Nigeria is a data intensive country because the socio-economic system of the nation relies on the use of large volumes of data generated across diverse sectors which include oil and gas, banking, health and education. These data are used for policy formulation, budgeting, security and resource allocation. Nevertheless, Nigeria has long been vulnerable to data colonisation since the advent of the British administrators who collected, controlled and exploited data in Nigeria for administrative control, imperial socio-economic interest and classification of Nigerians into various ethnic groups. The consequences of data colonisation in Nigeria during the British rule were quite extensive. These include the distortion of historical narratives, resource exploitation, inter-ethnic rivalry as well as difficulty in accessing the data collected by the British administrators. Unfortunately, data colonialism in Nigeria spanned through the digital era where data collected from Nigerians are controlled by foreign Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platforms with or without consent and fair compensation, thereby further threatening the data sovereignty of the nation. It is against this background that this study provides an in-depth study of data colonisation in Nigeria from the colonial period to the digital era. This is with the view to revealing the struggle of Nigeria in achieving data sovereignty.
Recently introduced in Senegal, the parasitoid Diadegma insulare (Cresson) quickly acclimatized to the point of occupying the niche of the parasitic procession of the pest Plutella xylostella (L.). This study aims to evaluate the performance of the parasitoid D. insulare as a biological control agent for the diamondback moth. The work was carried out in the laboratory at a temperature of 25°C and a relative humidity of 60%. Ten females of the parasitoid, after 24 hours of mating upon emergence, were each placed in contact with 100 host caterpillars. The latter were removed from the cages 24 hours later and monitored until emergence, at which point the number of parasitized caterpillars was determined. This experiment was repeated throughout the female’s life. The aggressiveness of the females, the parasitism rate, and the influence of the larval stage on parasitism were evaluated. The results showed high aggression in females, which varied significantly with age (93% and 32%). The average parasitism rate was approximately 70%. In 15 days of oviposition, a female D. insulare is capable of parasitizing 809/1500 available caterpillars. Females remain active throughout their lives and their life expectancy was negatively correlated with the parasitism rate. They parasitized more L2 stage caterpillars, but their cycle duration was longer (15.9 days). The sex ratio shows a dominance of males. The parasitoid D. insulare is a good biological control agent and can be a good alternative in integrated pest management.
This study is part of a critical assessment of the conformity of the environmental rehabilitation plan applied in the context of a semi-industrial gold mining operation. The study aims to assess the relevance and effectiveness of the actions implemented with regard to the Ivorian mining code of 2014, interministerial decree n° 0026/MINEDD/MMG/2019 as well as international standards. The methodology adopted combines field observation, local survey, semi-structured interviews, regulatory analyses and GIS processing. The analysis is structured around three axes: the initial state of the site, the impacts of mining activities and the technical quality of the rehabilitation measures. The results reveal that only 32% of pits are properly backfilled, with signs of erosion, partial revegetation of the soil, and poorly recycled waste. Deficits in environmental monitoring and the low involvement of authorities constitute major limitations. This work proposes technical and institutional recommendations for better post-exploitation ecological governance. It is part of a dynamic of continuous, practical and rigorous strengthening of the regulatory, normative, operational, scientific, environmental, socio-economic and cultural framework of contemporary, inclusive and truly sustainable semi-industrial gold mining in Côte d’Ivoire.
This article explores how hierarchical rigidity and lack of recognition hinder autonomy and innovation in organizations. Through a qualitative case study at Confiserie Triki le Moulin in Tunisia (2019), based on 40 semi-structured interviews, we analyze the structural and cultural barriers to innovation in emerging contexts. Findings show that rigid hierarchies slow decision-making and communication, while lack of recognition weakens motivation and engagement. These dynamics foster distrust, reduce collaboration, and ultimately block organizational creativity. The discussion connects these findings to the liberated company model, stressing autonomy, trust, and recognition as levers for sustainable innovation. Beyond theory, managerial recommendations are proposed for Tunisian firms. The article highlights the importance of rethinking management models in emerging economies where traditional hierarchies remain dominant.
