Àgídìgbo: ABUAD Journal of the Humanities

“How Worldly Should We Get to Win the World?”: Autoethnographic Reflections on Sacred and Mundane Entanglements in Nigerian Gospel Music Discourse

Toyin Samuel AJOSE — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article explores the intersection of religion and popular culture by examining how the connections between the sacred and secular are portrayed in public discourse surrounding Nigerian gospel music. Studies exploring gospel music in Nigeria have examined its growth, style, classifications, and significance in facilitating spirituality in everyday life. As a form of Christian popular culture, gospel music influences and is influenced by secular art forms. This interaction has generated several criticisms from both within and outside the Christian fold. Despite the longstanding tensions relating to the entanglement between gospel music and secular popular expressions, how these controversies are encountered, framed, and discussed in public discourse has not received scholarly investigation. Based on years of observation and sacred public conversations, including sermons and social media comments, this study aims to answer the following question: How are the concepts of spirituality and ‘worldliness’ framed in the public discourse on gospel music practices in Nigeria? What are the possible explanations for the interaction between the sacred and the secular in Nigerian gospel music? What do these public discourses mean for understanding how the ‘boundaries’ of Christianity and its artistic forms, including gospel music, are stretched, collapsed, constructed, reconstructed, mediated, and negotiated through the structures of popular culture in Nigeria? The study reveals that symbolic entanglements, fandom and celebrity culture, as well as labour and religious economy, frame the discourse regarding the perpetual interactions between gospel music and secular entertainment. It concludes that the public controversies regarding the extent to which religious actors, including preachers and gospel musicians in Nigeria and Africa, will go (including mobilising secular popular culture) to win the world are limitless.

Oil Politics and Subaltern Crises in Niger-Delta Poetry: A Study of Sophia Obi’s Tears in a Basket

Michael Onyeisi EJIODU, Wisdom C. NWOGA — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The paradox of wealth and despair in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria has inspired a growing body of works that interrogate the crises in the region. Poetry is a veritable medium for documenting these struggles and vocalising the aspirations of the people. Sophia Obi’s Tears in a Basket stands as a reflection of the socio-economic inequalities and environmental degradation faced by Niger-Delta communities as a result of oil exploration and exploitation. The collection critiques the exploitation of natural resources and marginalised groups, and exposes the complicity of state actors and multinational corporations involved in these injustices to the subalterns. This study adopts resistance framework to analyse Obi’s portrayal of class struggle and the commodification of resources in the region. It situates Tears in a Basket within the spectrum of Niger-Delta resistance literature and examines how the poet highlights the alienation and dispossession of local communities. The study reveals that Obi’s work successfully critiques the manipulation of the natural together with human resources, and highlights the collaboration of capitalist agencies and state operatives in mounting and prolonging inequality. Her clear imagery accentuates the cultural and environmental degradation fashioned and executed by oil exploration and extraction, while also reflecting the resilience and aspirations of the subaltern Niger-Delta people. The poems, in addition to the documentation of the lived realities, also envision a future where environmental justice and sustainability shall prevail. This is the conclusion of the paper. Finally, the paper underscores poetry as a vehicle for critiquing systemic exploitation and advocating reform.

Influence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in Nigerian Higher Education

Olufemi PETERS, Helen Titilola OLOJEDE — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Discourses on the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education have held sway in global literature for quite some time now, and the reason for this is not far-fetched. It is because of how AI use touches on ethics and loss/development of cognitive abilities. In the Nigerian educational context, AI in education is even more insidious. In addition to ethics and cognition, there are concerns around infrastructural deficit, access, and affordability. Thus, this paper examines AI's pros and cons in Nigerian higher education. AI has many merits, such as learner support, accessibility, and scalability. Using the content analysis approach and technology acceptance model, the paper argues that despite the demerits (the ability to subvert academic honesty, disrupt trust, increase the workload for lecturers, digital colonialism, overreliance, etc.), there is a need to seize and harness the goods of AI for the future good of education in Nigeria. It recommends critical AI literacy for lecturers and students alike, the need for an institutional AI policy that would detail the how of AI use and the need for a robust data governance structure to safeguard institutions’ data.

