Nigerian Counterparts Research Articles

ADR and Workplace Conflict - A Podcast Analysis Nigeria, Britain and the US

The decline of union representation and the introduction of legal incentives for workers to resolve individual employment disputes without resorting to the courts has unequivocally made Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) increasingly prominent in the British industrial relations landscape. The conciliation service offered by the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) has been the most important sign and driver of this change. Although ADR has been encouraged in Western jurisdictions, particularly in the United Kingdom (UK) and in the United States (US), as a means to reduce time and litigation costs in relation to employment tribunal claims, the scarcity of scholarly publications, particularly on the benefits of utilising mediation or conciliation to settle workplace disputes is frankly unacceptable. On the other hand, Nigerian workers or employees are not encouraged or have little or no awareness of resolving workplace disputes or conflicts via ADR due to a lack of sensitisation in most organisations and a dearth of scholarly research on ADR to settle conflicts or workplace disputes in Nigeria, particularly with Mediation and Conciliation. This lack of awareness is a grave oversight compared to the UK. While British workers are encouraged to lodge their disputes with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Services (ACAS) before proceeding to an employment tribunal claim, Nigerian counterparts settle via the National Industrial Court (NIC) ADR, which is not always adequate. However, some sectors in Nigeria, like the Trade Unions, are quite complex, particularly disputes emanating from the Maritime Industry, which are hardly settled via ADR, unlike their UK counterparts. Hence, the jurisdictions mentioned above have different patterns and modus operandi for resolving workplace conflicts or disputes, and these will be meticulously examined in this paper. Additionally, the paper scrutinises the reason why the minister of labour and employment has so much power accorded or bequest to him to apprehend and refer a disputed award to the National Industrial Court (NIC) ADR. The paper employs a comparative and, for the first time, podcast analysis of workplace disputes in Nigeria and Britain, focusing on the different patterns of settling Workplace Conflicts such as discrimination, bullying and harassment. The paper concludes by unequivocally highlighting the benefits of mediation and its relevance to various entities involved in Workplace conflicts or disputes. Keywords: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Workplace Conflict, Access to Labour Justice, Employment Relations, Human Resource Management, Podcast, Awareness.

Leadership and Diplomacy as Effective Tools for Advancing the Principles of Good Governance and Sustainable Economic Development: A Comparative Examination of Nigeria and Rwanda

Objective: This paper aims to analyze the effect of leadership and diplomacy on the good governance and sustainable economic development of Nigeria and Rwanda. The study will focus on the various leadership strategies and capacity-building diplomacy, social welfare diplomacy, and poverty alleviation diplomacy that contribute to good governance and sustainable economic development in these countries. The findings of this research will help to understand the role of leadership and diplomacy in achieving good governance and sustainable economic development in developing countries like Nigeria and Rwanda. Theoretical Framework: The Transformational Leadership Theory proposed by James MacGregor Burns (1978) and Bernard M. Bass (1985) promotes the adoption of a sustainability mindset, prioritizing sustainability considerations over immediate needs and the Contingency Theory of Leadership by Austrian psychologist Fred E. Fiedler (1960) that focuses on identifying specific environmental variables that can determine the most appropriate leadership strategy for a given situation support this article. Method: The research strategy employed in this study was a descriptive survey with 114 (57 from Nigeria and 57 from Rwanda) drawn from ministries of Foreign Affairs using a purposeful and simple random selection approach. The sample size was determined using Slovin's method, n= N/ (1 + Ne2) with N=68 and an acceptable margin of error of e=0.05 for each sample group. Questionnaires were used for data collection, and a CVR value of (1), indicating a high level of validity for the instrument, was acquired through the application of Lawshe’s method, while the homogeneity of the instrument was determined by employing the Kudar-Richardson procedure (KR-21) with r-coefficient score of .79, confirmed the dependability of the questionnaire. The data gathered was analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation and paired sample t-tests with a significance level set at p < .05 were used for statistical significance. Findings: The study's findings suggest that the participants from Rwanda had a greater appreciation for the importance of leadership strategies and diplomatic approaches in advancing good governance, sustainable economic development, capacity building, social welfare, and poverty reduction than their Nigerian counterparts. The statistical analysis demonstrated that this disparity was statistically significant at a confidence level of p < .05. Thus, it can be inferred that the effectiveness of leadership and diplomatic approaches depends on the specific country context. Ultimately, these results underscore the critical role of effective leadership and diplomacy in achieving good governance and sustainable economic development. Conclusion: It is imperative to acknowledge that a substantial portion of the programs encompassing the three dimensions of good governance and sustainable economic development has been duly executed. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the sustainability of these programs is often compromised due to several factors such as corruption, insecurity, institutional deterioration, and negative public perception.