Context: The growing sedentary lifestyle, combined with an increase in cardiovascular disease and overweight, prompted this study of women in the commune of Ziguinchor, where rural work is the dominant activity.
The aim of this study was to assess the impact of rural work on women’s health.
Methods: We compared several parameters between two groups: those doing field work and those who were sedentary. The variables studied included weight, height, resting heart rate, resting blood pressure and body mass index (BMI).
Results: The results showed that women who worked in the fields had lower weights and BMIs than sedentary women. However, no significant differences were observed in terms of heart rate and blood pressure.
Conclusion: This study shows that working in the fields helps to reduce the weight of Diola women in Ziguinchor.
This study sought to investigate the relationships between climate trends and tree reproductive cycles at the National Floristic Center of Abidjan over a period of more than thirty years. Climate trends were analyzed and reveal major increases in rainfall; more frequent extreme events; à decline in maximum temperature, which is a direct contradiction to the global records observed; and tree phenological rhythms. Monitoring of eleven tree species demonstrated continuous fruiting the greatest being in December for thirteen individuals, flowering at peak in February for five individuals belonging to three different species, and exhibiting different adaptations to new environmental conditions. The results indicated a high level of synchronization between the biological cycles of trees and climatic parameters. In this respect, the biological rhythms were particularly more sensitive to temperatures between January and May and the triggering of reproductive phases was more tied to rainfall. Overall mixes of responses were shown by the species, by climate trends and by climate variables.
Most scientists today believe that microfinance is an effective means of alleviate poverty and financial exclusion. It plays an important role in improving the living conditions of rural populations; by providing them with productive resources through the provision of credit, savings, tontine and insurance services. The recognized importance of microfinance institutions has led to the creation of a multitude of microfinance institutions. This situation raises the problem of competition that the latter engage in, especially when the government decides to intervene in the sector with the creation of microfinance institutions with the «microcredit for the poorest» program. The methodology used consisted of collecting data from 265 MFI clients in the town of Parakou in Benin. Multiple regression was used to analyze the results. According to the results, individual factors (client satisfaction, client trust in the institution, and social networks) better explained client loyalty than factors relating to the quality of IMF service delivery. Likewise, the viability of the IMF is determined more by economic factors (resources necessary to meet the various charges, provisions for doubtful debts, volume of activities and collection capacity) than by social factors (physical proximity and the cultural proximity of the institution to their clients). And finally, customer loyalty explains the viability of the IMF.
Variations in environmental factors induce morphological variations in the organs of plant species. This study was conducted to determine the morphological variations of leaves and fruits of Sclerocarya birrea along an aridity gradient North-South (Gaya - Dogondoucthi) to enable the selection of interesting ideotypes for the domestication of the species. For the methodology, thirty (30) individuals per site were chosen. The measurements were based on thirty (30) fruits and fifteen (15) leaves per individual. For fruits, the morphological descriptors chosen were length, width and weight and for leaves, the length of the leaf, length of the petiole, number of leaflets, length and width of the leaflet were considered. The obtained data were related and the averages were compared. The results showed significant differences between the zones for the weight of the fruit and the size of the leaflets. Fruit weights ranged from 16.03g to 14.75g, respectively, for the Sahelian and Sahelo-Sudanian zones. Leaflet lengths ranged from 2.48cm to 2.19cm, and leaf widths ranged from 1.37cm to 1.28cm, respectively, for the Sahelo-Sudanian and Sahelian zones. Significant and positive correlations were also observed between fruit and leaf parameters. Therefore, the existence of a water deficit adaptation strategy for Sclerocarya birrea, following the climatic gradient was noted. These results, although preliminary, confirm the possibility of using morphological traits to select interesting ideotypes for domestication of the species.
