December 2019 Vol. 7 No.12

Search Pubmed for articles by:
 

Eguoaje SO
Okwudibe HA

Other links:
PubMed Citation
Related articles in PubMed








































































































 

Review

The Role of Ergonomics in Sustainable Agricultural Development in Nigeria

¹Samuel O. Eguoaje, ²Evboifo N. O., ³Aideloje V. E. and ³Okwudibe H. A.

¹Department of Minerals and Petroleum Resources Engineering Technology, School of Engineering Technology, Auchi Polytechnic Auchi, Edo State
²Department of Agricultural Technology, Auchi Polytechnic Auchi
³Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Auchi Polytechnic Auchi

*Corresponding Author’s E-mail: ajayistan@gmail.com +2348039714411
 
Accepted December 27, 2019

Abstract

Nigeria is mainly an agrarian society, with the majority of her rural populace involved in agriculture. Agricultural working conditions in Nigeria are extremely difficult due to severe environmental conditions, long working hours, strenuous work and the use of simple farm tools. The extreme working conditions can lead to the development of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), which have been recognized as the most prevalent of all safety issues in agriculture. This work reviews the role of ergonomics on sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria. Agriculture plays a key role in the Nigerian economy and hence the need for sustained development within the sector. Ergonomic intervention in Nigeria was identified as a key driver for sustainable development while fostering safety and comfort of agricultural workers. Mechanization alone is not sufficient to achieve the desired development in agriculture due to the high cost associated with it, but with improvement on existing simple tools and modification of existing machines based on ergonomic considerations, sustainable development can be attained.

Keywords: Ergonomics, Sustainable agriculture, musculoskeletal disorders, safety, anthropometry, Nigeria