Wukari International Studies Journal
Not a member yet
690 research outputs found
Sort by
BENEFITS, CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES OF UTILIZING DIGITAL FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS BY SMALL AND MEDIUM-SCALE ENTERPRISES IN ODEDA LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL
Full text linkResearch Problem: Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) in rural Nigeria, particularly in Odeda Local Government, face significant barriers to adopting digital financial transactions, such as low financial literacy, infrastructural deficits, and cultural preferences for cash. Despite global and national pushes for digital finance, localized studies on rural SMEs’ adoption dynamics are scarce, limiting targeted interventions for financial inclusion and economic growth.
Methods/Theory: This study employs a descriptive survey design, sampling 200 SMEs via stratified random sampling (Krejcie & Morgan, 1970). Data were collected through structured questionnaires and interviews, analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression models, Chi-square tests, and thematic analysis. No explicit theoretical framework was applied, but findings align with Diffusion of Innovations theory, adapted to rural contexts.
Results: Digital transaction adoption reached 71%, correlating with a 52% revenue increase (from ₦264,724 to ₦331,440). Challenges include low financial literacy (mean=2.92/5), infrastructural gaps (mean=3.04/5), and cybersecurity concerns. Statistical tests confirmed a significant relationship between adoption and SME growth (T-test: p=0.001; Chi-square: p=0.015).
Conclusion: Digital financial transactions significantly enhance SME performance in Odeda, but barriers impede full adoption.
Key Contribution to Knowledge: This study extends FinTech literature by providing rural-specific insights, addressing urban biases in prior research, and highlighting socio-cultural influences on adoption.
Recommendation: Expand broadband through public-private partnerships, conduct vernacular financial literacy workshops, and offer tax incentives to boost adoption
NIGERIA-CHINA ECONOMIC RELATIONS: EVALUATING CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS
Full text linkResearch Problem
The rapid expansion of Nigeria-China economic relations since 1971 presents a paradox of significant opportunity alongside profound structural challenges. While engagement has brought infrastructure development and trade growth, persistent issues like a massive trade imbalance, dumping of substandard goods, limited technology transfer, and concerning labour practices constrain Nigeria's developmental outcomes and threaten its economic sovereignty. This study critically evaluates these asymmetries and their strategic implications.
Methods/Theory
This study adopts a qualitative research design, relying on secondary data from books, journal articles, official reports, and credible media sources. A content analysis and comparative method were employed to interpret the dynamics of the relationship systematically. The analysis is guided by dependency theory, which frames Nigeria as a peripheral state, and realism, which highlights China’s pursuit of national interest and power maximization.
Results
The findings reveal a deeply asymmetrical relationship. Nigeria’s overreliance on imports of manufactured goods undermines domestic industries and exacerbates deindustrialization, while its exports remain limited to raw commodities. Chinese infrastructure investments and loans, though substantial, deepen debt exposure and show minimal evidence of meaningful technology transfer or fair labour practices, consolidating Nigeria's dependent position.
Conclusion
The relationship is structurally skewed in China's favour, reflecting both the systemic inequalities explained by dependency theory and the strategic power pursuit illuminated by realism. Without strategic recalibration, Nigeria risks deepening its dependency.
Key Contribution to Knowledge
This paper provides a critical, Nigeria-specific analysis that integrates dependency and realist theoretical perspectives to offer a nuanced understanding of the power dynamics and structural constraints within the bilateral engagement.
Recommendations
The study recommends Nigeria prioritize industrialization, enforce import regulations to curb substandard goods, negotiate binding technology transfer clauses, ensure transparent and sustainable loan agreements, and adopt a principle of reciprocity in its economic diplomacy with China
ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF U.S.A - CHINA TRADE WAR ON GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY: IMPLICATIONS FOR NIGERIA'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Full text linkResearch Problem:
The U.S.-China trade war which began in 2018, has altered global trade dynamics, leading to a rise in commodity prices around the world. While its effects on the global political economy have been widely studied, there is a notable lack of attention to its impact on Nigeria’s economic development. This gap necessitates a critical assessment to understand the specific economic repercussions for Nigeria.
Methods/Theory:
The study relied on data from credible secondary sources, such as textbooks, peer-reviewed journals, and trade statistics obtained from online databases of reputable governmental agencies. Nevertheless. The study adapted the World Systems Theory which served as the analytical framework to examine the trade war dynamics and its effects on Nigeria.
Results:
Findings revealed that the U.S.-China trade war significantly increased Nigeria’s inflation rate for consumable goods imported from the U.S., increasing from 2% in 2020 to 8% in 2022. Additionally, Nigeria’s trade deficit with China expanded to ₦35.66 trillion between 2018 and 2024.
Conclusion:
The study concludes that the trade war adversly affected Nigeria’s economic development by accelerating inflation and increasing trade deficits, emphasizing the need for strategic measures to alleviate its effects and promote sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.
Key Contribution to Knowledge:
This study fills a significant gap in recent scholarship by providing a detailed, evidence-based analysis of the U.S.-China trade war’s specific consequences for Nigeria. It offers valuable insights into the economic repercussions, contributing to a deeper understanding of global trade dynamics' impact on developing economies.
