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BACKGROUND Multidimensional issues confront the use of standard verbal autopsies (SVAs). such as the WHO's verbal autopsy standards and the Population Health Metrics Research Consortium's gold standard verbal autopsy, to improve the mortality data performance of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). OBJECTIVES This paper attempts an inclusive analysis of these issues and their implications for policies intending to integrate routine SVAs into CRVS systems to enhance mortality data coverage in LMICs. METHODOLOGY Issues were identified from the verbal autopsy and CRVS literature, official documents, and the authors' field experiences with the Nigerian CRVS system. These were analysed using a problem (key issues) analysis methodology. RESULTS Two classes of issues were shown to impinge on the use of SVAs within CRVS systems. One class is generic to SVAs (technical complexity, cost, and standardization issues) and to CRVS systems (contextual, resource, and infrastructural limitations) in LMICs. The other is related to the incompatibility of SVA and CRVS system functions, operations, instruments, and data. CONCLUSION The results indicate a need for alternative solutions to the mortality data challenges of CRVS systems in LMICs that are more pragmatic than SVAs, especially in the short and medium term. Such alternatives must involve less complex data procedures and costs and must be adapted to CRVS system functions, operations, and socioeconomic contexts in LMICs. CONTRIBUTION The paper contributes to the discourse on the use of SVAs to improve the mortality data capacity of CRVS systems in LMICs.

Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Systems are playing increasing roles in national and global data infrastructure, facilitating the achievement of key developmental goals. The performance of CRVS systems in many developing countries including Nigeria is sub optimal and information on their structure and operations scanty. This paper characterizes the statutory, institutional, and operational elements and social contexts of the Nigerian CRVS System. It includes a context analysis of the system and a review of improvement strategies and interventions. The paper shows that the Nigerian CRVS System is built on viable statutory and institutional platforms—the constitutional enshrinement of: universal, compulsory and continuous civil registration and, a central registration institution—the National Population Commission (NPC). NPC has registration hierarchy and infrastructure deployed at every level of political administration and mechanisms for efficient coordination of registration and production of vital statistics on live-births, deaths and stillbirths amongst other vital events. The major weaknesses of the system include inadequate financing and deployment of registration facilities, conflicting statutes and institutional arrangements for the registration of key events like death and stillbirths. Other weaknesses include intra-organizational conflicts in resource allocation and weak ICT infrastructure within the NPC. These are compounded by overarching contextual issues namely registration unfriendly sociocultural norms, weak national data infrastructure, systemic corruption, poverty and undeveloped civic culture. Domestic initiatives and interventions to improve the system have focused on birth registration, while multilateral interventions have only made a modest impact on the system. Thus, holistic incountry improvement initiatives supported with robust interventions are imperative to overcome weaknesses in the Nigerian CRVS system. However fundamental improvements in CRVS systems in developing countries like Nigeria may likely only follow sustainable solutions to overarching contextual issues especially poor infrastructure, weak institutions, poverty and systemic corruption.

Three issues impinging on the potential use of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) data for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are analysed in the paper. These include CRVS data relevance, content and data production capacity of CRVS systems. The paper adopts a ‘data type’ approach to relevance and capacity and proposes two metrics based on a graded qualitative evaluation (GQE) methodology. One is a data-relevance metric for evaluating the relevance of CRVS data types to the SDGs. The second is a National Statistical Systems (NSS) data type production capacity metric used for evaluating the data production capacity of CRVS systems. CRVS data instrument analysis and the CRVS data production capacity are exemplified with the Nigerian CRVS system. Relevance assessment results suggest that CRVS systems can provide data relevant to 25% of the SDGs. However the SDG data contribution of CRVS depends on the ‘data type’ capacity of National CRVS systems. As the capacity assessment shows, the Nigerian CRVS system has ‘nominal’ capacity to produce all CRVS data types (fertility, mortality, migration, nuptiality and socioeconomic) and ‘active’ and ‘latent’ capacities to provide data for some 21 SDG targets. However, it currently lacks ‘effective’ capacity to produce any of the data types for the SDGs. The paper has implications for goal setting and prioritization in evolving strategies to enhance the development of CRVS/NSS systems’ data capacities, especially in developing countries.

