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Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Journal of Reproductive Health is the property of Women's Health & Action Research Centre and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Research is an important tool in the discovery of new events and inevitable in the advancement of our understanding of new phenomena. However, the process of carrying out a research will be incomplete and irrelevant if the results are not published. While the process of carrying out a research is a challenging experience for many researchers, an even more daunting exercise is publishing the research findings. Thus, writing scientific paper requires skill and experience. A scientific paper should have a clear purpose, be organized systematically and target a specific audience. It is important that before planning to write out a scientific paper certain questions regarding the message of the paper and its worthiness, the format, target audience for the message and the journal for that audience, are addressed. These issues are crucial and determine how well written a paper is and its acceptability for publication.

Since the first issue of the International Journal of Biometeorology in 1957, a total of 135 papers have reported on research in or of African countries. The majority of these have been on topics of animal biometeorology (36%), and the greatest proportion (24%) are situated in Nigeria. There has been a considerable increase in papers on African biometeorology since 2011, with those from this past decade accounting for 58% of all African papers in the journal. This occurs concurrent to an increase in the total number of papers published in the journal, driven by a move to the Editorial Manager system. While 66% of the papers on African biometeorology in the journal are authored by at least one person with an affiliation in the African continent, only 15 African countries are represented in the total authorship. As much of the African continent is projected to experience climatic changes exceeding the global mean, as much of the region is involved in animal and plant farming, and as seasonally-fluctuating and climatically affected diseases are common place, this low representation of work in Africa is surprising. This points to the need for greater awareness among African researchers of the discipline of biometeorology, greater involvement of African biometeorologists in International Society of Biometeorology and Commission meetings, and the inclusion of a greater number of African academics in the review process. This would be beneficial to the Society in increasing diversity and encouraging a more cosmopolitan engagement, and to the recognition of scientific development in African countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the relationship between advertisement expenditure and firm performance as well as the moderating effects of firm age and size on this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: Twenty-eight selected companies listed on the Nigerian stock exchange were examined. The study used multiple regression, a quantitative research method, to capture both the direct and moderating effects. Findings: The findings show that advertisement has a positive relationship with sales but an insignificant relationship with return on asset. Furthermore, the results indicate that larger firms outperform smaller ones when using advertisements to enhance their sales. On the contrary, there is no significant difference between the use of advertisement by young and older firms in improving financial performance. Originality/value: Due to the often-wrong use of resource base view in the advertisement–performance relationship and contradiction in research findings, this paper re-conceptualize advertisement as a necessary investment (just like plant and equipment) but not an investment that provide strategic value. The paper also makes novel argument by theorizing a negative relationship between advertisement and firms' performance in the Nigerian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa's recent security issues have become a cog in the continent's nation-building machinery. Perhaps the biggest threats to security in Africa are violent extremism and terrorism; there are local groups operating throughout east, west, and southern Africa that have connections to international terrorism. Their actions incite regional conflicts and facilitate organized crime networks, further destabilizing an already precarious political environment that ought to be a tool for nation-building and the advancement of development across Africa, particularly in Nigeria. Security issues have included kidnapping, killings, and the destruction of government buildings, medical facilities, and schools. These issues have plunged the country into a persistent state of insecurity and impeded the process of nation-building. Therefore, this paper uses Nigeria as a case study to examine the threat of security challenges to the development of nation building in Africa. Qualitative techniques are used to gather secondary data for analysis. The results showed that a great deal of lives and property have been lost to insecurity, which has also hindered the effective execution of government policies and initiatives aimed at strengthening the country. As a result, this paper concludes that security challenges have a negative impact on nation building and makes recommendations for how to lessen security challenges in order to promote Nigerian nation building through good governance, corruption, synergy-security, transparent, and accountable leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nigeria has a relatively large scientific community that produces an adequate research output among African countries. Not many studies have analysed the research output in orthopaedics and sports medicine from Nigeria and Africa. Hence, we aimed to analyze the research output in orthopaedics and sports medicine from Nigeria and Africa. Methodology: We used the SCOPUS data from the Scimago Journal & Country Rank website. It allows us to draw various journal metrics for research. Results: Between 1996 and 2022, Nigerian research publications in orthopaedics and sports medicine had grown from 4 in 1996 to 39 in 2022 (a 10-fold growth) but overall is 62nd in the world representing 0.07% of publications in the period. In the same period, Africa published 8297 papers in orthopaedics and sports medicine representing only 1.24% of the global publications in this field. Conclusion: There is low research output in Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine from Nigeria and, the whole African continent. However, there has been a growth in the publications from Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical research and epidemiological studies have shown that many women experience physical and behavioral symptoms that begin during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and terminate around the onset of menses; this is called premenstrual syndrome. The reviews stated that the pooled prevalence of premenstrual syndrome was around 50 percent. However, there has been no review done on premenstrual syndrome in Africa. