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Medical education in Africa is in desperate need of reforms, evident in widespread diseases, and an inability to mobilise and train the required medical workforce to deal with these health issues. However, the exponential rise in the use of mobile technologies due to the spread of the Internet and increased telecommunication networks offer an opportunity for the transformation of medical education and practice through the deployment of mobile devices as a medium for learning and conveying health care services to the remote and resource-constrained locations of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This paper reviewed articles on the affordances of m-learning for distributed medical education in SSA published between 2010-2018. Results from 18 articles identified in the review revealed a slow-paced ascendancy of practice and research in the field; it further exposed competing priorities, infrastructural deficit, and chronic workforce shortages as the bane of m-learning implementation in the subregion. This paper makes recommendations that will enhance the growth of mobile-based distance medical education and practice in SSA.

Attracting, recruiting and retaining international students should be balanced with the need to provide support for the smooth transition of these students into their host countries and institutions. One way to achieve this transition is by bridging the gap between international students' expectations and actual realities. Hence, this article examines the impact that the expectations and the realities of studying abroad have on the overall transition experiences of international students in Nigeria. The study adopted a mixed method and employed Schlossberg's theory of transition to further understand the phenomenon of transition with regard to international students. Paper questionnaires were collected from 64 international students at two universities in Nigeria, while a subset of 20 (10 from each university) was further interviewed. The findings indicate that unmet expectations contributed largely to difficult transition experiences for the international students in Nigeria.

Reverend Father Professor Amechi Nicholas Akwanya is one of the towering scholars of literature in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world. For decades, and still counting, Fr. Prof. Akwanya has worked arduously, professing literature by way of teaching, researching, and writing in the Department of English and Literary Studies of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. To his credit, therefore, this genius of a literature scholar has singularly authored over 70 articles, six critically engaging books, a novel, and three volumes of poetry. His PhD thesis, "Structuring and Meaning in the Nigerian Novel," which he completed in 1989, is a staggering 734-page document. Professor Akwanya has also taught many literature courses, namely: European Continental Literature, Studies in Drama, Modern Literary Theory, African Poetry, History of Theatre: Aeschylus to Shakespeare, European Theatre since Ibsen, English Literature Survey: the Beginnings, Semantics, History of the English Language, History of Criticism, Modern Discourse Analysis, Greek and Roman Literatures, Linguistics and the Teaching of Literature, Major Strands in Literary Criticism, Issues in Comparative Literature, Discourse Theory, English Poetry, English Drama, Modern British Literature, Comparative Studies in Poetry, Comparative Studies in Drama, Studies in African Drama, and Philosophy of Literature. A Fellow of Nigerian Academy of Letters, Akwanya's open access works have been read over 109,478 times around the world. In this wide-ranging interview, he speaks to Andrew Bula, a young lecturer from Baze University, Abuja, shedding light on a variety of issues around which his life revolves.

Inclusive education is a key strategy in addressing the needs of children with autism and other developmental disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa, who rarely access specialist care or quality education. We aimed to systematically review qualitative research on stakeholder experiences, attitudes and perspectives on inclusive education for pupils with developmental disabilities in mainstream schools in sub-Saharan Africa. We searched five databases and selected relevant studies through a two-stage screening process. We synthesised the papers identified through template analysis of the Results and Discussion sections, guided by the" Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research." Thirty-two publications met the inclusion criteria. The studies were conducted in seven countries and explored the experiences of pupils with developmental disabilities, parents, peers without developmental disabilities and teachers. Multiple barriers (e.g. unclear policies, insufficient training and support for teachers) and opportunities (e.g. teachers' commitment to inclusion, collaboration between teachers, the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs)) for implementing inclusive education for pupils with developmental disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa were identified, occurring across national and community contexts and school, classroom and individual teacher levels. To effectively implement inclusive education for pupils with developmental disabilities, teachers need access to appropriate training, resources and support. Governments can capitalise on motivated teachers and the relevant work of NGOs.

This paper considered the changes in education that are needed in response to the rapidly deteriorating state of the Earth's environment. We argued that such changes should be focussed on developing an effective education that equips inhabitants of the Earth to understand their environment towards contributing to its conservation, especially with respect to climate change mitigation and adaptation. This is crucial because previously colonised people and their environments are marginalised in their Eurocentric education systems. To escape ethnocentricity, education should be transformed using a polycentric approach that legitimises all knowledge systems and places. Therefore, this study employed a qualitative approach to explore teachers' perceptions of the extent to which their education system is based on local knowledge and places, and how the concept of place might be engaged as the foundation for learning. A selection of teachers participated in the study, which employed in-depth interviews. Factors that contributed to the place-detachment of participants' practice were analysed, along with a discussion of educational reform ideas that included place-based approaches and indigenous methods. The correlation between these ideas and a critical pedagogy of place has implications for environmental conservation in local and global contexts.

