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Multidisciplinary approach to malaria research remain important to the national malaria control program in Benin. To unravel the mechanism underlying the establishment of research collaboration ties in malaria research in Benin, we model the complexity and dynamics of the malaria research co-authorship network of Benin using Exponential Random Graph models (ERGMs) and Temporal ERGMs (TERGMs). The network contains co-authorship information from January 1996 to December 2016. We fit ERGMs and TERGMs to the network as a function of nodal, dyadic and structural statistics terms, accounting for important principles of graph theory such as homophily and structural equivalence. The final ERGM and TERGM showed that the mechanistic phenomenon driving collaboration ties in malaria research in Benin is driven by homophily on the type of affiliation and by membership to a research group. Our study is one of a few to take a model-based approach to the study ofco-authorship networks.

This paper interrogates the context that Poverty Reduction Strategy operates as a development policy framework implemented in Benin and Nigeria, and how this provides opportunities and constraints for the objective of poverty reduction. Also, it argues that within the context of a neo-liberal ideology and strategy of development which guide the formulation and implementation of poverty reduction strategy, poor developing countries have not experienced a reduction in poverty or a promised development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pregnant women are a vulnerable population to COVID-19 given an increased susceptibility to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and pregnancy complications. However, few SARS-CoV-2 serological surveys have been performed among this population to assess the extent of the infection in sub-Saharan countries. The objectives of this study were to determine SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among Beninese pregnant women, to identify spatial seropositivity clusters and to analyse factors associated with the infection. Methods: A cross-sectional study including women in their third trimester of pregnancy attending the antenatal care (ANC) clinics at Allada (south Benin) and Natitingou (north Benin) was conducted. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for detection of IgG/IgM against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were performed using capillary blood. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and associations between SARS-CoV-2 serostatus and maternal characteristics were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Spatial analyses were performed using the spatial scan statistics to identify spatial clusters of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: A total of 861 pregnant women were enrolled between May 4 and June 29, 2022. 58/861 (6.7%) participants reported having received COVID-19 vaccine. None of the participants had been diagnosed with COVID-19 during their pregnancy. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 607/802 (75.7%; 95% CI 72.56%–78.62%) of unvaccinated participants. Several urban and rural spatial clusters of SARS-CoV-2 cases were identified in Allada and one urban spatial cluster was identified in Natitingou. Unvaccinated participants from Allada with at least one previous morbidity were at a three-times higher risk of presenting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (OR = 2.89; 95%CI 1.19%-7.00%). Conclusion: Three out of four pregnant women had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, suggesting a high virus circulation among pregnant women in Benin, while COVID-19 vaccination coverage was low. Pregnant women with comorbidities may be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This population should be prioritized for COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination in order to prevent its deleterious effects. Trial registration: NCT06170320 (retrospectively registered on December 21, 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to assess the short- and long-run effects of the interaction between institutional quality and financial development (FD) on the competitiveness of the WAEMU economy over the period 2007–2018. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology consisted of cross-referencing a synthetic indicator of FD with indicators of institutional quality and then estimating an auto regressive distributed lag model. Findings: The results of the pooled mean group and dynamic fixed effect estimation show a positive and significant impact of this interaction on the competitiveness of the economy in the long run. In the short run, the results are quite similar to those in the long run for the direct effects but different for the crosses. Also, the analysis of country specificity shows that the results are similar to those in the short run since the interaction between FD and institutional quality (political stability and government effectiveness) negatively affects the competitiveness of Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali, and positively affects the competitiveness of Benin and Senegal. Social implications: These results suggest the need for effective policies to improve the quality of institutions to enhance the mobilization of financial resources through FD to ensure the competitiveness of economies. Improving the quality of the political and institutional environment is a prerequisite for economic competitiveness. Originality/value: The paper is in line with the New Institutional Economics that developed in the 1970s. This referential framework is a heterogeneous body of work that encompasses works whose common point is the determination of the role of institutions in economic coordination. Unlike previous studies, which have focused on the contribution of the interaction between institutional quality variables and FD on economic growth, this paper analyzes the effects of this interaction on economic competitiveness. It, therefore, constitutes a contribution to this literature and aims primarily to fill this gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines Students' choice and their placement into various areas of specialization in their third year (300-level) of study in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Benin, Nigeria and what informs such choice and placement. Oftentimes, most students, before this level may not have any area of specialization in mind but the course advisers are to counsel them regarding their areas of strength and interest. Sometimes, the Department uses its discretion to place some student. The objective of this paper is to carve out certain criteria to be taken into consideration in placing students into their various areas of specialization. Pedagogic and survey research designs were used in which case questions were served to respondents in order to elicit responses and at the end, it was found out that majority of the students preferred study areas that attracts immediate and attractive monetary rewards like Graphics and Painting. This research examines students' attitudinal disposition towards areas of specialization from 2016/2017 to 2020/2021 academic sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to discuss climate change, by modifying the timing of several agricultural operations, reduce the efficiency and yield of inputs leading to a lower production level. The reduction of the effects of climate change on production yields and on farmers' technical efficiency (TE) requires the adoption of adaptation strategies. This paper analyses the impact of climate change adaptation strategies adopted on maize farmers' TE in Benin. