Gusau Journal of Sociology
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COPING STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND HEALTH-RELATED CHALLENGES AMONG ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS IN KADUNA NORTH AREA OF KADUNA STATE - NIGERIA
No full textThis study examined the coping strategies adopted by elderly individuals in managing socio-economic and health-related challenges in Kaduna North Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, data were collected from elderly respondents through surveys and in-depth interviews. The findings reveal that the most commonly reported challenges include inadequate food supply, lack of social and emotional support, inability to purchase medication, isolation, and poor housing. In response to these difficulties, the most frequently adopted coping mechanisms include prayer and seeking spiritual comfort, medical treatment, self-control, and social engagement. However, fewer respondents reported engaging in health-promoting behaviors such as maintaining a healthy diet and regular physical activity. Financial challenges were primarily managed through reliance on financial support from children, engaging in economic activities, and, to a lesser extent, depending on pensions or informal employment. The study highlights the critical role of spirituality and family support in the well-being of elderly individuals, while also identifying gaps in self-care practices and financial security. Based on these findings, the study recommends policy interventions to improve access to healthcare, nutritional support programs and economic empowerment initiatives to enhance the quality of life for elderly individuals
GENDER DYNAMICS AND ROLE PERFORMANCE AMONG FEMALE POLICE OFFICERS IN KWARA STATE POLICE COMMAND, ILORIN
Get PDFDiscrimination against female gender is a universal phenomenon and it is more evident in Africa particularly Nigeria. The female gender is being stereotyped in almost all facets of human life including the police force. The disparity in career opportunities, promotions, and workload distribution between genders is troubling and demoralizing for women, especially among female police officers. Because of its historically unequal representation of men and women, the police profession is deeply patriarchal and male dominated. Women are still underrepresented in the Nigerian Police, despite the country's policy of making reservation for them. As a result, this study examined gender dynamics and role performance among female police officers in Kwara State, Nigeria. The Radical Feminist Theory and Liberal Feminism constitute the theoretical framework for the study. Descriptive design was adopted and 50 female officers, ranging in rank from corporal to chief inspector were purposively selected from the Divisional Police Headquarters in Ilorin, Kwara State. Data were gathered using questionnaire while analysis was done using descriptive statistics, including percentages, frequency counts, mean, and standard deviation. The findings revealed that the various gender relations experience of female police officers in the Kwara State include sexual harassment, bullying and intimidation and lack of respect. The study recommends that Police departments should establish mandatory training programs focused on gender sensitivity, diversity, and inclusion, while efforts should be made to create support networks, mentorship programs, and flexible work arrangements for female police personnel. 
PERCEPTION OF WOMEN’S INFERTILITY AMONG THE YORUBAS IN IBADAN, OYO STATE, NIGERIA
Get PDFCultural beliefs are consequential in explaining the general perspective of any disease(s) and this has led to discrepancies in the description of the etiology of diseases between patients and professional health care providers, thereby affecting the care provided and patients’ compliance with treatment. Infertility is also seen in that light. This study thus examined the perception of women’s infertility and treatment of infertility among married men and women in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Structured questionnaire copies were administered on 400 respondents while data were elicited from 12 married men and women that were yet to give birth (3 in each of the 4 selected LGAs) through Key Informant Interview (KII) guides. The study measured the perception of infertility, causes of infertility, solution to infertility and association between some demographic variables and the perception of infertility. The results revealed that infertility was majorly discerned as a spiritual problem (40%) and ancestral curses (24%). Solutions to the challenges were diverse as shown by indulgence in prayer (39%), consumption of herbal concoction (29%) and making sacrifices to appease the gods (15%.. Statistically, the Chi Square test showed significant relationship between religion and perception of women infertility. The study recommends aggressive public advocacy programs and pragmatic reproductive health education programmes targeted at addressing misconceptions/fallacies about infertility coupled with accessible and affordable health care for couples horse-trading with infertility
BUREAUCRACY AND CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA: ANALYSIS OF PROCUREMENT IN THE POLICE AND MILITARY SECTORS
