Nnamdi Azikiwe Journal of Political Science

The Socio-economic Impact of the Activities of “Unknown Gunmen” on Market Women in Imo State

2024-07-26T03:33:35-07:00

Efforts have been put in place to tackle the menace of “unknown gunmen” as well as other security issues in the country, but little has been done to address poverty and unemployment as root causes of security threats in Nigeria. Thus, in view of the continued existence of the “unknown gunmen”, this study sought to investigate the socioeconomic impact of the activities of the “unknown gunmen” on market women in Imo State. The study anchored on the Routine Activity theory. Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, was purposively selected for this study because, it has experienced more activities by the “unknown gunmen” than other LGAs in Imo state. Three towns however, were randomly picked and a sample size of 352 used for the study. Findings revealed that the activities of the unknown gunmen have affected the socioeconomic life of market women by restricting their movement and reducing patronage. It was further revealed that some of the challenges facing the fight against “unknown gunmen” are; the lack of information, public support and prompt response from security personnel. It was also revealed that the increased rate of poverty and unemployment is one of the problems facing the fight against unknown gunmen. Therefore, the study recommended that, government and non-governmental organizations to work together to eradicate unemployment and poverty in the country.

Public Private Partnership and Infrastructural Development in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory

2024-07-26T03:42:09-07:00

Recently, one strategy for achieving the goal of infrastructure development has been the public-private partnership, which is gaining popularity worldwide. It is marketed as a way for nations with tight budgets to enhance public services and infrastructure. While wealthy nations view it as the best way to reduce the cost of governance, the governments of the majority of developing nations view it as a way of reducing high cost of governance while achieving the purpose of governance at the same time. It is against this backdrop that this study assesses the impact of public private partnership on infrastructural development of Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The study is hinged on the Collaborative Policy Network Theory propounded by Hughes (2012). The study adopts the descriptive survey design for an indebt study of the impact of public private partnership on infrastructural development of selected communities/districts in F.C.T. A sampled size of 399 was determined through the Taro Yemane’s sample size technique; data were analyzed using relevant statistical tools which included frequency count, simple percentage, mean, standard deviation and the regression ANOVA which was adopted to test the hypothesis. The study revealed that, in spite of possible challenges of public private partnership; there is a significant relationship between public private partnership and the development of infrastructures in F.C.T. Finally, the study recommended amongst others that, competent agencies must prevent financial corruption in order to ensure that public projects are completed.

ECOWAS and the Challenges of the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and Goods on Nigeria’s National Security in the 21st Century

2024-07-26T04:06:24-07:00

This paper examined the ECOWAS and the challenges of the protocol on free movement of persons and goods on Nigeria’s national security in the 21^st century. ECOWAS was established on May 25, 1975 to boost regional economic integrative effort of countries within the African sub region. Efforts have continued to be made by leaders and stakeholders on the ECOWAS project in arresting the bottlenecks hindering the realization of the objectives of the regional organization. Obviously, the full implementation of the protocol by all the member countries of ECOWAS has remained problematic due to a good number of factors. Theoretically, this paper is anchored on the theory of intergovernmentalism. Methodologically, this paper relied on secondary means of data collection. The content method was adopted in the analysis. The paper discovered that the implementation of the protocol on free movement of persons and goods by Nigeria to a considerable extent has been impacting negatively on her national security. The paper recommends the computerization of the common borders of member countries of ECOWAS for effective data sharing system.

The African Youth Charter and Youth Development: A Reflection on Challenges of Implementation in Nigeria

2024-07-26T04:32:54-07:00

Youth Development in Africa is a must undertaking; it is a sine-qua-non of the continent’s development. Therefore, in view of the importance of youth to the socio-economic development of the present and future generations of the African continent, the African Youth Charter (AYC) was set in motion in 2006, as a template for the advancement of the rights and freedoms of young people. In principles, African states have ratified the Charter and vowed to implement it in their own countries for a common approach to salvaging the indignities of the youth in the continent from excessive neglect, disregard and violations of their rights and general disempowerment. The paper relied on secondary sources of data collection and documentary analysis as its methodology using content analysis. In the context of Nigeria, the paper argues that the state should promote laudable policies that are aimed at hitting the nail on the head rather than the usual sloganeering programmes that are meant to raise concerns rather than solving them. On their part, the youth should pursue career development through education, training and re-training in order to empower them to fight for their rights and freedoms. For rights are ‘taken’; not ‘given’, through constant struggles.

