Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy

Research interest: Poverty Reduction, Empowerment of Women and Youth, Value Chains (Poultry, Maize, Transformation, Behaviour Modelling)

Research Supervisors: Dr. Bolarin Omonona and Dr. Saweda Liverpool-Tasie (MSU)

Semesters at MSU: Fall 2016 and Spring 2017

While at MSU Mr. Ogunleye had formal research interactions once a week, with the poultry research team (composed of two MSU professors, Thomas Reardon and Saweda Liverpool-Tasie and two PhD Students).  

When Mr. Ogunleye returned to Nigeria, he remained engaged with and make meaningful contributions to the project.

• Disseminate knowledge to fellow students in his department, the six FTF focus states (where he had conducted STATA training June-July 2017, the NAAE conference (presentation during the technical session sponsored by the project), the Conference Center, University of Ibadan (trained enumerators from Oyo and Kaduna) and reviews at the weekly departmental seminar series of department of Agricultural Economics, University of Ibadan. This was accomplished using the skills acquired from the Scholars Program. He has received and responded to requests (via email, phone calls and chat) from other students at institutions across Nigeria where he had conducted STATA training (on behalf of the project). The individuals that he has assisted have been largely students at various levels of study (under graduate, Masters and PhD). He has been supporting fellow students with their theses, especially on issues relating to theoretical framework and data analysis. Over 15 such students have benefited from his support since his return to Nigeria. Within University of Ibadan, he rendered assistance on data analysis of 6 students both at undergraduate and Masters level and has had an ongoing interaction/assistance with 3 PhD and 3 Masters students on their theses.  Beyond the University of Ibadan, he interacted with nothing less than 6 graduate students from Ibrahim Babangida University Lapai, Kebbi State University, Delta State University, FUNAI and FUNAAB as well as independent researchers on various issues. Additionally, he presented on his activities at MSU and to USAID staff in Nigeria. He continues to make good progress towards completing his PhD. So far, he has presented a formal defense of the research idea, receiving approval during this With faculty at MSU, he continues to work on data analysis and report writing related to the project’s work on the maize and poultry value chain.
• He shared his knowledge gained by:
  • Defense of PhD. proposal at the department. With over 70 students and about 10 faculties in attendance in May.
  • Participated in a workshop on climate change and the poultry value chain in Nigeria where he shared his experience being involved in the data collection exercise to answer participant questions on the topic
  • He remains engaged with project faculty (Prof. Thomas Reardon and Dr. Saweda Liverpool-Tasie on the data analysis of the poultry- maize-feed value chain and makes valuable contributions to the project work on this topic while receiving support on his thesis work.

Capacity building of Nigerians
Mr. Wale Ogunleye conducted 11 trainings on Introduction to STATA the months of Oct-December 2016.  About 325 people attended these trainings from institutions of higher learning and state ministries of agriculture in 6 FtF focus states. The trainings were conducted in collaboration with Nigerian faculty, their graduate students and current project scholars as part of the project’s attempt to build the capacity of scholars in these states to potentially conduct such trainings in the future. This involved the generation of the training material as well as the actual delivery of the training sessions. The eleven Introduction to STATA Training sessions are detailed in Table 1.

During the week of June 18, 2017, the Policy project organized a weeklong training on “Introduction to Stata” for researchers at Ebonyi State University and staff (e.g. policy analysts and planners) of the Ebonyi State Ministry of Agriculture & Natural Resources. The Training modules were delivered by Mr. Wale Ogunleye in collaboration with a Nigerian Faculty. At Ebonyi State University, the training was preceded by opening remarks from the Vice Chancellor represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor. At the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture gave the opening remarks. Beyond training, this activity demonstrates how the project strategically brings together stakeholders (researchers on the ground, government and project training beneficiaries) in its capacity building efforts. This strengthens the interaction between various stakeholders as is necessary to improve the agricultural policy process. This also demonstrates how the policy project’s capacity building effort operates in a potentially sustainable manner that ensures that adequate skills are available on the ground by Nigerians to conduct necessary research and trainings for agriculture.

During the week of June 25, 2017, the Policy project organized a three-day training on “Introduction to Stata” for researchers at Delta State University. The Training modules were delivered by Mr. Wale Ogunleye (who just returned from Michigan State University) in collaboration with Dr. John Odozi, a Nigerian Faculty. The Trainers were supported by Mr. Osayanmon Osawe and Mr. Monday Shaibu; both new project scholars who will be coming to Michigan State University in the 2017/18 academic year. At Delta State University, the training was preceded by opening remarks from the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture.