Understanding Heavy Drinking Practices and Alcohol-Related Harms: The Lived Experience of Nigerian Adolescents and Young Adults

Many young people in Western countries are abstaining from alcohol consumption, but their Nigerian counterparts are adopting lifestyles that valorize alcohol use and heavy drinking rituals. This study explored heavy drinking practices and alcohol-related harms among young Nigerians (students and nonstudents) who use alcohol. Although participants were highly knowledgeable about the harms associated with heavy drinking, they reported heavy drinking and normalized intoxication. Most participants consumed between 3 and 12 bottles of beer, stout and other alcoholic beverages on a single occasion and suffered multiple incidents of intoxication and loss of control with adverse outcomes. Many participants suffered more than one health-related consequence, like vomiting, hangovers, and abdominal pain, while others fell sick, which incapacitated them for many days/weeks. Heavy drinking and intoxication also adversely impacted training and studies, as some participants could not go to work or attend lectures as planned. The findings highlighted the need for prevention and intervention strategies that seek to reduce heavy drinking and associated harms by targeting the social norms around heavy drinking specifically. Lessons learned in regions with youth drinking decline may inform public health strategies that can be implemented in Nigeria.

Forgiveness and mental Well-being: a transnational comparison

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate forgiveness and mental well-being amongst Forgiveness and mental well-being were investigated amongst British European and Nigerian African samples to compare and determine the similarities and differences in dispositional forgiveness levels between the two populations conducted in terms of their general samples, gender and age and the difference in mental well-being scores between the two samples. Finally, the relationship between forgiveness and mental well-being in both groups was examined. Design/methodology/approach The Bolton Forgiveness Scale and the Short Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale were administered to the participants (Nigerian n = 1,164, British n = 855). SPSS was used to analyse data; a series of t-test was conducted; and Eta-squared and Z-value were calculated to determine the magnitude of each significant difference among variables and the magnitude of the difference in the correlation coefficient among variables, respectively. Findings Statistically significant results suggested significant differences in the way and manner dispositional forgiveness is conceptualised and practised within one group relative to the other, whereas non-significant results indicated similarities in forgiveness opinions and practises between the two groups. Overall British sample, men and those aged 36–55 reported higher levels of forgiveness than their Nigerian counterparts. However, Nigerians under the age of 35 reported higher levels of forgiveness than their British counterparts, and there was no statistically significant difference between the forgiveness levels of British and Nigerian women. Furthermore, the British total sample, men and women, all had higher well-being scores than their Nigerian counterparts. Research limitations/implications Forgiveness varies according to culture. The findings of this study suggest that the individualistic/collectivistic cultural arguments long held by some authors may not adequately explain the differences and similarities in forgiveness conceptualization and practise across cultures. As a result, research may focus on a variety of factors such as educational background, income, socioeconomic level and religion, among others. Second, consistent with previous studies, this research suggests that forgiveness is positively related to mental health and well-being. Finally, one of the limitations of this study is its exclusive focus on two countries, namely, the UK and Nigeria. Future research could include more countries with both individualistic and collectivistic societies. Originality/value This paper, which is, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the first to examine forgiveness and mental well-being in a comparative perspective between British European and Nigerian African samples, has made a unique contribution to the forgiveness and mental well-being literature and in particular, has provided a solid foundation and resources for future research of a similar nature in Africa, where little or no research had been conducted previously.

Physical activity and active transportation behaviour among rural, peri-urban and urban children in Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria: The PAAT Study.