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize the most recent data evidence on the pooled prevalence of premenstrual syndrome and its pooled effect of associated factors in Africa. Method: We used an appropriate guideline for systematic reviews and metaanalyses reports, which is the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). This review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023414021). The publications were identified from PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, Scopus databases, and other grey searches. The included papers were the original data that reported the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome and associated factors published, in English, and papers available online from January 1, 2000, to May 30, 2023. The data was extracted in Microsoft Excel, and then it would be imported into STATA 11.0 for analysis. Results: We have included 16 studies conducted in African countries with 6530 study participants. In this meta-analysis, the pooled prevalence of premenstrual syndrome among the reproductive-age participants in Africa was 46.98 (95% CI: 28.9-65.06%). Further, in subgroup analysis, the pooled prevalence of premenstrual syndrome was 57.32% in Nigeria, 43.8% in Ethiopia, and 38.6% among university students and 66.04% among secondary school students. Among associated factors, the early age of menarche was significantly related to premenstrual syndrome. Conclusion: In this review, the pooled prevalence of premenstrual syndrome in Africa was high. Among factors, the early age of menarche was a risk factor for premenstrual syndrome. This finding might help the stakeholders (mental health policy makers, administrators, and mental health professionals) to address prevention, early screening, and management of PMS among reproductive-age women, and to give attention to more vulnerable bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the evolution of a particular variant of cyber fraud known as the Nigerian prince scam and to demonstrate its socio-cultural impact. These scams are also referred to as yahoo scams. This paper traces the history of the Nigerian prince scam and how the scheme has evolved over the years to become more sophisticated, audacious and damaging to its victims. Design/methodology/approach: The analytic approach is conceptual, drawing on institutional anomie theory, social learning theory and routine activity theory to explain this unique typology of cybercrime. Data were collected and analysed from books, journal articles, newspaper articles and other electronic Web sources. Findings: The ineffective political leadership of Nigeria's present elected and past military leaders could be attributed to creating culturally induced pressures to secure monetary success by the scammers. A significant number of people involved in this malfeasance justify these crimes with the argument of being owed reparations for colonisation, which might explain why international and local agencies may not be effective at eradicating this crime problem. Originality/value: Despite the continued perpetration of the Nigerian prince scam, current research has not presented an evolutionary view of this fraudulent operation. This paper adds to the literature by explaining the origins of the scam, how they have developed over time and how internet technology has advanced the sophistication of the scam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore agripreneurship development as a strategy for economic growth and development.Design/methodology/approach Though a few related literature were reviewed, this paper relies heavily on the author’s viewpoint regarding how Nigeria can grow and develop its economy through agripreneurship development.Findings The present economic challenges that Nigeria is facing are blamed on overdependence on the oil sector, bad governance, corruption, leadership failure, policy inconsistency, overdependence on imported goods and ostensible neglect of the agricultural sector. Also, policymakers, economic analysts and the government have advocated strongly for diversification of the economy. Besides, there is a consensus among scholars, economic analysts and policymakers that “agriculture is the answer.”Research limitations/implications This paper addresses specifically one sector of the economy – the agricultural sector. On the other hand, economic crisis needs to be addressed holistically by resolving specific issues that confront different sectors of the economy.Practical implications This paper has some insightful policy and practical implications for the Nigerian Government and Nigerians. The government and Nigerians need to take practical steps to grow and develop the economy. On the part of the government, apart from the need to transform the agricultural sector by allocating enough funds to it, the government should establish well-equipped agripreneurship development centers and organize periodically agripreneurship development programmes for the main purpose of training and developing both current and potential agripreneurs who will be able to apply today’s agricultural techniques and practices which involve a great deal of creativity and innovation for a successful agribusiness. The federal government should integrate agripreneurship education into Nigeria’s education system. Similarly, the Nigerian people, particularly the youths or graduates should be encouraged to choose agribusiness as a career.Originality/value While previous papers have offered different solutions to the current economic crisis that Nigeria is experiencing, ranging from economic to structural reforms, this paper differs significantly from others by recommending specifically agripreneurship development as a strategy for revamping Nigeria’s economy from its current recession. Moreover, there is a dearth of literature on agripreneurship and agripreneurship development. This paper therefore fills the literature gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protecting the vulnerable constituencies against risks, hazards and poverty is a common practice across countries of the world, whether developed or developing. While social protection programming in Nigeria predates political independence, the social protection efforts of the Buhari administration remain the most comprehensive in the history of Africa's largest economy. The expansive scope/coverage of the administration's social protection programming is better appreciated when viewed within the context of rising social inequality and poverty in the country as amply evidenced by a recent report of the National Bureau of Statistics. This paper examines the social protection practice of the Buhari administration which was instituted in 2016. Using secondary data and official records, the paper finds that while the social protection programming of the regime is elaborate and ambitious, it has not substantially achieved its intended consequences. The paper identifies challenges impeding the social protection efforts and proposes some mitigating measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article extends the work of existing studies on the development of learners to be ethical leaders in Africa. It makes a case for the use of film as an andragogical tool in the education of adult learners in Africa. Premised on social learning theory, the paper proposes that film, as an audio-visual case study that offers a cinematic experience, accommodates students' varying learning styles. It is found to be resourceful in the dissemination of ideas or knowledge of particularly recommended subjects such as leadership and ethics. Purely based on secondary data, key themes uncovering the challenges and prospects of using film, especially in Nigeria are discussed. In addition to the systematic literature review results showing a poor trend of film usage in Africa higher education settings, a strong case was made for the use of film analysis given its practical relevance, components, and benefits. Beyond achieving the set objectives, a key contribution is the proposition for an enhanced reflective practice to accentuate the third phase of social learning theory and promote experiential learning