Plant Resources of Tropical Africa

PROTA information for teaching, learning and research in Nigeria

Over 8000 students in universities from 3 states of Nigeria namely Ogun, Oyo and Lagos were trained using PROTA books at different academic levels: undergraduate degree (7300), Post Graduate Diploma (PGD 29 students), M.Sc. (49 students) and Ph.D (15 students). This is according to interviews with 7 PROTA book users who are also teachers and researchers in institutions of higher education in Nigeria.  They also reported that postgraduate and undergraduate students had a better understanding of PROTA books compared to the diploma students.

At least five PROTA books were used for teaching and student research, according to the interviews. They included PROTA-1: Cereals and pulses, PROTA -2 Vegetables, PROTA-3: Dyes and Tannins, PROTA-11: Medicinal plant 1 and PROTA Precursor. These same sets of books were equally found suitable by lecturers for individual capacity development and contribution of scientific works and findings to knowledge. The suitability of PROTA books went beyond mere training of students, they were also found important for the intellectual development and capacity building of lecturers because the presentation is clear and easy to understand. Similarly, PROTA information, on various crops including, uses, properties, botany, management, genetic resources and breeding was also rated as very useful for teaching students. These stated facts suggest that PROTA books are very useful in human development and agriculture.

The fact that the books were not available to students and many other lecturers did not hinder the impact obtained from the use of the books. The books were used extensively in teaching many courses in the area of plant science and agriculture.  However, it was highlighted that availability of the books for ready procurement by students and lecturers will produce greater impact in the educational set up. Even with the limited availability and number of the books, the PROTA information especially from PROTA-1 Cereals and pulses and PROTA -2 Vegetables have made meaningful impact in training, research, project writing, career development, selection of experimental crops, establishment of field trials and referencing. PROTA books have also been found useful as instruments for the improvement of on-the-job performance and academic staff elevation opportunities through publications, products development and community service emanating from the use of PROTA information.  Comparatively, more projects writing and research were carried out using PROTA-1 Cereals and pulses and PROTA-2 Vegetables. This may suggest that there were more emphasis on research and teaching in cereals, pulses and vegetable crops. It further suggests a huge production of these crops in the south, west and northern parts of Nigeria.

Courses taught by respondents using PROTA books included, crop production, farm management practice, cultivation, management and post harvest handling of tree crops, taxonomy, field  experimentation, economic botany , plant physiology and anatomy, ethno-botany , vegetable production, weed management and weed ecology, arable crop production (I &II ), Principle of Crop Production, Forest Taxonomy, Ethno-Forestry and Forest Protection. The respondents were asked to rate the degree of usefulness of PROTA information on different species, on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 as most useful, for the courses that they taught their students. The information was rated moderately useful and very useful for the courses. In case of economic botany and ethno-botany, the information on uses, properties, management, handling after harvest and prospects were rated most useful for teaching.

The most useful PROTA information for teaching of crop production was found to be on uses, ecology, management and handling after harvest. However, in case of courses on arable crops production, the most useful PROTA information was on uses, ecology, management and handling after harvest. Similarly, PROTA information on properties, ecology, and management was found to be most useful for courses on cultivation, management and post –harvest handling of tree crops. In case of forest taxonomy, ethno- forestry and forest protection the PROTA information found most useful was on properties, botany, ecology, genetic resources and referencing. The PROTA information on botany, ecology and referencing was found most useful for the course on vegetable production.