Rethinking Nigeria’s Security Threats: Armed Banditry and its Impacts on the People of North-west Nigeria, 2010-2025

Efemena Emmanuel ESAMAGU, Taiwo Adebayo ADEYINKA — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This discourse which is intended to contribute to peace and security studies examined the effects of armed banditry on the people of North-western Nigeria. The paper answered these questions: Who are armed bandits? What is the modus operandi (mode of operations) of these bandits? How has banditry affected the people in North-west Nigeria? Different materials were reviewed and they associated armed banditry with the level of economic underdevelopment and infrastructural decay in the region viz-a-viz the influx of criminal elements, proliferation of small arms and light weapons, etc. The sociological and queer ladder theories were advanced and employed to explain the rationale behind the abnormal behavior of these terrorists as adduced. The inability of the military not only to de-escalate this violence but to curtail the activities of these armed bandits is responsible for mass abduction and kidnapping of people for ransom within the context of this study. Oral interviews were conducted to give fillip to the interdisciplinary nature of the paper, considering the avalanche of literature consulted across different disciplines. The paper’s submission is that the attendant woes of armed banditry on the people are incalculable in terms of humans, environment, economy, distortion and dislocation of families, among other attendant consequences. The paper recommended the continuous need for synergy among the security agencies while there is a need for protection of the citizens, considering the wave of insecurity in North-west Nigeria.

A Melting Pot of Literature and Orature: An Intertextual Analysis of Bosede Afolayan's Once Upon an Elephant

Adewumi Raphael ADEYANJU, Adeola Toyosi AJALA, Adebanjo ADEBAGBO — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

African writers are products of double heritages, of both the Western education they are exposed to and the immediate cultural environments from where they have appropriated materials for their literary enterprises. There is however the tendency to down play the influence of African oral tradition on African Literature by concentrating on the influence of foreign writings on African literary texts. Recent scholarly works have examined the relationship between works of African writers to establish intertextual relationships among their written texts but paid little attention to the African oral resources as a distinct text on its own right. The study aimed to fill the observed gap by examining the influence of orature on literary texts, specifically, on Bosede Afolayan's play, Once Upon an Elephant. The study employed both primary and secondary sources of data collection, which involved a close reading and in-depth analysis of the selected primary text and some secondary texts, adopting Intertextual theory as a tool of analysis. Intertextual theory is basically about similarities and differences between presumably related texts. The study made strong case for more intertextual practices among African writers with the recommendation that both creative writers and critics can enrich their works by looking inward, especially their immediate African cultural environment as veritable fount to source materials for their creative enterprises.

Political Participation, Upsurge in Youths’ Turnout for 2022 Continuous Voters’ Registration and Nigeria’s 2023 Electoral Process

Oluwabanji A. AKELE, Ojo O. ARIYO, Festus O. AJAYI — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Political scientists and others involved in election administration have long been concerned about the importance of young people’s participation in politics, particularly in Africa. When it comes to politics, youth play an important role and are expected to play an even larger one through voter registration. Intriguingly, the youth of Nigeria showed remarkable eagerness to participate actively in the just finished 2023 electoral process by turning out in large numbers for the Continuous Voters’ Registration (CRV) drive in 2022. Examining the causes of the dramatic increase in young voters’ registration in Nigeria’s 2023 elections and the effects of this trend on youth participation in politics and the electoral process were the primary goals of this research. This study used a descriptive research strategy based on a survey design. Information was gathered by means of survey questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Tables and basic percentages were used for quantitative data analysis, while discourse analysis was used for analysing the content of qualitative data. The study’s results showed that the youths’ rights had been violated on a large scale, particularly in recent years. For instance, the handling of the 2020 End-SARS protest, such as being beaten with the butt of a gun, whips, and fists during arrest; continued torture by the police in detention, and the surge in support for Peter Obi were also factors that contributed to the surge. On the other hand, the implications of the massive turnout for governance and political participation in Nigeria include the youths’ ability to speak out against bad governance across ethno-religious lines, and an increase in youth participation in politics. The study concludes that young people should be more informed and engaged, that electoral institutions should be strengthened, and that voter registration should be continuous.

