Barriers and solutions to effective mentorship in health research and training institutions in Nigeria: Mentors, mentees, and organizational perspectives.

Aims and Background: Mentoring relationships and programs have become a subject of global interest and their relevance is high in the ever-evolving health system. In Nigeria, informal system of mentoring is largely practiced. To be able to institutionalize mentoring program, there is need to explore the various challenges of mentoring process and suggest potential approaches for effective mentor-mentee relationship in health research institutions in Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: The study was designed to explore the barriers and solutions to mentoring process from the perspectives of the mentor, mentee, and organization in health research and training institutions in Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed and the study was conducted among 21 health researchers drawn from 24 health research institutions across the 6 regions of Nigeria. The nominal group technique was adopted in the data collection process. Results: The most frequently reported mentor challenges were "lack of understanding of mentorship process" (84.2%) and "lack of capacity for mentoring" (78.9%), while those of mentee were "mentor preference" (73.7%) and "lack of freedom of expression" (47.4%). "Culture of selfishness/individualism" (84.2%) and "lack of formal relationship" (63.2%) were the most mentioned systemic challenges. Training on mentoring process and relationship was mentioned as the most frequent approach to overcoming challenges for the three perspectives. Conclusion: Significant mentorship challenges exist in the Nigerian health, academic and research institution. Systematic approaches to finding and implementing the appropriate solutions are needed to circumvent these bottlenecks.

The under utilization of honey in a deprived environment.

The study investigated the utilization of honey in the treatment and prevention of illness amongst 400 respondents in Oranfe Community, Ile-Ife, Osun State Nigeria. Data were collected by employing a structured and pretested open ended questionnaire. The data indicated that 21%, 17% and less than 5% of the respondents had used honey for wounds, respiratory tract infections and gastroenteritis respectively. Neither educational nor professional status had any significant influence on the usage of honey in the treatment and prevention of common illness (p > 0.05). The vast majority (55%) preferred refined sugar to honey. The study has some policy implications. The first is the need for an intensive nutrition education programme that will disseminate the health benefits of honey as a source of energy, essential nutrients and its antioxidant properties. The second is the need to promote its usage in clinical trials because of its antibacterial properties.