Recommendation:
The Nigerian government should prioritize developing infrastructure to boost local production, diversify its economy, and adopt a balanced foreign policy to reduce its reliance on the warring superpowers amidst global trade challenges
BRICS MEMBERSHIP AND CURRENCY INTERNATIONALIZATION: SOUTH AFRICA'S RAND IN INTRA-BRICS SETTLEMENTS
Full text linkThe marginal use of the South African Rand (ZAR) in intra-BRICS trade settlements presents a critical gap in the broader agenda of de-dollarization. This study investigates the influence of bilateral trade volume, exchange rate volatility, and BRICS trade policy coordination on the share of ZAR used in settlements among BRICS countries. Using a quantitative panel data design, the study covers Brazil, Russia, India, and China over the period 2018 to 2023. Data were sourced from UN COMTRADE, SARB, IMF, and BRICS communiqués, with ZAR share proxied from SWIFT and SARB reports. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, diagnostic tests, and fixed effects regression were employed for empirical validation. The results reveal that higher bilateral trade volumes significantly increase the likelihood of ZAR being used in settlements. Exchange rate volatility has a negative impact, discouraging ZAR adoption, while stronger BRICS trade policy coordination positively influences local currency usage. The findings align with the Optimum Currency Area (OCA) theory, emphasizing trade integration and policy alignment. The study recommends that South Africa strengthen trade relations, stabilize its currency, and play a proactive role in BRICS policy harmonization to enhance ZAR internationalization
SCHOOL CLIMATE, PRINCIPALS’ CONFLICT MANAGEMENT APPROACHES AND ADMINISTRATIVE EFFECTIVENESS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NORTH CENTRAL, NIGERIA
Full text linkThis study investigated the relationship within the coverage of secondary schools in the North-central zone of Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional survey, the research targeted 1836 school heads and 29201 teachers from government-owned secondary schools in the North-central zone of Nigeria. The sample comprised 899 respondents containing 139 school principals and 760 teachers, who completed a questionnaire called the School Climate, Principals' Conflict Management Approaches and Administrative Effectiveness Questionnaire (SCPCMAAEQ). The reliability coefficients for the questionnaire sections were 0.76, 0.82, and 0.84, respectively, determined using Cronbach’s alpha. The mean and standard deviations were employed in answering the research questions, while inferential statistics, like the multiple regression analysis and Pearson's Product Moment Correlation were adopted in testing the formulated hypotheses at 0.05 significance level. The results indicated that school climate, principals' conflict management approaches, and administrative effectiveness were at favourable levels, with mean scores of 39.18, 37.96, and 25.75, respectively. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between school climate, principals' conflict management approaches, and administrative effectiveness, evidenced by an R2 value of 51%. The study also identified meaningful relationships among the physical environment, safety and school size, social environment, affective environment, and administrative effectiveness, all with significant values of 0.001, which is below the 0.05 threshold. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found among the various conflict management methods and administrative effectiveness, again with significant values of 0.001. In conclusion, the findings highlighted that a supportive school climate, effective conflict management by principals, and high levels of administrative effectiveness are interconnected
COLONIAL LEGACIES AND CONTEMPORARY REALITIES: TRIUMPHS AND CHALLENGES OF NATIONAL INTEGRATION IN NIGERIA SINCE 1914
Full text linkOver a decade after Nigeria’s centenary, questions linger about whether the 1914 amalgamation was a blessing or curse. Nigerians have lived with the consequences, marked by protests and agitations that began during colonial rule and continue to this day. This paper examines the socio-political state of the nation since 1914, with cultural diversity and binding factors such as group threat theories posing significant challenges. The paper adopts a historical and analytical approach with a combination of primary and secondary sources of data collection Findings reveal firstly that despite the difficulties and threats, Nigerian leaders have made significant efforts over the years to sustain the ‘nation’ inherited from the British in 1960. A case in point was Yakubu Gowon’s 9-Point Programmes and no winner no vanquished stance at the verge of final secession in the civil war years which consequently won him the well-deserved acronym of, G-o O-n W-ith O-ne- N-igeria. It further reveals however, that Nigeria's quest for functional integration remains elusive due to persistent challenges and contemporary realities. The country's diversity, security concerns, and developmental issues threaten its unity, making disintegration a looming possibility. The paper concludes that Nigeria's amalgamation is an irreversible historical reality, rendering futile any debate on its legitimacy. It is hoped that the study would contribute to the growing literature on Inter-Group Relations and Diplomatic Studies. Moving on, it is strongly recommended that beyond the blame game, focus should rather shift to leveraging the country's cultural diversity as a strength, rather than a weakness
NIGERIAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES’ UTILISATION OF AUDITOR-GENERAL’S REPORTS ON THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE’S FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (2011–2023)
Full text linkResearch Problem: Despite constitutional provisions empowering the legislature to act on audit findings, widespread underutilisation persists. This paper investigates the Nigerian House of Representatives’ utilisation of Auditor-General’s reports on the Nigeria Police Force’s (NPF) financial management between 2011 and 2023. It is aimed at identifying the institutional, political, and procedural factors hindering effective legislative oversight of police finances.
