%) sectors had poor knowledge of hazards of lead exposure. The difference was significant using Χ² (P<0.05). The median blood lead levels were 3.0µg/dl and 16.0µg/dl for roadside and organized panel beaters respectively. The difference was significant with Mann-Whitney U test (P<0.001). The prevalence of elevated blood lead at 10µg/dl were 36.9% (roadside sector) and 64.5% (organized sector). The duration of working hours (OR = 4.34, CI = 1.729 - 10.338) was found to be the predictor of elevated blood lead levels. Conclusion: there were general poor knowledge of hazards of lead exposure and high prevalence of elevated lead levels which were more among organized panel beaters. Advocacy on standard organizational structures that support improved occupational health practices is needed and routine outreach by research institutions for health education and safety training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Review of Every Household Its Own Government: Improvised Infrastructure, Entrepreneurial Citizens, and the State in Nigeria by Daniel Jordan Smith." Every Household Its Own Government: Improvised Infrastructure, Entrepreneurial Citizens, and the State in Nigeria By Daniel Jordan Smith. [Extracted from the article]

Nigeria's security services have detained the country's suspended central bank chief as part of an investigation into his office, an agency said on June 10th. "The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby confirms that Mr Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is now in its custody for some investigative reasons", the DSS internal security agency said in a statement. [Extracted from the article]

With their inherent economic and infrastructure challenges, developing countries must assess commuters' travel behaviour and establish whether consumers' desire for sustainable transportation is feasible or merely wishful thinking. Using a qualitative research design, these issues were explored based on semi-structured interviews conducted with 72 participants across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Findings suggest that the desires and dreams of the commuters are great, and they want to reduce their journeys, work from home, and do online shopping. However, when they consider the inherent challenges, they can only hope for a better future. COVID-19 has impacted the ownership or use of motorised and non-motorised transport, but this is also influenced by affordability, convenience, and awareness. Likewise, there are long-term effects on home and work location choices, but this is further influenced by the large informal economy of the country, job accessibility and the infrastructural developments across the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Enrollment in sub-national social health insurance schemes (SSHIS) can be challenging in developing countries like Nigeria, particularly among people in the informal sector. This could be due to a lack of knowledge on its mode of operation and benefits, distrust in government, inimical religious and traditional beliefs, as well as constraining economic factors. A complementary and innovative financing strategy such as the philanthropist adoption model (ADM) could be beneficial in improving SSHIS coverage and financial resources among persons in the informal sector. The study provides new evidence on how ADM influenced health insurance coverage and resources within SSHIS among informal settings in Nigeria. It also highlights contextual factors influencing the implementation of ADM., Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods case-study approach undertaken in Anambra State, Southeast Nigeria. Data were collected through in-depth interviews ( n = 14), document review ( n = 12), and quantitative (enrollment data) methods. The respondents were purposively selected based on their involvement with the implementation of the SSHIS. Data analysis for qualitative data was done using the manual thematic framework approach while descriptive analysis was performed for the quantitative data., Results: The implementation of ADM was a valuable and effective strategy for improving knowledge, coverage, and resource mobilization (annual premium pool) within the SSHIS in the informal sector. The main enablers of the implementation of ADM include strong political will and commitment, wider stakeholders' consultation and collaboration, numerous public-spirited philanthropists, and legal institutionalization of health insurance. Other enablers include organizational factors like good teamwork among Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA) staff, enabling work environment (incentives, supervision, office space), and experienced marketers in the agency. However, ADM had several barriers that affected its implementation-acceptability issues due to distrust for government and the health system, health systems barriers including substandard health facilities and equipment, and inimical cultural and religious beliefs about health insurance., Conclusion: The study demonstrates a case for the implementation of innovative ADM as a strategy for enhancing SSHIS financial sustainability and coverage of persons in the informal sector. Hence, the strategy should be adopted in settings where philanthropy abounds for increasing access to quality healthcare delivery to poor beneficiaries toward achieving universal health coverage in developing countries., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer PA declared a shared affiliation with the author URE to the handling editor at the time of the review., (Copyright © 2022 Onyemaechi and Ezenwaka.)