Get PDFCorruption has been a critical issue in the development strides of Nigeria, worse where administrative personnel, instead of the diligent execution of work under extant codes of public administration, convert such positions to market-centered platforms for personal profit. The Nigerian armed forces have been playing significant roles in crisis management especially, the fight against insurgency in the country. This paper examined bureaucracy and corruption: analysis of procurement in the police and military. The modernization theory was adopted as the theoretical framework of analysis. Documentary method was adopted as the method of data collection and content analysis was employed as the method of data analysis. Findings from this study has revealed that the Nigerian armed forces do not have adequate weapons to prosecute the war against insurgents. Meanwhile, procurement processes for the acquisition of arms and ammunitions for the Nigerian Army and all the security agencies operating in the country has been marred by corruption. There are also reports of corruption within and outside the armed forces that sabotage the efforts of the armed forces. This third force are politically and financially exposed persons who are involved in corruption. Among the findings, is the fact that although bribery can crop up in arms procurement anywhere, the problem can be far worse in countries where military spending and decision-making lacks transparency, accountability, monitoring and oversight institutions are weak. The paper recommends adequate funding and monitoring of these funds of the armed forces to enable them purchase modern military equipment to fight the insurgents. Therefore, a new approach to arms procurement that seeks to eliminate corruption and some of the controversies surrounding the exercise should be adopted
FINANCIAL INCLUSION AND CRIME REDUCTION IN GWER WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE - NIGERIA
Get PDFFinancial inclusion (FI) entails access to and use of financial services by all members of society. It is an essential component for sustainable development and social stability. FI strengthens household economies and reduces economic vulnerabilities, providing viable opportunities for empowerment and security. However, financial exclusion remains a nagging problem in developing economies like Nigeria where about 68% of adults lack access to financial services, opportunities and products. The situation is perceived to have worsened the multi-dimensional social, economic, and political challenges confronting the Nigerian state. The study therefore centered on financial inclusion and crime reduction in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. It specifically evaluated the impacts of elements of FI such as bank account ownership and internet banking on crime reduction in the study area. Mixed-method research design was adopted for the study. The study had 386 participants selected through multiple-stage sampling techniques. Well-structured questionnaire and in-depth interview instruments were used to collect data which were analyzed using descriptive statistics and manual content analysis. Hypotheses were tested using the Pearson Moment Product of Correlation Coefficient (Pearson’s r). The study found that there is poor awareness of initiatives to open free bank accounts in the study area. Findings indicated that secure storage of money and reduction in forceful collection of cash by criminal gangs is associated with bank account ownership. The study recommends improved awareness of initiatives to open free bank accounts and increased use of internet banking services in the study area
PERCEPTION OF MAIDS AND NANNIES AS “NECESSARY EVILS” BY BAYERO UNIVERSITY KANO FEMALE STUDENTS’ EMPLOYERS
Get PDFThis paper explores the views of Bayero University Kano female students’ employers toward maids and nannies – girls aged 8 to 15 – who they engage to help them care for their children and in the performance of some household chores. Without the services of these maids and nannies, many such students may be constrained to pursue their education and career. The women employers are privileged, high status individuals; the maids and nannies, on the other hand, are poor and drawn mainly from rural areas, compelled to take up such employment to help put food on the table for their families. Interviews with the respondents (the employers of the maids and nannies) revealed that despite sorely needing the services of the maids and nannies, they have a poor perception of them, they are “a necessary evil.” The irony of the fact that the maids and nannies are children who risk physical and emotional hazards, in addition to being deprived of the opportunity to pursue education is lost on their employers and the larger society that turned a blind eye to it. In other words, as long as the conditions that propel young children to seek jobs as domestic workers persist, and for as long as there are no alternatives for the privileged urban-based woman, child domestic work will continue. The paper recommends that child employment and compulsory education legislations be enforced in addition to the provision of crèche facilities at tertiary institutions and work places, where none exists, as a panacea to the problem. 
