Nigerian Citizens Research Articles

Government Policies and Its Constitutional Implications for National Unity in Nigeria

The research work focuses on government policies and its constitutional implications for national unity in Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted for the study. The population consists of one thousand politicians in Anambra State. Purposive sampling technique was used to sample three hundred (300) respondents. The questionnaire was the major instrument for data collection and it was validated by two experts in public administration and political science. The mean statistics was used to analyzed the data collected. The findings of the study showed that government discriminatory policies on appointment into government positions, discriminatory policies on state of origin for employment and admission into tertiary institutions among others are policies that impede the achievement of national unity in Nigeria. The paper also discovered that the negative implications of government policies are ethnic bitterness and rancour, formation of ethnic militia, disharmonious co-existence and increased in poverty. The paper concluded that most of the government policies at the state and federal level are detrimental to the welfare and rights of the Nigerian citizens. The implications are rivalry, distrust, opposition, disharmonious co-existence which has Nigerian and made the constitution a mockery and a lame duck. Relevant recommendations were made.

RESTRUCTURING NATIONAL LANGUAGE POLICY IN NIGERIA: A NEW DIRECTION TO EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The emergence of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Programme in Nigeria was in September 1999. The Programme was amended in 2008 by the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC). This yielded a great landmark for introducing and developing the 9-Year Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) which was aimed enabling every Nigerian citizen access to equivalent education comprehensively and coeducationally. Similarly, Nigeria's national language policy which focused on the official structure of the English language as an official medium of instruction from primary four to subsequent levels of education, while the mother tongue or the language of the immediate community to be the medium of instruction at pre-primary and early primary levels has left a wide gap which may serve as one of the factors or reasons that may affect the communicative competence of pupils or learners in handling English as a subject or medium of instruction. Especially, considering the designed objectives of inculcating in the school childrens’ permanent literacy, numeracy and the ability to communicate effectively which lays the concrete educational foundation of pupils in terms of language development. The common criticisms or observations that this paper may raise on the issue of language policy and that of UBE is lack of a well-articulated transition from the mother tongue to English, or lack of proper implementation of the policy, as language cannot be properly taught using another language. Therefore, the paper draws the attention of policymakers and curriculum designers in revising and restructuring the language policy in order to ascertain the objectives designed by UBE and the educational policy in general.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0940/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Examining Nigeria’s Digital Identity Project as Tool for Economic Inclusion and Regional Integration

Access to the digitised economy has an increased penetration across the spectrum of Africa's rural and urban population. In Nigeria, which is the context of this study, there is a long unsettling debate delineating citizens residing within any locality in Nigeria as 'indigenes' or 'settlers'. This is at variance with the concept of 'transnational citizenship', which confers rights to social inclusion in any individual's nation-state. Digital identity registration becomes imperative to preserve social order and broaden the lines of inclusion for access to social services and monitoring access to the digital economy. The National Identity Number (NIN) is the digital identity for Nigerian citizens and residents, which can be leveraged for economic digitisation and regional and continental integration efforts. The research methodology employs descriptive and explanatory analysis of national, regional and continental policy frameworks applicable to Nigeria's digital identity management systems. Boundaries of inclusion, transnational citizenship and the Westphalian Treaty of nation sovereignty form the theoretical underpinning of the study. This is used to present digital identity as a vital tool for socioeconomic inclusion, regional and continental integration. The case study of the Schengen Agreement as a successful integrative digital identity system fostering economic integration in Europe forms the basis of the recommendation. This calls for the ultimate use of digital identity to enhance international operable smart border practice, which would in turn guarantee border security while encouraging the desired free movement of persons and goods within the African continent

LANGUAGE, VISUAL IMAGERY AND CORONAVIRUS MOTIVATED HUMOUR ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA: A CRITICAL- SEMIOTIC STUDY

The social media has witnessed a frenzy and influx of discourses from the broad street and world street because of the novel Coronavirus which has infected and killed many people world over. In Nigeria, the ways in which news of the virus is framed communicate ideological meanings which have a range of effects on the readers particularly on social media. Nigerians have taken the issue of Covid-19 pandemics as a form of humour so as to release their stress and tension of the agony which is relatively new. This paper therefore investigates humour that reflect the social, economic and health challenges in Nigeria shared through the social media in order to identify CMH as a form of humour through which real-life experiences of other people can be understood. Insights are drawn from Kress’ Critical Semiotic theory to analyse a total of ten (10) purposively selected humour on Coronavirus from social media, specifically Whatsapp and Facebook. The study found that the pictures are framed using both episodic and thematic framing. These frames are interlarded with pregnant ideological meaning(s) as to warn corrupt and inefficient leaders in Nigeria, particularly on health facilities in the country. Also, the paper concludes that humours do not only make people laugh, but also comment on certain societal maladies that finger the minds of Nigerian citizens.

