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Tourism is a major driver of economic growth and development in any society. This study examines the socio-economic determinants of on-day site demand for recreation in Agodi Park and Gardens in Ibadan, Nigeria. Primary data were collected from 114 tourists, randomly selected from the site using semi-structured questionnaires. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, single-site travel cost approach and Poisson regression. Majority of tourists were male and in their active working years with an average household size of six. The qualities identified by tourists as affecting their decision to spend more time in the park include view, historical significance, facilities, cleanliness and maintenance, reasonable entrance fee and accessibility of the park. The result of the Poisson Regression revealed that sex, age, adult education, monthly income, cleanliness and maintenance of the park had positive significant effect on the number of trips taken to the park by tourists. However, trip cost had a negative significant effect. The park has great economic benefits in providing tour and recreational functions as a public resource with an access value of ₦895,684.80.The study recommends that government should provide suitable working environment for increased incomes and the education of tourists should be encouraged. In addition, policies and efforts on park cleanliness and maintenance is required.

This article empirically assesses the effect of unobserved transaction costs for Nigerian farmers when investing in irrigation pumps. The unobserved stochastic threshold (UST) model popularly used in labor economics literature is applied, and is compared with two models, the Tobit and the Heckman sample selection model, which are slightly more restrictive versions of the UST model. The results indicate that the unobserved transaction costs are higher for female farmers, landless farmers, those who have a comparatively high dependency ratio, and those who live far from town. The results suggest that the unobserved transaction costs can be as important as the factors determining the profitability of irrigation pumps, which emphasizes the importance of reducing transaction costs and providing the environment for higher returns from investment in irrigation. From a methodological perspective, the UST model is found to be more accurate and informative than the Tobit and Heckman models.

Small-scale private irrigation schemes (SPRI) have been the driving force behind the expansion of irrigated areas in Nigeria, despite government efforts to promote large-scale public irrigation schemes. SPRI allows adjustment of irrigation schedules in accordance with observed crop needs. The irrigated area in Nigeria is, however, far below its potential and an increase in farmers� investment in irrigation is essential. While Nigerian farmers� low level of investment in irrigation may be partly due to low returns, it is also the result of high transaction costs associated specifically with making such an investment. Although reducing transaction costs is important because the reduction provides farmers with a more enabling environment, transaction costs are often unobservable and little is known about what factors contribute to them. This article empirically assesses the effect of unobserved transaction costs for Nigerian farmers� when investing in irrigation pumps, using the baseline survey data for the Second Fadama Development Program (Fadama II). The results indicate that the unobserved transaction costs are higher for female landless farmers, with higher dependency ratio and residing far from town. The results suggest that the unobserved transaction costs can be as important as the factors determining the profitability of irrigation pump, emphasizing the importance of reducing transaction costs in addition to improving the environment for higher return from irrigation investment.

Small-scale private irrigation (SPRI) schemes make up most of the irrigated area in Nigeria, although they constitute only about three percent of the cultivated area in the country. Farmers' demand for SPRI is potentially affected by diverse sets of agroecological, socioeconomic and risk factors. While the constraints on SPRI expansion have been well investigated by many studies in Nigeria, key knowledge gaps in at least four areas, still need to be resolved. These gaps are: (1) lack of knowledge of water sources; (2) perceptions of risks associated with rainfall and access to good quality water; (3) transaction costs associated with investments in irrigation; and (4) effectiveness of public institutions activities in SPRI.

This study profiled and decomposed political inequality among rural households in Nigeria. Core welfare indicator questionnaire survey data conducted by National Bureau of Statistics in 2006 was used. The data was analyzed using Generalized Entropy and Shapley decomposition. Result revealed that 90.8% of the respondents have low participatory ratio in politics and decision making and the level of dispersion across the mean of the population share is 0.196. South East and North Central zone have the highest (0.217) and the least (0.195) level of dynamics. Shapley decomposition shows that political inequality is more as a result of dynamics within the various socio-economic groups contributing between 94.8% and 98.2% of the total political inequality. Furthermore, households that are headed by male, have household size consisting of 6-10 members, 31-60 years. Low level of participation in politics and decision making therefore calls for political reform by all stakeholders and development partners to remove violence, corruption and rigging from the political system and also to sensitize households on the importance of participation in politics and decision making in the policy formulation and implementation processes.

The provision of safe drinking water has been a major concern of government over the decades and boreholes have been drilled in many rural areas in Nigeria. Despite this, the proportion of Nigerians in rural areas with access to safe drinking water is about 50%. This paper evaluates participation in collective maintenance of boreholes and factors that influence it in Oyo state. Through a multistage sampling procedure, 109 households were selected from 5 communities that have been provided with boreholes by the state Local Empowerment and Environmental Management Project. Data collected from these households were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the probit model. Results reveal that rural households participate well in collective maintenance with a greater number making financial contribution. Education of household head, reliability of water, and perception on transparency of management show plausibility of increasing the probability of participation in collective maintenance of boreholes. Distance from the water source, having alternative source of water, male household head, household monthly income and enforcement of rules reduces probability of participation. The marginal effects show that gender, distance to water, having alternative source of water, enforcement of rules and perception on transparency and accountability of management have the highest effect on probability of participation. It is recommended that adult education should be intensified and training of management team on management and administration be done. This is to engender trust and increase participation thereby improving maintenance of the boreholes.

Treadle pump (TP) technology has been promoted by Enterprise Works Worldwide (EWW) as an alternative to the traditional rope and bucket irrigation that is necessary to overcome the challenge of uncertain and inadequate rainfall for agricultural production. The aim is to improve output, increase incomes and reduce poverty among farm households. This study examines the strategies used for dissemination of the TP and the dynamics of its adoption and impacts, with a special focus on poverty reduction. The results of the study reveal that time and labor savings for irrigation, increased size of irrigated areas and lack of fuel requirements are the attractive features of the TP for those who adopt it. Adoption of TP increases land and labor productivities; and also net farm incomes. The study also demonstrates that adoption of the TP reduces poverty.