Background: Conceptualisations of what it means to use evidence in policymaking often appear divided between two extremes. On the one side are works presenting it as the implementation of research findings - particularly evaluations of intervention effect. In contrast stand theoretically informed works exploring the multiple meanings of evidence use, political complexities, and the constructed nature of research evidence itself. The first perspective has been criticised as over-simplistic, while the latter can make it difficult to answer questions of what might be good, or improved, uses of evidence in policymaking. Methods: To further debate, this paper develops a 'programmatic approach' to evidence use, drawing on theories of institutional decision making and empirical work on evidence use within 11 National Malaria Control Programmes in Africa. We apply the programmatic approach by investigating the key goals and tasks of programme officials, recognising that these will shape the routines and logics followed affecting evidence utilisation. We then map out the forms, sources, features, and applications of evidence that serve programme officials in their goals. Findings: In the case of malaria programmes, evidence use was understood in relation to tasks including: advocacy for funding, budget allocation, regulation development, national planning, and identification of information gaps - all of which might require different evidence sources, forms, and applications. Discussion and conclusions: Ultimately the programmatic approach aims to facilitate clearer understanding of what uses of evidence are appropriate to policymakers, while also allowing critical reflection on whether such uses are 'good' from both programme and broader social perspectives.

This paper is a philosophical investigation of the relationship which exists between two major concepts; education and leadership. Besides the examination of the major concepts, the study also embraces historical method to justify the comparison between the early leaders in Nigeria politics and their present counterparts. All reviewed literature attests to the fact that the problem is neither with education nor its policies but rather problem of leadership affects education in its duty of producing better society in Nigeria. The researcher then concludes the paper by giving an outline of possible measures to be taken to address the problem of leadership by identifying the root causes of the problem as well as exposing a major problem hindering educational progress in Africa and Nigeria in particular, So that, other researchers could further examine the problem from different angles with the aim of discussing the way forward. (Contains 1 table.)

This paper provides glimpses of transactions in chemistry classrooms in five African countries (Burundi, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, and Senegal) during the COVID-19 lockdown. Members of the secondary school community in the countries including teachers, students, and school managers were unprepared for the unprecedent demand in shift from a face-to-face to an online delivery system. From a tepid, faltering start in the early days of the lockdown in Morocco, Nigeria, and Senegal, and recognizing that the end of the lockdown may not be in sight, some minuscule progress is being made in exploring virtual delivery of the chemistry curriculum. Four major challenges to online delivery of chemistry education emerged. These are a teacher capacity deficit for delivering online education, poor internet service, an erratic power supply, and severe inadequacies in infrastructure for open and distance education. Taken together along with poor teacher motivation induced by low and irregular wages, these challenges are depressants to quality chemistry teaching during the COVID-19 period. We foresee that these challenges will persist. The harsh effect of COVID-19 on the economy of all African countries is a sign that funds will be unavailable to address these challenges in the near future. A glimmer of hope can be the reprioritization of funding resources by African governments to online delivery of education, noting that blended learning will be the new normal in the coming decades.

Purpose: This paper explores the main factors that influence farmers in acquiring agricultural knowledge and adopting technologies with the aim of better understanding the agricultural innovation systems in West Africa. Design/Methodology/Approach: We use data collected between 2013 and 2014 across rice hubs in five West African countries: Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Nigeria and Togo. In total, 499 household heads were surveyed using a stratified random sampling technique. Data are analyzed with the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test and the Poisson regression. Findings: The findings show that farmers' knowledge is influenced by a range of factors, including household size, training, access to formal and informal knowledge sources and community socioeconomic status. Farmers rely heavily on personal experiences and fellow farmers to adopt technologies. Practical implications: The study suggests that key policies for strengthening the innovation systems are those that help farmers access both formal and informal knowledge sources, credit services, better welfare and information and communication tools. Theoretical implications: The study shows the need to consider both extrinsic factors (e.g. characteristics of the technology and attributes of the external environment) and intrinsic factors (e.g. knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of the potential adopter towards the innovation) when analyzing the decision process toward technology adoption in West Africa. Originality/Value: This initiative is to identify the conditions that will enable a more inclusive technology development and diffusion process. This is important because agricultural extension is currently undergoing a deep restructuring focused on privatizing the agricultural services in developing countries characterized by a low literacy rate.