which is more engaging for students. Future studies can gather primary data to explore how film is used in African business schools and evaluate its impact on adult learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration has remarkably influenced the development of civilization and the establishment of cultural borders throughout history. In the case of Nigeria, one of the negative impacts of migration has been the violent seizure of ancestral lands by the Fulani as part of a strategy to 'fulanize' and 'Islamize' the Nigerian nation. This study investigates the links between human migration and religious socialization in Africa, particularly Nigeria. The paper employs the descriptive and phenomenological approaches and bases its arguments on the theoretical foundations of Durkheimian and Weberian theories. The paper argues that regional mobility, with its religious socializing effects, affects national politics, government, the economy, and other national domains. It concludes that African countries should include international migration in their plans and national development goals to make their countries safer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil spills in resource-rich areas in Africa have led to irreversible environmental degradation, resulting in social conflicts that have greatly affected women. Yet, the experiences of ordinary women affected by resource extraction activities in the Global South are often marginalised. Recent calls for the southernising of criminology are gaining momentum and could be linked to calls for rethinking how knowledge about Africa is produced, including in its gendered dimensions. For example, in what ways do women's voices matter on issues related to the environment in the Niger Delta? And how do their voices intersect with green criminological theories? This article focuses on amplifying affected women's lived experiences in the resource-rich area of the Niger Delta of Nigeria. Using data collected between 2019 and 2022 through participatory video, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews, the paper underscores the need to give women a voice on matters that affect the environment, and peace and war dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Democracy as a system of government has no flesh, capacity or definitions without citizens' active participation or input because the institution of the people supersedes every other institution of government since the core of democracy begins and ends with the people from time to time irrespective of the regime or circle of government officials in power anywhere in the world. Nigeria as a state is regarded as a giant of Africa due to several positive attributes that ranges from large land mass, population, military and economy which placed her at the top most position in Africa democracy and participation but her failure to lead by example as far as democracy is concern has also led to the collapse of this system of government in the continent. Therefore, this paper significantly sifted issues in Africa democracy as it affect the level of participation using Nigeria as the guinea pig since she is a significant voice in the continent. Discovering shows that democratic participation in Africa is all time low due to several issues amongst which are: crisis of governance, state and management of security, failure of democracy amongst others. The paper therefore, recommended that African citizens should not be idle or indifference to change, instead let the fight to change the status quo be eternal no matter how difficult it is because struggle have always and will continue to be medium of change. Power belongs to the masses in a democratic setting. The liberation of the Africa mind should be the ultimate goal. Good governance, political freedom, equity and better welfare are in the mind and therefore, Africa leaders should change their culture or approach to governance. For the case of Nigeria and most African countries, it is better to mentioned that anyone who has ever tasted power before at any level should not be given another access. There seems to be no advantage of experience or residual skills acquired before. New hands should be allowed to handle the steering to lift the nations from their rumb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the pedagogical challenges and dilemmas surrounding film and media arts education within Nigerian tertiary institutions against deficient teaching facilities and infrastructure. Teaching film and media arts has rapidly developed in recent years. Many Nigerian universities now recognise the necessity of robust film/media pedagogy to complement and respond to the escalating growth of the country's indigenous film and entertainment industry. The onus is increasingly placed on Nigeria's tertiary institutions to spearhead the advancement of film and media arts education, premised on disseminating adequate practical knowledge, skills acquisition, and integrating international best practices. However, a pivotal issue emerges regarding whether Nigerian tertiary institutions possess the requisite facilities to fulfil and drive this pedagogical mandate. This paper argues that most Nigerian universities continue to emphasise theoretical instruction over practical application, constrained by the unavailability of resources required to execute a technologically immersive media pedagogy tailored to the needs of the nation's thriving creative industries. Drawing insights from a recent experimental pedagogical model undertaken at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, this paper highlights how an integrated pedagogical methodology combining conventional teaching formats with social media tools and platforms may potentially mitigate the difficulties imposed by insufficient practical teaching facilities for film education in most African tertiary institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Critical African Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper underscores the nature of conflict and examines ethnic and communal conflicts in Nigeria. It proposes a mechanism for resolving ethnic conflicts, which melds the theory of conflict, conflict resolution, and peace-building with traditional African values. It also highlights the importance of empowering local community leaders with appropriate skills in conflict prevention, management, and resolution without recourse to external intervention. Given that the abandonment of ‘utility-laden’ traditional mechanisms of conflict resolution for foreign models mostly gave rise to the myriads of avoidable violent conflicts all over Africa, it becomes a desideratum to revive and promote hitherto traditional mechanisms of conflict resolution in Nigeria. The paper adopts the historical and analytical method of research deploying secondary data to achieve its aim. The paper in its little form contributes to the trajectory of alternative conflict resolution process of ethnic and community conflicts in Nigeria, which serves as a possible model for other African nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses how African organisations and countries construct their geographical indication (GI) systems. It makes three primary arguments. First, that the nascent GI agenda in Africa is driven by the European Union (EU) to principally promote European interests. Nonetheless, African countries can benefit from GI regimes by crafting laws that promote African interests. Second, that simply embracing the introduction of GI laws will not result in the EU's promised socioeconomic development in Africa. This is because multifarious factors including infrastructure, investment, branding, marketing and security are required