Wukari International Studies Journal
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THE IMPACT OF OIL RESOURCE MISMANAGEMENT (1958-1992) ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: LESSONS FROM THE PAST AND PATHS FOR THE FUTURE
Full text linkNigeria’s oil mismanagement from 1958 to 1992 is analysed in this study that critically studies these events as having laid the foundation for the country’s structural weaknesses, economic vices of which still obtain today. While the resource curse, governance failures, and economic dependency have been widely debated in existing literature, the studies also do not make a systematic attempt to link present Nigeria’s challenges to past oil governance failures. This study bridges that gap by exploring how the colonial era contracts, corruption and oil booms based on legal tender that resulted in reckless spending during oil booms undermined the economic foundations of Nigeria. A historical analytical approach was used to assess patterns of mismanagement, policy inconsistency, and a failure of governance based on data from archival government reports, economic analyses, and scholarly works. The results shed light on Nigeria’s oil wealth being a cause of patronage politics, fiscal recklessness, and non-diversification of the economy, which made the country vulnerable to external price shocks as well as institutional decay. This research supports Rentier State Theory, which is confirmed through the finding that reliance on oil revenues shortened state accountability, encouraged corruption, and caused economic stagnation in Nigeria. It contributes to policy studies by suggesting historically grounded policy prescriptions for sustainable resource governance, economic diversification, institutional reform, and reversing Nigeria’s oil-dependent development crisis
DEMOCRATISATION OF FOREIGN POLICY IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Full text linkResearch Problem
The political elite has significantly shaped Nigeria's foreign policy, especially during the prolonged military rule. However, since its return to democracy in 1999, there has been no correlation between democratic growth and foreign policy democratisation.
Methods/theory
As qualitative research, it analyses the historical and contemporary challenges in the foreign policy decision-making process, drawing from the theoretical framework of democratic peace theory, social constructivism, critical theory, liberalism, and institutionalism it explained level of participation and constraints to foreign policy democratisation in Nigeria.
Results
The paper acknowledged the significant progress made in opening the foreign policy space; however, several obstacles subsist. Some of the key challenges include limited citizen engagement, institutional weaknesses, and executive dominance, which often formulates and executes foreign policy with minimal public consultation.
Conclusion
It concludes that since 1999 Nigeria’s foreign policy has become more participatory. However, to achieve a more sustainable foreign policy democratisation, active engagement with civil society, institutional reform and political will are required. Furthermore, Nigeria can be repositioned to achieve geostrategic and geopolitical influence both regionally and globally.
Key Contribution to Knowledge
The paper advanced insights on how Nigeria's hybrid foreign policy democratisation sees opening to public participation but is constrained by weak institutions and executive dominance. It benefits from a framework for analysing and understanding the correlation between democracy and foreign policy democratisation in Nigeria.
Recommendation
The paper recommends effective civil society engagement, parliamentary oversight, accountability to improve the democratisation of the foreign policy space in Nigeria
ASSESSMENT OF BOKO HARAM ATTACKS AND THE OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF HUMANITARIAN WORKERS IN AID DELIVERY IN BORNO STATE, NIGERIA
Full text linkResearch Problem: The Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State, Nigeria, has severely disrupted humanitarian interventions, posing threats to aid workers and hindering effective aid delivery. Despite the critical role of humanitarian agencies in crisis response, limited empirical evidence exists on the specific nature of these attacks and the operational activities undertaken in such hostile environments.
Methods: Guided by two research questions, the study adopted a descriptive survey design anchored on the Human Security Theory. The population comprised 1,790 aid workers from 90 NGOs and 10 Boko Haram ex-combatants. Using Taro Yamane’s formula, 327 aid workers were proportionally selected across senatorial districts, while purposive sampling targeted those actively involved in field operations. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire, “Boko Haram Attacks and Humanitarian Aid Workers Questionnaire (BHAHAWQ)” ( = 0.86), and a Key Informant Interview (KII) guide. Quantitative data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis.
Results: Findings indicated that Boko Haram attacks involved ambushes, targeted killings, kidnappings, seizure of relief materials, and destruction of aid convoys. Aid workers provided emergency food, medical outreach, psychosocial support, livelihood programs, and shelter, often under severe insecurity.
Conclusion: Boko Haram insurgency significantly compromises humanitarian operations, jeopardizing personnel safety and limiting assistance to affected communities.
Key Contribution to Knowledge: The study provides context-specific evidence on the dual challenge of insurgent violence and operational constraints in humanitarian aid delivery in Borno State.