Language and Communication Implications of Artificial Intelligence on Selected Nigerian University Undergraduates

Jane Chinelo OBASI, Ekene Blessing OBIEKWE — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In recent times, the emergence of artificial intelligence has had a tremendous influence on human language and communication. It involves developing computer programmes to complete tasks which would otherwise require human intelligence. This study, therefore, investigates the impact of artificial intelligence on the English language use and communication skills of selected Nigerian university undergraduates. Questionnaires were designed using a five-point rating scale and shared with one hundred and fifty respondents from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. These students were randomly sampled because they were selected without having any particular choice in mind. All the responses gathered through an online SurveyMonkey survey were categorised and analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. Albert Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning Theory was adopted as the theoretical framework for this study. The findings show that artificial intelligence impacts the language and communication of Nigerian undergraduates both positively and negatively, and this includes, among others, improvement of their vocabulary and grammar, and overdependence on AI technology for English language vocabulary development.

Foregrounding as a Stylistic Strategy for Political Critique in Lasisi Olagunju’s Cowries of Blood

Adeola Toyosi AJALA, Adewumi Raphael ADEYANJU, Oluwafikayo Samuel OSOBA — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Cowries of Blood by Lasisi Olagunju is a poignant collection of essays addressing the grave security threats facing Nigeria. The book criticises the socio-political scenery of ‘Nigeria, addressing issues such as herdsmen violence, banditry, and what the author terms Nigeria’s endgame politics’. While concentrating majorly on Northern Nigeria, Cowries of Blood is a strong means of portraying and expressing concern about the country’s challenges through a rich tapestry of linguistic features. The paper presents a stylistic analysis of selected essays from Lasisi Olagunju’s Cowries of Blood, focusing on more prominent, defamiliarised and deviant from the norm to attract attention and create aesthetic effects. Key stylistic elements such as foregrounding, metaphor, irony, and satire are skilfully utilised by the author to highlight issues of corruption, violence, and societal decay. Analysing nine essays in Cowries of Blood using Crystal and Davy’s (1969) stylistics approach, the author’s use of language, rhetorical devices, and narrative techniques contributed to the thematic concerns and persuasive power of language in the book. The study concluded that Olagunju’s mastery of language and literary techniques enhances the persuasiveness of his socio-political commentary and engages readers in a critical reflection on the issues facing Nigeria.

Ancestral Veneration as a Metaphysical Issue in Yòrùbá Culture: Exploring the Spiritual Agency of Social Reconstruction in a Glocal Context

Oreoluwa Idris ADESANYA — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Africans are in the habit of venerating the dead among them who qualify as ancestors. The practice of ancestral veneration in Africa, particularly amongst the Yòrùbá people of West Africa, is premised on their belief in continual existence after death. The supposition is that the dead, who have now become ancestors, play active roles in their activities, in the plight of their children and grandchildren and their lives entirely. The ancestors are believed to possess the ability to influence either positively or negatively the fortune of the living. Belief in the existence of ancestors amongst Africans is paramount in African traditional religious belief systems. The ancestors are taken to be intermediaries between the living, the divinities and the Supreme Being. Ancestors therefore occupy an important place in African, particularly Yòrùbá ontology. Communion with ancestors therefore takes the form of veneration, in which the people honour, respect and look after them in their afterlives as well as possibly seek their guidance for the living descendants. Among the Yòrùbá people, ancestral veneration takes various forms as being evident in their traditional practices. The Yòrùbá have requirements for the conferment of ancestor-hood on a deceased soul, and as such not everyone who dies becomes an ancestor in Yòrùbá ontology. The task of this paper is to interrogate the practice of ancestral veneration as a metaphysical issue that is evident among the Yòrùbá people of Africa, while also delving into the discussion of the basic requirements for ancestor-hood amongst the Yòrùbá. This paper presents ancestors in Yòrùbá culture as spiritual agents of establishing social order, based on the belief in their continual relevance in the physical world. The role of ancestors as spiritual agents of social reconstruction will also be interrogated against emergent and dominant forces, such as globalisation, using the framework of glocalisation.