to realise successful GI regimes. Third, that African countries must leverage contextually customised GI regimes to maximise the potentials they present. Contextually customised GI regimes can engender socioeconomic development. Beyond the EU's agenda‐setting technologies, international affiliations and treaty boundaries shape GI laws in Africa, which inform the marked variation in its GI systems. This variation reflects the dissonance in international treaties for GIs. While African countries align with demandeurs that espouse stronger GIs laws at the international level, the only regional instrument on GIs in Africa is its Continental Strategy for GIs. In examining examples from the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation, South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria, this timely paper maintains that although GIs present promises of socioeconomic development, policymakers, lawmakers and relevant African stakeholders must caution against their often‐overlooked pitfalls. As ultimately, it is the responsibility of Africans, not foreigners, to guarantee the generation of thriving GI ecosystems for African products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread and prevalence of COVID-19 in several countries has impacted human relations and political governance and shattered individual and corporate livelihoods. While research is being done to provide understanding of the issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of such work has largely been on the industrialised world, neglecting Africa. However, it is undeniable that the pandemic has created new ways of social relations and has affected economic well-being on the continent. The economic impact has seen the naira devalued, budget cuts and household increased poverty rate. Using an online survey instrument to gauge and examine the views of Nigerians in selected states on social and economic impacts of COVID-19, the paper attempts to provide answers to the impacts of COVID-19 containment measures, their effects on social relations, and their impact on individual and household economy. Inferential and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. The paper found a generally high and adverse socio-economic effect of COVID-19 on Nigerians especially in relation to low purchasing power, reduction in social ties and bonding. It concludes that measures to contain COVID-19 like social distancing and lockdown would continue to adversely affect the finances and income of Nigerians, their relationship with friends and families and their social lives if the pandemic persists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speech writing is not just a mechanical process. It presupposes elements of creativity as it has assumed the dimension of art. The paper presents 'oratory' and 'rhetoric' as inseparable concepts. Rhetoric is an ancient stylistic practice and for over two millennia, it has served as a training course in effective public speech. In contemporary scholarship, rhetoric is the anchorage of both linguistic and communicative competence. Speakers deviate from the formal properties of language to pragma-stylistic choices that are germane to topic, audience and occasion. In this paper, we posit that the public identity of the person who writes or delivers a public speech, is inextricably linked to the quality of speech delivered, and afterwards, in circulation. However, the thrust of the paper is to locate the utilitarian or functional potency of speech writing, oratory and public identity within the climes of political leadership in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines J.S. Sanni's argument on the role of religion in promoting silence and extortion in contemporary African (Nigerian) society, leveraging on the name of God, with a view to determining the strengths and weaknesses of this argument. Sanni posits that religion (Christianity and Islam) have played crucial roles in promoting silence and extortion in Africa, with particular reference to Nigeria. He argues that the colonial debris of disempowerment, injustices, manipulation and extortion, using the instrumentality of religion, are still very much part of African society today. According to him, the above manipulations, extortions and injustices, perpetrated by the colonial masters on African societies using the tool of religion, is still very much part of the contemporary African society and have only assumed new outlooks and language and consequently plunged many Africans into silence in the face of what is often presented as sacred and holy. The study examines the strengths and weaknesses of this argument. The paper adopts historical hermeneutics and textual analysis methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, the issues of extrajudicial killings are on the increase. From racial killings in the West to wanton human rights violations in Africa, the pains are the same. Thus, protests have always been a channel employed by many including activists, labour and union leaders among others, to press home grievances and demands against unfavourable policies and social malaise. This paper draws attention to how youths in Nigeria utilised the physical space to spark a protest, in October 2020. Notable actors, musicians, comedians, activists and the international community in their numbers, moved to the streets in defiance of security orders to protest against police brutality and harassment. In view of the outcome of the protest, which was later hijacked by hoodlums, the paper examines a non-violent alternative which can be used to address societal issues. It is in this context that the paper examined the role of theatre as a tool for activism, advocacy and communication with specific reference to street theatre, a type of improvised street drama performance that addresses unfavourable socio-political and cultural issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of culture, tradition, and its unassailable conflict with modernity in certain parts of Africa, as obvious in several communities in Nigeria, is a challenge that affects our social development today. As it is often echoed; "it's a man's world", most times women fall victim of these long-held traditions that have over time become canons we hold dear. The glib dispositions of these practices situate patriarchy at the epicenter of societal construction and places women on us, the fringes, mostly becoming unwilling casualties of unfriendly traditions. Thus, this paper examines how tradition and its attendant problems impede on the social standing and general development of the woman in society using Tess Osonye Onwueme's play 'The Broken Calabash". Using the thematic content analysis approach the paper explored the potential conflict between tradition and modernity, the paper interrogates Broken Calabash as a reflection of women's subjugation by obsolete cultural traditions, presenting alongside this, the consequences of social exclusion and the denial of rights experienced by women. The paper concludes that the dramatic experience presented by Tess Osonye Onwueme reveals the intricate relations between tradition and modernity as a potent means for the reading and understanding of texts depicting gender relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Development Research is the property of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper discusses multidisciplinary international research collaboration team formation during the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges faced, strategies adopted, achievements and dynamics in the implementation of research on Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), by the African Translational Research Group (ATReG). The paper also discusses the lessons learnt and future opportunities for global collaborative research. In-depth virtual interviews were conducted with consenting members of ATReG. Questions were designed to provide rich, deep, and insightful opinions, lived experiences and perspectives of ATReG group members on group formation, challenges, strategies and achievements. Interview data was transcribed and analysed thematically, and the results were presented with important quotations presented. The ATReG consisted of English (n = 13) and French (n = 1) speaking sub-Saharan African (SSA) researchers who specialise in public health, epidemiology, optometry, information technology, supply chain management, psychiatry, community health, general medical practice, nutrition and biostatistics. Most members of the group reported an informal but well-coordinated structure of the group. Formed during the pandemic, all group meetings were held online, and many members are yet to meet each other in person. The group collected data from Africans and published 10 peer reviewed journal articles on COVID-19 within two years. It presented in international conferences, engaged with the media and the public and was awarded a national competitive funding in Nigeria all of which which contributed to career progression and academic promotion of some members. There have been challenges in sustaining the research collaboration and maintaining productivity. Challenges include difficulties meeting deadlines and obtaining funding for research activities. However, these challenges have been addressed through a collaborative problem-solving approach. The study found the need for operational and methodological flexibility, centralised coordination, and established funding sources as being essential for long term sustainability and performance of the group. The ATReG's objective of providing useful data on COVID-19 and generating useful knowledge about COVID-19 in SSA has been achieved. In such a multi-disciplinary international collaborative team relaiant on the online medium to operate, the experiences and challenges can be a model for learning for researchers intending to form international multidisciplinary collaborative groups. Nonetheless, there are still many important areas of research which ATReG will continue to pursue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The romanticization, Europeanization and Americanization of the African mindset have not helped Africans especially Nigeria to rapidly advance technologically and scientifically as the African continent still sees itself like a slave to the Western countries. This paper seeks to argue that the relationship between Africa and the west intends to benefit the west completely without a corresponding measure of benefits to the African people. This contention is evidenced in the application of western methodology in attempting a solution and resolution of the African challenges. The Igbo notion Ahamefula is derived from two words "Aham" and "Efula" which means "my name will not be lost or my identity will not be lost" These are words used to connote the identity (Ejirimara) of a person, family a community or a nation. Ahamefula is founded on the logic of unity and identity which stand as hallmark for determining and discovering the weight and potentials of any given individual, family, community and nation. It is argued in this paper that leadership that is anchored on internal mechanism of local circumstance with full conviction and adoption of native ideology will lead the Nigerian State to an enviable political, social, scientific, religious and economic heights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper empirically examines the growth effects of stabilisation funds and fiscal rules in oil‐rich African countries, using Nigeria as a case study. The analysis captures the ‘international standard’ of the two fiscal instruments by empirically comparing the effects of Nigerian instruments with those of non‐African oil‐exporting countries (i.e. Norway and Mexico). The results show that the fiscal instruments are effective in Nigeria and that the effectiveness is comparable to that of non‐African economies, implying that the Nigerian instruments meet ‘international standard’. The paper also discusses the development policy implications of the results, one of which is that the fiscal instruments can be used to control risky behaviours of economic agents in oil‐rich African economies. For example, since the instruments are effective in increasing growth (i.e. real GDP growth) and limiting its volatility, they can be employed to control increases in demand for and supply of risky sex caused by increases in real per capita income during oil booms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unavailability of a constant power supply has been a major problem in remote communities in Africa as it impedes the proper operation of healthcare facilities in these locations. This has deprived inhabitants of free access to good healthcare services, thereby resulting in an increase in maternal and child mortality rates in rural communities in Africa. Therefore, in order to address this problem and render a life-saving intervention for rural dwellers and to also improve their healthcare service delivery, this paper focuses on the optimal configuration of a hybrid energy system for the rural electrification of community healthcare facilities. It presents an analysis of an off-grid hybrid energy system comprised of diesel generators, wind turbines and solar PV with a battery storage system to meet the energy demand of healthcare facilities in a remote community in Nigeria. In this study, hybrid energy systems are considered owing to the high reliability and availability of the intensity of solar radiation and wind speeds in Nigeria. An optimization model was developed which seeks to minimize the operational cost of hybrid energy systems. The proposed model was implemented using four case studies and solved using algebraic modeling language. The results obtained from the sensitivity analysis indicate that the configuration that includes solar PV, wind turbines, a battery storage system and a diesel generator provides the optimum power required for a rural healthcare center with a suitable energy cost and emission reduction from the system of diesel generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal waste management (IWM) has over the years been a contentious issue in urban development policy in Africa. Surprisingly, knowledge contributions on the subject have remained somewhat poorly assessed by urban development researchers throughout the continent. This paper reviews developments in IWM in Africa, drawing from lessons learned over a decade of research and activism in Nigerian cities. The aim is to evaluate the scholarship impact of Nigerian informal garbage geographies and to accentuate emerging innovations in IWM research and activism in the country. The paper first contextualizes IWM in Africa, zeroing in on Egypt and South Africa, two countries with widely acknowledged systems. Next, it draws attention to some unique developments in the Nigerian system while also linking the Nigerian case study to broader literatures on Africa. On the basis of a critical sub-sectoral review of African literature and a comparative analysis of research and activism in Nigeria, the paper argues that research on Nigerian IWM has seemingly enjoyed a modicum of international acceptability and recognition as evidenced by the involvement of reputable Afro-oriented institutions and associations and the high quality of the resultant publications. The paper avers that in the absence of sustainable solutions from