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses an endogeneity-corrected stochastic production frontier approach based on data randomly collected from 354 farmers located in three different agro-ecological zones of Benin. Findings: Estimation results revealed that the adoption of adaptation strategies improve maize farmers' TE by 1.28%. Therefore, polices to improve farmers' access to climate change adaptation strategies are necessarily for the improvement of farmers' TE and yield. Research limitations/implications: The results of this study contribute to the policy debate on the enhancement of food security by increasing farmers' TE through easy access to climate change adaptation strategies. The improvement of farmers' TE will in turn improve the livelihoods of the communities and therefore contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2 and 13. Originality/value: This study contributes to theoretical and empirical debate on the relationship between adaptation to climate change and farmers' TE. It also adapts a new methodology (endogeneity-corrected stochastic production frontier approach) to correct the endogeneity problem due to the farmers' adaptation decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the challenges of implementing Farmer Learning Videos (FLV) in Rural Advisory Services (RAS) through a holistic approach. Our study focuses on a clear theoretical and managerial question – how do RAS manage FLV that does not easily fit into traditional models? The research collected data through semi-structured interviews (138 respondents) and focus group discussions (342 participants) in 30 RAS. The framework built drives the data analysis. The study shows that although most of the RAS provided poor support and did not write FLV in their project documents, many are increasingly using FLV. Extension workers see FLV as a way to efficiently and effectively achieve their goals – a helpful tool that could reduce workload. Moreover, the presence of FLV champions who are generally young and the high level of positive attitude toward FLV as well as collaboration with other organizations favor the increasing use of FLV. The results of this study can be used by policymakers and RAS to improve the integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) into their work. This study sheds more light on the importance of a holistic approach to thoroughly understand the challenges of FLV implementation in RAS with theoretical implications for their design, implementation, and analysis. This study reports the first known application of a holistic approach to understanding the challenges of FLV implementation in RAS in Benin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floods destroy crop production; nevertheless, the extent of their impact on farmers' livelihoods in developing countries has been poorly investigated. This paper contributes to the growing evidence-based assessment of the impacts of shocks on communities. It assessed the post-disaster livelihood of farmers affected by the 2012 flooding in the semi-arid zone of Benin. To this end, a survey was conducted on 228 farmers in two municipalities of the flood-prone part of the semi-arid zone of Benin (Malanville, Karimama). Information on the well-being of households was collected using semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using income and consumption approaches focusing on poverty and on subjective assessment using happiness approach. Additionally, a probit model was used for a poverty assessment. The survey revealed that flooded farmers were amongst the poorest in the study system. Seven variables determined poverty in this study: household size, location, the percentage of the farm size that was flooded, fishing, the farmer's gender, farm size, and "holding a secondary activity". Regarding happiness, 99% of the flooded farmers were unhappier after the flood in 2012. The results clearly show that being subjected to floods increases the incidence of poverty. The capacity of flood risk management and governance should be strengthened in the study system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government and financial institutions are attempting to address the low financial inclusion for developing sustainable microenterprises in rural Benin. Yet, their actions remain to be guided by evidence pertaining to the design of financing schemes intended to boost rural women-owned enterprises. This paper focuses on the relationship between the various financing schemes that exist and the economic performance of women-owned enterprises in rural Benin, using a sample of 3949 small businesses. Results show that social network-based financing improves the business performance of rural women entrepreneurs in small-scale commerce. This is also the case for microenterprises managed by adult women and women with primary-school education. Formal credit-based financing increases the profit margins of mature microenterprises owned by women. This paper also shows that self-financing is more profitable for young rural women entrepreneurs. The results partly inform the need to target women more in financing policies in Benin. Plain English Summary: Microenterprises' financing and performance require more gender considerations in rural Benin. Because of the demand rationing of formal credit, there is a coexistence of other sources of financing in use that induce differential impacts on the performance of women-owned microenterprises. This study finds that informal social network-based financing is more beneficial for rural women traders, adults, or educated owners. A substitute formal microcredit would enhance the growth of rural women-owned microenterprises operating with social networks-based financing. This has to be rural women having proven experience in small businesses. For inexperienced young women, a self-financing mechanism is more appropriate to start small businesses. Our findings call thus for policies targeting experienced female microenterprises for innovative microfinance programs and young female entrepreneurs for subsidy programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato is one of the most appreciated vegetables in the world. Predicting its yield and optimizing its culture is important for global food security. This paper addresses the challenge of finding optimum climatic values for a high tomato yield. The Frequent Pattern Growth (FPG) algorithm was considered to establish the associations between six climate variables: minimum and maximum temperatures, maximum humidity, sunshine (Sun), rainfall, and evapotranspiration (ET), collected over 26 years in the three agro-ecological Zones of Benin. Monthly climate data were aggregated with yield data over the same period. After aggregation, the data were transformed into 'low', 'medium', and 'high' attributes using the threshold values defined. Then, the rules were generated using the minimum support set to 0.2 and the confidence to 0.8. Only the rules with the consequence 'high yield' were screened. The best yield patterns were observed in the Guinean Zone, followed by the Sudanian. The results indicated that high tomato yield was associated with low ET in all areas considered. Minimum and maximum temperatures, maximum humidity, and Sun were medium in every Zone. Moreover, rainfall was high in the Sudanian Zone, unlike the other regions where it remained medium. These results are useful in assessing climate variability's impact on tomato production. Thus, they can help farmers make informed decisions on cultivation practices to optimize production in a changing environment. In addition, the findings of this study can be considered in other regions and adapted to other crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I describe my artistic project, Igùn—a StyleGAN series trained to animate the research question: what bronze objects could have been produced should the 1897 British invasion not have occurred in the Benin Kingdom? In addition to looting over 3000 palace-commissioned