Policy Project Scholar's Christmas Vacation – Leading Data Collection Across Ibadan, Nigeria

The program focused on data collection in Ibadan, Nigeria, with a team of 25 enumerators trained on December 17-18, 2016. Wale Ogunleye led the team, which gathered information from households in almost 200 communities across 18 wards in four local governments. The team's work involved listing various actors along the poultry value chain, including small, medium, and large-scale farms. This exercise was challenging due to the scattered nature of the farms and the need to visit remote locations. Ogunleye's presence at these locations boosted the morale of the enumerators, particularly on days when they faced difficulties. The Nigeria Agricultural Policy Project Scholar Program 7 contributed to the improvement of research in Nigeria by providing researchers and researchers-in-training with hands-on experience in data collection. The enumerators, who were either students or lecturers, gained a better understanding of the scientific process and the importance of maintaining accurate databases. This experience will serve as motivation for them to maintain good record-keeping practices and solid databases in their future studies or research endeavors. The program was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Feed the Future initiative. The contents of the report are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. The report was published by the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University. The program's success highlights the importance of personal commitment and direct involvement of researchers in their field work. Ogunleye's experience demonstrates how the Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Policy Project Scholar Program trains one researcher to train another. The program's impact will be felt in the improvement of research practices in Nigeria, particularly in the agricultural sector.