Class In Nigeria Research Articles

Fuel subsidy removal and welfare of the working class in Nigeria: Policy options for the state

Subsidy provisioning has been a feature of market economies around the World since the end of the Second World War. In Nigeria, and other Third World countries, subsidy provision is a major instrument by which Government attempts to enhance the welfare of the masses. Over the years, successive governments in Nigeria have attempted to keep the prices of certain commodities affordable by providing one form of subsidy or the other. The Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as Petrol in Nigeria is one of the commodities covered by subsidy until 29th May, 2023 when the newly inaugurated President Ahmed Bola Tinubu in his inaugural speech declared an end to it. A major consequence of the removal of the fuel subsidy is the cut-throat pricing of PMS throughout the country. This paper attempts to interrogate the effect of fuel subsidy removal on the welfare of the working class in Nigeria with a view to ascertaining available policy options for the State. The paper adopts the neo-classical economic theory of government policy and argues that a fundamental responsibility of the State is the protection of the welfare of the citizenry through its various policy decisions. Relying on documentary evidence, the paper found that the removal of fuel subsidy has worsened the living conditions of the working class as not only do workers now have to pay more for fuel; the multiplier effect of a continuous rise in prices of PMS on other basic necessities has made life unbearable. Consequently, the paper suggests a novel approach to the conundrum where in the Federal Government would ensure domestic refining of crude oil for local consumption or reach an understanding with other countries for a non-commercial refining of crude oil for the country.

The Role of Contrastive Analysis/Error Analysis in Solving Learners Errors Problems in French as a Foreign Language Class in Nigeria

In French as a Foreign Language class in Nigeria where the Nigerian learners of the language study the language against the background of their mother tongue/ English Language which they have attained to some level a reasonable degree of competence, the making of errors is inevitable since the learners concerned are faced with a lot of linguistic problems such as; interference of their Native tongue/English on French language and other linguistic problems emanating from French language. The study is set to take a look into the role of Contrastive Analysis/ Error Analysis in solving French learners’ error problems.

Current trend of vertebrate studies in Nigeria

This study was conducted to evaluate the most studied class among Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals in Nigeria. Data were obtained from the Web of Science core collection from 1970-2020 with the inclusion of each class (“Fish” “Amphibians”, “Reptiles” “Birds” and “Mammals”) and country (“Nigeria”) as the search terms. The most studied class, fields within each class (Web of Science subject categories), most cited article and author, and affiliation with most publication were identified and used to reveal the most studied class in Nigeria. The results show that the class Fish with a total 536 publications, is the leading research focuses, most studied and had the highest number of publications, followed by Birds (214), then Mammals (52), Amphibians (30) and Reptiles (25) which is the least studied and with the least number of publications. It can be concluded that research on Fish remained the hotspot, whereas there is a paucity of data and research on Reptiles. Attention should be given to the least studied classes i.e. Amphibians and Reptiles so as to achieve a balance across the vertebrate classes.

State and Hegemony in Nigeria: Implications for Environmental Politics

This paper analyses the implication of state and hegemony on environmental politics in Nigeria. It argues that Nigeria as a British colonial creation is essentially a capitalist system that was invertedly created because unlike Western systems, it is a capitalist system that is run by non-capitalists. This implies that in Nigeria, there is a palpable absence of the state which is a creation of capitalists to coordinate other superstructures. This then explains why the political class in Nigeria comprises of fractious groups that are too preoccupied with politics and material survival and as such do not have hegemony. The import of absence of the state and dearth of hegemony in Nigeria is that environmental politics is uncoordinated with cases of Niger Delta and farmers-herdsmen crises demonstrating this reality. The paper concludes hegemony-induced environmental governance can ensure nationalistic values which would treat environmental and related issues with the urgency they deserve.