BackgroundPhysical activity (PA) is associated with numerous health benefits among children and youth. However, few studies have examined how active transportation (AT) and device-based measures of PA vary within and between countries in sub-Saharan Africa.PurposeThis cross-sectional study sought to investigate the prevalence and correlates of AT and device-measured PA among children living in urban, peri-urban and rural areas in three African countries representing Eastern, Western and Southern regions of Africa.Methods3,205 participants (53.3% girls; 46.7% boys) aged 10–12 years were recruited in Kenya, Nigeria and Mozambique. Data were collected using a child questionnaire, a parent/guardian questionnaire and PiezoRx® pedometers. ANCOVA and binary logistic regression analyses were used to examine the correlates of AT and PA while controlling for gender, age, parent education and vehicle ownership.ResultsParticipants accumulated an average of 45.6±23.5 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and 11,215±4,273 steps/day. Kenyan and Mozambican children were significantly more active than their Nigerian counterparts (p<0.001). Only 23% met the MVPA guidelines of 60 min/day. 65.1% of participants engaged in AT to school (and 67.8% for the trip back home) with no gender differences. Living in a rural area, lower parent education, lower vehicle ownership and higher motorcycle ownership were associated with higher odds of AT. Other correlates of AT were country-specific. Girls accumulated less daily MVPA than boys in all countries. MVPA was positively associated with living in less urbanized areas in Nigeria and Mozambique. In Kenya, lower parental education and AT were associated with higher MVPA. Nigerian children’s daily MVPA decreased with age and the number of parent-perceived barriers to AT.ConclusionsMajority of children engaged in AT, but still failed to meet MVPA recommendations. Most correlates of AT and PA were country-specific, suggesting that strategies to encourage both behaviours should be informed by local evidence.

REGIONAL HEGEMONIC CONTENTION AND THE ASYMMETRY OF SOFT POWER: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SOUTH AFRICA AND NIGERIA

Since 1994 when South Africa emerged from the doldrums of apartheid isolation, there has been much contention about the hegemonic profile of South Africa as well as its Nigerian counterpart whose continental leadership have reputedly held sway in Africa prior to this time. Clearly, both Nigeria and South Africa have been widely bandied as Africa's hegemonic leaders on the strength of their Afrocentric foreign policy aspirations and material as well as ideational capabilities. Specifically, this article focuses on examining how the soft power attributes of South Africa have helped to advance its hegemonic aspiration on the continent ahead of Nigeria. The article argues that although both Nigeria and South Africa have some degree of soft power attributes, South Africa has nevertheless been able to extract greater benefits from its soft power resources than its Nigerian counterpart. In doing so, it submits that the soft power assets of both countries appear asymmetrically skewed in favour of South Africa and demonstrates why this is responsible for the global preference and increasing regional recognition of South Africa as Africa's hegemonic power.

“Dear Anglo”: Scrambling the Signs of Anglo-Modernity from New York to Lagos

AbstractThis essay reveals the surprising ties within an African American print franchise: the Anglo-African Magazine, the Weekly Anglo-African, and their various iterations between 1859 and 1865 and a Lagos journal also titled The Anglo-African (1863–65). The link was Robert Campbell, the West Indian editor of the Lagos paper and former contributor to the New York ones. I show how Campbell not only borrowed his title from his African American colleagues but also adapted their editorial models for hailing abolitionist publics and constituting interpretative communities. As these Anglo-African journals proliferated from New York to Lagos, “Anglo-African” became a racialized title associated with a particular kind of journal, rather than just a racial term. A salient feature of an “Anglo-African” type of journal was its scrambling of its titular term and its prefix Anglo. Thus, in the US papers, Anglo became a shorthand for a black publication, while their Nigerian counterpart inserted the US and African-America into the “Anglo” world of the Lagos Anglo-African. By decoupling “Anglo” from whiteness in one context, and from Britishness in the other, these editors forged a black Atlantic counterculture that worked at what Paul Gilroy has called the “hidden internal fissures” of modernity.

ATTITUDINAL AND MOTIVATIONAL VARIATIONS BETWEEN MALAWIAN AND NIGERIAN IMMIGRANTS WITH REGARD TO THE ACQUISITION OF ISIZULU AND TOWARDS ITS SPEAKERS IN JOHANNESBURG