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]

Background: Anthrax is a zoonotic disease that is still regarded as a public health issue in developing nations. This paper aims to discuss the epidemiology of anthrax in Africa, the current outbreaks in Ghana and Nigeria, clinical presentations, diagnosis, and treatment of anthrax, challenges associated with the transmission of the disease to both countries and recommendations to reduce this current outbreak and curb future outbreaks in Africa. Online databases (PubMed, and Google Scholar) and Nigeria Ministry of Agriculture report were used to provide detailed information on the paper. On June 1, 2023, two suspected human cases of anthrax were reported, via a letter sent to all stakeholders in the country, with one death in Binduri District, Upper East region of Ghana. The cases were due to the consumption of dead cattle. Four cattle were reported dead at the time, and eleven suspected human cases were identified through contact tracing. Afterward, on July 17, 2023, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nigeria announced the first case of anthrax disease in Nigeria. The National Veterinary Research Institute confirmed the case from samples collected from a suspected livestock farm in Niger State, Nigeria. No human case has been reported. Short conclusion: Anthrax poses significant challenges to public health and requires cooperation between nations, especially in regions like Ghana and Nigeria, where animal movement and ecological changes can impact disease transmission. Challenges attributed to the spread of anthrax in both countries were discussed, focusing on the role of government and the general public in addressing this public health concern. Given the endemicity of certain transboundary animal diseases such as anthrax in sub-Saharan Africa, the control of animal movement across intra- and international borders in the region needs to be tightened. Regulations governing the transboundary movement of animals should be based on the World Organisation of Animal Health Terrestrial Code and should be strictly enforced to prevent ongoing and future outbreaks in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that Christian educational institutions in Africa can play a major role in improving economic self-reliance within the continent, if those who establish Christian universities there take time to plan the programs and activities in those institutions. Specifically, it argues that with proper planning of quality education--the curriculum, the choice of extra-curricular activities, the teaching methods, and proper assessment--Africa's situation, especially its economy will improve. The paper insists that God gave a mandate to Christians to lead out in the world when He called them the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16) as well as promised that they would be the head and not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13). Finally, it ends with several recommendations that will help leaders of Christian universities in Africa to plan education in such a way to improve the economy of the continent. While the paper addresses Christian institutions of higher learning in general, it focuses its attention on Seventh-day Adventist educational institutions of higher learning in Africa and draws its examples from Babcock University in Nigeria, West Africa. (Contains 1 figure.)

Purpose: This paper aims to present part of the work of an ongoing research project that is looking at socio- cultural and technological developments from a mobile technology convergence view; in order to show how culturally aware convergence developments in mobile technology can be adopted and employed for the betterment of society. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents a scenario for a mobile technology enabled learning environment in support of the conventional learning approach with a focus on enabling parental involvement and contribution to the daily learning objectives of their children and hence enhancing a quality learning experience. It further critically discusses issues of interface design--at both the device and application levels--that will have an impact on the quality of e-learning, with a focus on mobile technology. Findings: The paper shows how interface design can positively enhance the quality defining characteristics of learning in an e-learning environment. Ways of achieving these characteristics of learning through effective e-learning are reported. This is done by addressing requirements for quality-learning through effective interface-design considerations, towards meeting the overall quality requirements of learning that should be intrinsic to a holistic e-learning environment. The value of human computer interaction and the critical factors of promoting productive interaction are addressed. Research limitations/implications: There are several factors affecting quality of e-learning as a tool and approach to flexible and independent learning. The advent and use of mobile technology has been investigated in this work from a socio-cultural and technological perspectives in two continents. The limitations lie in the depth of investigations and how far the findings can be applied to the diversity of learners. Practical implications: As the effects of cultures and the rapid technological advancements take toll on teaching and learning the findings reported in this paper have far reaching implications for learners from different cultures and also for attempts at bridging existing digital divide. Originality/value: The approach adopted in the research is unique by virtue of new findings and ideas presented. The paper highlights the opportunities for mobile devices and technology to play a role in the development of communities through technology aided learning (e-learning), with a focus on e-learning systems and technology requirements for delivering a quality learning experience. (Contains 1 figure.)