Right to Work at the Theatre of Discrimination in a Resource- Dependent Country: Opera Employers’ Market

The past few decades have seen the political class in Nigeria use a commitment to providing employment for the populace and incentivizing possible employers as a marketing tool to gain popularity and acceptance in the race to power.Without an apparatus in place to compel these promises, and with a downturn in the economy, the employment market appears to be under the full control of employers and their agents. Setting age barriers, particularly limiting the upper age limit for most advertised positions. has now become a common feature in a large number of employment advertisements. Job applicants have become vulnerable in the hands of employers, creating a platform for tacit discrimination against anyone who is above the expected age limit; this is without regard to their qualifications and experience. The employment market in Nigeria has fast become a theatre of discrimination, where securing an entrance ticket is based on a precondition outside the control of these vulnerables. This seems to be in clear disregard to extant laws and especially Nigeria’s obligations under international labour standards and a sense of dignity of the applicants. Amongst other things, this article aims to examine this development and its implications for employment relations in Nigeria. age-discrimination, young adult, recruitment vulnerables, resource-dependent

Obafemi Awolowo’s Mental Magnitude: A Panacea to Nigeria’s Rape of Democracy

The discourse on how to re-articulate good governance for Nigeria after the shackle of colonialism has always occupied the centre stage in the post-colonial discursions in the country. This is so, because a mega nation like Nigeria is still in a very controversial state in governance. In response to this search for an enduring political ideology for Nigeria, Obafemi Awolowo postulated mental magnitude as a liberation ideology that will help fight against the rape of democracy by political class in Nigeria in his theory of democratic socialism. Mental magnitude is therefore a philosophical doctrine which derives from a theory of mind and body, with the assertion that the mental is superior to the physical element of a person, and should take control over the emotions, desires, and actions of man. The doctrine of mental magnitude is essentially Platonic, with Stoic and Cartesian flavors. It states tripartite divisions of man with physical, psychical and divine attributes, which invariably inform a rational being that can inculcate social and political values being advocated for Africans, depend on an African traditional way of life. Descriptive/Qualitative research design was adopted for this study. Materials were from books and other literature that may be connected or related to the various thought on governance in Nigeria. We analyze the contents of these books and materials with the view to evaluating them in line with the theoretical framework of our inquiry. The methodologies were historical, expository, analytical, critical and prescriptive from relevant literature material consulted. Keywords: Mental Magnitude, Democracy, Nigeria, Rape of Democracy DOI: 10.7176/JAAS/62-05 Publication date: March 31 st 2020

У НАПРЯМКУ ДО БОРОТЬБИ З ЛИХАМИ В СУЧАСНІЙ НІГЕРІЇ

The article develops a new approach towards understanding and explaining the causes behind the prevailing level of insecurity, corruption and other vices in Nigeria today. The paper has attempted to examine corruption with regard to leadership in Nigeria, highlighting the peculiar problems with the socio-political class in Nigeria. There is hardly any facet of the social, economic or political life of this country that is not immune to the menace of corruption. Most of the ills plaguing the nation at present stemmed from both internal and global structural injustices, which had led to economic exploitation, poverty, unemployment, electoral malpractice, kidnapping/armed robbery, social insecurity and other vices which has mared the economy of the country.

No Condition is Permanent: Middle Class in Nigeria in the Last Decade

The economic debate on the existence and definition of the middle class has become particularly lively in many developing countries. Building on a recently developed framework called the Vulnerability Approach to Middle Class (VAMC) to define the middle class, this paper tries to estimate the size of the Nigerian middle class in a rigorous quantitative manner and to gauge its evolution over time. Using the VAMC method, the middle class group can be defined residually from the vulnerability analysis as those for which the probability of falling into poverty is below a certain threshold. The results show the size of the Nigerian middle class from is around 20 percent of the total population in 2012/13. However, the rate has been slower than expected given the high growth rates experienced in the country over the same period. The results also paint a heterogeneous picture of the middle class in Nigeria with large spatial differences. The southern regions have a higher share and experienced more growth of the middle class compared with the northern regions.

Contradictions in the political economy and the dangerous youth precariat class in Nigeria : the imperative of a multi-stakeholder intervention - focus on Nigeria

Contradictions in the political economy and the dangerous youth precariat class in Nigeria : the imperative of a multi-stakeholder intervention - focus on Nigeria