artworks, I surmise that the invasion resulted in a 17-year (1897–1914) artistic decline. Although post-invasion colonial reports referred to a thriving art scene and increased colonial art patronage, there is a dearth of visual documentation to identify objects created during this period. Considering this absence, I propose Igùn, a series of StyleGAN models trained on a dataset of looted Benin Bronzes. This project is informed by the Igún Eronmwon's (the royal guild of bronze casters) artistic protocols. Finally, I present three prototypes based on emergent themes—infancy and facial expressions, which were underexplored in Benin's classical bronze casting tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beyond productivity, does the adoption of agricultural technologies improve food consumption and reduce poverty? To provide answers to this, the paper used data from the household survey on the Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA) carried out in 2017 in Benin. Five agricultural technologies were considered in this study. First, an extended ordered probit model was estimated to analyze the impact of technology choice sets on food consumption groups (poor, limit and acceptable). Second, an extended probit model is employed to assess the impact on poverty status. The results show that the adoption of multiple technologies increases food consumption and reduces poverty among agricultural households in Benin. Combinations of technologies that enhance both food consumption and poverty status are irrigation and herbicide, irrigation and chemical fertilizers and improved seed and chemical fertilizers. Therefore, policy interventions should help farming households gain access to these improved technologies to improve food security and reduce poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization is a current concern, particularly in Africa, where it is expected to continue and increasingly threaten the effectiveness of plant biodiversity, natural carbon sinks, and the sustainability of cities. This paper investigates the structural parameters and carbon storage potential of trees in the land use units of the city of Cotonou in southern Benin. A total of 149 plots at 2500 m2 each were randomly generated, and trees with a diameter ≥ 10 cm were inventoried. ANOVA revealed that the means of structural parameters (diameter and height classes) and carbon stock rate varied significantly (p < 0.001) across land use units in the city. Tree basal area is estimated at 4.52 ± 5.24 m2 ha−1, with an average of 12.72 (13) feet ha−1. The average diameter of the trees is estimated at 57.94 ± 29.71 cm. Approximately 1000 kg ha−1 (0.94 × 103 kg ha−1) of carbon is stored in the city of Cotonou. Green spaces (1.21 × 103 kg ha−1) and roads (1.19 × 103 kg ha−1) are the units that recorded the highest carbon stocks. Khaya senegalensis, Mangifera indica, and Terminalia mentally lead the top ten species with high stock potential. This study demonstrates the contribution of urban trees to global atmospheric carbon reduction, which varies by species, land use units, and tree density. Future research could investigate an i-Tree Landscape approach for urban carbon estimation. This could reinforce urban carbon data availability for urban ecological planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Anii language of Togo and Benin is surrounded by essentially unrelated languages because the ancestors of the current speakers migrated into their modern territory within the last few centuries. This paper presents what is known about the cultural history and current social context of the Anii people and argues that Anii is a progressive language island despite a social situation that is different from that of many traditional language islands. The analysis of Anii linguistic structures (including comparisons with related languages and the presentation of relevant dialect differences) provides further support for the analysis of Anii as a language island. Much of the data, particularly the comparative analyses, presented here have never been previously available to scholars. This paper thus sheds new light on a little-known language with a complicated history that is not yet well understood, as well as potentially expanding the definition of the term 'language island'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide clean energy at a lower cost to their citizens, all nations of the world are striving to increase their energy production in an environmentally friendly way. Benin has also joined this dynamic by considerably increasing its green energy production efforts in recent years. The country has a huge undeveloped renewable-energy (RE) potential that can contribute considerably to its national energy production capacity. This paper summarizes the current RE situation in Benin and examines its future prospects. The current energy situation of the country is discussed, followed by an examination of its electricity demand-and-supply situation. The country has been found to depend heavily on natural gas and petroleum products from neighbouring countries and has ~41% of national electricity access. However, the government is taking considerable steps to implement RE projects in the country. The study analyzes government targets in the energy sector with existing policies and institutional frameworks. Recommendations are made for the benefit of the government, the private sector and other actors in order to developing the RE potential of Benin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Following the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsement of dual active ingredient (AI) nets, an increased uptake of pyrethroid-chlorfenapyr and pyrethroid-pyriproxyfen nets is expected. Studies evaluating their physical and insecticidal durability are essential for making programmatic and procurement decisions. This paper describes the methodology for a prospective study to evaluate the attrition, fabric integrity, insecticidal durability of Interceptor® G2 (alpha-cypermethrin-chlorfenapyr) and Royal Guard® (alpha-cypermethrin-pyriproxyfen), compared to Interceptor® (alpha-cypermethrin), embedded in a 3-arm cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) in the Zou Department of Benin. Methods: Ten clusters randomly selected from each arm of the cRCT will be used for the study. A total of 750 ITNs per type will be followed in 5 study clusters per arm to assess ITN attrition and fabric integrity at 6-, 12-, 24- and 36-months post distribution, using standard WHO procedures. A second cohort of 1800 nets per type will be withdrawn every 6 months from all 10 clusters per arm and assessed for chemical content and biological activity in laboratory bioassays at each time point. Alpha-cypermethrin bioefficacy in Interceptor® and Royal Guard® will be monitored in WHO cone bioassays and tunnel tests using the susceptible Anopheles gambiae Kisumu strain. The bioefficacy of the non-pyrethroid insecticides (chlorfenapyr in Interceptor® G2 and pyriproxyfen in Royal Guard®) will be monitored using the pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles coluzzii Akron strain. Chlorfenapyr activity will be assessed in tunnel tests while pyriproxyfen activity will be assessed in cone bioassays in terms of the reduction in fertility of blood-fed survivors observed by dissecting mosquito ovaries. Nets withdrawn at 12, 24 and 36 months will be tested in experimental hut trials within the cRCT study area against wild free-flying pyrethroid resistant An. gambiae sensu lato to investigate their superiority to Interceptor® and to compare them to ITNs washed 20 times for experimental hut evaluation studies. Mechanistic models will also be used to investigate whether entomological outcomes with each dual ITN type in experimental hut trials can predict their epidemiological performance in the cRCT. Conclusion: This study