Purpose: Tackling structural and emergent problems in the labour market, valorising skilled human capital (HC) for opportunity creation, economic development and growth, are some of the key drivers for graduate entrepreneurship. This paper aims to examine developments in Africa, focusing on the significance of improving human capital through graduate entrepreneurship to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a unique Education Partnerships in Africa (EPA) project the paper adopts a conceptual and exploratory approach to understand the institutional, cultural and economic dimensions of change and the specific role of graduate entrepreneurship education and training in enabling productive outcomes, using an illustrative case study of the project to develop the arguments. Findings: Knowledge creation lies at the heart of entrepreneurship development in developing economies such as Nigeria. Knowledge creation (KC) for entrepreneurship (E) is based on human capital (HC) development. In circumstances of uneven growth in developing economies HC development is the only constant. Harnessing HC for entrepreneurship can be based on three sets of propositions derived from an examination of the relationship between KC, HC and E, which locate graduate entrepreneurship's role within a holistic, institutional framework. Originality/value: The paper's originality lies in the development of a model for promoting and evaluating a holistic approach to graduate entrepreneurship in developing countries based on the targeting of MDGs. It offers new insights into the role of graduate entrepreneurship in economic and social development. (Contains 2 tables, 2 figures and 2 notes.)

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]

This paper makes the case for analysing the political economy of regional integration in Africa to help address the implementation gap that affects African economic integration. It builds on the "two‐level games" model of inter‐state negotiations developed by Putnam (International Organisation, 42, 1988, 427) and the "five lenses" approach to political economy analysis proposed by Byiers et al. (African Economic Brief, 6, 2015, 1). The paper then applies the approach to Nigeria's engagement with AfCFTA negotiations, and identifies potential constraints, challenges and opportunities in relation to the implementation of the AfCFTA by Nigeria. At the continental level, Nigeria's power and aspirations to continental leadership allowed and inspired it to play a prominent role in the AfCFTA negotiations. However, within‐country dynamics in Nigeria slowed the signing of the AfCFTA Agreement and the same may yet undermine its implementation. More broadly the Nigerian case study illustrates the kinds of actors and factors that will shape how other African states implement the AfCFTA. In this regard political economy analysis, and in particular, the methodological approach developed here, can help understand the interests, incentives and agency at play in domestic contexts. [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]

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]

• This paper addresses an acknowledged knowledge gap by exploring both impact and risk in an African cultural context. • This paper is the first to assess the same methodology at two very different site types in two very different regions. • This paper presents a bottom-up, values-based and community focused approach to understanding climate risk. • This paper presents an approach to embed sustainable change, with a strong focus on capacity building and knowledge exchange. Climate change is a major threat to global heritage and many sites are already experiencing impacts from climate change and related hazards. Recent studies have indicated that this challenge is especially acute in the African continent. Climate vulnerability assessment is increasingly a key tool in periodic reporting and ongoing site management and an essential first step in climate adaptation planning. This paper presents results from climate vulnerability assessments undertaken at two UNESCO World Heritage (WH) properties: The Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara in Tanzania; and the Sukur Cultural Landscape in Nigeria. These assessments each applied a version of the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI), a values-based, science-driven and community-focused technique. A values mapping exercise identified key heritage and socioeconomic values, including key attributes associated with the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the WH property. Downscaled climate projections were used to identify key hazards over selected emissions scenarios and timeframes, before weighing potential impacts against local adaptive capacities. Based on the timeframes and emissions scenarios, the project found OUV Vulnerability was Moderate at the Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara and Low at the Sukur Cultural Landscape, whilst the Community Vulnerability was Low for both properties. The paper will conclude with some wider observations on the application of climate vulnerability assessments in an African context and a focus on lessons learned. [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]

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]

Although Africa has been home to famous ancient cities in the past, its modern conurbation areas are poor living spaces characterised by squalor, poor planning and human misery. The authors of this paper argue that the learning city concept, still almost unknown in Africa, holds enormous potential for redressing the dysfunctional state of things and for guiding future orderly development of African cities. There have been timid attempts at operationalising the learning city concept, for example in the Western Cape (South Africa) between 2004 and 2006, in Gaborone (Botswana) between 2008 and 2010, and in Lagos State (Nigeria) from 2007 onwards. Furthermore, two African governments, namely those of Nigeria (2005) and South Africa (2006), joined the global "Cities Alliance" partnership, which operates a "Cities without slums action plan". However, many of these projects have not been successful, and the authors of this article identify five factors which have stood in the way of their proper take-off. Based on this analysis, the authors then propose a model for future learning city projects in Africa. It is a process model that uses critical awareness-building promoted by civil society organisations and government and harnesses the pressure of other social dynamics such as ethnic culture clusters. The authors then offer three policy recommendations and conclude by expressing their hope that the learning city concept will take hold and unfold its potential in Africa in the foreseeable future.