CITIZENS WITHOUT SECURITY IN NIGERIA’S DEMOCRATIC DISPENSATION

Protection of lives and property is the first and most important responsibility of any government to its citizens. This includes security from both internal and external aggressions. However, this vital aspect of governance has eluded many countries, including Nigeria. There is a global and unprecedented high rate of human insecurity that spans varied demographics. In Nigeria, human security threats have metamorphosed from violations of human rights to terrorist attacks. This paper provides possible connections between human security threats, decadence in governance, and policy formulations. Thus, the Nigerian government must rise to the challenges of protecting the lives and property of Nigerian citizens as security threats metamorphose from human rights violations to terrorism.

Political Elitism in Nigeria: Challenges, Threats and the Future of Citizenship

This paper explores the impacts of political elitism in Nigeria. This is informed by our past experiences and present realities of Nigerian political elites that play exclusionary politics which this paper interrogates. It argues the thesis that there is need for inclusive governance and political participation in order not to turn Nigeria into a fragile state. The purpose of this is to ensure that good governance is achieved and sustained. This is based on the reason that political relationships between elites and citizens dictate development outcomes. Delivering development involves working with the political dynamics that has citizens’ welfare as its focus. It does this by addressing social justice and extremes of inequality as “bottom-up” as well as “top-down” political, social and economic processes that sustain effective states, efficient markets and vibrant societies. Governance describes the way states and societies manage their affairs politically and the way power and authority are exercised. Entrusting governance to a few people that constitutes the political class endangers development, political participation and settlements. It also increases cycles of poverty among citizens that do not belong to the elite class. This reinforces the argument of the thesis that political elitism creates poor relations and hinders economic development and sustains fragile citizenship. Hence, this paper adopts critical phenomenology as its methodology to redefine political participation with inclusiveness while dismantling the tempting tendencies of political elitism and corruptive practices that stagnate governance and development. This paper submits that inclusive political participation will ensure that governance is centralized and built on finest philosophical ideals for overall nation building for the benefit of Nigerian citizens. By this, Nigeria will not be left in the hands of few less sensitive political elites.

Ethnic Politics and Electoral Violence in Nigeria: A Study of the South-South Geopolitical Zone

The Nigerian state since political independence in 1960 has been basking in the euphoria of ethnic politics and electoral violence. Each ethnic nationality in Nigeria has its own culture, interest, aspiration, language and faith and these factors seems to affect the socio-economic and political fate of each group, make identification with the nation a problematic task and exacerbate the difficulty in attaining credible elections a true democracy in the society. Against this backdrop, this study examined the relationship and the effect of ethnic politics on electoral violence in the south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria. A cross sectional research designed was adopted and data was collected via a survey of six hundred (600) respondents. Data collected were analysed using simple percentages, correlation, and linear regression analysis with the aid of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 23. The results of the study revealed that there is a significant relationship between ethnic politics and electoral violence in the south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The study also showed that ethnic politics exerts a positive and statistically significant impact on electoral violence in the south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Based on these findings, the study concludes that ethnic politics has significant influence on electoral violence in Nigeria. The study therefore recommends, among other things, that Nigerian political leaders should place Nigerian citizens at the centre of their political project without recourse to ethnic chauvinism and the acquisition of political power as a means for serving the collective interest of the citizens irrespective of their ethnic origin. This will go a long way to reduce electoral violence in Nigeria, especially in the south-south geopolitical zone.

Hybrid Entrepreneurship as a Tool for Poverty Reduction in Nigeria: A Review of Literature with Qualitative Research and Content Analysis

In today’s Nigeria, employment in organizations has turned upside down due to poor economic situations which do not allow many companies to pay their employees well. There is a need for individuals to look for ways to increase their incomes for meeting financial obligations. The need for hybrid entrepreneurship is critical as well. This paper conducts a review of literature on hybrid entrepreneurship as a tool for poverty reduction. The research employs qualitative research approach and content analysis. The study concludes that, hybrid entrepreneurship is a determinant practice to reduce the rate of poverty in Nigeria. The paper recommends that, hybrid entrepreneurship should be encouraged among the Nigerian citizens so as to reduce the poverty level that has become a problem of Nigerians. Also, every Nigerian should try to get involved or engage in other businesses to augment their incomes so as to achieve their personal and family goals.

