The Nigeria-Biafra War: Economic Challenges and Quest for Survival in Biafra, 1967-1970 (Published)
Nigeria was artificially structured and named by the British. This nomenclatural coloration brought different ethnic nationalities together. These ethnic nationalities located in different parts of the country with distinct languages, history and cultural backgrounds and values, were made to coexist together under the same political unit. Little effort was made by the British to achieve political unity among these groups. With the first and second military coups in 1966, ethnicity became a major factor in Nigeria’s political lexicon. By 1967, Nigeria experienced a major conflict that almost dismembered the country. The war had serious economic consequences on Biafra as a result of the economic blockade and other stringent policies imposed on them by the Nigerian government. This paper therefore, interrogates issues emanating from the economic blocked and the challenges faced by Biafran citizens during this period. It examines survival strategies adopted by the Biafran government, Biafran citizens and efforts made by international humanitarian organisations to support the people. In the content analysis, this paper made use of both primary and secondary sources. The study identified both positive and negative survival efforts made by the people of Biafra.
Keywords: Biafra, Nigeria, War, economic challenges, survival in Biafra
Terrorism Cognition and Violent Extremism as Influenced by Cultural Orientation and Social Anxiety: A Cross-Cultural Study of Eastern and Northern Nigerian Samples (Published)
This study investigated Terrorism Cognition and Violent Extremism as influenced by Cultural Orientation and Social Anxiety in Nigerian, using 200 Northern Nigerian Samples, and 200 Eastern Nigerian Samples. Design was cross-sectional, with MANOVA and descriptive statistics. Findings: Terrorism Cognition, and Violent Extremism are significantly influenced by Cultural Orientation, and Social Anxiety, which differ significantly for Eastern and Northern Nigerian samples; Terrorism cognition as significantly influenced by Cultural Orientation (P≤ .05≥ .015 & .019; P≤ .001 ≥ .000), and Social Anxiety (p≤ .05≥ .038 & .014; p≤ .001 ≥ .000) is above average for Northern samples, but below average for Eastern samples; Knowledge of Violent Extremism as significantly influenced by Cultural Orientation (P≤ .05≥ .036), and Social Anxiety (P≤ .05≥ .021 & .015) is above average for Eastern samples, but below average for Northern samples. Recommendation: Counter-terrorism and anti-terrorism policies in Nigeria should incorporate rebranding cultural and social values (systems).
Keywords: Cross-Cultural, Nigeria, cultural-orientation, social-anxiety, terrorism-cognition, violent-extremism
Exploring the different vernacular architecture in Nigeria (Published)
This paper focuses on vernacular architecture and the various vernacular architecture in existence in Nigeria. Nigeria as a country is heterogeneous in both its socio-cultural structure and ideological perspective because of its ethnic diversity. This study therefore examines the vernacular architecture of Nigeria with focus on the three major ethnic groups which are the Hausa’s in the Northern Nigeria having Hausa Vernacular Architecture, the Yoruba’s in the South-Western Nigeria having Yoruba Vernacular Architecture and the Igbo’s in the South-Eastern Nigeria having Igbo Vernacular Architecture with focus on their culture, region and identity in order to have a proper perspective on the vernacular architecture of Nigeria. The vernacular architecture of the different ethnic groups in Nigeria are reflected through their culture, region and identity. Ethnic groups with similar culture, region and identity share similar architectural characteristics as it relates to their building layout, size of family, space organization, openings and fenestration, decorations used, roofing type adopted as well as the nature of Building materials used. As such, this paper suggest the classification of the vernacular architecture in Nigeria be considered from the cultural, regional and identity aspect due to the environmental, cultural and historical background in which vernacular architecture exist.
Keywords: Architecture, Culture, Nigeria, Traditional, Vernacular
Advancing the Igbo Language using elements of knowledge management (KM); The role of Academics in South-Eastern Nigerian Universities (Published)
Universities in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria have become the focal point of enlightenment for its people who predominantly speak the Igbo language. In the contemporary Nigerian society, universities manifest their increasing importance in the face of a failing academic system in a Federal Nigeria that has failed to advance the Igbo language. This paper argues that the elements of knowledge management (KM) can be used by academics to advance the Igbo language which has steadily become a dying language. Academics in South-Eastern Nigerian Universities where the Igbo language is spoken are in an advantageous position to advance this language given the advances in communication technology and opportunities for research collaboration. This paper further advocate developing a good research infrastructure in the Igbo language centered on the socio-cultural views of the Igbo society using elements of knowledge management will go a long way to advance and promote the Igbo language
Keywords: Igbo Language, Knowledge Management, Linguistics, Nigeria, Research
Sovereignty And Nation Building in Ola Rotimi’s Akassa You Mi: Implications for Nigeria (Published)
Modern African drama is a re-enactment of native historical, political, economic and socio-cultural variables supported by elements and modes of the west, which is a clear pointer to its dual heritage. This study, therefore, uses Stephen Greenblatt’s New Historicism, as it privileges cultural context and history, to explore the struggle for sovereignty and nation building in Ola Rotimi’s Akassa You Mi. The main aim is not only to unravel the power play and resultant rupturing of relations between the British (represented by the Royal Niger Company) and the natives of ancient Nembe Kingdom of present-day Bayelsa State of Nigeria. Also, more importantly is to present the enduring virtues of unity of purpose and selfless leadership as a sine qua non for a hitch-free and viable contemporary Nigeria.