This study examined the global digital revolution and the transformation of Nigerian universities. The study overviewed university developments world wide in line with what obtains in Nigeria. The study highlighted the several challenges that face Nigerian universities inclusive of poor funding, poor personnel and the poor exposure to global academic events. The paper used the checklist method to obtain information from Nigerian universities' administrators to be able to expose areas of strength, weaknesses and threats in the information development foundations of Nigerian universities. The study looked at the global rankings of universities and observed the position of Nigeria in relation to these rankings and presented its findings with tables adapted from works on university rankings. Among others, it was therefore recommended that, universities should be well funded, National infrastructure capable of impacting the ICT in the nation positively should be well rejuvenated and finally, conclusion.

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 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]

Article 43 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child mandates state parties to report on their efforts made towards implementing treaty provisions to the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC). The aim of this process is to afford states an opportunity to internally assess their progress and to grant the ACERWC an opportunity to guide states in the implementation of the treaty provisions through constructive dialogue during the state reporting process and through concluding observations which states are required to implement. While much has been written about the value of the state reporting process, not much has been said about the measures taken by states to implement the concluding observations from the state reporting process. The concluding observations offer a premise on which to advance a discourse on state implementation of the regional norms, given that they emanate from an incisive reflection of state parties' reports by the ACERWC. This paper finds that while the ratification of the African Children's Charter by the countries under consideration has led to normative and institutional changes in these countries, there are pertinent challenges that need to be addressed in the realisation of children's rights in Africa. Through the concluding observations, this paper examines the domestic implementation of children's rights in four African countries, namely: Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Girls' enrolment in primary schools has achieved significant increase and parity with male enrolment in many countries in Africa since the 1960s. Some of these countries include Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania. However, in most Sub-Saharan African countries, female enrolment still lags behind male enrolment. This paper examines some of the reasons for the persistent gender gap between females and males in the three African countries of Ghana, Nigeria and Togo within the West Africa sub-region. It discusses gender relations, cultural practices such as early marriage, child slavery, and child fostering/trafficking, poverty and multiple household duties for girls as some of the contributing factors. It is argued that unless these cultural beliefs and attitudes are changed and mandatory measures such as holding parents accountable and responsible are put in place, gender parity and quality education for all, especially for females, will not be achieved in Africa. A number of additional strategies for improvement in school attendance and retention for females are also discussed.

There is the tendency to think that factors of teachers' effectiveness could be defined in terms of teacher characteristics, his experiences, his cognitive and affective properties, the conditions to which he has to adjust and the characteristics of the school, classroom and student. Although each of these characteristics may contribute to teacher's success, they are not the substance of effective teaching. A proper conceptualization of teaching and teacher's effectiveness as a yardstick for quality assurance is necessary for a better understanding of what makes a teacher to be effective. It is believed that observational techniques as a strategy could go a long way in making teacher to be effective. This explains why this paper examined how to enhance quality assurance through teacher's effectiveness. To achieve this, one hundred primary school teachers were personally observed in their classes for a period of 30 minutes each. The instrument employed was tagged classroom interaction sheet (CIS) which consisted of seven categories (A-G) .Two research hypotheses were postulated and t-test and ANOVA statistical analyses were employed. The results indicated variance in the behavioural categories observed. The observational techniques as a means of enhancing quality assurance therefore are advocated for further studies. (Contains 2 tables.)

This study was conducted to examine women and HIV/AIDS epidemic: the issue of school age girls' awareness in Nigeria information was elicited from 1,222 randomly selected regular under-graduate female students from the 11 faculties of the university of Lagos, Nigeria, with the use of a standardized structured questionnaire. Results of the major objective of the study, that is the level of HIV/AIDS awareness among female undergraduate students showed a moderate level of awareness, including other specific objectives of age, level of study and marital status. It contrast, 600 level of study showed a high degree of awareness, it was only divorce as a sub-variable of marital status that showed a low level of awareness. The paper then made some recommendations, that what is needed in Nigeria and indeed Africa, is to address the cultural, biological and socioeconomic conditions contributing to women greater vulnerability to HIV/AIDS epidemic. (Contains 1 table.)

