SRN Intellectual Journals
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A Failing State and Society Relations in Nigeria
Full text linkNigeria’s post-independence optimism has steadily eroded under the weight of political instability, institutional fragility, and socio-economic disparity. Despite having abundant resources and democratic openings, the state has failed to fulfill its basic responsibilities, resulting in widespread distrust and adversarial relations between the state and society. This study examines the persistent governance failures and proposes a tripartite typology of societies, categorized as Cultural, Rule-Based, and Survival-Based, to analyze the dissonance between Nigeria’s formal institutions and the everyday survival strategies adopted by citizens. Drawing on empirical indicators and theoretical insights, the paper argues that Nigeria’s developmental crisis is rooted not only in weak institutions but also in a hybrid societal logic that combines communal norms, dysfunctional modernity, and survivalist practices. This heuristic offers a nuanced perspective on understanding the complex dynamics that undermine state legitimacy and social cohesion. Ultimately, the study provides an analytical basis for rethinking governance reforms that align institutional structures with the socio-cultural realities of Nigerian society
Reframing Global Trade: Fair Trade and Sharia Economics as Ethical Alternatives to Free Trade
Full text linkIn the era of globalization, Free Trade has emerged as the dominant paradigm in international trade policy, prioritizing liberalization, deregulation, and minimal state intervention. While widely promoted for economic efficiency, Free Trade increasingly falls short in addressing ethical, social, and environmental concerns, often compromising justice, equity, and sustainability. Despite extensive debates, limited research has examined integrated frameworks that embed moral and socio-economic principles into global trade. This study addresses this gap by exploring the intersection of Fair Trade and Sharia Economics as a normative and practical critique of Free Trade. Fair Trade introduces operational mechanisms for fairness, transparency, and equitable compensation for producers in developing countries, whereas Sharia Economics, guided by the framework of Maqasid shariah, provides a comprehensive moral vision that emphasizes distributive justice, public welfare, and environmental stewardship. Employing a qualitative, literature-based methodology, this research examines how the two frameworks complement each other to offer a more ethical and inclusive trade model. The findings suggest that integrating Fair Trade with Sharia principles offers a viable alternative to conventional Free Trade, promoting a system rooted in justice, inclusivity, and long-term sustainability, particularly in Muslim-majority and Global South contexts. This study contributes to the academic discourse by proposing a unified framework bridging secular and religious economic ethics. From a policy perspective, aligning trade regulations with both Fair Trade standards and Islamic moral principles can transform trade into a tool for human dignity, shared prosperity, and ecological sustainability. Further empirical research is encouraged to operationalize this integrated model across sectors
The Impact of Manufactured Imports on Manufacturing Sector Performance in Nigeria: Evidence from FMOLS and DOLS
Full text linkThe development of the manufacturing sector in Nigeria has the potential to contribute meaningfully to the country’s growth, helping to diversify the economy away from the dominant oil sector. However, this sector has been beset by several challenges over the years. This article examines the influence of manufactured imports on the manufacturing sector’s performance in Nigeria using an annual dataset spanning the period from 1982 to 2023. The study employs both the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) and the Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) techniques. The focus of past studies has often been on examining the impact of specific variables on the manufacturing sector’s performance, mainly the exchange rate and the interest rate. The findings of this study indicate that manufactured imports exerted a negative and significant impact on the performance of the manufacturing sector according to the FMOLS model. Furthermore, while exchange rate appreciation leads to an improvement in the manufacturing sector’s performance, the impact of the lending rate is negative. Trade openness is also shown to have a negative impact on the manufacturing sector’s performance. Consequently, the study recommends that monetary policy should be used to guide both the exchange rate and interest rate towards desired outcomes to mitigate their adverse effects on the manufacturing sector’s performance. In addition, there is a need for the provision of various forms of subsidies to the manufacturing sector to reduce the cost of production, thereby making locally manufactured goods more competitive with imported products
The Effects of Human Development and Economic Growth on Income Inequality: Evidence from Three East Asia Countries