Production of Mushrooms as Complimentary Agroincome in Nigeria

Mushrooms are one of the most underexplored foods that are majorly exploited from the wild and popular diet of the low-income class in Nigeria. While the origin of the mushroom-human relationship remains unclear, humans’ uses of mushrooms in recent decades have experienced unprecedented advancement across cultures all over the world and potentiate the current paradigm in preponderating mushroom cultivation as well as their established global market. Nigeria has relapsed on gross domestic products and crude oil production with a compulsive reconsideration of agriculture as a suitable alternative remedy. The acceptance and listing of mushrooms as a cash crop and mushroom products as agricultural produce complements extant agro-income sources for the country. Elevating mushrooms to the position of cash crop and foreign exchange earner in Nigeria is however impugned by bad publicity about mushrooms; lack of government support for mushroom farmers; scarcity of sources of quality mushroom spawns; poor access to technology on mushrooms production, information on import and export potentials, mushroom local and global market hotspots, dependence on mushroom hunting for gastronomy and credits; and level of culinary/utility acceptance. Improved awareness through workshops, seminars, group formation, the spread of accessible ethnomycological literature, and the development and operation of an inclusive agricultural stimulus policy may reposition mushroom business in Nigeria.

Language Attitudes among the Political Class in Nigeria: Implications for National Development

It is an acknowledged fact that language plays pivotal roles in issues relating to national development. However,in most developing bilingual/multilingual societies, Nigeria inclusive, despite the claim to the contrary, peoplestill cling to primordial sentiment over and above nationalistic ethos. This study seeks to examine languageattitude among the political class in Nigeria, and these (attitudes) affect the country’s attempt towards nationalintegration and development. The thrust of the paper is that contrary to the widely-held view that economy andtechnology are the major (or main) indices of development, language issues are also of paramount importance innational growth and development. It recommends a much more proactive measure in tackling language issues inour national discourse.

Rural and Community Development in Nigeria : An Assessment

The paper examines rural or community development in Nigeria with emphasis on the institutions, agencies, policies and strategies employed to bring about the much needed rural development in the country. It goes further to assess the impacts of the various efforts made by both the domestic and foreign governments and international organizations, institutions, agencies and non-governmental organizations to bring about real development at the grassroots level. In the attempt to do this, clarification of concepts like development, rural areas, and rural development was carried out, which formed the theoretical basis of the analysis. It was found out that efforts made by the Nigerian government though several strategies like the nation’s development plans from colonial era to date which were ex-rayed did not bring about meaningful development. Similarly international organizations and regional strategies have not lead to any significant improvement in the living conditions of the rural dwellers and rural development in general. It was also found out that a number of issues such as corruption and mismanagement, faulty planning from above rather than bottom-up approach; pursuance of the colonial and neo-colonial economic and social policies which were anti people among other factors led to failure of the rural development efforts. The paper therefore concludes among other things that for rapid and sustained rural development to take place, the lopsided and urban based development process must be reversed to rural-based and bottom-up approach, government to continue to create conducive environment for rural development to thrive, change of attitudes and orientation by all and sundry, particularly the leadership class in Nigeria in order to minimize corruption and mismanagement of resources. Therefore, for rural development to be realistic and enduring, these measures should be given priority attention, especially at the implementation stages.

Rural and Community Development in Nigeria: An Assessment

The paper examines rural or community development in Nigeria with emphasis on the institutions, agencies, policies and strategies employed to bring about the much needed rural development in the country. It goes further to assess the impacts of the various efforts made by both the domestic and foreign governments and international organizations, institutions, agencies and non-governmental organizations to bring about real development at the grassroots level. In the attempt to do this, clarification of concepts like development, rural areas, and rural development was carried out, which formed the theoretical basis of the analysis. It was found out that efforts made by the Nigerian government though several strategies like the nation’s development plans from colonial era to date which were ex-rayed did not bring about meaningful development. Similarly international organizations and regional strategies have not lead to any significant improvement in the living conditions of the rural dwellers and rural development in general. It was also found out that a number of issues such as corruption and mismanagement, faulty planning from above rather than bottom-up approach; pursuance of the colonial and neo-colonial economic and social policies which were anti people among other factors led to failure of the rural development efforts. The paper therefore concludes among other things that for rapid and sustained rural development to take place, the lopsided and urban based development process must be reversed to rural-based and bottom-up approach, government to continue to create conducive environment for rural development to thrive, change of attitudes and orientation by all and sundry, particularly the leadership class in Nigeria in order to minimize corruption and mismanagement of resources. Therefore, for rural development to be realistic and enduring, these measures should be given priority attention, especially at the implementation stages.

