Gusau Journal of Sociology
Not a member yet
79 research outputs found
Sort by
EXAMINING THE ROLE OF POLITICAL GODFATHERISM IN SHAPING DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA
Get PDFPolitical godfatherism remains a pervasive and deleterious phenomenon within Nigerian politics, posing significant challenges to democratic consolidation and political development. This paper interrogates the multifaceted roles of political godfathers, who exert undue influence over elected officials through financial patronage and sponsorship. Such influence undermines electoral integrity and governance. Utilizing a documentary review methodology, the study synthesizes historical records, contemporary analyses, and academic literature, selected based on relevance and credibility, for the period 2015-2024, to contextualize the entrenchment of godfatherism in Nigerian politics. Systematic content analysis was applied to these documents, enabling the identification of key themes and patterns. The analysis is anchored on the theory of neopatrimonialism, which demonstrates how personalistic power relations, clientelism, and informal patronage networks within formal bureaucratic structures subvert democratic institutions. Findings reveal that political godfatherism restricts electoral competitiveness, debilitates civic culture, exacerbates socio-economic inequalities, and perpetuates elite dominance in governance. Godfathers manipulate candidate selection, influence policy decisions, and foster political violence, thereby eroding public accountability and cultivating widespread apathy towards political participation. These dynamics significantly hinder Nigeria’s progress towards democratic maturity. The study recommends enhancing civic engagement and political participation, promoting public interest journalism, reforming electoral laws to facilitate the emergence of alternative political platforms, and revising internal party regulations as antidotes to elite manipulation. Such interventions will serve to recalibrate political structures toward inclusive and accountable governance.  
X-RAYING COST OF SECURITY SECTOR GOVERNANCE, HUMAN SECURITY AND REFORMS IN NIGERIA
Get PDFEverywhere, security is the conscious effort to stabilize peace. The quest of the entrepreneurs of terror to profit from lasting violence causes them to weaponize insecurity in Nigeria. This article examines how the cost of security sector governance predisposes citizens to insecurity and justifies reforms in Nigeria. The study qualitatively reviewed secondary data from journal articles, textbooks, newspapers, archival and internet sources for thematic and content analysis. It used the Human Security notion as its theoretical framework to analyze how the cost of security sector governance impacts human security to justify reforms. The findings indicated that an intimidating crime wave, opaque procurement culture, and reckless discretionary disbursement of security allocation drive the high cost of security sector governance in Nigeria. These factors significantly facilitate the extravagance of security policymakers and implementers to pauperize Nigerians further and expose them to endless terrorist invasions. It concluded that the cost of security sector governance worsened the sporadic outbreak of victimisation and mass discontent against terrorism in Nigeria. The paper suggests adopting an expenditure framework in which gender mainstreaming, people-centred decision-making initiatives, and transparent accountability undergirded disciplined financial governance for recovery in Nigeria
INTERROGATING THE PARADOX AND CONJECTURES OF POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE DEFICIT IN AFRICA
Get PDFThis paper examined leadership and governance crisis in contemporary Africa, and its attendant consequences on state development. Leadership failure has been the bane of African states since post-independence, decades ago. Lack of ideology and absence of leadership with transformative attitude has been one of several reasons why governance isreceding on the continent. The impact of leadership in promoting good governance and development of a state and a strong linkage between political leadership and good governance is what define transformative and responsive government that cares for welfare of the citizenry. However, with few exceptions in some African states, citizens have continued to bear the burden of leadership failure. The key objective of this paper is to examine the major impacts of leadership on good governance. While the paper acknowledges the efforts of some of these political leaders to transform their states, the fact however, remains that the means of executing these noble transformative goals are in a “state of vacillation”. The studyadopted elite theory as its theoretical framework and relied on secondary source of information for its data. The paper found that the recycling of poor leadership has continued to dash all hopes of achieving growth and development in Africa and recommends that stakeholders in these countries must device new approaches to leadership recruitment; while the political leadership must strive to promote probity, accountability and good governance
NATURE OF CHANGING GENDER ROLES IN IGALA HOUSEHOLDS IN KOGI EAST SENATORIAL DISTRICT OF KOGI STATE, NIGERIA