The Synergy of Minds and Machines: Rethinking the AI-HI Relationship through Dialectical Reconstruction

Ridwan Ishola MOGAJI, Adewale Oluwaseun MOTADEGBE — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Today, there is an issue regarding the superiority of intelligence regarding the nature of human intelligence and artificial intelligence. Human intelligence, which refers to the natural capacity of humans to think, reason, learn, and adapt to new situations based on experience and emotional instincts, represents the core of what it means to be human. Artificial intelligence on the other hand is the simulation of human cognitive functions by machines, especially in tasks such as problem-solving, pattern recognition, and decision-making, which often operates based on algorithms and data, both of which are unique and important in themselves. However, there is a presupposition by some commentators, which happens to be the problem of this paper. On the one hand, there is the argument that artificial intelligence; particularly generative artificial intelligence, can perform tasks better than humans, while on the other hand, is the argument that human consciousness and creativity remain irreducible, both of which have sparked renewed discussions about whether AI can rival or even surpass human cognition. However, rather than reduce the discourse to a binary conflict, this paper through a critical and dialectical method, critically engages with established perspectives, proposing a complementary view that reconciles both intelligences. It argues that artificial intelligence represents an existential evolution that targets enhancing human productivity rather than replacing humans. Contrary to fears that artificial intelligence diminishes human relevance, this paper demonstrates how it complements human intelligence by ensuring collaboration and improved productivity in advancing knowledge and innovation.

Pattern of Knowledge Creation on Teaching Effectiveness among Lecturers in Library Schools in Southwest, Nigeria

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the impact of knowledge creation practices on the teaching effectiveness of lecturers in library schools across Southwest Nigeria. Despite the crucial role of education in national development, ineffective teaching and limited knowledge creation hinder progress in library schools. Using a descriptive survey design and total enumeration, data were collected from all 159 lecturers that constituted the study population across 17 institutions offering library and information science in southwest, Nigeria through a structured questionnaire. Findings indicate a significant positive relationship between knowledge creation and teaching effectiveness. Lecturers who engaged in collaborative research, developed innovative instructional methods, and integrated knowledge creation into their teaching achieved better student outcomes. However, barriers such as inadequate funding, limited resources, and weak institutional support restricted effective knowledge creation. The study highlights the need to embed knowledge creation within teaching frameworks to enhance educational quality. It recommends increased investment in professional development, improved resource allocation, and institutional policies that prioritise knowledge creation. Strengthening these areas will help library schools align with global educational standards and better equip graduates for real-world challenges.

Communication Cues, Identities and Errors of English in the Bottom-up Linguistic Landscape in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

Toyin Florence ADEDOTUN — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Communication identity in linguistic landscape is a means in which sign producers express their linguistic or cultural background in their signage. This also influences the sign consumers to form their understanding of signage emplaced. However, linguistic landscape (LL) makeup is often shaped by extra-linguistic factors such as, the background, culture and environment. As a result of dichotomy in the language use in the society, most bottom up signage are characterised by the use of the English language and do not showcase the local identity. The study examined how sign producers reflect their identity focusing on the language errors and reproduction on the selected bottom-up signage. It also explored whether these signs communicate effectively to sign-viewers/consumers. The study adopted descriptive qualitative approach using geosemiotics theory to analyse how language elements in public discourse convey meaning beyond their literal interpretation. Signage around Ado-Ekiti metropolis were used for the study. Relevant articles, journals and archives were sourced to gather information for the study. The findings of the study showed that most signage reflect errors like grammatical errors, substitution, sound deletion, substitution and reproduction of English in their use of the English language. The choice of language used on these signage is informed largely by attitudes towards the use of the English language being a Lingua Franca and assumed that it is widely used in their environment. The study concluded that most of the bottom-up signage reproduced the ideologies of the top-down signage hence, the local language is not found on the signage.

Globalization and the Transformation of Indigenous Morality: A Philosophical Study of the Yoruba Concept of Omoluabi

Adewale Motadegbe, Sheriff Olasunkanmi IBIYEMI — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Even as globalization has, no doubt, catalyzed or served as a basis for advancements in several spheres of human endeavours across the globe, it is also pertinent to highlight or indicate some of its drawbacks, especially as it pertains to the preservation of culture and morality. Whereas some studies have already attested to the fundamental link between culture and morality, some others have moved on to indicate how globalization may have a negative impact on culture and morality, especially within the African context. The present research queues with the latter group of studies as it investigates the extent to which the moral and cultural values associated with the Yoruba concept of Omoluabi has metamorphosed in the 21^st century. The research relies on philosophical and hermeneutical analyses for its agenda as it discloses how the concept of ‘Omoluabi’, has evolved from its original usage and semantics to what now obtains in the 21^st century.