Creative Leadership for The African Leadership Crisis.

2024-07-26T05:17:12-07:00

Africa is bedevilled with myriads of problems. Attempts at proffering solutions result in multiple ideas and concepts that accomplish little in ameliorating the condition of ordinary citizens on the continent. A leadership crisis has gripped the region despite the numerous postulations about leadership for Africa's growth and development. This paper examines the African leadership problem in order to suggest ways to transform the African narrative by institutionalizing creative leadership. This will facilitate a departure from what is occurring across the African continent. It delineates the concept of leadership with an expose of creative leadership. It discusses the need for creative leadership as gradual and immediate, depending on stakeholders' needs assessment and the different contexts in which individuals and organizations may apply its elements. It calls on governments, research institutes, policymakers, individuals and groups across Africa to invest in this new form of leadership.

The Trajectory of Russia-Africa Relations: Highlighting Continuity and Discontinuity

2024-07-26T07:38:27-07:00

At the height of the Cold War, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), in ideological competition with the United States of America (USA), made inroads into Africa and gradually held sway over some countries therein. Owing largely to domestic issues, the USSR collapsed in 1991, thus ending the long-standing Cold War. From 1992 to 1999, the Russian Federation as the successor state to the USSR had minimal relations with Africa. However, in the 2000s, Russia rekindled its interest in geo-strategic Africa. This article highlights features of Soviet-African relations that were stopped and those that remain part of Russia’s African policy. To achieve this, the historical approach was adopted and data was collected from secondary sources. The article concludes that in the trajectory of Russo-African relations, Soviet support for liberation movements, economic aid, and the promotion of Marxist-Leninist ideology in Africa ended while state scholarships, arms sales, and military training continued.

Cross-Country Variations of Public Bribery in Africa

2024-07-26T07:45:32-07:00

Corruption in Africa undermines development and access to public services. This study investigates variations in the prevalence of bribery and associated factors across African countries. This study analyzed the eighth round of the Afrobarometer survey dataset with a sample of over 40,000 respondents across 34 African countries. The study found that 68.2% of Africans reported paying a bribe to public service officials. This figure ranges from 17.7% of respondents who paid bribes for public school services to 35.7% for police assistance. Thirty percent of Africans have paid bribes for choice institutions compared to 61% for monopoly institutions. Liberia recorded the highest prevalence of bribery for school services (47.1%) and medical care (59.3%). Cameroonians paid the most bribes for identity documents (52.3%), while Nigeria recorded the highest for bribery for police assistance (80.4%). Gender, age, education, poverty and political participation/activism were significant predictors of different forms of bribery, but their associations vary across countries. The study suggests that bribery occurs more often in monopoly institutions where the people have no alternatives. In addition, variations in the factors associated bribery indicates cross-country diversity and the need to region or country-specific policy interventions to reduce the bribery in public services in Africa.

Building Resilience to Gender-Based Violence Connected to Climate Change

2024-07-26T09:14:55-07:00

This study examines how resilience can be built against gender-based violence (GBV) and climate change in the West African sub-region. No doubt, Climate change exacerbates violence but disproportionately women are more vulnerable, which often increases the risks of GBV during and after climate-related disasters. Delving further into this inquiry, this study made use of the documentary method of data collection from official documents like the UN, ECOWAS, and Journal articles to ascertain the linkages between climate change and GBV. Through a comprehensive review of existing literature and case studies from ECOWAS countries, the study anchored its framework of analysis on Eco-violence theory. Major findings of this study revealed that, because women have a closer affinity to nature through agricultural activities and other cultural beliefs, investing in women can foster effective resilience to climate-related violence against them. Amongst other recommendations, the study identified key areas where policy interventions can mitigate GBV risks, such as improving access to resources, enhancing legal protections, and promoting women's leadership in rural communities for effective climate resilience initiatives. Also, by addressing the gender role factor, this study emphasizes more effective and equitable resilience-building measures to mitigate or adapt to the adverse effects of climate change in the West Africa sub-region.

