Wukari International Studies Journal
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A REVIEW OF TELEVISION BROADCAST AESTHETICS: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY
Full text linkIn the context of a media landscape that is changing quickly, audience engagement, perception, and loyalty are all significantly influenced by the aesthetic quality of television production. However, there is increasing concern in Nigeria about the uneven use of important aesthetic components across television stations, including lighting, sound design, camera work, visual arrangement, and technical coordination. Using a descriptive review of the state of television broadcast aesthetics in Nigeria, this study identifies common flaws and the causes of them, such as a lack of training, restricted access to contemporary production equipment, and a lack of creative direction. Drawing from existing literature and supported by case studies such as Pepple & Onah, 2022 study on television programme production and aesthetics: a study of rivers state television and Nigeria television authority, Port Harcourt, programme content, Amali et al (2022) study on digitization and aesthetics in television Production: An Analysis of Channels Television programmes on YouTube and VidMate Platforms. This study reveals a significant gap in empirical research and standardization concerning broadcast aesthetics in the Nigerian media landscape. Findings indicate that despite the fact that digital broadcasting technologies have increased the possibility of better aesthetics, particularly in privately owned stations, many public stations continue to perform below expectations because of professional and infrastructure constraints. For better viewer experience and competitiveness in local and international media markets, the study emphasizes the significance of implementing thorough aesthetic guidelines, frequent training for production personnel, and policy-driven oversight. In order to improve aesthetic practices and production quality in Nigerian television broadcasting, recommendations are made for additional research and industry reforms
POLITICAL INTERFERENCE IN POLICY IMPLEMENTATION IN NIGERIA: THE BANE OF INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THE NIGERIA'S FOURTH REPUBLIC
Full text linkResearch Problem: Infrastructure is a critical means to an end but not an end in itself for every human society around the world. Its development is therefore expected to top agenda list of every nation including Nigeria. However, the reality surrounding infrastructure development deficit in developing economies such as Nigeria is linked to poor policy implementation due to political interference. This paper, therefore, analyzed the impacts of political interference on policy implementation with specific focus on infrastructure development in the Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. Methods/Theory: This paper is a qualitative-based study that drew insights from secondary source as relevant to achieving the objectives of the paper. This paper used content analysis in order to objectively interpret and analyse data. The study adopted public-choice theory and institutional theory to Analyse how poitical interference impacts infrastructural development in Nigeria. Results: the study findings indicate that political interference remains a significant barrier to effective policy implementation and infratructure development, institutional loopholes and self-centeredness fuel infrastructural deficit, and ineffective policy implementation is due to systematic corruption. Conclusion: The paper concludes that political interference remains a major root cause of ineffective policy implementation and rapid infrastructure development deficit in Nigeria's Fourth Republic. Key Contribution to Knowledge: the study contributes to literature by examining the political inteference in policy implementation unlike many previous studies that focused on policy making and implementation. Recommendation: the paper recommends a quick strengthening and overhauling of institutions in order to enhance effective institution. Likewise, a moral reorientation should be organised for public officials towards policy making, implementation and infrastructure provision in Nigeria
IMPACT OF BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY ON THE FOOD SECURITY DIMENSIONS OF AVAILABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND UTILIZATION IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA
Full text linkResearch Problem: The decade-long Boko Haram insurgency has severely undermined food security in Adamawa State’s northern senatorial district by disrupting the availability, accessibility and utilisation of food. While humanitarian and policy reports catalogue rising hunger levels, empirical evidence on how insurgent violence specifically erodes each pillar of food security and on the coping strategies households employ remains scarce.
Methods: Anchored on the Conflict-Food Security Transmission Model, the study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. The population comprised 681,400 residents of Madagali, Michika and Mubi North LGAs; using Taro Yamane’s formula, 204 farming households were proportionately sampled, and judgmental techniques ensured inclusion of households directly affected by insurgent attacks. A validated four-section Likert-scale questionnaire ( = 0.81) and a semi-structured key-informant interview guide were used; 197 usable responses (96 %) were analysed with SPSS v.25 via means, standard deviations and content analysis.Results: Boko Haram attacks have precipitated a 47 % reduction in cultivated land, farm abandonment and destruction of harvested crops, slashing local food availability. Market disruptions and asset losses have driven sorghum prices up 180 % and eroded household purchasing power, severely limiting food accessibility. Dietary diversity collapsed from 6.8 to 3.9 food groups, while 14.4 % acute malnutrition rates reveal compromised food utilisation amid rationing and poor sanitation.
Conclusion: The insurgency has not merely reduced food supply but has dismantled the entire food system, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of conflict-driven hunger.