Easily accessible and useful data provides businesses and customers with a solid foundation to make real-time decisions or revise them as necessary. Besides your personnel and your products, data is one of your company’s most valuable assets. As new information and communications technologies, digital transformation and smart technologies continue to reshape the industrial and mining landscape, data is essential to remaining competitive. For business leaders, it is imperative to fully understand data management tools and their impact on the industry. Organizations today have a multitude of information from most data sources: IoT, mining software, ERP, partners, websites, applications, cloud, customer feedback in the field, etc. These heterogeneous sources of varied formats are very often stored in independent silos. This heterogeneity combined with impressive volumes of data makes decision-making increasingly difficult. The objective of data integration is therefore to bring together all this data from different sources in order to allow decision-makers to have an overview.
The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., is a significant lepidopteran pest of brassicas, posing a major threat to vegetable production in West Africa. This highly prolific, mobile, and adaptive species can cause up to 100% yield loss, particularly in intensive production systems lacking crop rotation. Larval feeding damages leaf tissue, reducing the marketability of crops and jeopardizing food security. Economically, control costs and financial losses are substantial, with global estimates exceeding $4 billion. In West Africa, producers heavily rely on chemical insecticides, leading to increased resistance, environmental pollution, and health risks. Despite research efforts, managing P. xylostella remains challenging due to the rapid development of resistance and the limited availability of viable alternatives. Various control strategies have been studied, including Chemical control, Biological control, Cultural practices and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). New avenues for research include biotechnology (RNAi, RIDL), varietal selection, digital forecasting tools, and participatory research involving producers. The review concludes that only an integrated agroecological approach combining scientific innovation, local knowledge, and institutional support-will enable sustainable control of P. xylostella in West Africa while preserving human health, the environment, and the profitability of the vegetable sector.
Although asphalting of streets began around 1962 and today with the government’s policy of cleaning up and improving the living environment of these communities, the city of Parakou has been provided with road infrastructure. The objective of this chapter is to present the state of the road network and storm drainage in the municipality. The mixed methodological approach was adopted. Data were collected through observations and field surveys of targets defined by means of an observation grid, interview guide and questionnaire. The probabilistic method of D. Schwartz (1995) and snowball and reasoned choice sampling techniques were retained and applied to interview three hundred and ninety-three people. Data analysis shows that the municipality has experienced significant development of its road network and development, currently counting 113,059 km of paved roads, 226,118 km of gutters and 5,153 km of collectors. However, the road network of Parakou remains dominated by roads that are difficult to drive on. Similarly, 78% of respondents say that the city in general until 2023 was sinking into total insalubrity, compared to 22% who found the city somewhat clean. Today, more than 90% have a good assessment of the state of cleanliness of the Municipality. For them, with the work of the SGDS, the city is very clean with very well cleaned gutters.
Access to drinking water remains a major challenge in several West African cities, particularly in Parakou (Benin), where existing public water infrastructure is struggling to meet growing demand. Faced with this deficiency, populations are developing alternative solutions such as Autonomous Water Posts (AWP), which are becoming essential levers of resilience. The research analyzes their role in helping populations adapt to the lack of water infrastructure. It is based on a mixed methodology that combines field surveys, semi-structured interviews, and direct observations. The results reveal that Parakou needs 1,631 water points, while it only has 184 functional structures, representing a coverage rate of 11.28% and a deficit of approximately 89%. This deficit is aggravated by an insufficient supply from SONEB, despite a 70% increase in production between 2019 and 2023. As a result, a deficit of approximately 2 million cubic meters of water remained in 2023. In this context, family (76.56%), community (7.34%) or denominational (16.09%) AWP have multiplied, particularly in the 2nd district and contribute 2.94% to meeting household water needs. All AWP contribute 41% of the water needs of the households concerned.
Eighty percent of respondents considered AWP a sustainable alternative, while the remaining 20 percent cited the high cost of implementation as the main obstacle to their adoption. The research suggests that these local initiatives should be supervised and integrated into public policies to strengthen equitable and sustainable access to drinking water.