will provide information on the durability of two dual AI nets (Interceptor® G2 and Royal Guard®) in Benin and will help identify suitable methods for monitoring the durability of their insecticidal activity under operational conditions. The modelling component will determine the capacity of experimental hut trials to predict the epidemiological performance of dual AI nets across their lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to study the impact of municipalities' own resources on their investments' expenditure. Design/methodology/approach: Panel data analysis. A sample of 34 municipalities in Benin. Econometrics tests for the panel data models – estimation of the fixed-effect and random-effect models. Hausman test to identify the best model to explain the impact of the explanatory variables on local investments' expenditures. Heteroskedasticity, normality and autocorrelation tests. Findings: The results establish a positive and significant impact of own resources, state transfers and demographic variables on local investments' expenses. Research limitations/implications: As an implication, the results show the importance of local resources' mobilization for the municipalities' investment capacity building. They also show that the central government transfers continue to play a major place in local investments' finance, even in a decentralization context. Limitation: Available data do not allow to well evaluate the impact of the electoral variable on municipalities' investments' expenditure. This situation does not allow to well analyze the public choice considerations in local authorities' behaviors. Practical implications: Local mobilization of financial resources must be encouraged to raise municipalities' investments' capacities. Strategies must be developed to reinforce local capacities in local resources mobilization. Social implications: The results show the importance of local resources in local investments. They show the importance of citizens' participation in their well-being construction, through local resource mobilization (ex: local fiscality). Originality/value: Many authors assert in the literature that financial autonomy has a real impact on local development. However, empirically, it was not demonstrated. This paper contributes to correct this lack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous borders continue to be the principal source and conduit for small arms and light weapons (SALWs) throughout Africa, particularly Nigeria. Presently, Nigeria's security environment is severely endangered by the operations of the Boko Haram insurgent group, which often uses smuggled firearms and ammunition. Scholars have paid little attention to analyzing the smuggling problem in SALWs and their threat to Nigeria's internal security amid the Boko Haram menace. This study addresses the SALWs smuggling, and Boko Haram challenges to Nigerian security by using the Benin-Nigerian Porous Border as a case study. This paper discovers that the porous Nigeria-Benin border and the lackadaisical attitude of both governments have enabled transnational crime of the Boko-Haram sect. The paper recommends adequate coordination between security services and residents to battle the scourge of cross-border proliferation of small guns and light weapons between Benin and Nigeria. This study recommends a West African regional security network structure to regulate borders and coordinate security to curb SALWs and other criminal activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benin is an underdeveloped country whose economy is dependent on agriculture, principally cotton production. Kandi is a community in the country's northeast region, and is regarded as one of Benin's top four cotton-producing communities. This community has a deficient level of education. The present paper aimed to investigate whether education could contribute to increasing cotton production in Kandi. A questionnaire was distributed to educated, uneducated, and organic farmers in the research area to achieve this goal. A linear regression strategy was applied, with the key components of the research areas being the usage of agricultural chemical inputs (pesticides and fertilizers), miscellaneous factors, and the level of education of farmers. The data collected were utilized to compare the different groups polled (educated and uneducated farmers). Organic farmers are used in this paper as a model of suitable agriculture development in the study area. The key finding is that primary education affects agricultural production. Solutions are presented with a focus on organic farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the Adjatado systems of knowledge, the Ifá is a mediator between the world of the living and of the dead and this mediation depends on the funerary rites. Ifá is a word used to refer to the science of divination, the son of God, among other names. It is present from a person's birth to death. The paper discusses the Ifá's relation with the cultural processes of the construction of the Adjatado person, assuming its significant role in the lives of the Adjatado people in sustaining personal experience. After discussing selected cultural perspectives, about the meaning of Ifá for the Adjatado people, we propose a dialogue on the construction of the person in relation to death in the framework of Semiotic-Cultural Constructivism in psychology, in which death can be discussed from a philosophical perspective, articulated to the phenomenology of temporality, tradition, and alterity (cf. Simão, 2005; 2010; Simão, Guimarães & Valsiner, 2015), nevertheless, the subject of death has not yet been much explored. We argue that the dialogue here proposed enables an understanding of how the meanings that the Adjatado confer to the experience of death is related to processes that involve the cultivation of the person in the culture, addressing further developments concerning dialogues between diverse cultural understandings on psychological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural entrepreneurship is an important employment generation intervention for the fast‐growing young labour force in developing countries. Many bottlenecks including access to finance impede rural youths from performing in their new ventures. This paper examines the impact of access to finance on rural youths' entrepreneurship in Benin using data from the second wave of the School‐To‐Work Transition Survey, involving over 900 youths. The paper employs the endogenous switching regression technique, combined with propensity score matching, to investigate the drivers of rural youths' access to finance and its impact on entrepreneurship intention and performance. The results indicate that age, education, poverty status, experience, working in the agricultural sector and the existence of a bank branch are important determinants of rural youths' access to finance. The results also show that access to finance increases the probability of youth entrepreneurship by 15.2% on average. Moreover, the study shows a significant gender gap in rural entrepreneurship of 5.24% among youths with access to finance in Benin. These results suggest that policymakers should facilitate the access of youth, especially young women, to finance by encouraging formal financial institutions to reduce their credit eligibility conditions for those who do not have collateral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: External Quality Assessment (EQA) programs on urinary sediment (U-sed) examination are recommended by international guidelines to improve the quality of this diagnostic tool. However, no such programs have been carried out so far in developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa. This paper describes an EQA program on U-sed which was realized in 2017 and 2018 by means of innovative communication technologies in Benin