Ponte Academic JournalOct 2020, Volume 76, Issue 10 ATTITUDINAL AND MOTIVATIONAL VARIATIONS BETWEEN MALAWIAN AND NIGERIAN IMMIGRANTS WITH REGARD TO THE ACQUISITION OF ISIZULU AND TOWARDS ITS SPEAKERS IN JOHANNESBURGAuthor(s): Zilibele Mtumane ,Shoaib MzomaJ. Ponte - Oct 2020 - Volume 76 - Issue 10 doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2020.10.10 Abstract:This paper aims to explore, compare and analyse Malawian and Nigerian immigrants’ attitudes and motivation regarding the acquisition of isiZulu and towards its speakers in Johannesburg. The two central objectives of the article were, first; to determine the types of attitudes and motivations held by each of the two groupings towards isiZulu and its speakers. Second; to establish the underlying reasons for the differences between the two. \r\nBeing investigative and exploratory in nature, the study adopted a phenomenological qualitative research approach, in order to get to the bottom of the problem. The data collected from one-on-one interview method were thematically analysed. Participants’ attitudes were inferred from their responses and reactions to various language learning situations, such as the tendency of the Zulus and black South Africans in general, of insisting to speak isiZulu to black immigrants, regardless of whether the foreign nationals know the language or not. The key finding to emerge from the study was that Malawian nationals harbour more positive attitudes towards isiZulu and its speakers than their Nigerian counterparts. Furthermore, they, Malawian immigrants, were found to be highly motivated to the acquisition of the language than the Nigerians. This was due to differences in the educational levels of the groupings, as well as their differences in the economic activities in the host country. The subheadings of this paper include the introduction, literature review, Methodology, findings and discussion and conclusion. \r\n Download full text:Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution Username Password

The masquerade of death macabre in the North: strange revolutionary aesthetics in Nigeria

In the late 1960s, all manner of assaults were directed between the Biafran secessionists and their Nigerian counterparts. As a result, unresolved ethnic, economic and socio-political lines exposed the “harvest” of the 1966–70 revolution. This harvest of corruption and military rule spilled into the 1980s and 90s creating resistant groups until the millennium age which ushered in new revolutionary tactics. Between 1970 when the revolution was officially declared ended till date, Nigerians have been made to harvest “proceeds” of both the colonial and postcolonial “legacies” which many critics pin down on bad leadership. For instance, while the steaming smoke from the battle nozzles of the Niger Delta revolutionaries is yet to fade away, the Northern region, under the violence of Boko Haram (Western Education is forbidden/sinful) has caused panic in the political arena. Against the backdrop of the current “global awakening,” this paper, through some critical works and Nigerian fictional artefacts, takes a careful examination of one particular aspect of this “harvest,” particularly the disillusionment and subsequent reactions of the people in various revolutionary garbs. The paper concludes that the amnesty antidote offered by the Nigerian leadership is simply a toothless escapist remedy. The position of this exploration is that the current militants or revolutionaries in any of the Nigerian geopolitical zones are reactive hydra-monsters created by a failing system where the national wealth has been hijacked by a few. Until this wealth is justly distributed, more chameleonic colours of revolutionaries are bound to emerge from the same system.

An Evaluation of Corporate Governance Disclosure in Ghanaian and Nigerian Banks

Corporate governance disclosure has become the buzz word for countries in developing economies, with the spate of corporate governance failures and the need to prevent a continuation of this trend. There has been the call for developing countries to enhance and improve on corporate governance disclosure practices. This study examines corporate governance disclosure in Ghanaian and Nigerian Banks using the un-weighted disclosure index technique. This research analyses corporate governance disclosure practices in the annual reports of 10 listed banks in Ghanaian and Nigerian banks in the year 2014. The findings of the research reveal that Ghanaian and Nigerian banks comply with several codes and principles of corporate governance disclosure: with Ghanaian banks having a lower level of disclosure than their Nigerian counterparts. On closer inspection, both Ghanaian and Nigerian banks have poor scores in voluntary corporate governance disclosure. Ghanaian banks tend to be worse off, as the level of variation in levels of corporate governance disclosure is higher than Nigerian banks. In comparison, Nigerian banks on the average tend to have better voluntary disclosure practices than Ghanaian banks. Also, Ghanaian and Nigerian banks include some elements of corporate social responsibility reporting in their annual reports. The research recommends that policymakers and regulators should devise policies targeted at enhancing voluntary corporate governance disclosure and increasing board diversity in the boardrooms.

A comparative analysis of available features and Web 2.0 tools on selected Nigerian and South African university library websites