In view of an unusual transition in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) fertility, periodic re-appraisal is necessary. Using an ecological design, data from Demographic and Health Surveys between 1990 and 2014 were analysed to investigate trends in completed family size (CFS), total fertility rate (TFR), family size preference (FSP), and contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR). The correlates of changes in fertility levels, FSP and CPR were explored. Results showed that CFS declined and was lowest in Southern and Western Africa. However, average CFS for Central African countries appeared virtually the same over the period. Changes in TFR and FSP followed patterns similar to CFS. Western and Central region had very slow increase in CPR with many below 20% as at 2014. Eastern and Southern Africa had faster increase in CPR with some countries achieving almost 60%. Regression results showed that contraceptive prevalence (β= -1.96, p=0.027) and median age at first marriage (β= -0.23, p=0.06) were negatively related to TFR while employment (β= -21.7, p<0.001) was negatively related to FSP. In summary, fertility levels and family size preference declined while contraceptive use improved particularly in Southern and the Eastern Africa. Increased female labour force participation is another potential route to fertility decline in SSA. Compte tenu de la transition inhabituelle de la fécondité en Afrique subsaharienne (ASS), une réévaluation périodique est nécessaire. À l'aide d'un modèle écologique, les données des enquêtes démographiques et de santé menées entre 1990 et 2014 ont été analysées pour étudier les tendances de la taille de la famille achevée (TFA), du taux de fécondité total (TFT), du facteur de préférence de la taille de la famille (PTF) et du taux de prévalence de la contraception (TPC). Les corrélats des variations des niveaux de fécondité, de la PTF et de la TPC ont été explorés. Les résultats ont montré que le TFA avait diminué et était le plus faible en Afrique australe et occidentale. Cependant, la TFA moyenne des pays d'Afrique centrale a semblé pratiquement identique au cours de la période. Les modifications du TFT et de la TFA ont suivi des tendances similaires à celles du PTF. Les régions de l'Ouest et du Centre ont connu une très lente augmentation de la TPC, beaucoup marquant moins de 20% en 2014. L'Afrique de l'Est et du Sud ont connu une augmentation plus rapide de la TPC, certains pays atteignant près de 60%. Les résultats de la régression ont montré que la prévalence contraceptive (β = - 1,96, p = 0,027) et l'âge médian au premier mariage (β = -0,23, p = 0,06) étaient négativement corrélés au TFT alors que l'emploi (β = - 21,7, p <0,001) était en relation négative avec le PTF. En résumé, les niveaux de fécondité et la préférence pour la taille de la famille ont diminué alors que l'utilisation des contraceptifs s'est améliorée, en particulier en Afrique australe et orientale. L'augmentation de la participation des femmes à la population active est une autre voie potentielle vers le déclin de la fécondité en ASS.

In view of an unusual transition in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) fertility, periodic re-appraisal is necessary. Using an ecological design, data from Demographic and Health Surveys between 1990 and 2014 were analysed to investigate trends in completed family size (CFS), total fertility rate (TFR), family size preference (FSP), and contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR). The correlates of changes in fertility levels, FSP and CPR were explored. Results showed that CFS declined and was lowest in Southern and Western Africa. However, average CFS for Central African countries appeared virtually the same over the period. Changes in TFR and FSP followed patterns similar to CFS. Western and Central region had very slow increase in CPR with many below 20% as at 2014. Eastern and Southern Africa had faster increase in CPR with some countries achieving almost 60%. Regression results showed that contraceptive prevalence (β= -1.96, p=0.027) and median age at first marriage (β= -0.23, p=0.06) were negatively related to TFR while employment (β= -21.7, p<0.001) was negatively related to FSP. In summary, fertility levels and family size preference declined while contraceptive use improved particularly in Southern and the Eastern Africa. Increased female labour force participation is another potential route to fertility decline in SSA. (Afr J Reprod Health 2018; 22[4]: 44-53) Compte tenu de la transition inhabituelle de la fécondité en Afrique subsaharienne (ASS), une réévaluation périodique est nécessaire. À l'aide d'un modèle écologique, les données des enquêtes démographiques et de santé menées entre 1990 et 2014 ont été analysées pour étudier les tendances de la taille de la famille achevée (TFA), du taux de fécondité total (TFT), du facteur de préférence de la taille de la famille (PTF) et du taux de prévalence de la contraception (TPC). Les corrélats des variations des niveaux de fécondité, de la PTF et de la TPC ont été explorés. Les résultats ont montré que le TFA avait diminué et était le plus faible en Afrique australe et occidentale. Cependant, la TFA moyenne des pays d'Afrique centrale a semblé pratiquement identique au cours de la période. Les modifications du TFT et de la TFA ont suivi des tendances similaires à celles du PTF. Les régions de l'Ouest et du Centre ont connu une très lente augmentation de la TPC, beaucoup marquant moins de 20% en 2014. L'Afrique de l'Est et du Sud ont connu une augmentation plus rapide de la TPC, certains pays atteignant près de 60%. Les résultats de la régression ont montré que la prévalence contraceptive (β = -1,96, p = 0,027) et l'âge médian au premier mariage (β = -0,23, p = 0,06) étaient négativement corrélés au TFT alors que l'emploi (β = -21,7, p <0,001) était en relation négative avec le PTF. En résumé, les niveaux de fécondité et la préférence pour la taille de la famille ont diminué alors que l'utilisation des contraceptifs s'est améliorée, en particulier en Afrique australe et orientale. L'augmentation de la participation des femmes à la population active est une autre voie potentielle vers le déclin de la fécondité en ASS. (Afr J Reprod Health 2018; 22[4]:44-53).