Republic, a small country of West Africa. Methods: On Monday morning, weekly in 2017 and fortnightly in 2018, the image of one U-sed element was sent from Italy with a smartphone, via WhatsApp application, to a group of 13 professionals (11 bachelors of science, 2 medical doctors) working in different institutions of Benin Republic. The image showed one U-sed element, for which the participants were asked the identification and, in 2018, also a clinical association. Results: The images of 33 elements were submitted over the two-year period. Particle identification. Altogether 283 answers were received (8.5 ± 2.3/single image), 200 of which were correct (70.7%), 53 incorrect (18.7%), 17 partially correct (6.0%), and 13 "I don't know" (4.6%). Correct identification of elements presented twice (2nd answer vs. 1st). No change: 9/18 (50.0%); improvement: 5/18 (27.8%); worsening: 4/18 (22.2%). Clinical association. Correct answers: 8/17 (47%); incorrect: 8/17 (47.0%); no answer: 1/17 (5.6%). Conclusions: This paper demonstrates: 1. The need and utility of an EQA program on U-sed in developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa; 2. The feasibility of such programs by means of easily available and inexpensive smartphone applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The archaeology of the immediate coastline of West Africa remains surprisingly little understood, and what research has been undertaken has often focused on questions relating to sea-based interactions and the precolonial polities lying slightly inland. This paper reports the results of excavations on Ohlinhoué, a small lagoonal island in the western Republic of Bénin. A locally manufactured ceramic assemblage was recovered, together with a small suite of artifacts, including glass, metal, shell, and smoking pipes. These archaeological data provide insights into a small-scale, likely fishing and salt-producing community in this area between sea and river. As such, they provide an alternative to historical readings relating to well-known precolonial polities and trade entrepôts that feed popular historical narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the midst of recent protests and antiracism movements following the death of George Floyd in May of 2020 and other Black, Indigenous, and people of Color (BIPOC) murdered in the United States by police violence, protestors and advocates around the world recognized the need for Western governments and other institutions to reckon with their own imperial history—to acknowledge the linkage between the slave trade, colonialism, and racism in their countries. This recognition led to the tearing down of statues depicting racist colonial leaders and calling for museums who have perpetuated imperialism and racism through their acceptance and display of looted artifacts to return them. This article sought to answer the question posed in the call for papers, can the many manifestations of racism be effectively dealt with in our society if the status quo is unwilling to engage with the issues, address them, and relinquish power. Further the author argues that cultural looting has its roots in colonialism and racism and discusses implications of the linkage between one's stolen cultural heritage and individual and community well‐being. Answers to the question include both yes, manifestations of racism can be addressed, and no, they cannot be addressed when institutions and governments refuse to engage, address the issue and do not relinquish power. The article also includes the author's thoughts on using a living heritage approach to preserve cultural heritage and offers suggestions that community psychologists, advocates and activists can help to decolonize museums as part of the broader social and racial justice movement. Highlights: Preserving cultural heritage is important for identityMuseums should be held accountable for stolen artifactsStolen artifacts of any type should be repatriated [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sociolinguistically, isolation can be seen as a speech-community event which is commonly the result of migration, e.g., if speakers from a larger speech community migrate into a language island, leading to contact-induced variation. Another type of language island results from extensive language shift when a formerly larger language area shrinks to a remnant speech community, an enclave. The literature shows, however, that in both cases ethno-linguistic vitality is precarious, and that the impact of language contact is observable at all levels. Nevertheless, the question arises as to whether contact-induced variation is sociolinguistically distinct from variation in an enclave island. The paper describes the enregisterment of semi-speech and repair strategies similar to 'L1 creolisation' in an endangered Eastern Mande language, Kyanga, spoken on the border of Benin/Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to agricultural credit is still a challenge in developing countries. The weakness of agricultural financing prevents producers from acquiring the modern technologies that are essential for the development of their activity. This paper aims to determine the impact of access to credit on agricultural productivity in Benin using alternative measures of productivity. To do this, we use the endogenous switching regression model to control for potential selection and unobserved heterogeneity issues associated with this impact analysis. The data used comes from the statistical databases of the National Agricultural Research Institute of Benin. The results show that the adoption of improved seeds, the geographic location, the area sown and member of peasant organization determine producers' access to credit are factors that determine producers' access to credit. Farmers' access to credit generates an estimated gain of 40.07% and 31.97% respectively for production per hectare and production per FCFA invested. These results require a comprehensive and coherent public action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic carbon storage in agricultural soil constitutes a crucial potential for sustainable agricultural productivity and climate change mitigation. This paper aimed at assessing soil organic carbon stock and its distribution in three particle size fractions across five cropping systems located in Kiti sub-watershed in Benin. Soil samples were collected using a grid sampling method on four soil depth layers: 0–10, 10–20, 20–30 and 30–40 cm in five cropping systems maize–cotton relay cropping (MCRC), yam–maize intercropping (YMI), teak plantation (TP), 5-year fallow (5YF) and above 10-year fallow (Ab10YF) from July to August 2017. Soil organic carbon stock (C stock) was estimated for the different soil layers and particle-size fractionation of soil organic matter was performed considering three fractions. The fractions coarse particulate organic matter (cPOM: 250–2000 µm), fine particulate organic matter (fPOM: 53–250 µm) and non-particulate organic matter (NOM: <53 µm) were separated from two soil depth layers: 0–10 and 10–20 cm. The results showed that fallow lands Ab10YF and 5YF exhibited the highest C stock, 22.20 and 17.74 Mg C·ha−1, while cultivated land under tillage MCRC depicted the lowest, C stock 11.48 Mg C·ha−1. The three organic carbon fractions showed a significant variation across the cropping systems with the NOM fraction holding the largest contribution to total soil organic carbon for all the cropping systems, ranging between 3.40 and 7.99 g/kg. The cPOM and fPOM were the most influenced by cropping systems with the highest concentration observed in Ab10YF and 5YF. The findings provide insights for upscaling farm management practices towards sustainable agricultural systems with substantial potential for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to investigate the influence of polymorphisms in the FCGR2A