Get PDFThe protection of the members of the household is the role of the head of the Igala household. However, many female spouses and children no longer get this protection. Such female spouses participate in or solely provide food, pay house rents, pay medical bills, etc., in addition to their female gender roles of domestic, caregiving and reproduction roles. The changing role-taking outstretch their energy, causing role strain among them. This situation attracted the researchers’ attention into examining the nature of the changing gender roles in Igala households in Kogi East Senatorial district of Kogi State, Nigeria. . A body of related literature was reviewed while liberal feminism was used to explain the phenomenon as the theory is suitable in explaining inequality in changing gender roles. The study adopted both qualitative and quantitative research designs. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 268 respondents; while the 4 IDI informants and 24 discussants were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Questionnaire, IDI and FGD guides and documentary search pro-former were used to gather data from the field. Findings reveal that while the authority aspect of the family protection role is minimally changing, other aspects such as security; public relation; liaison; discipline; provision and male gender role modeling are fast changing. Furthermore, the study revealed that the domestic and caregiving aspects of procreants’ roles are minimally changing as few men partake in domestic and caregiving roles whereas majority of women perform security, disciplinary and provider roles. This creates imbalance and unequal role taking. The research therefore concludes that there is inequality in changing gender roles among the Igala ethnic group of Kogi State. There is therefore, the need for the socialisation of the populace into accepting husbands sharing domestic and caregiving roles. Efforts should be made by relevant bodies to ensure that formal and informal education contents should include gender role sharing among couples to mitigate the identified challenges
SOCIAL INEQUALITY AND THE 2020 #ENDSARs PROTESTS IN IBADAN METROPOLIS: IMPLICATIONS FOR PEACEBUILDING
Get PDFPrior to the 2020 #EndSARs protests in Nigeria, various degrees of human rights abuses and impunity against the youths by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit of the Nigeria Police Force were rampant in the country, with virtually no SARS’ officer facing prosecution for violating the law. Consequently, in October 2020, there was an eruption of the #EndSARs protests by the youths in Nigeria, especially in the southern part of the country against the SARS over the gruesome murder of a young man in Ughelli, Delta State. While studies have blamed the 2020 #EndSARs protests on the abuses of the youths’ rights by the officers of the defunct SARS, scarcely has any study looked in the direction of the prevailing social inequality at the time as a remote precursor to the protests, particularly in Ibadan, where this paper is centred. This paper therefore, examines social inequality as a precipitating remote factor for the 2020 #EndSARs protest in Ibadan Metropolis. The paper is theoretical in approach hence, secondary sources of data (i.e. published articles, textbooks, reports, the internet, etc.) were utilized, content-analysed and deductions drawn. Findings implicated the prevailing social inequality in Ibadan at the time as largely responsible for the 2020 #EndSARs protest in Ibadan Metropolis, notwithstanding its purported immediate trigger – rights abuses by the Police. It is therefore, recommended among others, that the Oyo state government should make concerted efforts in containing the high rates of unemployment, underemployment and poverty driving social inequality among the youths in the state
ANALYSIS OF PROFITABILITY OF TOMATO (Lycopersicum spp) MARKETING AMONG RURAL WOMEN IN OLAMABORO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KOGI STATE-NIGERIA
Get PDFThis study assessed the constraints to tomato marketing among rural women in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study looked at the cost and returns of tomato marketing; ascertained the effects of tomato marketers’ socioeconomic variables on their income; and identified major constraints to tomato marketing. These objectives were delineated to address the problems of tomato perishability due to absence of storage facilities and paucity of market information among the marketers. A purposive random sampling technique was used to select 120 respondents for the study. Primary data obtained through structured questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics, gross margin model, Ordinary Least Square (OLS) multiple regression model, and mean score from Likert type of scale. Findings of this study revealed that 65.1% of rural women involved in tomato marketing were in their active age of 32 years with a mean household size of 7 members, and an average marketing experience of 11 years. Most (73.3%) had no extension contacts. The gross margin analysis indicated a gross margin from tomato marketing per month of N54, 745 with a benefit cost ratio of N1.90k. Estimates of the OLS revealed that the semi-log was chosen as the lead equation due to its R2 of 0.877which implied that about 88% of the variation in the changes in income from tomato marketing is influenced by the independent variables considered. The results showed that years of schooling, household size, and marketing experience positively influenced the income from tomato marketing at 1% level of significance. Major constraints faced by women involved in tomato marketing in the area included high perishability of tomatoes (M = 3.4), poor storage facilities (M= 3.4), disease and pest infestation (M = 3.3), high transportation cost and low price of tomato (M = 3.2 respectively), high labour cost and lack of operational cost constituted (M = 3.1 respectively). The study therefore recommends that tomato marketers should expand their scale of operation as this will enable them enjoy economies of scale with positive effects on increased income, while both the Kogi State and Federal governments should improve rural infrastructure to address marketers’ associated problems such as storage facilities, good road networks, markets and power supply
DIGITAL MEDIA AND CULTURAL IDENTITY: EXPLORING INTERSECTIONS, IMPACTS, AND CHALLENGES