Full text linkIncome inequality remains a pressing social and economic issue in East Asia, despite rapid economic growth and significant improvements in human development. Countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea have experienced divergent patterns of inequality due to variations in social policies, labor market structures, and the distribution of economic growth. While prior studies have examined the relationship between economic growth, human development, and income inequality, there is limited consensus regarding the relative influence of human development versus economic expansion, particularly in the context of East Asia. This research addresses this gap by investigating the impact of the Human Development Index (HDI) and economic growth on income inequality across three East Asian countries from 2003 to 2022. A quantitative panel data approach was employed, using balanced data from 60 observations over 20 years. The study applied the Fixed Effect Model (FEM) with cross-sectional dummy variables to account for country-specific heterogeneity. Descriptive statistics, panel regression diagnostics, and robustness tests were conducted to ensure model validity. The results indicate that HDI has a significant negative effect on income inequality, suggesting that improvements in education, healthcare, and living standards contribute to more equitable income distribution. In contrast, economic growth shows a positive but statistically insignificant effect, implying that growth benefits are unevenly distributed and may not substantially reduce inequality. Among the countries studied, China exhibits the highest individual effect on income inequality, followed by Japan and South Korea. These findings underscore the crucial role of human development in reducing income disparities. Policy implications include prioritizing investments in education, healthcare, and social safety nets, alongside the implementation of inclusive growth strategies to ensure equitable economic benefits. Future research should expand the analysis to other regions and explore sectoral and micro-level mechanisms linking human development to income inequality
A Study of Community Strategies for Mitigating Social Change in the Mining Industry in Gampong Balee, Meurebo District, West Aceh Regency, Indonesia
Full text linkThis study examines the strategies employed by the Gampong Balee community in Meurebo District, West Aceh Regency, to mitigate social changes caused by the mining industry. Additionally, it seeks to identify the forms of social change resulting from inadequate mitigation efforts in the community. Mitigation refers to a series of actions aimed at reducing disaster risk, which includes both physical development and the enhancement of public awareness, as well as strengthening response capacities. Informants were selected using a random sampling technique, which is appropriate when the population is considered homogeneous (sharing similar characteristics). This research employs a qualitative method with a descriptive approach to analyze the issue. The findings reveal that the mining industry’s presence has led to significant social changes in the Gampong Balee community. The community expresses a need for mitigation measures to address environmental degradation and other changes. The mitigation strategies implemented by the community include planning, mapping, and socialization/counseling efforts. The study also identifies several forms of social change resulting from the lack of effective mitigation by the mining industry, including: the acquisition of agricultural land, erosion of traditional social habits, damage to road infrastructure, and environmental pollution
Performance Comparison of Blockchain Platforms for Modeling Financial Transactions: A Case Study of Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric
Full text linkBlockchain platform performance is critically important for financial transaction applications. This article presents a case study comparing Ethereum, a public blockchain, with Hyperledger Fabric, a permissioned blockchain, for modeling financial transactions. Key performance metrics evaluated include throughput, latency, transaction cost, and finality. Our findings show that the Ethereum network achieved approximately 15 transactions per second (TPS) with a latency of ~12 seconds and incurred transaction fees of a few U.S. dollars. In contrast, Hyperledger Fabric sustained ~2000 TPS with sub-second latency and negligible cost. Fabric’s deterministic consensus also provides near-instant finality (~1–2 s), contrasting with Ethereum’s probabilistic finality, which requires ~1 minute. The detailed empirical results in Figures and summary Tables comparing core metrics reveal that Hyperledger Fabric offers superior throughput and efficiency for enterprise financial scenarios, while Ethereum’s performance is constrained by its decentralized consensus overhead. All measurements are based on an internal case study deployment without simulation. These insights inform platform selection for financial applications requiring high transaction volume and low latency
Rhetorical Strategies and Discursive Constructions in Nigerian Consumer Goods Advertising: A Critical Analysis of Persuasive Appeals
Full text linkThis study examines how Nigerian consumer goods advertisements engage audiences while transmitting and reinforcing socio-cultural ideologies. Advertising in Nigeria, particularly for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs), is a pervasive site where societal values, gender norms, and class distinctions are both reflected and normalized. Despite their significance, there is limited research on how multimodal strategies in these advertisements shape perceptions of identity, tradition, and consumer behavior, revealing a critical gap in postcolonial media studies. The study aims to investigate how Nigerian FMCG advertisements construct meanings related to gender, culture, and social status and how these messages intersect with neoliberal consumer ideologies. A purposive sample of twelve television and digital advertisements was analyzed using African communication theory, rhetorical analysis, and multimodal discourse analysis. Findings indicate that advertising in Nigeria conveys messages beyond mere product promotion, reflecting broader social themes: women are primarily associated with domesticity and beauty, whereas men are depicted in terms of success, performance, and social elitism. Cultural traditions are regularly adapted to align with market trends, positioning consumption as a vehicle for achieving identity, mobility, and moral duty. Advertising thus functions as a quasi-governmental force, influencing societal attitudes and regulating norms through visual and affective appeals. The study concludes that greater cultural sensitivity, inclusivity, and ethical standards are essential in Nigerian advertising. Policymakers, media practitioners, and civil-society actors are encouraged to consider the societal implications of persuasive media, integrating ethical frameworks into regulation and practice to promote equity, social responsibility, and culturally respectful representations in postcolonial contexts