gene encoding R131H FcgRIIA variants and in the FCGR3B gene (108G > C, 114C > T, 194 A > G, 233C > A, 244 G > A and 316G > A) encoding FcgRIIIB-NA1, -NA2 and -SH variants on malaria susceptibility and antibody responses against P. falciparum merozoite antigens in Beninese children. An active malaria follow-up was conducted in infants from birth to 24 months of age in Allada, Benin. FCGR3B exon 3 was sequenced and FCGR2A exon 4 was genotyped. Antibodies directed to GLURP and MSP3 were quantified by ELISA. Association studies were performed using mixed-effect models. Individual carriage of FCGR3B 194 AA genotype was associated with a high number of malaria infections and a low level of IgG1 against MSP3 and GLURP-R0. High parasitemia and increased malaria infections were observed in infants carrying the FCGR3B*05 108C-114T-194A-233C-244A-316A haplotype. A reduced risk of malaria infections and low parasitemia were related to the carriages of the FCGR3B 108C-114T-194G-233C-244G-316A (FCGR3B*06), FCGR3B 108C–114T–194G–233A–244A–316A (FCGR3B*03 encoding for FcgRIIIB-SH) haplotypes and FCGR3B 297 TT genotype. Our results highlight the impact of FCGR3B polymorphisms on the individual susceptibility to malaria and antibody responses against MSP3 and GLURP in Beninese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss and harvesting of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) significantly affect the population dynamics. In this paper, we propose a general mathematical modelling approach incorporating the impact of habitat size reduction and non-lethal harvesting of NTFP on population dynamics. The model framework integrates experimental data of Pentadesma butyracea in Benin. This framework allows us to determine the rational non-lethal harvesting level and habitat size to ensure the stability of the plant ecosystem, and to study the impacts of distinct levels of humidity. We suggest non-lethal harvesting policies that maximize the economic benefit for local populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major concerns for developing countries is improving the use of health services by the general population, and in particular, maternal and child health services. This concern reflects the Sustainable Development Goals 3, which aim to ensure the health and well-being of all by improving reproductive health, and especially maternal and child health. This study analyses the extent to which modern energies improve women's empowerment and the demand for maternal health services in a low income country. The empirical estimations were based on the 2017 Benin Demographic Health Survey data. We adopted the trivariate recursive probit modelling to find out the extent to which modern energies improve women's empowerment and the demand for maternal health services. The results revealed that the demand for maternal health services was significantly and positively associated with women's empowerment. Notably, being an empowered woman (social independence and decision-making) increases the chance of completing antenatal care visits. We further highlighted the importance of women's wealth in accessing maternal health services. To address maternal mortality in sub-Saharan African countries, policymakers should improve women's social independence, decision making power and attitude to violence by promoting access to modern energies such as electricity, Liquefied petroleum gas, and bio gas., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The paper examines the effect of a primary education program in Benin on women's marital outcomes. The study leverages a sharp increase in the construction of schools in the 1990s to assess the causal impact of an increase in primary-school supply on primary-school attendance, employment, marital outcomes, and experience and tolerance of intimate partner violence (IPV). Using quasi-experimental geographical and historical variations in the number of schools built, the results indicate that in rural areas the school building program increased the probability of attending primary school and increased the age at marriage and at first child. It decreased the probability that women find domestic violence justified and that they experience emotional IPV. The effects are driven by women's own increase in education rather than their husbands'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterizing groundwater responses to natural drivers is cost effective and offers great potential in hydrogeological investigations. However, there is a lack of method development and evaluation, for example by comparing results with those derived from using conventional methods. This paper presents a modified method to calculate the hydraulic conductivity (K) of confined aquifers using the well water response to atmospheric tides. The approach separates the Earth and atmospheric tide influences on filtered well water-level records in the time domain. The resulting ill-posed regression deconvolution problem can be overcome by constraining the well water response to atmospheric tides in order to follow a physically realistic semi-diurnal barometric response function (S2-BRF), or to follow directly a modified hydraulic model (BE-Hvorslev) similar to a slug test evaluation. An analysis with synthetic data shows that K up to 10-4 m/s can be estimated when pressure records with short sampling intervals are available. Application to a field dataset from Cambodia and Benin, with 20-minute to 60-minute sampling intervals, respectively, results in K values of 5.82∙10-7 m/s and 2.9·10-7 m/s. This agrees with results independently derived from pumping tests for both confined sediments and semi-confined hard-rock conditions. This method offers a promising and low-cost approach to derive K solely from monitoring datasets in confined aquifers. This is especially advantageous for low-conductivity formations where hydraulic testing takes time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characterization of wind speed distribution and the optimal assessment of wind energy potential are critical factors in selecting a suitable site for wind power plants (WPP). The Weibull distribution law has been used extensively to analyze the wind characteristics of candidate WPP sites, and to estimate the available and deliverable energy. This paper presents a comparative study of five wind energy resource assessment methods as they applied to the context of wind sites in West Sub-Saharan Africa. We investigated three numerical approaches, namely, the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), the multilayer perceptron method (MLP), and support vector regression (SVR), to derive the distribution law of wind speeds and to optimally quantify the corresponding wind energy potential. Next, we compared these three approaches to two well-known Weibull distribution law-based methods: the empirical method of Justus (EMJ) and the maximum likelihood method (MLM). Case study results indicated that the neural network-based methods, ANFIS and MLP, yielded the most accurate distribution fits and wind energy potential estimates, and consequently, are the most recommended methods for the wind sites in Togo and Benin. The orders of magnitude of the root mean squared error (RMSE) in estimating the recoverable energy using ANFIS were, respectively, 10-4 and 10-5 for Lomé and Cotonou, while MLP achieved an RMSE order of magnitude of 10-3 for both sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study measures the impact of the abolition of primary school fees for girls in rural areas of Benin, West Africa. The free primary education policy (FPE) in Benin occurred in two phases. In the first phase in 1993 (FPE phase 1), the government announced the removal of fees for girls in rural areas, and in 2000 (FPE phase 2), it started compensating schools for registering girls. This paper argues that an effective elimination