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This study examined the levels and health threat assessment of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and heavy metal (HM) residues in five selected foodstuffs--sorghum, maize, rice, garri (processed fried cassava), and beans--randomly collected from three markets within the Abeokuta metropolis in southwestern Nigeria. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) methods were used to analyze the foodstuffs for OCPs and HMs, respectively. The collected data were analyzed using simple descriptive and inferential statistics. Health risk indices, including non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic effects, were estimated for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and heavy metals (HMs) in food samples. The findings revealed that the concentrations of OCPs and HMs in many food samples exceeded the recommended dietary allowances. The risk index values of OCPs and estimated HMs in each foodstuff exceed the permissible limit of 1.0, indicating potential negative health impacts, although not cancer-causing. Dieldrin was the largest contributor to adverse health effects, ranging from 10 to 98%, while Pb had the highest contribution, with values between 43 and 54%. The combined cancer risk of OCPs and HMs was above the allowable limit of 1 x 10-4, suggesting a potential risk for cancer development. The data on OCPs and HMs in the analyzed foodstuffs represent direct threats to public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding gender disparities in production resource allocation is critical for agricultural development and cannot be overstated. The study evaluated farmers' access to cocoa production resources and its implication for food security in Ogun State, Nigeria. The data were collected from 813 respondents with the use of structured questionnaire which involved 420 male and 393 female farmers. Frequencies, percentages, household dietary diversity score (HDDS) and logit regression were used to analyse the data while the hypotheses were tested with t-test. The t-tests showed significant differences in access to labour, credit and extension service but no difference in access to land as farmers have land either through purchase or inheritance. The mean score for access to credit by male farmers was 0.05 and 0.01 by female farmers with a mean difference of 0.04 which was significant at 0.01 level of significance (t = 4.69, p ≤ 0.01). The mean score for access to labour by male farmers was 0.398 and 0.099 by female farmers with a mean difference of 0.298 which was significant at 0.01 level of significance. Lastly, mean score for access to extension service by male farmers was 0.145 and 0.048 by female farmers with a mean difference of 0.096 which was significant at 0.01 level of significance (t = 4.69, p ≤ 0.01). Male dominance was seen in the household with regard to decisions on farm activities. The household diversity score showed that female farmers consumed more food groups making them more food secure than their male counterparts. Age, education, access to labour, farm size and monthly income were found to be significant drivers of food security of farmers in study area. It was recommended that policies that ensure equal opportunities for male and female farmers should be put in place. There is also a need for improvements on credit facilities and extension services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]