Purpose The study aims to present a comparative analysis of available Web 2.0 tools in library websites of selected Nigerian and South African universities. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis was adopted as the design for the study. Twenty university library websites comprising ten top-ranking Nigerian universities and ten top-ranking South African universities were sampled for data collection. Five research questions developed and answered. Findings The findings show that the use of Web 2.0 tools in the selected universities is encouraging. There are more Web 2.0 tools available on the South African university library websites. The South African university libraries are ahead of their Nigerian counterparts in terms of the integration of Web 2.0 tools, e-resources and e-databases and provide platforms for easy retrieval of information by their users. There are more e-resources available on the South African university library websites compared with their Nigerian counterparts. e-Journals are the most available e-resources in the selected university library websites of both countries. Similarly, more academic e-databases are available on the South African university library websites, whereas only few are listed on the web pages of the selected Nigerian university library websites. Research limitations/implications Because available studies seem to ignore the possibility of comparing one university library’s website with another, conducting a study such as this will provide an insight and idea on the types of features, tools and applications to be included on university library websites. This will be useful for university whose library is planning to develop a website. Originality/value Because of the wide variation reported in this study concerning available tools and resources on the university library websites in South Africa and Nigeria, it is recommended that African universities should come up with a standard that will mandate universities to have a certain number of tools identified in this study on their various university websites.

English

Sunflower is a crop with high oil and economic values which portends its great potential for enhancing agricultural productivity and poverty alleviation among smallholder farmers. These notwithstanding, optimum benefit of the sunflower value chain have not been adequately harnessed. Conceived with the backdrop of lack of awareness about the commercial, nutritional and medicinal potentials of sunflower among the rural farm families, the study assessed the utilisation of sunflower among smallholder farmers in two southwestern states (Ogun and Ekiti) of Nigeria, and two districts (southeast and Kgatleng) of Botswana in sub-Saharan Africa. A total of two hundred smallholder farmers were randomly chosen from four purposively selected farming communities in southwestern Nigeria and Botswana districts. Results showed that 49 and 84% of the respondents were aware about the sunflower crop in Nigeria and Botswana, respectively, while only 10 and 25% cultivated the crop, respectively. The results further showed that all those (25%) who cultivated the crop in Botswana utilised it as animal feed only, while their Nigerian counterpart utilised it for variety of purposes. While 6 and 7% utilised it as animal feed and manure/fertiliser production, respectively, in Nigeria, 2, 5 and 8%, respectively, used it for cake/snack production, and traditional and ornamental purposes. Yet, another 6% cultivated the sunflower crop for seed oil extraction. The study concluded that, although, higher proportion of smallholder farmers from Botswana knew about and cultivated the sunflower crop, yet, their Nigeria counterpart utilised the crop more. The need for continuous popularization of the production and utilisation of sunflower crop among smallholder farmers was therefore recommended in both Bostwana and Nigeria. &nbsp; Key words: Sunflower utilisation, smallholder farmers, value chain.

Sino-Nigeria investments: prospects and challenges 1971-2010

Countries enter bi-lateral and multi-lateral relationships with one another based on the expectation of mutual benefit. This paper focusses on the bilateral investment relation between China and Nigeria. Despite the a long history of interactions and agreements between Nigeria and various more developed partners, development in Nigeria has not been as successful as could have been hoped. This study adopts a historic-structural, analytical and systematic approach in the Sino-Nigeria Investments. Findings reveal that Nigeria has been one of the leading partners of foreign direct investments from Chinese companies. In addition the research has also revealed that the benefits derived from the relationship sketch a lopsided picture in favour of China, at the peril of the Nigerian counterparts. To this end, the paper postulates that this Sino-Nigeria bilateral engagement should undergo some hanges to achieve equal and mutual benefit to both parties.

Heel bone mass of a young South Indian population with a Nigerian population residing in a South Indian suburban neighborhood: a comparative study

This cross-sectional cohort emphasized the impact of heel bone mass in the South Indian population and its comparison with Nigerian ethnicity, residing in South India. Peak bone mass, however, evidenced a significant decrease of around 30% compared to that of Nigerian ethnicity. In the South Indian population, the local folks do not seem to be well informed about the relative association of bone mass with osteoporosis. Hence, there is an acute necessity to assess the same with respect to the ethnic population, presumed to have possessed high bone mass, i.e., the Nigerian population. The calcaneus of the right foot was measured with a quantitative ultrasound device (Sahara, Hologic Inc., USA) for a total population of 734, out of which 314 were Indian males, 348 Indian females, 41 Nigerian males, and 30 Nigerian females, whose ages ranged from 18 to 35 years. The peak bone mass in Indian males and females is 0.507 ± 0.1 and 0.479 ± 0.1 g cm(-2), respectively, and it is 0.714 ± 0.2 and 0.682 ± 0.2 g cm(-2) with regard to Nigerian male and female populations, respectively. Indian males and females who were within the age group of 26-30 and ≤ 20 years, respectively, represented high bone mass, and the same was the situation with respect to Nigerian counterparts who were within the age group of 21-25 years. Indian and Nigerian non-vegetarian population of both the genders demonstrated a high significance value of p < 0.000001, deciphered by means of unpaired t test. Peak bone strength was dominant in the Nigerian population compared to that of Indians. The Indian population is approximately lagging by 28-30% with respect to peak bone mass behind their Nigerian equivalents. Indian non-vegetarian male and female populations lagged by 6.15% and 6.16% behind the Indian vegetarian male and female populations, respectively.