Get PDFOver time, digital media has evolved from its inception in the 19th century which ushered in the start of a new industrial era to the advanced innovative technological digital media tools that we have today. Digital media has grown tremendously, infiltrating different industries, societies, and public/private spaces. As such, it has become an integral part of our society and has a significant impact on cultural identity. Through a review of existing literature, this paper delved into the various ways that digital media has been utilized to explore cultural identity. The study contributes to the ongoing discourse on digital media and cultural identity. Guided by the Uses and Gratification theory (1974), the paper analyses the impacts of digital media on cultural identity and also the intersections between digital media and cultural identity. The paper further shed light on the challenges of digital media on cultural identity such as disparities in digital access and literacy, subscriptions, and cyber security threats. The findings from the study highlight the need for full adoption of the various opportunities digital media provides in the expression of cultural identities, empowerment, and visibility. The paper recommends more free training and sensitizations on the different digital media tools, to promote respectful engagement, digital literacy, and inclusivity for users by policymakers and stakeholders
DETERMINANTS OF CHILD BEARING DECISIONS AMONG HAUSA WOMEN IN KATSINA STATE
Get PDFWhile the decision and ability to give birth is natural, such decision is nonetheless influenced by distinct socio-cultural barriers particularly among Hausa women in Katsina State. This study examined how access to healthcare, education levels, cultural norms, and economic opportunities shape child bearing decisions in selected households in Katsina State. A multi stage sampling techniques where cluster sampling was first used to divide Katsina State into three (3) clusters corresponding with the senatorial districts in the state and thereafter simple random sampling was used to sample 225 respondents. Data were collected quantitatively from 225 respondents using questionnaire. Quantitative techniques of data analyses were used to analyse the resultant data. Descriptive statistic was used to examine factors that influence child bearing decisions among women. Both the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Chi-square were used to establish the relationship and influence of education, income level, partners’ attitude on child bearing decisions in Katsina State. The findings reveal that most women in the study area are aware of the existence of varieties of modern contraceptives and majority of them have used some of the methods to control birth. Education, and level of income ranked among the main socio-demographic factors that influence child bearing decision while partners’ attitude is one of the main socio-cultural factors. The result of the tested hypotheses revealed a statistically significant relationship between partners’ attitudes (p-value 0.001), level of education (p-value 0.000), and women’s childbearing decisions in Katsina State. The study recommends a comprehensive approach that increases access to family planning services and reproductive health education of both women and men as well as tackling of specific cultural barriers that limit reproductive choices
EFFECTS OF TRANS-BORDER CRIMES ON NIGERIA’S SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Get PDFTrans-border crime is a scourge whose harm is equivalent to that of Covid-19 and other related pandemics that require a national emergency response. Trans-border crimes fuel insecurity, endanger the social and mental health of the people, stunt businesses and hinder economic growth, create political instability as well as enhance the production and distribution of counterfeit goods. This paper examined the patterns and causes of trans-border crimes in Nigeria and their implications on the country’s socio-economic development. Data for the study, which were collected through such secondary sources as journal articles, textbooks, research reports, conference proceedings and the internet, were analyzed qualitatively. The routine activity theory was adopted for the study. The findings of the study revealed that smuggling of illegal goods, trafficking in persons, trafficking of illicit small arms and light weapons (SLAW) and smuggling of contrabands by business men and women, rebels, combatants and criminal gangs constituted the patterns through which trans-border crimes flourish. Border porosity, poverty, corruption, price inflation, unemployment, uneven opportunities and Nigeria’s geographical location, were the predisposing causes of trans-border crimes. The study recommends punitive sanctions including long term imprisonment for corrupt border patrol personnel and smugglers while the government should provide employment opportunities for the teeming population of unemployed Nigerian youths who may be lured into engaging in trans-border crimes. Technology-enabled devices such as drones, CCTV Cameras and scanners should be deployed to effectively man the country’s porous land borders to stem the tide of trans-border criminality
THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ALFRED SCHUTZ (1899-1959) TO THE EVOLUTION OF PHENOMENOLOGY
Get PDFAlfred Schutz is known for developing and expanding on Edmund Husserl’s phenomenology, particularly in the realm of the social sciences. While Husserl focused on the structures of consciousness and how objects are perceived, Schutz applied phenomenology to the understanding of the social world, emphasizing how people make sense of their everyday experience. This paper highlighted the contributions of Alfred Schutz to the evolution of phenomenology. Alfred Schutz brought the term, phenomenology into the field of sociology and applied it to address and provide solutions to the problems of society. The key concepts in Alfred Schutz’s phenomenology include life-world, intersubjectivity, stock of knowledge and typifications. Phenomenology in sociology developed around symbolic interactionism and the idea that society is made by people rather than the other way round. The methodology used for this paper is content analysis and the sources of data are secondary. This paper notes that Alfred Schutz’s work emphasizes that the subjective experience of social reality will continue to be influential in the field of sociology