Recommendation: Strengthen security collaborations between humanitarian agencies and security forces, and adopt flexible, locally driven operational strategies to minimize risks
INTEGRATING RURAL FINANCE, CROP DIVERSIFICATION, AND SECURITY POLICIES FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS UNDER POPULATION GROWTH STRESS IN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES
Full text linkThis study investigates the dynamic relationship between population growth and food security outcomes in Nigeria from 1960 to 2023, employing an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) framework complemented by sensitivity analyses incorporating crop diversity and insecurity indices. The results reveal that population growth, inflation, and climate variability exert significant negative effects on the food production index, while access to credit positively influences agricultural output. Sensitivity tests confirm the robustness of these relationships, indicating that crop diversity and reduced insecurity enhance food production resilience. The error correction mechanism suggests a strong speed of adjustment toward long-run equilibrium, underscoring the persistence of the observed dynamics. Policy implications emphasize the need for integrated strategies addressing demographic pressures, climate adaptation, inflation control, and rural credit expansion. The findings contribute to the empirical literature on the Malthusian population–food security nexus, offering context-specific insights relevant to sub-Saharan Africa’s sustainable development agenda
“I FIND NO CRIME IN HIM” (JOHN 18:38): AN EXAMINATION OF PILATE’S CONFESSION OF JESUS’ INNOCENCE IN THE NIGERIAN CONTEXT
Full text linkResearch Problem: The Johannine occasion in which Pilate declares, “I find no crime in him” (John 18:38) exposes the incongruity of moral recognition without moral action. This study locates that incongruity within contemporary Nigeria, where judicial concession, political wisdom, and religious duplicity constantly affect in leaders who admit moral trueness yet immortalize injustice.
Methods/theory: Using a qualitative, interdisciplinary approach, the paper combines narrative-critical elucidation of John 18:28 – 19:16 with contextual (African) hermeneutics and socio-ethical analysis. The study reads the Greek/ Johannine textbook alongside recent education on Pilate’s characterization and political moral failure.
Results: The elucidation shows Pilate’s repeated affirmations of Jesus’ innocence operate as both theological protestation and charge the narrator highlights Pilate’s cognitive recognition of verity but moral adoption in practice. Contextual analysis demonstrates clear parallels in Nigeria’s leadership culture — epistemic acknowledgement of wrongdoing that does not affect in corrective action.
Conclusion: John 18:38 functions as a theological glass; it indicts leaders who “know” yet fail to act and calls the Church to move from bare verbal concession to valorous ethical engagement.
Key Contribution to Knowledge: The study islands Johannine theology and African political ethics, offering a new frame that interprets Pilate’s incongruity as an individual tool for assaying leadership integrity in postcolonial society.
Recommendations: The paper urges the Nigerian Church to borrow predictive public theology strengthen ethical conformation in seminaries, rally congregational responsibility mechanisms, and mate with civil society to institutionalize mechanisms that restate moral recognition into justice
THE IMPACT OF TRAINING, TALENT DEVELOPMENT, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIAN ORGANIZATIONS: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
Full text linkThis study explores how training and development, talent initiatives, employee engagement, and performance management affect employee performance in Nigerian organizations. A quantitative approach was adopted, with data gathered from 120 participants across different sectors using structured questionnaires. The analysis, which included descriptive statistics, correlation, and hypothesis testing, examined the links between these HR practices and employee outcomes. The results show that training, talent development, and employee engagement have a positive impact on performance, while performance management—especially feedback systems—produces mixed results. Overall, the findings emphasize the strategic value of adopting well-rounded HR practices in boosting performance. The study adds to both academic and practical discussions by offering evidence-based insights into ways organizations in developing economies can strengthen employee performance. It also suggests that future research should consider long-term effects, digital HR tools, and sector-specific differences
EFFECT OF URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE ON DENSITY OF NEW FIRMS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Full text linkResearch Problem: Entrepreneurial growth across South African municipalities remains spatially uneven, with significant disparities linked to variations in urban infrastructure. Despite policy efforts to stimulate local economic development, limited empirical research has examined how specific infrastructural components—such as public transport access, water and sanitation reliability, and broadband connectivity—shape new firm formation. Understanding these relationships is essential for addressing persistent gaps in municipal-level entrepreneurship.
Methods/Theory: Anchored in Endogenous Growth Theory, this study employs a cross-sectional explanatory research design to analyse the influence of urban infrastructure on entrepreneurial density. Multiple linear regression was applied to municipal-level data from 156 municipalities, using secondary data sourced from CoGTA, PRASA, ICASA, and CIPC. This approach enabled the assessment of how different infrastructure indicators collectively and individually affect new firm density.
Results: The findings indicate that public transport access and broadband coverage exert statistically significant positive effects on new firm density, demonstrating their catalytic role in enabling entrepreneurial activity. While water and sanitation reliability also shows a positive relationship with new firm formation, its effect is not statistically significant. These results affirm Endogenous Growth Theory by highlighting infrastructure as a critical driver of local economic dynamism.
Conclusion: Urban infrastructure plays a foundational yet uneven role in shaping entrepreneurial outcomes across South African municipalities. Transport access and digital connectivity are particularly influential in fostering new firm formation, while basic utility reliability, though important, requires further strengthening to produce measurable economic impact.
Key Contribution to Knowledge: This study contributes to urban and entrepreneurial development scholarship by providing empirical evidence on the differentiated impacts of infrastructure components on firm creation in South Africa. It highlights how infrastructural disparities reinforce spatial inequality in entrepreneurial opportunities.