Alkebulan Symphony: Arts, Crafts and Culture in Architecture

Musa Ajibola ALAWODE, Taofeek Adedotun SULEMAN — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines the interconnection between the art, craft, culture and architecture of Africa. In doing this, it gives a brief explanation of African art, craft, architecture and culture. It also examines the manifestation of culture in African architecture and the role of art in architecture. The study adopts qualitative research design, using historical and descriptive approaches. It equally relies on secondary sources of data collection. In the course of research, it was discovered that art, craft, culture and architecture are inseparable, because they complement one another. Also, culture manifests in various ways in the architecture of Africa through kinship, religion, ornamentation, among others. It was further observed that art has inspired many architectural pieces in Africa. The study concludes by suggesting various ways of applying African craftsmanship in architecture to create a postcolonial identity.

Extraversion, Scientific Dependency and the Democratisation of Knowledge

Victoria Openif’Oluwa AKOLEOWO — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Paulin Hountondji is best known for his (in)famous critique of African philosophy as ethnophilosophy. However, while his criticism of African Philosophy has generated much debate, his analysis and critique of extraversion and scientific dependency, the pervading attitude among Global South scholars marked by an intellectual reliance on the Global North academia for relevance and validity have not attracted as much attention. This paper interrogates Hountondji’s critique of extraversion in the light of contemporary global discourse on global epistemic inequalities and the imperative of knowledge democracy. Utilising the qualitative method of research through critical analysis of library texts, it avers that 1) Houtondji’s recognition and acknowledgment of the fact of extraversion and scientific dependency implies a corresponding recognition and acknowledgement of distinct, particular knowledges; 2) his critique of extraversion and scientific dependency necessarilyy implies an acknowledgement of a form of epistemicide/epistemic injustice of/on local knowledge systems. It thereafter, utilising the analytic and synthetic methods of research, argues that Hountondji’s critique places him firmly in the realm of postcolonial scholars who have theorised on the need for the decolonisation and democratisation of knowledge.

Eco-Onenessism: An Environmental Ethics of Interconnectedness for Addressing Climate Change

Ikechukwu Monday Osebor — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Climate change represents one of the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century. The rising of global temperatures, extreme weather events, melting ice caps, and shifting ecosystems are impacts of climate change. The moral implications of climate change have far-reaching effects on biodiversity, global stability, and ecological well-being. Using the philosophical method of analysis, the study finds that the cause of climate change is the human inability to see Earth as one and the lack of oneness; the ecological trinity in the hierarchy of being. The objective of the study is to recommend eco-onenessism by policymakers through teaching and learning in schools to affirm the unity of existence in the state of being. This philosophy stresses the interconnectedness of nature. Although the study finds that the implementation of Eco-onenessism is challenged by human anthropocentrism, yet it offers humanity a comprehensive framework that aligns environmental preservation with a sustainable future.

Effect of Security Measures on Business Performance of Tourism Entrepreneurs in National Museum Lagos, Nigeria

Samuel Taiwo OLABOSINDE, Virginia KASSAH — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates the impact of security measures on the performance of tourism businesses operating in the vicinity of the National Museum Lagos, Nigeria. The objective is to assess how four distinct security dimensions—policy and regulatory frameworks, physical security measures, operational security practices, and technological security measures—influence tourism business performance. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 150 tourism entrepreneurs, selected using stratified random sampling from a known population of 250 businesses. To test the study hypotheses, multiple regression analysis, an inferential statistical method, was employed to evaluate the relationship between the independent variables and business performance outcomes. The results indicate that policy and regulatory measures had a positive and statistically significant effect on performance (B = 0.221, p = 0.018), emphasizing the critical role of clear, enforceable legal frameworks in supporting tourism entrepreneurship. However, physical security measures had a significant negative impact (B = -0.404, p < 0.001), suggesting inefficiencies or misallocations in security resource deployment. Both operational security practices (B = 0.100, p = 0.484) and technological security measures (B = -0.328, p = 0.786) showed no statistically significant influence, implying underutilization or misalignment with operational needs. The findings suggest a need for balance between regulatory enforcement and visitor-friendly security implementations. The study concludes that while legal and regulatory measures can drive business performance, overdependence on physical security without corresponding efficiency may hinder outcomes. Implications of the research are relevant for policy-makers, tourism entrepreneurs, and security professionals, guiding them toward cost-effective and performance-enhancing security strategies. The study contributes to existing literature by offering context-specific empirical evidence and theoretical grounding through the Theory of Planned Behavior, filling a notable gap in security-performance research within Nigeria’s heritage tourism sector.