The Legal Impact of Plea Bargain in Settlement of High Profile Financial Criminal Cases in Nigeria

Plea bargain has been globally accepted as a useful criminal prosecutorial tool in accelerating the prosecution of minor criminal cases. However, it has been observed that the introduction of a plea bargain into the Nigerian criminal justice system tends to aid the ruling class in looting from the public treasury and escaping justice. Given these legal anomalies, the study used online survey questionnaires sent to four hundred and five respondents (randomly selected) residing in Nigeria in ascertaining the Nigerian citizens view on the legal effect of using a plea bargain in resolving high profile financial crime cases. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to analyse the respondents’ responses. The study, therefore, found that though plea bargain is a useful criminal prosecutorial tool in resolving minor criminal cases, it is unsuitable in resolving high profile criminal financial cases as it tends to involve a hide and seek game which makes a mockery of the Nigeria Legal System. It is, therefore, concluded and recommended that the concept of a plea bargain in Nigeria legal system should not be used in resolving high-profile criminal financial cases, as it tends to give leverage to those looting public funds.

Clinical and forensic aspect’s of the cocaine body packer in senegal

This study aims to describe the clinical and forensic features of the cocaine body packer in Senegal.This research work is a retrospective and descriptive study. It was conducted based on 19 suspect cases attended for medical care at the Hospital of tambacounda. Suspects were exclusively male subjects, aged 24 to 33 years and Nigerian citizens. All of them were asymptomatic. Pelvic touch was positive in 42.1% of cases. Abdominal radiography pointed out that all the suspects presented with damage (100%). The average number of drug pellets carried per person was 43+/- 20 units. Body drug packing is a reality in Senegal. Narcotic drug policies should invest in capacity building by financing effective diagnostic tools.

The Shell Nigeria Judgments by the Court of Appeal of the Hague, a Breakthrough in the Field of International Environmental Damage? UK Law and Dutch Law on Parental Liability Compared

On 29 January 2021, the Court of Appeal of The Hague rendered three judgments in cases brought by Nigerian citizens who had suffered damage as a result of leaks from oil pipelines. The proceedings stand out because they are being conducted in the Netherlands, not only against Shell Nigeria, but also against the former UK and Dutch parent companies of the Shell group, as well as against the current group holding company Royal Dutch Shell Plc. The Court of Appeal, in line with the Vedanta judgment of the UK Supreme Court, makes an extensive analysis of the structure of the Shell group and, based thereon, derives (albeit limited) a duty of care for the parent company Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDS) vis-à-vis the claimants. corporate social responsibility, international environmental damage, piercing the corporate veil, EEX Regulation (recast), Brussels I-bis Regulation, Rome II Regulation

The Menace of Insecurity by Herdsmen Attack and its Implication on Tourism in Southwest Nigeria

The objective of this research is to assess the effects of herdsmen menace on tourism. Secondary data about insecurity caused by herdsmen attack were collected from news media using Google search and were subjected to descriptive statistics. The classical theory of structural functionalism and Marxian theory of historical materialism were used to explain and predict the implications of herdsmen attack on tourism. Findings of the study identified farmland destruction, attack on villages, murder of victims, kidnap and clash with farmers, injuries, rape, stealing of farm produce, robbery, and terrorism as menaces perpetrated by the herdsmen. The dysfunctional part of Nigerian societal structure which the theories used in this study identified that the contradiction between Nigerian economy and social control which was unstable leads to insurgency, and could affect the participation of Nigerian citizens and foreigners in tourism. Safety and security concerns for international and local travelers occasioned by terrorist attacks on highways in southwest Nigeria could make tourism destinations and businesses suffer from low patronage. Due to issues of insecurities along highways in southwest Nigeria, the future of family tourism, agri-tourism and rural tourism could be affected in capturing heterogeneity and mobility of the family market.

Analysis of the powers of the national assembly to create a new constitution under the 1999 constitution of federal republic of Nigeria (as amended)

In a civilized society like ours where constitutional democracy system of Government is being practiced, power to make, alter, amend or repeal any law are adequately provided for by the relevant provisions of the constitution. Executive, Legislature and Judiciary which are the three arms of Government and the organs which keep Government at all levels functioning are products of the constitution. Their powers are rights to act accordingly and are derived from provisions of the constitution. Where any organ does any act which the constitution had not provided for, such act will be declared illegal, unconstitutional or null and void. Section 4(1) of 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended) provides that “The legislative powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be vested in a National Assembly for the Federation which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representative”. Section 4(2) of the same constitution also provides that “The National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federation or any part thereof with respect to any matter included in the Executive Legislative list set out in part 1 of the second schedule to this constitution”. The combined interpretation of section 4(2) and section 4(3) and other subsections in that section 4 are that “absolute power to make laws for the Nigerians, or alter relevant sections of the constitution as provided by the constitution lies on the powers to any part of the National Assembly”. This paper however, analysed relevant sections of 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended), the powers of the National Assembly to make, alter, amend or provide new constitution to the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as requested by the Nigerian citizens. The paper concluded on the strong notion that unless power to create a new Constitution is inserted in this present constitution, National Assembly lacks power to create a new constitution.

