http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/143 2026-02-17T15:34:56Z 2026-02-17T15:34:56Z Sule, Isaiah Majin Odekunle, Mary Oluwatobi http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/9123 2021-07-13T20:32:17Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Landscapes of West Africa: A Window on a Changing World Authors: Sule, Isaiah Majin; Odekunle, Mary Oluwatobi Abstract: Conversion of the natural landscapes of West Africa to agriculture greatly reduces the natural biodiversity, and exposes the soil to wind and water erosion. The savanna, woodland, forest, and wetland ecosystems that are lost have some relatively tangible impacts such as the loss of natural ecosystem goods and services like wood for fuel and construction, honey, nuts, medicines, game animals, berries, and forage. There are also many important goods and services lost that are less visible such as biodiversity, carbon storage, water quality, water runoff versus infiltration, and regional climate functions. Experts from institutions in 17 countries in West Africa have partnered with the Comité Inter-états de Lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel (CILSS – The Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) West Africa and the U.S Geological Survey (USGS) to map changing land use and land cover and associated factors across much of West Africa through the West Africa Land Use Dynamics Project. This publication presents the results of that work. The following chapters present maps, graphs, tables, and images detailing the natural environment of these 17 countries and changes that have taken place over the past four decades. This atlas tells a story of rapid environmental change with both hopeful and worrisome chapters. The story is told with maps and numbers detailing the rate, magnitude, and location of land cover change but also with words and images that seek to make the story more real for the people living in West Africa and around the globe. The hope is that this information helps to build a clearer picture of past and current land use and land cover in order to guide us all in making informed choices that will support the livelihoods and well-being of ours and future generations.

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z Sule, Isaiah Okhimamhe, A.A. Suleiman, M. Y. Adenle, A. A. Odekunle, Mary O. http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/9017 2021-07-13T12:54:42Z 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Subsistence Farmers' Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change in Niger State, Nigeria Authors: Sule, Isaiah; Okhimamhe, A.A.; Suleiman, M. Y.; Adenle, A. A.; Odekunle, Mary O. Abstract: Climate change and variability have far reaching implications on agricultural production, particularly on the livelihood of subsistence farmers in developing countries whose vulnerability is aggravated by multiple stresses. Adaptation has been identified as the key to sustaining agriculture, reducing the vulnerability of subsistence farmers and ensuring the survival of their livelihoods in a changing climate. This study examines the adaptation strategies by subsistence farmers in Niger State to climate change. Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted in 18 selected farming communities, across the three agricultural zones in the state. This is to ascertain the adaptation strategies employed by the communities, the effectiveness of the strategies and the limitations in adapting. The result shows that adaptation measures common to all communities are increased domestication of cattle, early planting, planting early maturing crop varieties, swapping to the cultivation of crops with higher profit turn over, cultivating crops tolerant to low soil nutrient, cultivating crops tolerant to drought, and digging of wells and bore holes to cope with the depleting water resources. Measures such as irrigation, involvement in off-farm jobs, introduction of new crops, bush fallowing, migration and establishment of new farmsteads do not have widespread application. Increased food crop yield, increased income from farming activities and sustenance of cattle during the dry season are identified as accruable benefits of adaptation strategies. Identified constraints are ownership of land in small holdings, rural poverty, non-availability, inaccessibility, scarcity and expensive costs of tractors and inorganic fertilizer, and high cost of agro-chemicals. The study recommends the strengthening of capacities of farming communities to adapt by way of greater logistic support and technical aids.

2018-01-01T00:00:00Z Adesiji, A. R. Odekunle, Mary O. Saidu, M. Musa, J. J. Gbadebo, A. O. http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/8978 2021-07-13T11:26:50Z 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Seasonal Characterization of Groundwater Quality in Minna Metropolis Using Water Quality Index Authors: Adesiji, A. R.; Odekunle, Mary O.; Saidu, M.; Musa, J. J.; Gbadebo, A. O. Abstract: This study is aimed at assessing and characterization of groundwater seasonally in Minna metropolis using water quality index (WQI) with the aid of weighted arithmetic index method. 90 groundwater samples from four sub-areas within Minna metropolis were collected and subjected to comprehensive physicochemical analyses during dry and wet seasons. Parameters considered included pH, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, chloride, nitrate, sulphate, total dissolved solids, iron, manganese and fluorides. Correlation analysis was used to check the relationships among all the parameters for both the dry and wet seasons. In all the study areas, the WQI of the samples ranged from 334.27 to 535.88 and 242.51 to 404.19 in both dry and wet seasons respectively which has been attributed to the higher values of Manganese, sulphate, total hardness, total alkalinity, and particularly total dissolved solids in the groundwater. Significant correlation was observed in all sampling areas between electrical conductivity, chloride, magnesium, sodium, and total hardness at 0.01 level and with manganese at 0.05 level. The analysis of the results showed non-compliance with World Health Organization (WHO) and Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) standards which reveals that the groundwater of the study areas is not safe for consumption and therefore needs serious degree of treatment before consumption. This present study thus suggests the use of water quality index as a very helpful tool that will enable the public and stakeholders to evaluate the quality of groundwater

2018-01-01T00:00:00Z Sule, I. Odekunle, Mary O. http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/7132 2021-07-07T15:03:56Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Landscapes of West Africa A Window on a Changing World Authors: Sule, I.; Odekunle, Mary O. Abstract: Our global ecosystem is and has always been complex, dynamic, and in constant flux. Science tells us how natural forces of enormous power have shaped and reshaped Earth’s surface, atmosphere, climate, and biota again and again since the planet’s beginnings about 4.5 billion years ago. For most of the planet’s history those environmental changes were the result of the interaction of natural processes such as geology and climate, and were described on the geological time scale in epochs spanning millions of years.

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z