Peace Accord And Electioneering in Nigeria.

2024-09-14T20:20:09-07:00

This study applied constructivist theory, which emphasised the role of shared ideas, norms, and identities in influencing political behaviour, to examine how peace accords affected Nigeria's electioneering process. To prevent electoral violence and guarantee peaceful elections, the main goal was to investigate how these social constructions impacted the formulation and execution of peace agreements. The research, which focused on the Abuja Peace Accord, used a qualitative and quantitative technique and included case studies of the 2015 and 2019 elections. Document analysis, political actor interviews, and media content analysis were all part of the data collection process. The results showed that the identities and ideologies of political actors had a substantial impact on the socio-political setting of Nigeria, where peace accords were firmly anchored. The research offered empirical perspectives and policy suggestions to enhance the function of peace agreements in fostering democratic stability in Nigeria, among which included the fact that candidates agreed to have a constructive discourse, forge relationships across party lines, and explore areas of mutual interest by cooperating to negotiate terms of peaceful conduct during the election campaign. The views canvassed by Plato over two thousand years ago are, by and large, still relevant in contemporary statecraft.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Management of Refugee Crisis in the Nigerian Section of Lake Chad Basin (2011-2023)

2024-10-05T06:10:23-07:00

Africa and the Nigerian state have received a fair dose of the refugee crisis. For Nigeria, Borno, Adama and Yobe, the (BAY) states are home to over 1.9 million Internally Displaced Persons, a figure regarded as the seventh largest Internally Displaced population in the world. The study examined efforts of the UNHCR in the management of the refugee crisis in the Nigerian section of the Lake Chad Basin (2011-2023). The study adopted Michael Barnett’s Humanitarian Governance Model as a theoretical base. Methodologically, it adopted the ex post facto research design and collected data through documentary sources and Key Informant Interviews. Content analysis was adopted as preferred tool for data analysis. The findings indicate the fact that although the UNHCR has rendered numerous humanitarian assistance and services in the region, these efforts have been eclipsed by the growing number of IDP’s, refugees, refugee returnees, internal security threats and social discontents in the region understudied. The study therefore recommends the need for government and all relevant stakeholders to assist in the fight against insurgency in the region; more humanitarian services in the area to complement the ongoing work by the UNHCR and proper funding and security of UNHCR staff and other humanitarian workers in the region.

“Rights” in a “Might” System: The United Nations’ Approach To Self-Determination in the Case of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB)

2024-10-23T14:21:37-07:00

This article titled "Rights in a 'Might' System: The United Nations Approach to Self-Determination in the Case of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)" examines the role of the United Nations in addressing self-determination movements, particularly focusing on the IPOB's agitation for independence from Nigeria. The study adopts a qualitative research method, utilising a descriptive design to explore the complex interplay between international law, state sovereignty, and human rights. The research relies on a documentary method for data collection and employs content analysis to systematically examine the subject matter through predefined themes. The study reveals a significant disconnect between international principles of self-determination and the Nigerian government's rigid stance on sovereignty. The United Nations, while generally supportive of self-determination, has remained indifferent to IPOB’s call for a UN-supervised referendum. This inaction, rooted in the interests of powerful member states on the UN, has emboldened the Nigerian government to continue its repressive tactics against IPOB, resulting in human rights violations, mass atrocities, etc. The study also highlights how economic and geopolitical interests, particularly of key UN member states such as the U.S. and China, have led to the international community's reluctance to intervene in the IPOB situation.