Communication Vices that Engender Development: Oxymoronic Relevance of Social Media Use in Nigeria

The Nigerian journalist has lost his monopoly of information gathering, dissemination and control with the involvement of citizens in ‘journalism’ through social media especially Whatsapp. The objective of this paper is to show how through social media, with emphasis on Whatsapp, Nigerian citizens have been able to find their voices and can now contribute to societal well-being and development by embarking on information gathering and reporting. It uses participant-observation method to interrogate how citizen journalism has engendered development via negative journalism practice. The findings indicate that the government and other relevant stakeholders in the society respond to the voices of the people on issues which ordinarily would have been muted by conventional journalism practice or ignored by government. It concludes that citizen journalism through unconscious and unprofessional practice engenders development by somehow making government accountable through its response to issues of concern in areas that would otherwise, have been muted. Keywords: social media, citizen journalism, development, communication vices, Whatspp, Nigeria

Adoption and use of electronic voting system as an option towards credible elections in Nigeria

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the adoption and use of electronic voting (e-voting) system as an option to credible elections in Nigeria, as well as the factors that could influence the readiness of Oyo state citizens in Nigeria to use the system.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts the survey research design, while the Technology Readiness Acceptance Model provides the theoretical framework. A two-stage sampling procedure (random and convenience) was used to select 500 Nigerian citizens, who are of voting age, while data were collected with a structured questionnaire.FindingsFindings reveal that the citizens are ready to use the e-voting system if adopted by the Nigerian Government. Optimism and innovativeness are positively correlated, and perceived discomfort and perceived insecurity are negatively correlated, with readiness to use e-voting system by Oyo state citizens. The Technology Acceptance Model constructs (perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use), as well as computer self-efficacy also have positive correlations with readiness to use of e-voting.Research limitations/implicationsThe population of the study was limited to only citizens in one state of the federation; hence, the results cannot be generalised to all citizens in Nigeria.Practical implicationsThe study contributes to existing knowledge on adoption and use of technology and confirms that optimism and innovativeness are motivators and discomfort and insecurity are inhibitors of intention to use and actual usage of technology. Hence, these constructs should be taken into account and promoted when Nigeria is planning to adopt the e-voting system.Social implicationsThis paper could assist the Nigerian Government on the factors to consider when implementing the e-voting system.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first pieces of empirical research that attempted to investigate the factors that could promote acceptance and use of the e-voting system in Nigeria.

Mass mobilization for police accountability: The case of Nigeria’s #EndSARS protest

Abstract Organized public protests against police organization are a rare occurrence in Nigeria. However, between November 2017 and October 2020, a series of online and offline protests organized under the umbrella of #EndSARS campaign was staged against the operation of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force. Thus, this article X-rayed the circumstances that led to the emergence of the #EndSARS protest as a strategic means for seeking police accountability, and the impact of the mass action on policing and law enforcement in Nigeria. Although the #EndSARS protest constitutes a major turning point in the yearnings of Nigerian citizens for police accountability, the campaign has some far-reaching consequences on policing and law enforcement in Nigeria. It is imperative for the Nigeria Police Force to make more efforts towards developing the protest policing skills and approach of its personnel.

Economic Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on households.

Introductionthis study evaluated the economic impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on individuals and households.Methodsa cross-sectional online survey was used to collect data. Nigerian citizens who were domiciled or restricted from travelling abroad for no less than one month since the COVID-19 restrictions and lockdown were recruited into the study through focal persons purposively selected across the different states in Nigeria. Using WhatsApp® platform, the respondents completed the survey on household income and expenditure before and during the lockdown. Economic burden of COVID-19 lockdown on individuals and families was estimated using a prevalence-based cost of illness approach.Resultsfour hundred and four (male = 242; female = 162) individuals have participated in the study. The mean (SD) age of the respondents was 30.98 (10.92) years. Monthly income showed no statistically significant difference (p = 0.73) before and during lockdown. The overall household expenditure before and during the lockdown periods were USD 320 and USD 290. The total mean monthly costs for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 health related problems were ₦11746.25 (USD30.79) and ₦11784.9 (USD 30.89), respectively. Household expenditure for hand sanitizers, facemasks, hand gloves, and disinfectants increased significantly during the COVID-19 restriction lockdown (p < 0.05). However, expenditure on education, water, electricity, fuel, internet data, clothing and wears, toiletries decreased significantly during the lockdown period (p < 0.05).Conclusionthis study suggests that the costs of continuing COVID-19 restrictions could have huge economic consequences on households and health system.