Language of Signs: A Multimodal Analysis of Celebrity-Endorsed Advertisements on Nigeria’s Social Media

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In today’s advertising landscape, celebrity endorsements on social media have become essential, merging linguistic and multimodal elements to craft engaging stories. This study uses a linguistic multimodal analysis framework to explore how language interacts with visual and linguistic components in celebrity-endorsed advertisements on Nigeria’s digital space, specifically, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. By examining fifteen purposively selected advertisements, the research explores how linguistic strategies — such as word choices, phrase structures, rhetorical techniques and other modes, are employed alongside visual elements to boost persuasion and engage audiences. The theory adopted for the study is Scollon and Scollon’s Geosemiotics of multimodality that considers all available modes of communication. The data was analysed by categorizing emerging patterns in the data and discussing them based on the tenets of multimodal discourse and geosemiotics. The result shows that the combination of linguistic and multimodal elements creates a powerful synergy that enhances the persuasive impact of these advertisements. This research adds valuable insights to the fields of linguistics, media studies, and digital marketing by shedding light on how language operates within multimodal contexts. In conclusion, this study highlights how language used in celebrity-endorsed adverts on social media strategically shapes consumers’ perceptions and reinforces brand identity. Future research could explore cross-cultural variations in linguistic and multimodal strategies to further enrich our understanding of this phenomenon.

Between Ideals and Reality: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Nigeria’s Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy

Taiwo Joshua AJENIFARI, Samuel Adebayo OMOTUNDE — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy of nations may not be legally enforceable, they are foundational to the vision of governance in any constitutional democracy. They provide normative standards for government action, inspire public confidence, and ensure that the machinery of the state functions in a way that benefits all citizens equitably and promotes nation-building and sustainable development. The study employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to interrogate the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy (FODPSP) as outlined in Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It examines the ideological constructs embedded within these constitutional provisions and their intersection with the enduring debates that shape Nigerian nationhood. By critically engaging with some of the salient issues that have hitherto been constantly featuring in our national debates overtime, such issues as state policing, resource control, restructuring, regionalism, tax reform, local government autonomy, federalism and federal character, sharing formulas, and other socio-political and economic dilemmas, the study highlights the dissonance between the constitutional ideals and the socio-political realities of the Nigerian state. The analysis reveals how competing narratives, counter-arguments, and alternatives perpetuate the struggles to achieve equity, justice, and cohesion in governance. This work contributes to the ongoing discourse on the viability of the Nigerian state, offering insights into the interplay between policy frameworks and the realities of the Nigerian pluralistic society.

Adaptations of Shakespeare’s Tragedies: A Comparative Study of Othello and Ahmed Yerima’s Otaelo

Clement Tayo ABEGUNDE, Seyitan Damilola DAVID — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Adaptation is one of the fertile grounds of literary scholars both in criticisms and writing. And there is no doubt that series of literary figures have succeeded in this both nationally and internationally. It is also an avenue for discourses and counter-discourses thereby engendering the scope of literature. Writers like Ola Rotimi, Femi Osofisan, Olu Obafemi among others have excelled in this regard making references to Western literary works intertextually to foreground their ideologies and the literary world in turn gives them attention. The purpose of the paper is to explore the adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello by the Nigerian playwright, Ahmed Yerima and examine the intertextuality of Othello in the construction of Yerima’s Otaelo. The paper gives insights into the European and African cultural backgrounds of the two playwrights and their influences on the construction of both plays. It is thus discovered that the field of adaption in literary discourse helps to unravel lots of meanings in the original text of adaption and at the same time reflecting the socio-politcal and cultural tradition of the adopted culture. Therefore, this paper posits that postcolonial writers who parody European texts should not stop at just trying to rewrite the texts but find a means of making such works fit into African realities. There is no gainsaying about the fact that Armed Yerima, through improvisation, produced a play that successfully plants a European text on African soil.