Recommendation: The study recommends strengthening integrated public transport networks, accelerating the rollout of fibre broadband, and improving the reliability of water and sanitation services to build more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems. Policymakers should position infrastructure investment as a strategic economic intervention to stimulate local innovation, reduce unemployment, and narrow urban inequality
ECO-THEOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: A THEOLOGICAL APPRAISAL OF STEWARDSHIP VERSUS EXPLOITATION IN THE PURSUIT OF SUSTAINABILITY
Full text linkResearch Problem: This paper investigates the complex intersection between Christian theology and environmental ethics in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the theological tension between stewardship and exploitation of nature. Despite rich theological traditions, African Christian engagement with ecological sustainability remains inconsistent and underdeveloped.
Methods: The study adopts a qualitative research design, employing content analysis of key theological and pastoral texts alongside semi-structured interviews with selected church leaders and environmental advocates across Sub-Saharan Africa. The theoretical framework draws from Creation Theology, Liberation Theology, and Postcolonial Ecological Hermeneutics.
Results: Findings indicate that African Christian traditions contain deep theological resources supportive of ecological care. However, these are frequently underutilized due to misinterpretations of scripture, lingering colonial theological legacies, and economic constraints. In contrast, churches that incorporate indigenous ecological knowledge with biblical stewardship principles exhibit stronger engagement in environmental activities such as afforestation, ecological education, and land restoration.
Conclusion: The study concludes that meaningful environmental transformation requires a reimagining of theology that affirms the sacredness of creation and emphasizes collective responsibility. Churches that embrace such a contextual theology are better positioned to respond to Africa’s ecological challenges.
Key Contribution to Knowledge: This research contributes a novel contextual framework for African eco-theology that integrates indigenous wisdom with Christian theological ethics, offering a model for sustainable faith-based ecological engagement.
Recommendation: The paper recommends the reformation of theological curricula, intensified advocacy by church institutions, and grassroots mobilization to empower African churches as transformative agents in the movement for environmental sustainability
GOVERNANCE AND THE EFFECTS OF URBAN SPRAWL ON LIVELIHOODS IN THE FRINGE AREAS OF MUBI METROPOLIS, ADAMAWA STATE
Full text linkResearch problem: Rapid urban growth in Mubi Metropolis, driven by population increase and proximity to markets, has led to unregulated expansion into fringe areas. This urban sprawl creates economic opportunities but also threatens livelihoods, environmental sustainability, and social cohesion. Examining its effects on livelihood capitals in Mubi’s fringe areas is therefore essential for sustainable development and governance.
Methods/theory: The study applied a survey research design under the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, focusing on human, natural, financial, physical, and social capital. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 391 households in fringe communities. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to evaluate the impacts of urban expansion on livelihoods.
Results: The study found mixed effects of urban sprawl. Positive outcomes included enhanced human capital through better access to education and skills, financial capital via improved income opportunities, and physical capital through expanded infrastructure. Conversely, negative impacts were noted on natural capital due to farmland loss and environmental degradation, and on social capital from weakened communal ties and declining cohesion.
Conclusion: Urban sprawl enhances infrastructure and economic opportunities but undermines natural resources and social systems, posing risks to long-term sustainability in fringe areas of Mubi.
Key Contribution to Knowledge: This research contributes empirical evidence on how unregulated urban expansion simultaneously strengthens and weakens livelihood capitals, offering policy insights for governance in developing contexts.
Recommendation: The study recommends implementing comprehensive land-use and zoning policies to regulate expansion and protect ecological zones, alongside community-based initiatives to reinforce social integration
NEO-COLONIAL INFLUENCES ON AFRICAN DEMOCRACY: ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF EXTERNAL POWERS ON GOVERNANCE AND SOVEREIGNTY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Full text linkAfrica’s democratic evolution in the 21st century remains profoundly influenced by external actors, raising concerns about neocolonial interventions in governance and sovereignty. For decades, African nations have struggled with the legacies of colonial rule, which continue to manifest through economic dependencies, political interference, and conditional aid from former colonial powers and global institutions. The rationale for this study stems from the increasing debate over the extent to which these external influences undermine genuine democratic consolidation and self-determination in African states. While extensive research exists on colonial legacies, there is a gap in contemporary analysis of how neocolonial practices shape political institutions, electoral processes, and policy decisions in modern Africa. This study aims to assess the mechanisms through which foreign powers exert control over African democracies, the implications for state sovereignty, and potential pathways for reinforcing independent governance structures. A qualitative research approach is employed, utilizing case studies of selected African countries and policy analysis. Key findings suggest that financial aid, diplomatic pressures, and military interventions serve as tools of neocolonial dominance, often prioritizing external interests over national development. The study concludes that strengthening regional cooperation, economic self-sufficiency, and institutional reforms are crucial to mitigating external influences and fostering authentic democratic governance in Africa