• Enumerators for data collection on the Poultry Value Chain Study in South West Nigeria for faculty and graduate students, Ogunleye, Ibadan, Nigeria, December 17-18, 2016.
• Introduction to STATA
  • For faculty and graduate students, Ogunleye. Osawe and Shaibu, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, June 19-21, 2017.
  • For civil servants, Ogunleye. Osawe and Shaibu, Ebonyi State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Abakaliki, June 22-24, 2017.
  • For faculty and graduate students, Ogunleye. Osawe and Shaibu, Delta State University, Anwai Campus Asaba, June 28-30, 2017.
  • For civil servants, Ogunleye. Osawe and Shaibu, Delta State Ministry of Agriculture , July 3-5, 2017.
  • For State Ministry Personnel – majorly planners, statisticians and policy analysts, Ogunleye. Osawe and Shaibu, Benue State Ministry of Agriculture, July 24-27, 2017.
  • For faculty and graduate students, Ogunleye. Osawe and Shaibu, Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev, Benue State, July 28-29, 2017.
  • For State Ministry Personnel – majorly planners, statisticians and policy analysts, Ogunleye. Osawe and Shaibu, Niger State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, July 31-Aug 2, 2017.
  • For faculty and graduate students, Ogunleye. Osawe and Shaibu, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, Aug 3-4, 2017.
  • For State Ministry Personnel – majorly planners, statisticians and policy analysts, Ogunleye. Osawe and Shaibu, Kebbi State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Aug 7-8, 2017.
  • For faculty and graduate students, Ogunleye. Osawe and Shaibu, Kebbi State University of Science & Technology, Aliero, Kebbi State, Aug 9-10, 2017.
  • For faculty and graduate students, Ogunleye and Osawe, Cross River University of Technology, Aug 18-19, 2017.
  • For faculty and graduate students, Ogunleye. Osawe and Shaibu, Kebbi State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kebbi State, Aug 21-22, 2017.
  • For faculty and graduate students, Ogunleye, Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, August 25-26, 2017.

Presentations
On March 25, 2017, The African Graduate Students Association (AGSA) at Michigan State University hosted their annual conference with the theme “From theory to practice: Exploring sustainable solutions to Africa’s Development Challenges”. Mr. Wale Ogunleye made a presentation at this venue. Over 50 participants listened and learned about the growing maize and poultry subsector in Nigeria. The issues were treated from several perspectives including that of poverty reduction and the empowerment of women and youth. Young scholars (supported by faculty) discussed how to better link theory and practice in all academic endeavours. The presentations are detailed in Table 2.

On Tuesday, March 28, 2017, Mr. Ogunleye gave a presentation on his ongoing research at Michigan State University. The research examines the poultry value chain in Nigeria. Using ICT, there were real-time exchanges between over 30 researchers in 4 cities in 2 continents. The researchers included faculty and graduate students from MSU, the University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University and the World Bank (Abuja Office). Researchers from Nigeria met at locations in their respective cities to listen to the presentation and follow the slides presented live from MSU in East Lansing. Participants learned about the interconnected nature of activities and consequent policies across actors and nodes along the chicken value chain in Nigeria.

At the 18th Conference of the Nigerian Association of Agricultural Economists (which took place in Abeokuta, Ogun State from October 16 -19, 2017),  Mr. Wale (who was in residence at Michigan State University in the 2016/2017 academic year) presented his research findings and talked about the potential of the rapidly transforming poultry and maize value chain in Nigeria. The findings presented were very much in tune with the conference theme on Agribusiness and are outputs of project supported activities.

• Nigerian Poultry Value chain: a potential enterprise for effective poverty reduction, for faculty and graduate students, The African Graduate Students Association (AGSA) at Michigan State University, March 25, 2017.
• Nigerian Poultry Industry: Conventional wisdom, recent evidences, emerging issues and future research needs, for 30 researchers in 4 cities in 2 continents (including faculty and graduate students from MSU, the University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, the World Bank, Abuja Office), Michigan State University and online,  March 28, 2017.
• Potential of the rapidly transforming poultry and maize value chain in Nigeria, for gov’t sector, civil society, research institutions, Nigerian Association of Agricultural Economics. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, October 16 -19, 2017.
• Visiting Scholar Program Experience, for USAID staff in Nigeria, USAID Nigeria, May 22, 2018.
• Shocks and investment decisions among maize and poultry farmers in North Central and South West, for faculty and students, University of Ibandan. Defense of PhD. proposal at the department, May 8, 2018.