KIDNAPPING IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGES AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES
Get PDFThe phenomenon of kidnapping has emerged as a significant security concern on a global scale, with particular concern in the recent past within Nigeria. The objective of the study was to assess the phenomenon of kidnapping in Nigeria, focusing on its challenges and mitigation strategies. Being a theoretical paper, data for the study were obtained from reviewing pertinent publications, which served as secondary sources of data. The study examined the high incidence of abduction in Nigeria and implicated the influence of socio-economic factors such as unemployment, poverty, and greed, for the emergence, prevalence and challenges associated with kidnapping in the country. The study further revealed that the pursuit and glorification of material wealth can be a further driver of kidnapping, as it is perpetrated by individuals who seek to satisfy their material needs without consideration for the physical, emotional and economic trauma they visit on their victims. The study recommends that governments at all levels should provide employment opportunities for the large number of unemployed youths in Nigeria, particularly in light of the increasing poverty rates among the civilian population. This can be done through deliberate collaborative efforts between the government and the private sector to generate job opportunities for the country's expanding population, particularly for the younger generation. The government should create conducive atmosphere for the expansion of businesses to retain those in paid employment
PREVALENCE OF KIDNAPPING OF CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND THE EROSION OF SOCIAL ORDER IN NIGERIA
Get PDFThe core responsibility of the government is to protect lives and property. In the last decade, Catholic priests had been the target of kidnappers in Nigeria, thereby negatively impacting the Church and social order. This study examined the kidnapping of Catholic priests and the erosion of social order in Nigeria. The study was guided by the assumptions of the social contract theory developed by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Utilizing secondary data obtained through media reports, journal articles, government publications and church publications, the paper employed thematic-content analysis to make sense of the data elicited for the study. The results revealed a widespread threat, with the Port Harcourt Diocese reporting the highest number of cases (20.65%), followed by Owerri Diocese (17.03%), Kaduna Diocese (11.23%) and Onitsha Diocese (10.87%). The kidnapping of Catholic priests in Nigeria spanning the period of 2015 and 2025, has been a systemic and escalating crisis with far-reaching consequences for social order, undermining security, disrupting religious life and weakening public trust and communal stability. The implication of the finding for the study is that the widespread and targeted kidnapping of these harmless men of God, reflects a deepening security crisis in Nigeria, revealing the country’s inability to protect religious figures and emphasizing the pressing need for comprehensive security and socio-political interventions. Addressing this requires comprehensive security reforms, socio-economic interventions and enhanced collaboration between the Church, communities and the government, to restore public safety, religious dignity and societal stability
ADOLESCENT–PARENT COMMUNICATION ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ISSUES AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MAKURDI METROPOLIS, BENUE STATE-NIGERIA
Get PDFAdolescent – parent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues have been a challenge in developing countries where culture and tradition have seemingly embargoed such discussions. The study investigated adolescent – parent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues among secondary school students in Makurdi metropolis, Benue State. The specific objectives were to: ascertain the level of awareness of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issue, the effects of SRH communication on sexual practices and behavior, and the factors affecting adolescent-parent communication on SRH issues. The study adopted the family communication theory as a theoretical guide and adopted a cross sectional survey design. A total of 394 respondents were selected using multistage sampling. Data were collected with the use of questionnaire. Data were analyzed and hypotheses were tested with the use of SPSS and descriptive statistics utilizing frequency tables and percentages. Findings revealed among others that the level of awareness of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues among secondary school students in the area was low; the major effects of SRH communication on the sexual practices and behaviour wereincreased knowledge and understanding of risky sexual behaviour, delay in early sexual debut, improved contraceptive use and reduced incidences of unplanned pregnancies. Factors affecting adolescent parent communicationon SRH issues were identified as cultural and social norms like taboos and generational gap, fear of misconception, negative societal attitudes towards discussing sexuality which create shame and discomfort.The study recommends that parents should improve adolescent – parent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues to ensure the passage of genuine information to adolescents to enable them make informed choices concerning their sexual lives; parents should initiate discussions on SRH issues with their adolescents’ children early in life to ensure that they make the right choices concerning their sexual life. Parents should also forge strong bonds with their children through an atmosphere of friendship and trust, to enable them freely discuss sensitive issues concerning sexual and reproductive health issues
HERDER-FARMER CRISES AND FOOD SECURITY IN AGATU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE, NIGERIA
Get PDFHerder-farmer crises have become frequent occurrences especially among rural communities in recent years. Farmers have decried their inability to undertake farming activities due to such crises. Thus, this incidence has brought about food scarcity and hike in food prices not only in the affected communities but across the globe. This study therefore assessed herder-farmer crises and food security in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State. Specifically, the study investigated the causes of herder-farmer crises and the consequences on food security. The study adopted the frustration-aggression theory and utilized cross-sectional survey design. A sample of 394 respondents was drawn from a population of 166,900 using multistage sampling technique. The instrument used for data collection was semi-structured interview. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics tool such as frequencies and simple percentages. Findings identified land encroachment, inadequacy of security personnel and absence of anti-open grazing law as causes of the crises. Findings indicated that herder-farmer crises affect food availability, accessibility and stability in the study area by denying farmers access to farmlands to cultivate crops. The study therefore recommends that the Benue State Government in collaboration with the Federal Government should as a matter of urgency deploy adequate security personnel to Agatu land. The Federal Government should also compensate victims of the crises as most of them lack shelter, adequate food and access to quality health care, amongst others