of direct education costs could benefit girls' enrollment. Still, as long as there are other education costs, household income will determine keeping the girl in school. The results indicate that FPE phase 1 likely widened the gender gap in access and completion, while FPE phase 2 reduced this gap. The policy influenced all levels of income, but the impact was more significant for the wealthiest households. Furthermore, cultural disparities persist. The effective elimination of direct school costs could enhance girls' access and retention, but an ineffective reform can worsen the gender gap in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the extent to which shocks affect household education expenditures and the determinants of shock‐coping strategies in Benin, using the 2017 Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis survey data (14,300 households). The findings indicate that late‐onset/droughts, heavy rainfall/floods, and joblessness of a household member/reduction in income increase the likelihood to spend on education. Moreover, the occurrence of droughts/late onsets and floods/heavy rainfall lead to an increase and a decrease in education expenditures, respectively. Both idiosyncratic and covariate shocks force households to rely on shock‐coping strategies, with the effects of the latter (climate shocks) being among the highest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural land plans (RLP) and the systematic cluster approach (SCA) are the two main approaches used in Benin to secure rural land tenure. However, the contributions of these approaches to land tenure security in rural communities are mixed. This paper firstly identifies the main factors to be considered in conceptualizing rural land tenure security and secondly assesses the contributions of the two approaches in achieving rural land tenure security. The study is conducted in four communes of Borgou (a district in North Benin) that have benefited from both approaches to land tenure security. The dimensions of land tenure security were identified during focus group discussions and unstructured interviews with key informants. The contribution of the approaches is assessed using individual surveys from 742 beneficiaries of the approaches randomly selected, based on actors' perceptions measured on the Likert scale. The nonparametric Friedman test was used to determine the average rank of each factor according to the RLP or SCA context. As a result, land tenure security must integrate nine factors, leading to two forms of land tenure security. Legal and institutional security includes land tenure norms, property rights, local land management institutions, and the land information system. Socioenvironmental security involves access and use rights, social peace, gender mainstreaming, and land conservation. According to stakeholders' perceptions, RLPs mainly lead to legal-institutional security, whereas SCA combines and contributes to both forms of land tenure security. Rural smallholders will enjoy high levels of land security when these elements are in dynamic balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2012, judges and prosecutors in Benin have repeatedly protested against political interference and demanded compliance with their statutorily guaranteed independence. In 2014 and 2017, magistrates demonstrated in their judicial robes in the streets, protesting against the government's bill to deprive them of their right to strike and other freedoms. Benin has been described as a 'success story of democracy' (Stroh and Never, 2006, p. 1) and even as a 'model democracy' (cf. Kohnert, 1996, p. 78; Magnusson, 2001, p. 211; Bierschenk, 2009) since its peaceful transition to democratic conditions and its participation in a national conference in 1990/91. So why were magistrates in Benin demonstrating in the streets for the first time in the history of their profession? Based on fieldwork in Benin in 2009 and 2015 and archival research in 2017 in France, my paper analyses the change in the style of interactions between parts of the executive and parts of the judiciary in the history of the profession – a change from political negotiation to confrontation. Through their strikes and industrial action, magistrates fought for judicial independence; yet, at the same time they constructed legality and strengthened democracy because their actions emphasised the rule of law. My paper also considers the specifics of their strikes in the context of other striking civil servants. When magistrates, as bureaucrats, become politically active, it marks a transformation in their self-conception, as they are usually reserved and withdraw themselves from political and public spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent emergence of the subfield of ecomusicology has raised provocative questions about theory and method in music studies, as well as relationships between sound, humans, and the environment. This paper responds to these questions through an examination of two albums by the Beninese guitarist Lionel Loueke, informed by ethnographic interviews with Loueke and fieldwork in Benin and the U.S. Each of the two albums deals with a distinct set of musical materials and strategies to convey their respective ecological orientations. The album Virgin Forest does this through creating ambient atmospheres that blur the lines between human and animal sound, while the second album, Gaïa, deploys guitar distortion and "out-of-joint" grooves to channel an angry earth goddess. This analysis explores connections between the albums and concepts of sacred sound and interdependence in the Nichiren Buddhist practice that Loueke has adopted, and in vodun ancestral practices in Benin. I propose a concept of relational listening, building on Edouard Glissant's la Relation and Steven Feld's acoustemology, which embraces humans' interdependence with the environment while respecting the radical alterity of other beings, including human, non-human, and more-than-human. Loueke's music suggests that this relational listening necessarily leads to relational sounding: interactive improvisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to land is crucial for food systems to address the challenges caused by habitat and biodiversity loss, land and water degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable food production requires land security upstream for agricultural production. Land security emanates from the land law implemented in-country by government policy. In the span of a decade (2007–2017), three different land reforms have been adopted in Benin. This paper aims to investigate the land rights and land tenure security for sustainable food production according to land law and the factors that influence agricultural entrepreneurial activities in North Benin. The study was carried out in the Borgou department, mainly in five communes that are beneficiaries of the Responsible Land Policy Project of GIZ (Promotion d'une Politique Foncière Responsible: ProPFR/GIZ). A multistage sampling procedure was used to select the agricultural entrepreneur respondents. A total of 102 agriculture entrepreneurs were interviewed in 25 villages. According to land law in Benin, the results highlight the different levels of land tenure security and land rights represented by types of land documents: type contract (use right), certificates of customary ownership (ADC), and land title. The research reveals that 44.3% of the land of agriculture entrepreneurs' respondents possessed the certificates of customary ownership and 18% possessed the land title. The facilitation of access to legal land documents such as certificates of customary ownership and land titles can protect agricultural entrepreneurship for sustainable food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural mechanization is on the rise in Africa. A widespread replacement of