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Hymns as a special kind of music, ministered to the soul has impact on the emotional behaviour of those who sing such. Psychoactive substances influenced emotional behaviour as some kinds of music do. Hymn No. 4 according to the context of the study refers to a locally brew of psychoactive substances that contain a mixture of tramadol, marijuana, lemon grass, palm wine, illicit gin (ethanol) and Hollandia yoghurt. This qualitative research work examined the impacts of new and locally brewed psychoactive substance consumption among the youthsof Etinan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Ethnographic study was conducted in selected villages within the study setting. The study relied on qualitative methods of data collection such as in-depth interviews (IDI), key informant interview (KII), participant observation (PO), and focus group discussions (FGDs). Competing narratives from participants were analyzed thematically and presented as excerpts. The researchers made use of Social Learning theory and Differential Association theory as frameworks. Fetterman’s big-net approach was adopted for sampling through which participants were purposively selected to be between 18 and 50 years of age. Findings of the study revealed that the youths are engaging in traditional brew of new combine substance called hymn No. 4; youths through pressure have expanded the moral boundaries through traditions to include acceptability of psychoactive substances such that are locally brewed; youths are considering high emotional satisfaction from consumption of combined psychoactive substances. It was recommended that psychoactive substances should be removed from traditional requirement lists for cultural events in order to lock up the opportunities which the youths have ceased for abuse of psychoactive substances, and community elders should not encourage the collection of alcohol and psychoactive substances for youths as part of tradition in order reduce traditional rights which some youths have used to abuse drugs and other related substances.

The term ‘informality’ was conceptualised by the International Labour Organisation to describe labour force which operates outside the formal labour market. The idea of informality used in this paper covers a wide spectrum of unregulated economic activities such as vending and small-scale manufacturing which are carried out by operators outside the regulatory framework of the state. There is a consensus of opinion by scholars that connection exists between informality and vulnerable populations. Several authors have studied the nexus between informal sector and economic growth. So far, a perspective that highlights the implications of market associations and networks in the socio-economic development of the areas which the enterprises are located is still not being exhaustively addressed in existing literature. Leveraging on secondary elaboration technique, this paper presents a modest review of extant literature on norms of market associations and some of the challenges encountered by informal sector operators. The ultimate goal of this enterprise is to provoke intellectual discourse to achieve deeper understanding of the mediating role of market associations and other informal economic activities in developing economies.

Alcohol and drug use are socially sewn into cultural practices and belief systems in societies. This has been the case with Anaang community. This qualitative study examined narratives in a natural setting to gain insights on cultural practices relating to alcohol and drug use in Anaang society. The methods of study were participant observation and in-depth interview with 80 participants. The study found that some cultural activities harbour causal factors to alcohol use. Majority of participants reported using alcohol in conformity with societal norms and values. Participants differed in opinion concerning drug use. Some confessed using drugs out of personal conviction. Conversely, a good proportion of participants believed that cultural practices and belief system have either overtly or covertly lured them into drug use. Participants unanimously identified low literacy rates, ignorance and lack of effective regulatory mechanism as precursors to alcohol and drug use in local communities. This study mediated through Anaang cultural practices and belief system to derive informed insights that are needful for designing culture-sensitive-programme of preventive intervention for alcohol and drug use in local communities in Nigeria.