Methods/theory: The paper adopted the Principal-Agent Theory, which explains agency slippage and accountability breakdowns. It employs a qualitative case study methodology, analysing audit reports, legislative records, and key informant interviews.
Results: Findings reveal fragmented follow-up, absence of sanctions, procedural delays, recurrence of financial infractions, and politicised prioritisation of audit issues. The House’s failure to enforce audit recommendations, especially against the NPF, reflects both institutional weakness and political disincentives, reinforced by limited civic engagement and weak external accountability pressure.
Conclusion: The study concludes that without systemic reforms, audit processes will remain symbolic and ineffectual.
Key Contribution to Knowledge: This research provides new insights into how institutional weaknesses, political disincentives, and low civic engagement collectively undermine the effectiveness of legislative oversight of police finances, revealing why constitutional audit powers have failed to translate into meaningful accountability.
Recommendation: It recommends enhancing the capacity and autonomy of Public Accounts Committees (PACs), establishing binding audit enforcement laws, and fostering civic and media engagement to democratise audit accountability. Embedding these reforms within Nigeria’s legislative framework is essential for curbing financial impunity and reinforcing democratic governance
EFFECT OF SOCIAL GRANTS ON HOUSEHOLD ENTERPRISE FORMATION IN SOUTH AFRICA
Full text linkSouth Africa continues to grapple with high unemployment and persistent poverty, yet the impact of social grants on household enterprise formation remains underexplored. This study investigated how grant coverage, poverty headcount, and household liquidity influence the rate of household business formation. Using a cross-sectional explanatory design, secondary data were drawn from the 2024 General Household Survey, with a sample of 1,200 economically active households analyzed through multiple linear regression in Stata 17. The results showed that grant coverage (β = 0.287, p < 0.01) and household liquidity (β = 0.305, p < 0.01) had significant positive effects on business formation, while poverty headcount (β = -0.198, p < 0.01) had a significant negative effect. The model explained 64.2% (R² = 0.642) of the variance in business formation, confirming that social protection and financial inclusion are key drivers of entrepreneurial activity. The study concludes that expanding financial access and leveraging grant systems productively can support inclusive enterprise development. It recommends integrating business training into grant programs, targeting the ultra-poor with asset-based interventions, and broadening household access to digital and savings platforms to strengthen household-level entrepreneurship in South Africa
MILITARY RULE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM: THE GAMBIA’S EXPERIENCE OF COMBINING THE INCOMPATIBLES UNDER THE AFPRC/ APRC ADMINISTRATIONS (1994-2017)
Full text linkThis article examines the challenges of Military Rule within the structure of a Democratic system of Governance and the ensuing contradictions of this combination focusing mainly on The Gambia experience with the AFPRC/APRC administrations from 1994-2017). It has interrogated the nature of the systemic contradictions between military rule and democratic governance as experienced in The Gambia since the 1994 military takeover which paved the way to the arrival, in 1997, of the second republic, and the implications of this contradiction owing mainly to the military style of governance and management in general and The Gambia experience in particular. Under the period of study there were a lot democratic contractions and incompatibles that played out in The Gambia Second Republic that tagged the country as a country with democratic concerns. Using mainly secondary sources and insider experience; being a Minister under the regime of investigation the research was analyses. The findings of the research show that the regime was authoritarian in their style of governing and also that their regime systematically targeted political opponents – subjecting them to torture, extrajudicial execution, arbitrary arrests and detention and enforced disappearances. They accused the military government of serious human rights violations, abuse of rule of law, suppression of the Media, frequent and irrational hiring and firing of judges and top civil servants. The article submitted that there is a marked difference between civil and military leaders in their leadership and management styles in conducting the affairs of the nation. Military rule is autocratic in nature whilst civilian rule is consultative in nature and humanely rational in approach. Thus, and as observed below the military-led administration in The Gambia has not done better in terms of respecting and maintaining rule of law and respecting fundamental human rights, which put a big question mark (?) on the democratic ethos and credentials of military regime in The Gambia
GIRLS AND SCHOOL-RELATED GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN AFRICA
Full text linkOver the years, the disproportionate effect that gender-based violence (GBV) has on women and girls and the identified need to tackle it has gained global attention. In this paper, concentration is on a common form of GBV; School –Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV), which the United Nations asserts as affecting millions of children and adolescents all over the world. Although schools are expected to enhance learning and personal development, every year, millions of girls worldwide are victims of SRGBV. Apart from being a human rights infringement, SRGBV considerably limits the achievement of gender parity and constrains the attainment of the sustainable development goal of quality education targeted at effective learning outcomes for girls. Studies on SRGBV against girls has been focused on specific countries, resulting in a lack of comprehensive research that examines the prevalence of this issue across various regions in Africa. This paper fills this gap and contributes to the existing scholarship on SRGBV by shedding light on the distinct forms of SRGBV which is often underestimated, experienced by primary and secondary school girls across countries in Africa. It sheds light on the unique challenges faced by these girls who have been subjected to victimization. This paper proposes intervention strategies, such as implementing high-level awareness campaigns led by governments at all levels, to effectively address this pressing issue