Report on the FIGO‐SOGP Saving the Mothers and Newborn Health Project in Pakistan. An NFOG concern.

FIGO is increasing its involvement in female health matters around the world. Funds have been solicited for Saving the Mothers and Newborn Health Projects in 12 developing countries. The obstetrics and gynecology society and midwifery association of each project country has been affiliated to a Western society in what is called twinning. The Swedish Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (SFOG) has twinned with the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Pakistan (SOGP). The SFOG board has signed a letter of understanding. A similar arrangement has been created between the Danish society (DSOG) and its Nigerian counterpart. Both twinning projects are supported by NFOG. In Pakistan achievements so far are promising despite formidable problems in society health care and security. (excerpt)

Women and War in Contemporary Love Stories from Uganda and Nigeria

Women and War in Contemporary Love Stories from Uganda and Nigeria Sofia Ahlberg (bio) This essay puts contemporary women's short fiction from Uganda and Nigeria in conversation through the analysis of literary representations of love in the context of war. Proposed here is a mode of reading the love story by reflecting more generally upon narrative's relation to political turmoil, violence, and conquest. Addressing the underlying theme of love as a creative stimulus for self-expression, it explores the potential of women's love stories from Uganda and Nigeria to resist, and sometimes resolve, conflict. Though Nigeria and Uganda share similarities with regards to their social, cultural, and economic conditions, as well as their colonial histories, the extent of their literary output differs considerably. In comparison to Uganda where there has been a revival of literature only relatively recently, Nigerian writing has already altered the collective social body and even the land itself has been transformed under its influence. It is perhaps no coincidence that the Ugandan writers looked at in this essay write about issues concerning daughters confronting the challenges of a modern world. Theirs is an internalized narrative, one that acknowledges that social and political change begins from within the self and the ability to raise one's voice above that of the mainstream. Their Nigerian counterparts, by comparison, write from the point of view of the mother who struggles to keep together and shepherd her dependents in moments of disunity and national crises. When considered together, Nigerian and Ugandan texts occasion a rare possibility to discuss the shifts in African women's writing in times of Civil War and regional conflict. The concerns shared by women writers from both countries point to the benefits gained from transnational dialogue, especially within equatorial Africa. However sober the writing from Uganda seems by comparison [End Page 407] to the more idealistic vision from Nigeria, all narrators considered in this essay stand out as women in control of their destinies, women of personal integrity and self-worth. By engaging in the cultural and socio-political transformation of Uganda and Nigeria as evident in the literature of some of their contemporary women authors, this essay aims to embrace a new vision of what constitutes love and how subjects express it. Though universal, the portrayal of love is far from inclusive. Buchi Emecheta gives voice to the erroneous belief that literary love is the domain of the West when she notes in her autobiography that as a young woman she equated England with romance and the typical Englishman with Mr. Darcy.1 As defined and informed by its chivalric, European origins, there is seldom an African presence in romantic fiction. Fiction, including romantic fiction, is monopolized not only by white authors, but by white, male authors, notes Juliana Makuchi Nfah-Abbenyi in the preface to Gender in African Women's Writing.2 The overall aim here is not only to shift focus from the white, male world of fiction from last century to the black, female world of today (although this in itself would be a worthy pursuit considering the still disproportional weight toward Eurocentric, male authors in literature departments around the world), but to contribute to a new appreciation of the love story as a textual antidote to war. For the purpose of this discussion, the meaning of war is diverse, ranging from armed conflict in which women fall victim as civilians to women's own struggle or "war" for control over their bodies and their sexuality. In her discussion of Ama Ata Aidoo's novel Changes—A Love Story, Nfah-Abbenyi argues that the author's portrayal of love is political for many reasons, not least because it is informed by a cultural and socio-historical context beyond any individual's control.3 Similar claims can be made about the stories discussed in this essay with one significant difference. Politicized without doubt, love as narrated by Monica Arac de Nyeko, Doreen Baingana, SefiAtta, and Anthonia Kalu is also there for pleasure alone, as part of "the human condition," as Aidoo herself writes in the introduction of the recently published anthology African Love Stories.4 Paradoxically, however, it is precisely...