Key Contribution to Knowledge: The study provides granular, context-specific evidence on the simultaneous and differentiated impacts of insurgent violence on food availability, accessibility and utilisation in Adamawa State.
Recommendation: Integrate security-protected cultivation corridors, nutrition-sensitive cash transfers and community-led WASH interventions to rebuild resilient, locally owned food systems
IMPACT OF FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL ON THE WELL-BEING OF PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA
Full text linkResearch problem: The removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria has triggered significant socio-economic challenges, particularly for public sector workers with fixed incomes who are exposed to inflationary pressures. In Adamawa State, employees of tertiary institutions are increasingly burdened by rising costs of transportation, food, and essential goods, raising concerns about the policy’s impact on their purchasing power, standard of living, and overall well-being.
Methods/theory: The study, guided by Neoliberalism Theory, adopted a descriptive survey design with a population of 11,442 staff across four tertiary institutions in Adamawa State. Using Taro Yamane’s formula, 386 respondents were selected through multi-stage sampling, and data were collected via structured questionnaires and analyzed with descriptive statistics.
Results: Findings showed that fuel subsidy removal significantly and negatively affects employees’ purchasing power, cost of living, and standard of living. Respondents reported increased household expenses and reduced affordability of basic needs, indicating heightened financial strain.
Conclusion: The study concludes that subsidy removal undermines the socio-economic well-being of tertiary institution workers in Adamawa State, with implications for employee welfare and productivity.
Key Contribution to Knowledge: The research provides empirical evidence linking subsidy removal to declining living conditions of public servants, contributing to policy debates on economic reforms and workers’ welfare.
Recommendation: The study recommends salary reviews, enhanced welfare packages, and cushioning policies to mitigate the inflationary impact on employees
INTEREST RATE AND THE PERFORMANCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN NIGERIA. A REVIEW PAPER
Full text linkSmall and Medium enterprises (SMEs) remain central to Nigeria’s economic growth, contributing substantially to employment generation and gross domestic product (GDP). However, their sustainability is increasingly undermined by macroeconomic instability, particularly interest rate. This study explores the impact of interest rate on the performance of SMEs in Nigeria, drawing on loan pricing theory, supply lending theory and credit market theory. Using a qualitative approach, the study reviews empirical studies, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) statistical bulletins, and relevant literature to examine how interest rate dynamics influence SMEs output, capital access and competitiveness. The findings reveal that monetary policy rate (MPR) had a significant and positive impact to the total asset and total liabilities for deposit money banks in Nigeria economy but has a negative and insignificant impact to total deposit. It further reveals that interest rate has a negative impact on SME contribution to the Gross Domestic product (GDP). The study recommends that monetary policy rate (MPR) and interest rate be reduced in order to reduce lending rate to SMEs which will improve SMEs’ financial capacity. 
DIGITAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS IN AFRICA
Full text linkAcross Africa, rising unemployment among youth remains one of the continent’s most persistent economic challenges, compounded by rapid population growth and a shifting global labor landscape. While digital skills have emerged as critical assets for twenty-first-century employment and productivity, many African nations still lag in institutionalizing and scaling digital literacy and innovation pathways. This study investigates the dynamic link between digital skills development, youth employment trends, and the continent’s economic competitiveness from 2014 to 2024. Using a trend analysis methodology based on six tables with reliable data from sources such as the World Bank, ITU, and WEF, the paper highlights the trajectories of digital training investments, youth employment absorption, and national competitiveness indicators across selected African economies. The results reveal that countries like Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa that made sustained investments in digital skills ecosystems recorded notable improvements in youth employment rates and climbed several ranks in global digital competitiveness. For instance, Kenya saw a 24 percent improvement in youth digital employment between 2017 and 2023, while Nigeria improved its Network Readiness Index ranking by 17 positions within the same period. The study concludes that aligning digital skills development with private sector innovation and labor market demands significantly improves both employment outcomes and national productivity. It recommends that African governments mainstream digital training into education, expand public-private partnerships, and leverage continental frameworks such as the AfCFTA to build interconnected digital economies. These measures are essential for positioning Africa’s youth as the engine of future economic growth
ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF THE NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ON NIGERIA'S FOREIGN POLICY: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS
Full text linkResearch Problem: Despite its formal mandate to serve as Nigeria's primary foreign policy think tank, the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) is widely perceived to have a limited impact on actual policy formulation. This significant gap remains underexplored in contemporary scholarly discourse.
Methods/Theory: This study employs a qualitative design based on secondary data and is anchored in institutional theory to analyze the structural and operational challenges facing the NIIA.