manual labor and animal traction will change the face of African agriculture. Despite this potentially transformative role, only a few studies have looked at the effects of mechanization empirically, mostly focusing on yields and labor alone. This is the first paper that explores perceived agronomic, environmental, and socioeconomic effects together, thereby revealing linkages and trade-offs, some of which have been hitherto unknown. Data were collected using a novel data collection method called "participatory impact diagrams" in four countries: Benin, Kenya, Nigeria, and Mali. In 129 gendered focus group discussions, 1330 respondents from 87 villages shared their perceptions on the positive and negative effects of agricultural mechanization, and developed causal impact chains. The results suggest that mechanization is likely to have more far-reaching agronomic, environmental, and socioeconomic consequences than commonly assumed. Most perceived effects were positive, suggesting that mechanization can help to reduce poverty and enhance food security but other effects were negative such as deforestation, soil erosion, land-use conflicts, and gender inequalities. Accompanying research and policy efforts, which reflect variations in local agro-ecological and socioeconomic conditions, are needed to ensure that mechanization contributes to an African agricultural transformation that is sustainable from a social, economic, and environmental perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a large and growing literature on the relation between economic growth and poverty reduction. The evidence points to a negative correlation between growth and poverty. However, many studies also find that growth does not mechanically reduce poverty, arguing that in many cases rapid economic growth has not necessarily been pro-poor. This paper uses the concept of 'exit time from poverty' to assess the potential of economic growth to reduce poverty in Benin; thus accelerating the progress of the country toward the achievement of the sustainable development goal of eliminating poverty by 2030. It uses nationally representative household data covering the period 2009-2011 and analyses the impacts of various growth scenarios on poverty. The results show that, with a growth rate in income per capita of 4.2% per year, it will take between 7 and 10 years for the average poor household to escape from poverty. The paper also finds that stronger economic growth leads to shorter average time to exit from poverty. However, there is a lot of heterogeneity in the exit time from poverty, with various households' characteristics such as households' size and human capital being important determinants. Taken together, the results suggest that policies to accelerate poverty reduction should emphasize the development of human capital and ensure that growth is inclusive and pro-poor. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along the West-African coast, groundwater is under several threats coming from both human activities and climate change. However, hydrogeological studies have so far been conducted in a piecemeal way, city by city. In this paper, a regional study was conducted along the Beninese coast, combining hydrogeochemistry and water stable isotopes. Monthly rainfall samples were analyzed in terms of chemistry and isotopes as well as groundwater from Holocene (upper aquifer) and Mio-Plio-Pleistocene (lower aquifer). This allowed to determine the recharge timing of aquifers (April to October, excluding August). Rainwater then infiltrates the soil with a slight evaporation. The upper aquifer, more heterogeneous, is displaying many different water types while the lower aquifer shows mainly a Na-Cl water type. While the upper aquifer shows many signs of contamination from human activities and saltwater intrusion from lakes and lagoons, the deeper aquifer is more influenced by a geogenic signature. These results are then interpreted regarding the demographic trends and climate change scenario. In the long-term, the groundwater level of the lower aquifer is expected to decrease as the rate of abstraction increases and recharge rate decreases. It is therefore recommended to develop adapted and urgent protection measures of the water resource to ensure sustainable and healthy groundwater exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on examining the use of the Duolingo App as a supplement to the traditional ESP courses in Secretarial Studies, for Advanced ESP learners Classes of Lycée Technique et Professional de Porto Novo (LTP-PN), in the Benin Republic. The Objective is to assess substantial improvement of Learners Oral Communication skills after 3 months of studious use of mobile language learning apps. An experimental mixed-method research design in two stages have been used. During the first stage, quantitative data was collected using questionnaires administered to Ten (10) ESP teachers and Forty (40) randomly selected ESP secretarial studies learners of LTP-PN. Qualitative data was also gathered during classroom observations. In the second stage, the experimentation process involving the Experimental Groups (EG), which received the treatment, that is "the use of Duolingo for 15 Mn", and the Control Group (CG) were tested. The data was collected and computed using one way ANOVA test in SPSS 26. The result shows a statistical significance between the use of Duolingo and Secretarial Studies ESP learners' oral proficiency improvement. This paper further suggested that mobile learning apps such as Duolingo should be used as a supplement to the traditional ESP courses. It also pointed out the necessity for ESP teachers to invest in their professional development rather than waiting for the government.

This paper examines the nexus between tourism revenue and economic growth to the Republic of Benin throughout for 1995–2015. Specifically, this document examines the dynamic link between the three variables within a vector error correction model using the Johansen technique of co-integration, as well as the CUSUM test. The result confirms the tourism-led growth hypothesis that tourism has had a positive impact on economic growth in the developing countries, particularly in the Republic of Benin. Similarly, the CUSUM test CUSUM and CUSUMSQ statistics are well within the 5% critical bounds, implying that short- and long-term coefficients in the ARDL-Error Correction Model are stable. The result suggests that governments in developing nations will promote and increase international tourism demand to attain sustainable economic growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to expose those socio-structural contexts revealing the social injustice and human rights violations that sub-Saharan women face every day when forced into sex work by unemployment or sickness. Results of a qualitative study highlighting some key structural determinants of sex work and HIV infection among FSWs will be presented and examined through the lens of the WHO conceptual framework for action on the social determinants of health. The results showed that most FSWs had lacked the necessary financial support at some point in their lives. Also, both the socioeconomic and political context failed to provide proper support to prevent involvement in sex work and the consequent risks of HIV. The cultural and societal values placed on the health and well-being of FSWs in Benin appear to depend on the degree to which sexual violence and adultery are perceived as a collective social concern. This portrait of FSWs calls for both long-term interventions through a structural determinant approach to HIV prevention, targeting all the women who could face such a financial situation well before their entry into sex work, while maintaining short and medium-term interventions on the intermediary determinants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]