Keywords: Nation Building, Nigeria, Sovereignty., struggle
REPOSITIONING TECHNOLOGY AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET) FOR POVERTY REDUCTION IN NIGERIA. (Published)
The paper acknowledges that Technology and vocational education and training (TVET) is an integral component of lifelong learning that provides functional education for individuals’ survival and socio-economic wellbeing of the society. This realization informs the global acceptance of TVET, as an effective tool for nation building and transformation. Taking cognizance of skill enhancement or empowerment capability of TVET for job creation, the paper upholds, this could engender poverty reduction which in turn orchestrates the culture of peace, environmentally sustainable development, social cohesion and international citizenship. The paper also emphasizes the potency of TVET in meeting the gap for new forms of skill development to meet the technological, economic and social needs of many developed countries. Furthermore, the author describes poverty as a serious menace to national growth and highlights some causes and destructive effects of poverty to nation building and maintains that unless appropriate attention is accorded to TVET the ripple effects of poverty would continue to defile every well informed policy/approaches of the government to nib poverty in the bud. Consequently, amidst other recommendations, the paper affirms that the government should through its agencies sufficiently empower graduates of TVET at all levels and also diligently mentor and monitor their activities to ensure their sustenance and active contribution to nation building as well as poverty reduction.
Keywords: Nigeria, Poverty Reduction, Repositioning Technology, Training (Tvet), Vocational education
A GIANT WITHOUT GALLANTRY: A RHETORICAL-BIBLICAL DEPICTION OF NIGERIA AS THE GIANT OF AFRICA (Published)
Using the socio-rhetorical method, this study aimed at pointing out that Nigeria is a giant without gallantry. Drawing inference from Africa literary scholars like Chinua Achebe and playwrights like Ahmed Yerima and Wole Soyinka, the paper argued that Nigeria is very rich in planning and very victorious in speech making but very weak in implementations. The paper showed that a giant without gallantry is a depiction of Nigeria as a giant of Africa in terms of population, rhetorical economic growth, land space and potentials not in terms of infrastructural developments. Moreover, using the story of Goliath and David in 1 Samuel 17:1-58 as a biblical depiction of Nigeria as a giant without gallantry, the study has also showed that Nigeria is a giant in terms of quantity not quality. Although, Goliath was said to be bigger than David, the reality of the result showed that David made more concrete success than Goliath. This depiction of David and Goliath in the context of Nigeria juxtaposed Nigeria with other African countries like Ethiopia, South Africa, etc. The work concluded on the presupposition that Nigeria will indeed become giant of Africa when she is more developed in infrastructures, education and technology than other African countries.
Keywords: African, Gallantry, Giant, Nigeria
ONLINE JOURNALISM AND THE CHANGING NATURE OF TRADITIONAL MEDIA IN NIGERIA (Published)
The migration of readers, viewers and advertisers from newspaper and broadcast television to the web is not limited to the developed world but has also become a visible trend in developing countries such as Nigeria. Newspapers have for the past decade decried the decline in circulation as web visits continue to increase, making the future of newspaper journalism an uncertainty. Thus, this paper takes a look at the changes that online journalism has brought in the Nigerian media landscape as its presence is mostly felt by the traditional media. The study adopts the technological determinism theory and the media morphosis theory, for while technological determinist hold that technology is the major determinant of change in the society, mediamorphosis theory believes in the unification of already existing institutions with the changes brought about by technology. Hence, the traditional media instead of being displaced by online journalism, and converge with the new media to enhance its operation. Consequently, the federal government and media-personnel should endeavour to equip media houses with the needed infrastructure to enable them stay afloat in this digital era as online journalism has come to stay.
Keywords: Nigeria, Online Journalism, Traditional Media