Results: Findings reveal that political interference, chronic funding instability, and an operational rivalry with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs significantly constrain the NIIA's autonomy, analytical capacity, and overall effectiveness as a policy-influencing institution.
Conclusion: The study concludes that without guaranteed autonomy and sustainable funding, the NIIA's role will remain peripheral to Nigeria's core foreign policy decision-making processes.
Key Contribution to Knowledge: This paper provides a contemporary institutional analysis of the NIIA, highlighting the criticality of political and financial independence for think-tank efficacy within the Global South's foreign policy architecture.
Recommendation: The study recommends that Nigeria should pursue legal and institutional reforms to formally guarantee the NIIA's operational and financial autonomy from the executive branch of government
SOCIO-ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF RITUAL IN RELIGIOUSLY PLURALISTIC SOCIETY IN IFE, OSUN, NIGERIA
Full text linkThis paper deals with the socio-economy effect of ritual in religiously pluralistic society among the people of lle-Ife land. The major focus of the research is to bring to the fore the effects of ritual in religiously pluralistic society on the people of le-Ife land especially on their social, religious and economy lives.There have been scanty works on the subject hence the study calls for chronological discourse Primary and secondary sources were used to elicit information Ile-lfe was founded in 500CE by the Yoruba people 'a Kwa-speaking people of south west Nigeria and Benni'" but did not flourish until the early part of the 2nd millennium CE. Ile-Ife was an ancient African city which flourished between 11th and 15th centuries.The people ,like other Yoruba speaking people believe in only one God but have gods as the deputies of Olodumare(God).The people are found in southwestern part of Nigeria, in West Africa. Ile-Ife was the capital and principal religious center of the Yoruba. Ile-Ife is a religiously pluralistic society with Christianity, Islam and Traditional Religion existing side by side. It was gathered that religious pluralism in Ile-Ife is on a positive side. Kinship, Marriage, social gathering and so on, are some of the factors responsible for the positive effects from the various religions in Ile-Ife
AN ASSESSMENT OF POLITICAL PARTIES PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIA: AN EXAMINATION OF 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS
Full text linkPolitical parties have been the central thrust of democratic practice, and assessing the performance of political parties and credibility of elections in Nigeria has become a complex task. The 2023 general elections marked a significant shift in the country’s political landscape. The study examines the performance of political parties in Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, highlighting the challenges faced during the elections, identifying areas of strengths and weaknesses in party operations and as well the areas for improvement. Despite efforts to strength democratic institutions, the elections were marred by weak electoral governance, ethnic and regional dynamics, electoral law violations, godfatherism, money politics and vote buying which has undermined our democratic and electoral institution. This paper relied on secondary source of data collection such as party documents, electoral commission reports, journal articles, textbooks, newspaper, online publications and other relevant existing literatures, the theoretical framework adopt in this paper is the Institutional theory because it explains the linkage between Nigeria’s electoral process and political parties’ performance in Nigeria. Findings reveal that political parties are faced with numerous challenges such as lack of internal democracy, issue of party financing, lack of ideologies coherence, influence of ethnicity and religion, internal conflicts and factionalism. The paper emphasizes the need for strict compliance with electoral processes and transparency and accountability in the operations of political activities. Finally, the paper suggests a comprehensive electoral reform to address structural issues, increased accountability and transparency in the operations and financial activities of the parties
SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AND RESILLIENCE OF DISPLACED WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN SHIRORO LGA, NIGER STATE
Full text linkThe socioeconomic effects of displacement on women and children in Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA), Niger State, Nigeria, are examined in this study. It looks at how banditry-induced forced migration has affected livelihoods, education, health, and safety, making women reliant on outside assistance and keeping kids out of school. The study also looks at the difficulties of living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, where displaced people are subjected to additional burdens like psychological trauma and gender-based violence due to inadequate utilities, poor housing, and a lack of privacy. The study generates information from impacted communities using a qualitative research methodology in order to document the lived experiences of women and children who have been displaced. It reveals how women use coping mechanisms like farm work, menial labour, and unofficial support systems to maintain their families through focus groups and interviews. However, the effectiveness of these survival tactics is limited by the lack of official community-based programs and insufficient government intervention. The study is based on the Social Exclusion Theory, which describes how displaced people become marginalised because their access to social services, education, and economic possibilities is limited. The way that displacement exacerbates inequality and upholds structural barriers that keep women and children trapped in a cycle of poverty and dependency is highlighted by this theoretical framework. By concentrating on a lesser-known area impacted by displacement brought on by banditry, this study adds to the body of literature by reorienting focus from security issues to socioeconomic disturbances. This study emphasises grassroots resilience and offers policy-oriented recommendations to improve IDP conditions and help displaced communities, in contrast to many other studies that focus on government interventions