Essential Elements of Security and their Applications in Ensuring Stability and Integration of Nigeria

This study attempts to x-ray the essential elements of security and the need for their application in ensuring the stability and integration of the Nigerian federation in the light of the fore-going heightened security challengesin Nigeria. No nation can freely develop or overcome the forces of instabilities and disintegration when it neglects the effectiveharnesment or applicationof basic or essential elements of security. Such critical elements of security include; timely procurement of security intelligence, prompt identification of threats to both internal and national security, with its attendant pro-active security arrangement,threat assessment, statement of aims/objectives of national security objectives and programmes, planning to be in line with the objectives of national security. Others are; security liaison, and net-working with other sister security departments towards achieving the national security objectives, effectively coordinating security and its activities under a centralized command structure, re-appraisal of the overall security objectives, situations and strategies in the light of new developments as well as advising government based on the situation on ground for the overall improvement of security measuresand adequate funding. In the case of Nigeria, security lapses and challenges manifest on daily basis in forms of youth restiveness, terrorism and insurgent attacks, kidnappings and hostage-takings for monetaryransoms, political assassinations, arsons, murders, cult-related activities, mass protests and so forth: theseare traceable to neglect of these essential elements of security.However, the past military leaders and political class in Nigeria, seem less interested toadequately fund security departments to enable them cope with security challenges in the country. They seem to pay lip-services to the critical elements of security until small internal disputes are allowed due to political partisan and ethno- religioussentiments to snow-ball to security crises of national dimension as is the case with the present Boko Haram insurgencypresently threatening Nigeria's stability, unity and existence. This work analyzes descriptively while multi-track security model is the theoretical framework. This work indicates that the Nigerian Government whichhas the sole statutory mandate to manage state security has not effectively harnessed the critical essentials of security to achieve the stability and integration of the country. The work therefore recommends that the Nigerian leaders should holistically address and utilize the essential elements of security in ensuring the stability and integration of the Nigerian Federation by effectively organizing, planning, funding, controlling, directing and integrating technical elements with human, and material resources towards achieving the stability and integration of the Nigerian state.

Nigeria’s Leadership Dilemma : The Challenges of Our Time 1979 - 2007

This study is basically on political administration of the country. From 1979 to 2007, Nigerians suffer the fear of leadership failure and socio-economic insecurity arising from civil misrule and military oppression Prompted by the antecedent of militarization and democratization of the country’s polity. The people began to think more and more of fending for themselves to the extent that some citizens procured arms and light weapons to defend themselves. The political class in Nigeria is dependent, parasitic and very corrupt in nature including its style of mal-administration. From the 1980s, as a result of the mismanagement of the economy unemployment became a key factor in the labour market even as the cost of living rise beyond the reach of the low income earners. Nigerians are amazed and dismayed about their leaders’ display of power, affluence and financial recklessness. There appears to be a leadership conspiracy over the mass majority of the peoples of Nigeria particularly since 1979.

Mediating an Intra-Elite Struggle for Power and Privilege in Nigeria: The Police and the Oyo State Political Crisis, 2005–2007

It is not new that politics in Nigeria since the attainment of political independence, and even in the period before, has been a zero-sum game. It is also a fact that politicians and political office holders engage in intense struggles to sustain themselves in power and to liquidate the opposition by all means possible, fair or foul. Similarly, the emergence of political godfathers with tremendous clout has remained an essential feature of politics in Nigeria, the same way that the police have remained a pawn on the chessboard of the political class in Nigeria. The emergence of ‘godfathers' and the brazen ways in which they justify their existence may be the most defining feature of Nigeria's democracy since 2003. The crisis between Rashidi Ladoja, the governor of Oyo State from 2003 to 2007, and Chief Lamidi Adedibu was only one of many such cases. Yet it typifies Nigeria's politics by the manner of police involvement. This paper situates the role of the police in a historical context of their being an instrument of power since colonial rule. It explores how the new manifestation of this character in the Ladoja–Adedibu crisis underscores the contemporary form of Nigeria's politics.