Tense and Aspect in Ọ̀họ̀rí

Ọlaide AKINWANDE — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Reports in the linguistic literature indicate that inflection (Infl) is the layer that freezes elements like tense, aspect, agreement, modal, and negator and they are capable of projecting independent X^O (Ilọri 2010). This article examines some functional categories such as tense [+TNS] and aspect [+ASP] in Ọ̀họ̀rí Yorùbá. Ọ̀họ̀rí is a dialect of Yorùbá which is spoken in Kétu and its environs in West Yorùbá (Oyelaran 1976; Adeniyi 2000), precisely in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. The data used in this study were elicited from eight adult native speakers of Ọ̀họ̀rí in Kétu, Ègùwà, and Asá in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria via interviews using digital device. The analysis was done within the minimalist program of Chomsky (1993, 1995, 1998, and 2002) with Split Infl-hypothesis of Pollock (1989). The study shows that future tense and aspect are syntactically marked in Ọ̀họ̀rí. The paper further reveals that Ọ̀họ̀rí has a single element that marks both habitual and progressive aspects. The article proposes structures for the projection of TP and AspP in Ọ̀họ̀rí. The paper conclusively affirms that future tense markers can co-occur with perfective aspect marker in Ọ̀họ̀rí.

Yoruba Women and Politics: A Postcolonial Feminist Perspective from Ijebu Women, Southwest Nigeria

Bolaji Olaronke AKANNI — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The political participation of Ijebu women in Nigeria presents an essential opportunity for exploration, as it is shaped by various systemic challenges rooted in historical, cultural, and socio-economic factors. While much has been written about the progress of gender equality globally and women's political participation in Nigeria, particularly among the Yoruba, this paper aims to enhance our understanding by focusing on the Ijebu women. Exploring their unique experiences and contributions highlights how these women navigate and influence the political landscape. This paper recognises the tremendous achievements of Ijebu women in politics, while also addressing the problems they encounter and detailing the reforms required to foster wider inclusion. It examines the impact of traditional norms, patriarchal structures, and modernisation on women's access to political power and decision-making positions. By utilising a postcolonial feminist framework, this study emphasises the importance of understanding the intersections of gender, colonial legacies, and socio-political structures in shaping women's participation in governance. Through this lens, actionable steps to empower Ijebu women and enhance their role in political leadership are identified. The paper offers actionable insights for developing more inclusive and representative governance structures in the region. It concludes with constructive recommendations aimed at increasing Ijebu women's political engagement through initiatives in education, policy reforms, economic empowerment, and enhanced media representation.

The Role of Digital Marketing in Enhancing the Growth of Small and Medium Enterprises in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria

Ebiye GEORGE, Tamaranebi OGE, Oke Christopher JOHN — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Digital marketing has emerged as a transformative force for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially in developing economies where traditional marketing channels are limited or ineffective. This study examines the relationship between digital marketing and SMEs’ growth in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, involving surveys with 150 SME owners and interviews with 10 stakeholders. Regression analysis and thematic evaluation were used to explore the extent of digital marketing adoption, its impact on business growth, and challenges to implementation. Findings show that while digital marketing improves customer engagement and brand awareness, adoption is limited by infrastructure deficits, low digital literacy, and affordability concerns. Policy recommendations are provided to enhance digital adoption and build SME competitiveness.

Internal Migration, Exclusionary Politics and Crises of Nation-Building in Nigeria

Olawale YEMISI — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The article examines the crises of nation-building in Nigeria from the perspective of internal migration, exclusionary discourses and politics. Population movement has been a constant feature of human interactions and relations. One of the major constant features of internal migration interpretation has been its continuous intersection with economic considerations and social security. However, in Nigeria, the internal migration of different ethnic groups within the territories has witnessed the interplay of exclusionary discourses and politics or a series of policies and debates directed toward profiling the migrant population to achieve certain objectives. In Nigeria, the Igbo migrants and politics of Lagos State and the Fulani herders’ pastoralists fit into the broad spectrum of this thesis. However, the task of nation-building in Nigeria is a continuous process that involves a careful dialogue on matters that border on national questions. Hence, the reality of the Nigerian nation-building project is the crisis of managing various ethnic and religious identities towards national integration. The article builds on these two cases to shed light on understanding ethnic tension, suspicion and its implications on nation-building through the prism of internal migration. The article relies on secondary data sources.