Background: Decision-making autonomy as a component of women's status is a less studied indicator of fertility behaviour in Nigeria. Data and Methods: The study utilizes the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) data to determine women's characteristics associated with decision-making autonomy and examine the influence of decision-making autonomy on fertility behaviour among currently married women in Nigeria. Relationships between decision-making autonomy and fertility behaviour were examined using Poisson and Binary logistic regressions. Results: Results showed that, about 60% of currently married women were of low autonomy. Decision-making autonomy was associated with women's age, age at marriage, level of education, religion, employment status, type of residence and household wealth status. The result further showed that women's decision-making autonomy was significantly associated with lower number of living children and increased contraceptive use. Conclusion: The study concludes that women's decision-making autonomy is an important predictor of fertility behaviour among currently married women in Nigeria.

In this paper, the total-corrosion behaviour of reinforcing-steel embedment in concrete samples, having Cymbopon citratus ( C. citratus ) leaf-extract admixture, and which were immersed in 3.5% NaCl (a saline/marine simulating environment) is investigated. Electrochemical data of macrocell current measurements were obtained, as an easy to undertake corrosion monitoring technique, from the steel-reinforced concrete specimens, that had been admixed with different concentrations of the C. citratus leaf-extract, before being immersed in the corrosive test-medium. The obtained data were then rendered to prescribed specification from ASTM G109 for the modelling of the total-corrosion prevailing in the reinforcing-steel within the concrete test-samples. Results obtained showed that C. citratus leaf-extract admixture in the concrete samples led to reduction in the total-corrosion of the reinforcing-steel, and, especially, in agreements with previous works where other types of electrochemical monitoring techniques had been employed.

Waste management practices differ from nation to nation depending on the waste sources, types, and characteristics. It plays a vital role in nature’s ability to sustain life within its capability. In many developing nations of the world, it has become a recurrent challenge, especially in urban areas. Waste generation in Nigeria is on the increase due to the rise in population resulting from the techno-economic development in cities and the pattern of production and consumption of materials. The current waste management practices in the nation are fast becoming a national issue and unsustainable, leading to apparent environmental risk. This study presents a systematic review of existing literature, significant aspects of the existing novels was assessed: waste characterization, waste management practices, ecological impacts, public-private partnership, ethical issues, and legal framework and challenges militating against the current waste practices. This study shows that the existing waste management methods are ineffective and the demand for an all-inclusive waste management approach, proper execution, and enforcement of environmental regulations and laws.

The aim of the study is to examine the socio-economic characteristics of couples as they affect the nutritional status of children ≤ 5 years of age in Akure South Local Government area of Ondo State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 200 couples whose last two children were not more than 5 years of age at the time of the interview. The mean age of the fathers was found to be 39 years while that of the mothers was found to be 32 years ; more than half of the fathers (53.5%) had up to a tertiary education, whereas about half of the mothers (47.5%) had up to a secondary education. The result of the bivariate analysis revealed a significant relationship between fathers' income and children's nutritional status (p< 0.05); so also a significant relationship was found between mothers' age and children's nutritional status. Further analysis using the logistic regression coupled with the forward stepwise regression further found fathers' income as the best predictor of children's nutritional status, while mothers' age at first marriage was found to be the best predictor of children's nutritional status.