The efficacy of conducting teaching and learning through email to a distance learning class in Nigeria

Against the backdrop of the huge opportunities provided by internet and electronic mail for useful exchange of information between the learner and the teacher as well as for controlling and evaluating the work of learners, this study was carried-out to determine the efficacy of conducting teaching and learning through e-mail among 300 level distance learning students in the Department of Adult Education, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The study was conducted in 2007/2008 contact session between the learners and the tutors. However, it actually began in 2006/2007 session. It adopted the descriptive research design of the ex-post facto type. The entire population of the class (82) participated in the study. Four research questions, transformed from the objectives of the study, were raised and addressed. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire tagged efficacy of teaching and learning through e-mail (ETLEMQ) and was complemented with the analysis of students' performance in the examination. Data were analysed through simple percentages and cross-tabulation. The findings showed that there was a persistent increase in the number of assignments written by the learners as they were continuous exposed to e-mail conducted teaching and learning. Similarly, the findings revealed that the learners attached more attention and seriousness to this method which eventually led to the development and enhancement of their computer literacy skills. Based on these findings, it is recommended that distance learning institutions should design a compulsory course on the uses of computer for the learners right from their first year of admission so as to develop their computer literacy and skills. Similarly, distance learning tutors should be encouraged to conduct their teaching mostly through electronic mail. This can be subsequently complemented with face-to-face conventional method.Key words: Teaching, learning, E-mail, Distance-learner, Nigeria

Prevalence of umbilical hernia in a private school admission-seeking Nigerian children

Despite the claims that umbilical hernia (UH) is common among Nigerian children, the socio-economic class-related prevalence or incidence rate of UH in the Nigerian children is not known. We therefore undertook this study to determine the prevalence of UHs among Nigerian children of high socio-economic class. This 7- years prospective study assessment of the prevalence of primary umbilical hernias among a private school admission seeking Nigerian children. Clinical evaluations of the umbilicus were conducted on 7,968 Nigerian children, attending interview into Nigerian Airforce Military schools from across the country. Umbilical hernia was present in 102 (1.3% ) out of 7968 children, giving a prevalence of 12.8 per 1,000. Fifty-three (52.% ) were boys and 49 (48% ) were girls; their ages ranged from 6 to 9 years (mean 6.5 years). Umbilical hernia was 1.4 times as common in the girls as in the boys, with a prevalence of 15.3 per 1,000 and 11.1 per 1,000, respectively. The overall prevalence in this study is comparatively lower than those previously reported. Our study suggests that there is a low prevalence rate of UH among the children of high socio-economic class in Nigeria.

The tension between despotic and infrastructural power: The military and the political class in Nigeria, 1985–1993

In his extended study,The Sources of Social Power, Michael Mann suggests a distinction between despotic and infrastuctural power. Despotic power refers to the repressive capacities of a state, while infrastructural power refers to its ability to penetrate society and actually implement its decisions. This article uses the example of relations between the military and politicians in Nigeria from 1985 to 1993 to argue that weak states experience a conflict between despotic and infrastructural power. Whereas leaders cultivate alliances with powerful social groups to realize their infrastructural power, the exercise of despotic power can undermine such patterns of collaboration. In Nigeria, the military relied on a number of despotic strategies to extend their control over the political class as part of a promised transition to democracy: a large number of politicians were banned, two government created political parties were imposed, and elections that yielded outcomes threatening to military interests were annulled. While the military was successful in repressing the politicians, they were unable to restructure them in ways that would further the institutional power of the state. This persistent reliance on despotic strategies led to a long-term decline in the integrity and infrastructural capacity of the state.

The social and functional power of Nigerian English

ABSTRACT: This paper employs the frameworks of sociolinguistics and social psychology to explore the social and functional power of Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE) as it is featured in the novels of two prominent Nigerian authors, Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe. It is argued that, although NPE has not risen to the position of the acrolect or the prestige variety, its social and functional power as an interpreter of the Nigerian social structure cannot be discounted. Thus, the analyses undertaken in this study not only demonstrate how NPE exposes the tension and conflict between the dominant and dominated groups in Nigeria, but also how it reveals the contempt and anger the dominated have for the dominant. NPE thus becomes a code that symbolizes the solidarity of the dominated class in Nigeria. Furthermore, the analyses not only demonstrate how the dominant class use NPE as an accommodation strategy, but also how some privileged members of the dominated groups employ NPE to maintain their communicative and social distance, thereby enforcing power relations and neutralizing cultural norms. The analyses also show how the codes of the dominated groups in Nigeria become the vehicle by which they are further exploited and subjugated by the dominant class.