the formal sector, IWM appears to have carved a niche through innovations and inserted itself into the solid waste governance and development paradigm in many Nigerian cities. Emerging innovations in research and activism in Nigerian IWM are examined while their public policy relevance in Africa is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two-tier legal education system has become increasingly ineffective by virtue of the evolution of changes in legal practice and Africa's unique conditions and circumstances. The problem is rooted in the fact that some African countries adopted the two-tier legal education system on the assumption that what worked in Britain offered a prescription for success in Africa. However, the two-tier legal education system has been ineffective in Africa because the infrastructure--pupilage, apprenticeship, continuing legal education--that complements and anneals it is not widely available in Africa. Where these elements exist, they tend to be frail and unreliable. Africa's urgent challenge is to design an appropriate legal education structure that helps lawyers develop the highest possible degree of capability to respond effectively and resourcefully to Africa's problems. It is time for Africa to address a fundamental question well phrased by Samuel Manteaw, a Ghanaian scholar: "What type of lawyer does Africa need? And do these [educational] institutions produce the type of lawyer Africa needs?". Using Nigeria as a case study, this paper examines the two-tier system of legal education in Africa. It examines the implications and assumptions of the two-tier system and its negative effects on legal education. It proposes a constructive alternative that abolishes the two-tier system and vests the teaching of doctrinal and skill courses in the law faculties of universities. This paper argues that the two-tier legal education system imperils legal training by the arbitrary division between doctrinal and skills courses and teaching them separately at different institutions. As it presently exists in Nigeria, the two-tier system requires fundamental structural and institutional reform to create a better pathway to producing competent lawyers who can respond responsibly and effectively to society's needs and challenges. A comprehensive legal education offered through law faculties will powerfully enrich legal education and improve the caliber of training received by lawyers in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the linkages between moral categorisations on the international economic order and the dysfunctions that negate efforts at combating the Africa-Nigeria poverty conditions in the contemporary period. Drawing from the thesis of Ha-Joon Chang's 'Bad Samaritans', it analyses the contradictions in the often-repeated declarations on 'fight against poverty' in Nigeria and the endemic dysfunctions in leadership and institutions that ought to play significant roles in understanding and recalibrating the hegemonic influence of wealthy nations who control the global economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to analyze how Nigeria, the 86th ranked State according to the Global Health Security Index (GHS Index), fared through the Covid-19 pandemic by linking its Ebola experience to the pandemic response. The paper will tackle (one of) these questions: Does their response as a State truly reflect the ranking? Or were they, like the rest of the world, truly unprepared and powerless against the outbreak? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Whereas so many factors may be said to problematize development across Africa, the most destabilizing amongst them is dysfunctional politics, making her come last in development and civilization matters and causing her citizens be characterized by fears and failures. This is one scenario that most cinematic narratives of Africa have consistently represented, especially when issues of human right abuses and corruption in political offices are involved. The logic of this paper is that public and political leaders are to be held accountable on why Africa is less developed, because of their kind of politics, which arguably has triggered the epidemics of poverty; continental, national, and individual strife; migrations; and crippling unemployment rates at different levels. Applying textual analysis as a key methodological device to critically examine selected scenes from different film narratives, this paper interrogates politicians as key players in the social scenario that plays out in Africa. It illustrates why most of them can be seen as mere swindlers and profiteers. Thus, looking at the selected films for this study as postcolonial narratives, it also argues that present day cinematic narratives of Africa are a tapestry of records heralding the popular voice of its makers and viewers, which is in line with the social responsibility theory of media that generally calls for safeguarding society against traitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the level of adoption of artificial intelligence(AI) to support library services delivery in university libraries in Africa. Qualitative research method was adopted to collect data. A preliminary survey of 102 university libraries in English speaking countries in Africa was conducted to identify the university libraries that have adopted AI in their libraries. Content analysis was used to analyse the responses. The study found that the only few university libraries in Africa have adopted AI technologies such as Chatbot, ChatGPT, LibKey from ThirdIron, robots, RFID technology and Grammarly. These AI technologies are used to render different library services like answering of directional and ready reference questions posed by library users, serving as a knowledge base for cataloguing information of library materials, self-check-out machine for books, used as a marketing tool for the library, tool for statistics evaluation and recommendations, assisting in the charging and discharging of library materials, etc. Lack of funds to acquire the AI tools, training of librarians, and lack of full knowledge of AI were the most mentioned challenges associated with adoption of AI in the libraries. The study recommended a formulation of policy to guide the adoption of new technologies such as AI, and training and re-training of librarians through workshops equip librarians with skills needed to effectively use the AI technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effect of economic and non-economic factors on international tourist arrival in Nigeria. Annual data on tourist arrival from 53 countries and explanatory variables from 2010-2016 were analyzed using the dynamic panel data regression technique. Results suggest that travel cost, internet use, political stability and number of hotel rooms are the main determinants of tourist flows. The income of tourist-origin countries outside Africa negatively and significantly affects tourist arrival. Travel cost has a robust negative effect on tourists from within and outside Africa. The number of hotel rooms and urbanization rate positively influence tourist arrival, indicating the importance of tourism infrastructure. Government and policymakers must provide an enabling business environment, infrastructure, and policies to improve the country's global competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attitudes of the foreign missionaries in converting the indigenous people into Christianity in Africa, especially in Nigeria, implied denying polygamists and household of their faith and salvation in Christ Jesus. The non-Seventhday Adventist (non-SDA) Christian missionaries and the SDA missionaries put forward monogamy as the basis for