The Role of Digital Entrepreneurship and Cooperatives in Reducing Open Unemployment in Indonesia
Full text linkDespite positive economic growth trends over the past decade, open unemployment remains one of the main challenges in Indonesia\u27s economic development. The rapid pace of digital transformation presents new opportunities for job creation through digital entrepreneurship. At the same time, cooperatives have long been recognized as grassroots economic institutions with the potential to stimulate the real sector. However, the contributions of both to reducing open unemployment remain debated and have received relatively little attention in empirical studies. This study aims to fill this literature gap by analyzing the influence of digital entrepreneurship and cooperatives on open unemployment in Indonesia during the 2019–2023 period. The study employs panel data regression, with digital entrepreneurship and cooperatives as independent variables and the open unemployment rate as the dependent variable. The results show that digital entrepreneurship has a significantly negative impact on open unemployment, indicating that as digital entrepreneurial activity increases, the unemployment rate decreases. In contrast, cooperatives do not substantially impact unemployment, highlighting the need to revitalize the role of cooperatives in responding to the dynamics of the digital economy. Nevertheless, when considered simultaneously, digital entrepreneurship and cooperatives have a substantial combined effect on open unemployment. These findings underscore the importance of policy support in strengthening digital entrepreneurship through access to financing, training, and infrastructure, while encouraging the modernization of cooperatives to better align with labor market needs. The study recommends that future research incorporate additional macroeconomic variables and extend the observation period to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the topic
International Organizations and the Operational Challenges of Arms Proliferation in Conflict Zones: Evidence from Northwestern Nigeria
Full text linkThis study examines how the unchecked proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALWs) undermines international aid efforts in conflict-prone areas, with a particular focus on northwestern Nigeria. Despite regional and global treaties, technical assistance, and funding from organizations like ECOWAS, the United Nations, and the European Union, implementation often stalls. Porous borders, weak enforcement, local distrust, and bureaucratic inertia leave key programs exposed and ineffective. This study the research identifies how armed violence reshapes humanitarian access, disrupts mobility, and undermines the effectiveness of international interventions. The study examines regional cooperation in curbing the spread of arms proliferation, drawing on the theory of structural realism. Drawing on 25 semi-structured interviews and qualitative data collected across five high-risk states, namely Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, and Jigawa. Additionally, this study examines the impact of armed violence on the access, mobility, and engagement of relief agencies on the ground. It finds that treaties and reintegration initiatives often fall short when local institutions lack capacity or coordination. The work also highlights the gap between international planning and the realities of volatile regions, where rural communities are left stranded, and operational teams are forced to retreat to urban centers. In highlighting these structural and situational barriers, the study proposes policy recommendations aimed at strengthening oversight, enhancing local partnerships, and adapting arms control frameworks to address the on-the-ground challenges of conflict zones, such as Nigeria
The Impact of Video Journalism on the Media Promotion of Political Parties in Jordan and Its Role in Raising Awareness Among Jordanian Youth
Full text linkThis study explores the role of video journalism in promoting political parties and increasing political awareness among Jordanian youth. It specifically examines the impact of political videos on shaping public opinion and encouraging political participation among young people, while also assessing the quality and clarity of the content presented in these videos. The findings reveal that political films play a significant role in enhancing youth understanding of political parties, with most participants reporting exposure to political video content related to Jordanian election campaigns. Additionally, the results indicate that such videos contribute positively to youth engagement in political activities, although the overall influence is moderate. However, the study also highlights critical concerns regarding the quality of the political content, particularly its ability to simplify complex topics for easier comprehension. These shortcomings suggest a need for more accessible and educationally effective content tailored to young audiences. The research emphasizes the importance of leveraging video journalism and social media platforms not only to promote political agendas but also to foster meaningful civic engagement. To maximize the impact of political video content, it is essential to improve production quality, focus on content clarity, and implement strategic distribution methods to reach a wider audience. Furthermore, the study recommends expanding future research to include larger and more diverse samples, allowing for broader and more representative insights into the influence of visual media on youth political engagement in Jordan