The Avu of Alafrika: a narrative on an encounter with musical arts knowledge

Meki Nzewi , supplemented with interlocking commentary and interpretation by Eric Aseka, Anri Herbst, Mathola Motsekgha and Michael Nixon The Western world is just beginning to accept the concept of the griot and griottesses in West Africa as oral historians. Alex Haley\'s Roots stimulated this awakening with his saga of an American family which depicted their history through family tales, archival research and finally a visit to a griot: … today it is rightly said that when a griot dies, it is as if a library has burned to the ground. The griots symbolise how all human ancestry goes back to some place, and some time, where there was no writing. Then, the memories and the mouths of ancient elders was the only way that early histories of mankind got passed along … for all of us today to know who we are. (Haley 1976:10) According to Hale, the term ‘griot\' can be translated as ‘wordsmith\', ‘artisan of the word\', historian, storyteller, praise-singer, genealogist, adviser (often through music), spokesperson, diplomat, mediator, composer, musician, teacher, naming ceremonies and funerals (Hale 1998:18–58). Mutwa Credo (1964:xvi) pointed out that ‘the Black man of Africa\' did not have ‘scrolls\' or ‘pyramids\' to write down his/her history, but they told stories and still do. In Indaba, my children Credo gave a historical account of the continent that is very similar to Nzewi\'s. While Meki Nzewi does not see himself as a griot, he indicated to me that the following Igbo words could serve as a Nigerian counterpart for ‘griot\': Mmanwu abani – ‘The night spirit\' who creates sung stories and philosophical reflections on happenings in the society; Ogbazulu obodo – ‘The spirit that runs through a community\' who sees and sings about happenings; Onye akuko na egwu – ‘The story singer\', a human person. It seems as if the first two terms could be applied to this story which is told in a dramatic singing mode. The narrative starts with a historical reflection, followed by a ‘palaver\' which ends with a song of reconciliation. The past, the genealogy of a continent, is recounted in order to interpret and transform the future. The writing style reflects the cyclical improvisatory style of West African music; what seems to be repetitive is not, but is an elaboration of the ‘standard pattern\', adding new information. It is important to note that the style is therefore cyclical, spiralling away from the starting point, and not circular, which would mean relentless repetition without any change. The way that the story evolves is an artistic presentation of the healing capacities captured in drumming: the reader is drawn into the singer\'s state of mind, reflecting on the past. Through variation on the pattern the initial agitated state of mind is changed into one of reconciliation, looking towards the future. [Commentary and interpretation by Anri Herbst] Journal of Musical Arts in Africa Vol. 1 2004: pp. 55-84

Comparison of the monoterpenes derived from green leaves and fresh rhizomes of Curcuma longa L. from India

AbstractThe monoterpenes from green leaves and fresh rhizomes of Curcuma longa L. grown in India have been analysed by GC and GC‐MS. With the exception of the absence of myrcene, the leaf oil largely resembled the Nigerian counterpart. The rhizome oil did not contain β‐pinene but had all the other components of the leaf oil in different proportions. Of interest is the fact that the rhizome volatiles included car‐3‐ene, α‐terpinene, γ‐terpinene and terpinolene.

Students' Preconceptions about the Epistemology of Science: A Comparison of Some Nigerian and Candian Students

ABSTRACTThis study attempted to determine the preconceptions of the nature of science held by two groups of grade 11 and 12 secondary school students. The first group consists of 460 randomly selected grade 11 students from Enugu township in eastern Nigeria. The second group consists of 2000 grades 11 and 12 Canadian secondary school students. The preconceptions of both groups were assessed using 15 selected items drawn from the Views-On-Science-Technology Society (VOSTS) instrument developed by Aikenhead, Ryan and Fleming (1989). In comparison with their Canadian counterparts, the Nigerian subjects appear to demonstrate a better understanding of the meaning of science though sometimes their views are rather disparate and inconsistent. On the other hand, the Canadian subjects seem to appreciate the place and value of science and technology for society than their Nigerian counterparts. To some extent both groups of subjects show evidence of collateral learning and alternative conceptions of natural phenomena. On the basis of the findings of this study, it is suggested that science educators should take due cognisance of such worldview presuppositions.