conversion in their missiological enterprise which opposes polygamy. Though the SDA missionaries turned 'deaf ear' to people's queries on the church's official position and imposed their faith, there are still the presences of polygamists in the church. Based on this background, this paper therefore examines why the presence of polygamists in the church if not that the SDA missionaries 'attitudes must have tilted toward another trend other than the official position using a qualitative method focalizing analytical approach. This paper finds, among others, that the attitudes of the SDA missionaries, having asked polygamists to drop other wives, appeared hard, harsh, and racial yet polygamists are in the church. This study, among others, suggests that the SDA missionaries' attitudes should rather be characterized by love as it would not only influence positively the faith of the wives, that would have been dropped, but of their children, particularly, by according them the opportunity to grow in Christ onto maturity with others in the church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits the literature on regional power-hood and its application to Africa with a view to answering two key questions: one, whether we can talk of regional hegemons in the continent in real terms, and two, whether group hegemonic leadership better explains regional hegemonic behavior in Africa. It uses Sandra Destradi conceptual framework and Miriam Prys' typology of regional power-hood to answer these questions, with South Africa and Nigeria as case studies. Using Prys' typology which distinguishes between regional detached powers, regional hegemons and regional dominators as an analytical framework, the paper confirms what already exists in the literature, viz. that neither South Africa nor Nigeria neatly fit the conception of regional hegemons in Africa. However, it uses both countries as empirical cases to argue that they already act as hegemonic leaders and in cooperative ways that suggest group or shared leadership, using specific Common African Positions they have led in Africa. The analysis concludes by laying out the normative basis for a Group Hegemony composed of not only South Africa and Nigeria, but also other sub-regional leaders in the continent. This is based on the hard power shortfalls and internal weaknesses of both our case studies including their relative soft power resources which have utility in an increasingly intersocial international system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since their independence from colonial rules in the late 1950s and early 1960s, most countries in African continent have been sleepwalking in developmental realm due to a myriad of human security threats including internal conflicts, military dictatorships, public sector corruption and generational poverty among others. Consequently, the continent, in sharp contrast to others, failed to achieve some of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the comity of nations at the turn of the 21st century. As all the African states pledged unwavering commitment to achieving other sets of global goals--the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set in 2015, --concerns over their actual capacity to achieve them by the target year (2030) are being raised. This is because they not only epitomise most of the challenges being confronted but also lag far behind in the global race for digitalisation, precipitated by 21st century digital revolution and widely regarded as an essential driver in governments efforts towards achieving national objectives. Using desk review of secondary data, this paper examines the instrumentality of digital technologies to the achievement of sustainable development in Africa, with specific reference to Nigeria. The SDGs serve as the basis for the analysis while system theory, emancipatory realism and Digital Era Governance model among other scholarly and expert perspectives provide reasoned lines of explanation. The paper concludes that digital technology is an indispensable mechanism to the achievement of sustainable development. It recommends that while curbing corruption and insecurity are considered Nigeria's developmental priority, digital technologies should be used to accelerate their achievement and other lofty ideals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major part of African economy such as Nigerian economy has been experiencing high rate of adult financial exclusion, and poor usage of novel financial technologies. Several factors have been shown from developed nations to have significant effect on how customers use and adopt financial innovations. The study investigates the acceptance and use of fingerprint biometric authentication in an African context. This is critical because of the driving cashless policies of most African nations like Nigeria and the proliferation of different financial innovations to which a significant few have gained user traction. The paper is centered on advancing structural model to fit the African context of fingerprint authentication, and assess how customers’ perception of its usefulness can have mediating influence on its adoption. Thus, how do customers perceive usefulness of fingerprint authentication in adopting the device when associated with other determinant factors? Cross-sectional design was adopted while adapted structured questionnaire was used to pool 311 responses using snowball sampling. Confirmatory factor analysis was carried out while structural equation modeling was used to prove the hypotheses. Convenience, perceived security, personal innovativeness, perceived usefulness and subjective norm are the key drivers of fingerprint biometric authentication in Africa. However, convenience is the key contributor in deepening the cashless market while perceived usefulness partially mediate behavioral intention. The predictive power of 76% intention to use biometric authentication indicates inclusion of major factors that enables understanding of the implications while the mediation analysis portrays the value of such factors in deepening cashless market. Also it is one of scarce literature on deepening cashless market in African context through biometric authentication. Therefore, it is concluded that in African context of customer reaction to biometric authentication, convenience has paramount influence while customers significantly value usefulness as it mediates the relationship of other factors to the adoption of the innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small businesses often engage in social responsibility (SR) without knowing it or without referring to their actions as SR. This is particularly the case in developing countries where the idea of SR is seen as synonymous with philanthropy. While the literature on small business social responsibility is growing, our understanding of the context‐specific determinants of responsible practices in microbusinesses (those that employ less than 10 employees) that dominate the business landscape in many developing countries is still limited. In this paper, we address this gap and offer a theoretical understanding of how microbusiness owner‐managers understand and approach SR by drawing on rich qualitative data collected from Nigeria—Africa's largest economy. We utilise Social Representations Theory to understand (1) how and why microbusiness owner‐managers limit their understanding of SR to philanthropic activities and (2) the wide range of practices, including philanthropic activities, that account for their overall Responsible Business Practices (RBPs)—those practices that enable them to act responsibly towards their stakeholders and/or operating environments. We find that