The argument of this paper is that in Africa, women in the past, received much support from the extended family and residential household in performing their task in child-rearing and providing early childhood education. The break up of the residential compound life, in the typical African residential household, three or more generations lived together and the grandmother and grown up daughters assist the mother. There is a saying that it is the whole village that rears the children. The current pressure on the women to go outside the home to work even during the years of child-rearing, has exposed a major gap in children's development. This calls for urgent attention to be paid to how society can assist young mothers in delivering adequate and satisfactory early childhood education and care to their pre-school children.

Background: Centuries after its introduction in Africa, the western-style logistics system has not replicated the same results as it has in other parts of the world. The continent continues to grapple with poor logistics infrastructure and low intra-Africa trade at a time when governments in Africa are committed towards the expansion of trade and manufacturing through the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. There is a pressing need, therefore, for the development of a logistics system designed for the African socioeconomic environment and the peculiarities of the people. Methods: This paper examines the operations of the Indigenous Logistics Systems (ILS) in pre-colonial Nigeria and its development over time through qualitative data gathered from the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria and a review of literature. Results: ILS in Nigeria is the cultural creation of the people through the efficient management of available resources and the use of indigenous knowledge. The system derives its strengths and effectiveness from its availability, simplicity, affordability, and trust. Conclusions: The paper concludes that if improved with the application of simple technology, ILS has the answers to the challenges of logistics and Supply Chain Management (SCM) in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines China's engagement with Nigeria in the area of petroleum production and the need for harnessing local initiatives for petroleum refining. This is important because even though Nigeria is a major exporter of crude oil it remains an importer of refined petroleum products to meet domestic needs. With the aid of secondary data sourced from journal articles, books and reports of local and international organisations, this paper examines how China–Nigeria relations contribute to meeting the need for refined petroleum in Nigeria and how harnessing local initiatives can improve the situation in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compares attempts at community development in Nigeria under English and French colonialism with postcolonial grass-roots efforts up to the post-cold war era. Suggests the need to rethink the structure and role of the state in society. (SK)

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]

Informed by the work of Alistair Anderson on entrepreneurship as embedded in institutional contexts, this paper explores the experiences of 30 women micropreneurs in rural South-East Nigeria. These women are amongst the poorest people in the world and live in an environment marginalized from formal institutions, where informal ones are prioritized, and where culture and tradition reflect patriarchal limitations on their activities and experiences. We find that while microfinance is often cited as one of the key mitigators of institutional voids and an important support for entrepreneuring in deprived contexts, in fact there are critical barriers to uptake and socio-cultural conditions are found to limit the extent to which women trust and engage with microfinance. To that end, new methodologies that might mitigate perceived risks, including deepening poverty, are called for. Implications for those who would support enterprise in poverty circumstances in developing nations include that to be effective they must engage with the socio-cultural institutions and lived realities amongst the people they seek to serve. Alongside this, further application and development of the approaches to studying entrepreneurship in marginalized environments that Alistair was such as central contributor to are advocated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Includes five articles that discuss library and information work in Africa. Highlights include computerization in Nigerian libraries; education for library and information services in Ghana; an evaluation of African librarianship; the role of Nigerian publishers in national development; and the role of information services in national development planning in Sierra Leone. (LRW)

Discusses developments in publishing in Sub-Saharan Africa and suggests implications for American libraries. Highlights include economic constraints; state-sponsored publishing; African authors; publishing in Nigeria and South Africa; publishing for children; religious publishing houses; multinational firms; cooperative efforts that offer assistance to U.S. libraries; and acquisitions strategies. (18 references) (LRW)

This study interrogates the socio-economic outcomes of the COVID-19 lockdown especially the unexamined theme of the baby boom and unrestrained sexual behavior of teenagers in Ozuitem rural community, Abia State southeast Nigeria. It contends that although the lockdown restricted movements by keeping nearly everybody at home, it inadvertently provided opportunities for the predictably idle teenagers to grow their sexual appetite and experiment with their bodies. This yielded unwilling fathers and painful motherhood. With thirty-five (35) teenage mothers and a colony of male partners as of December 29, 2020, what appeared as a sex bazaar in a sleepy rural community clearly put UNICEF's prediction of a massive baby boom for Africa between now and 2050 in sharper perspective. Using an admixture of oral interviews, participant-observer method and secondary sources, the study yielded curious and bizarre outcomes particularly the demography of the unwilling fathers, inappropriate rural perceptions and unpalatable insight into the future of the community and the wider society. To achieve this, newspapers, interviews, archival materials and other extant secondary sources have been used for data collection, analysis and for the interpretation of results. The paper employs the qualitative method of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]