Covid-19 pandemic and The Nigerian primary healthcare system: The leadership question

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the pathetic nature of the Nigeria healthcare system has become more glaring. In First World countries, the ravaging nature of the pandemic, marked by a high death toll, elicits trepidation among Nigerian citizens. What is more, these fears are not necessarily as a result of the lethal nature of COVID-19 but rather, they are consequent of certain conditions amongst which include: an inept and unconcerned leadership, accompanied by dilapidated health institutions characterized by poor working conditions and incentives. It is in lieu of these unhealthy conditions that the dreaded disease found its footing in the Nigerian environment. Against this background, this paper argues that the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria, its local dispersion occasioned by paucity of medical personnel and supplies due to decades of neglect of health care system is worrisome. This study recommends an overhaul of the healthcare system with the aim of achieving a robust health care system for Nigerian citizens. Thus far, various scholars have focused on corrupt leadership practices of Nigerian leaders without a detailed and in-depth study on the nexus between the health sector and this failure. It is this obvious gap in scholarship that this present study sets out to fill. The paper adopts a qualitative approach which will be anchored on primary and secondary sources of historical methodology. Thus, its significance lies in its ability to bring to the fore the nexus between leadership failure in Nigeria and the neglect of primary healthcare system. It will also expose the vulnerability of the Nigerian rich and poor in the face of the global pandemic.

Social Media, Gender and Politics: Public Perception of Female Politicians through the Facebook

Social Media is a dynamic form of communication platform that gives rapid feedback to messages posted/sent to targeted receivers. However, as much as there seems to be a fairly remarkable acceptance of females in politics, there is still an assumption that responses gotten on their social media platforms particularly are biased and unbalanced compared with that of their male counterpart. This work (a short field communication) evaluates the perception of messages received by or posted on the social media platforms of female politicians by the Nigerian citizens, based on responses and reactions to the social media updates and posts of these female politicians, using Facebook, as a case study. With the use of content analysis, the accounts of four selected female presidential candidates were purposively selected and analysed using Pew Institute data). The results revealed the suspected imbalance but noted an increase the citizens’ awareness of the effects of gender prejudice. It however avers that this could change with time because of the noticeable people’s sensitivity to effects of the imbalance. The study concludes that the dynamic nature of the social media goes a long way in influencing the sensitivity to the female gender.

Impact of Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Social Lives and Interactions of Nigerian Citizens

The coronavirus disease is a communicable and contagious respiratory disease that has not only affected human social lives, interactions and relationships but has equally changed other significant patterns and aspects of people’s normal life, even after the global lockdown. Nigerians, during and after the lockdown caused by COVID-19 are behaviourally influenced and affected by the novel virus. Thus, this study sought to investigate how COVID-19 pandemic has affected social lifestyle and interactions of Nigerians. The main objectives of this study were to ascertain how COVID-19 pandemic affected human communication and interactions; people’s social lifestyles and activities; people’s movement and transportation; the education system in Nigeria and house hold welfare or economy of Nigerians. The study adopted descriptive survey design with questionnaire and published materials on COVID-19 as instruments for data collection. Nigerians aged 18 years and above were studied through an online questionnaire survey which was distributed through social media platforms, emails and professional networks between 10th and 30th January, 2021. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the five most affected COVID-19 States in Nigeria in the year 2020 A total of 400 Nigerian participants completed the structured validated Likert-Scale questionnaire that assessed the impacts of COVID-19 on people’s social lives, interactions and welfare. Data were analyzed using 4-point like rt scale in descending order of SA, A, D and SD with mean and standard deviation to determine the level of responses. Major findings revealed that COVID-19 negatively affected the lives of people, ranging from lack of face-to-face communication and interaction, to change in people’s social welfare and lifestyle, to halt in education and academic activities, restriction in movement and transportation and household welfare challenges. It is suggested that policymakers should intensify efforts to ensure that corona virus is completely eradicated by providing and making COVID-19 drugs and vaccines available to all Nigerians. Government should ensure strict compliance to PTF directives on wearing of facemask by all Nigerians.