owner‐managers' representations of SR are anchored primarily on an idiosyncratic ethical tendency and inclination towards the creation of social/communal harmony by 'giving back to society' and objectified via actions deriving from three 'giving back' orientations, namely Core Philanthropism, Social Problem Solving, and Empowering. We model microbusiness owner‐managers' RBPs, highlighting the intersectional interplay of the voluntary (SR as philanthropy) and non‐voluntary (self‐regulatory and legal) dimensions of RBPs. Finally, we discuss the key findings in relation to the extant literature and to policymakers and managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workplace bullying often involves an abuse or misuse of power. Bullying includes behavior that intimidates, degrades, offends or humiliates a worker, often in front of others. Bullying behavior creates feelings of defenselessness in the target and undermines an individual's right to dignity at work. Workplace bullying represents persistent behaviors that are both overt and covert. Indeed, as a phenomenon, workplace bullying is now better understood with reasonably consistent research findings in relation to its prevalence; its negative effects on targets, bystanders and organizational effectiveness; and some of its likely antecedents. Workplace bullying is a problem facing employees and employers in Africa, however little has been said about. This paper is aimed at shedding an insight into the contemporary concept and to discuss the role that power relations play in this type of unethical behavior at work. Drawing on well-established theories and findings of various researchers, the concept of workplace bullying is systematically linked with how it can evolve into mental health problems. Since this concept is relatively new in Nigeria, the paper aims at creating an awareness of a social problem at work. It is believed that this paper will stem up further interest in the area and future empirical research will be reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of Chinese International Construction Companies (CICCs) within the construction sector in Africa can no longer be ignored, as these firms hold a considerable amount of market share within the African continent. The construction industry is of high importance to African economic renaissance, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming a key issue in business processes on the developing continent. Narratives around the implementation of CSR within construction in African economies have been largely one-sided, viewed from foreign perspectives and outsider anecdotes, without engaging locals in evaluating these initiatives. As a result, this paper explores CSR as a critical component of the continued penetration and dominance of Chinese contractors in the highly competitive African construction markets. The paper adopts a quantitative survey to explore the areas of implementation of CSR by CICCs, how they line up against current local and international counterparts and the future of these firms in Africa using CSR as a metric. Residents of Africa's largest economy, Nigeria, who have Chinese-led projects ongoing in their communities, were surveyed for the study, and the findings used to propose solutions for future CSR policy-making in local African communities where Chinese contractors carry out business. The study found that in terms of CSR strategy implementation, CICCs were ranked highly on quality of construction and respect for local laws and customs, but ranked low in perception of employee welfare and environmental protection. The study highlighted that African governments taking responsible leadership by formulating a CSR policy for all international contractors might stem the tide of increasing anti-Chinese rhetoric within the construction sector on the African continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to extend the prevailing literature on the relationship between personality and individual performance (IP) through the mediation of intrapreneurial behavior (IB). This study, therefore, integrated the traits theory and the psychological entrepreneurship theory to improve the IP of medium enterprise (ME) managers by examining the mediating role of IB on the relationship between big five personality traits five factor model (FFM) and IP. Design/methodology/approach: The paper used the survey method of data collection, through self-administered questionnaire. Partial least square structural equation modeling method was used to analyze the result of the sample of 355 production/operations managers. Findings: The result study shows that three big five personality traits (conscientiousness, disagreeableness and emotional stability) have a direct relationship with IB. However, IB positively mediates the relationship between conscientiousness, disagreeableness and emotional stability on IP of production/operation managers. Practical implications: The result implies that positive relationship between personality traits (conscientiousness, disagreeableness and emotional stability) and work performance will manifest better, only when the IB is encouraged among managers. Originality/value: To the best knowledge of the authors, this paper is the first to examine the mediating effect of individual IB on FFM – IP relationship. Studies on IB were also limited especially in developing countries, Africa and specifically Nigeria. As such, individual IB requires the attention of researchers and managers in MEs against the assumption that entrepreneurial orientation is a firm-level activity only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the recommended treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in all malaria endemic countries. Artemisinin resistance, partner drug resistance, and subsequent ACT failure are widespread in Southeast Asia. The more recent independent emergence of artemisinin resistance in Africa is alarming. In response, triple artemisinin-based combination therapies (TACTs) are being developed to mitigate the risks associated with increasing drug resistance. Since ACTs are still effective in Africa, where malaria is mainly a paediatric disease, the potential deployment of TACTs raises important ethical questions. This paper presents an analysis of stakeholders' perspectives regarding key ethical considerations to be considered in the deployment of TACTs in Africa provided they are found to be safe, well-tolerated and effective for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study in Burkina Faso and Nigeria assessing stakeholders' (policy makers, suppliers and end-users) perspectives on ethical issues regarding the potential future deployment of TACTs through 68 in-depth interviews and 11 focus group discussions. Findings: Some respondents suggested that there should be evidence of local artemisinin resistance before they consider deploying TACTs, while others suggested that TACTs should be deployed to protect the efficacy of current ACTs. Respondents suggested that additional side effects of TACTs compared to ACTs should be minimal and the cost of TACTs to end-users should not be higher than the cost of current ACTs. There was some disagreement among respondents regarding whether patients should have a choice of treatment options between ACTs and TACTs or only have TACTs available, while ACTs are still effective. The study also suggests that community, public and stakeholder engagement activities are essential to support the introduction and effective uptake of TACTs. Conclusion: Addressing ethical issues regarding TACTs and engaging early with stakeholders will be important for their potential deployment in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]