Afe Babalola University Based Journals
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Ethical Issues In Medical Tourism In Africa
Get PDFMedical tourism, (MT) the act of moving from one country to another to seek medical assistance, is a global phenomenon. Despite being an international occurrence with lots of literature on its social, political, or economic implications, this paper articulates its ethical concerns to the patient or ‘tourist’, the host and the destination countries. It, thus, addresses questions such as: what are some ethical issues in medical tourism? Is medical tourism a leisure enterprise, as the name suggests? Are there justifications for medical tourism? Adopting the scoping review methodology, the paper explores and synthesises existing literature to foreground a critical analysis of the ethical implications of medical tourism. Some of its findings concern ethical issues such as harm/risks, inequity/inequality of healthcare distribution, informed consent, and duty of care/quality of care. In addressing these issues, while critically analysing the adequacy of deontological ethics and preference utilitarianism, the paper argues that it is imperative that Africa not just compete for the global MT dollar but sit up and regulate MT activities. This requires coming up with a framework that would strike a balance between the benefits of MT and the burden of it. To this end, this paper proposes a regulation that promotes the common good of all: the patient, the departure and destination countries
External Powers and North Korea-South Korea Diplomatic Relations: Re-Visiting Historical Context of the Koreas Geo-Political Confrontations
Get PDFThe diplomatic landscape between North Korea and South Korea since the cessation of the Korean War in 1953 has been continuously influenced by the interplay of external powers, entrenched in a complex web of geopolitical dynamics and confrontations. The establishment of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the 38th parallel lines marked the beginning of a persistent state of tension and conflict. This is further complicated by the interests of major global powers such as the United States, China, Russia, and Japan. This paper examined the influence exerted by these external actors on the diplomatic security relations between North Korea and South Korea, spanning from the Cold War era to the present time. By integrating the Complex Interdependence Theory as an analytical framework, the research adopted qualitative-descriptive method and content-analysis technique, thereby relying on primary and documentary sources. The findings revealed that the interventions of external actors have played a complex role in shaping the security trajectories of the Korean Peninsula, as well as having significant impact on the diplomatic and trade relations between the Koreas. Consequently, there have been persistent mutual distrust and conflicting national interests which have profoundly exacerbated the ongoing security tensions between the two nations. The study recommended for a renewed and vigorous denuclearization ‘back-door’ diplomacy, at the instance of the United States and Western Great Powers, as well as enhanced bilateral economic cooperation between the two nation
Globalization Democracy and the Arab Spring in Libya
Get PDFThis study explores the impact of globalization on democracy and democratization in post-Arab Spring Libya. While the 2011 uprising was fueled by aspirations for political freedom, justice, and inclusive governance, it ultimately resulted in state collapse, militia dominance, and prolonged instability. Using qualitative content analysis based on secondary data—including academic literature, policy documents, and media reports—the study critically investigates how global forces shaped both the revolutionary moment and the trajectory of Libya’s failed democratic transition. Anchored in Structural Realism and Democratic Transition Theory, the paper argues that Libya’s democratization crisis reflects both internal institutional fragility and external geopolitical contradictions. Specifically, it demonstrates how international interventions promoted regime change without ensuring the foundational support necessary for democratic consolidation. The findings reveal that fragmented political authority, weak institutions, and the strategic interests of global and regional actors obstructed the development of an inclusive political order. The study contributes to the scholarship on post-conflict democratization by emphasizing the limits of externally driven transitions in fragile states. It recommends an institutionally grounded, context-sensitive approach to democratization that prioritizes local ownership and long-term governance development. Libya’s experience offers a critical case for understanding the paradoxes of globalization and the contested outcomes of democracy promotion in the Global South
An Ethnobotanical Study of Herbal Contraceptives Used by Local Medicine Practitioners in Bida, Niger State, Nigeria
Get PDFBackground/Aim: Most plants are naturally endowed with curative abilities now commonly sourced in phytotherapy. Medicinal plants usage for regulating fertility in Nigeria is popular due to their effectiveness, cheapness, easy accessibility and minimal side effects. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with about 218.5 million people as at 2021 and 232.68 - 237.5 million in late 2024 to 2025 mid-year; where birth rate outnumbers the death rate and most users are young women who prefer the medicaments after sexual intercourse; so, there is the need to control birth rate to prevent further escalation in population growth. Methods: Questionnaires were administered to both the Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs) and users of herbal birth control medicines in three major markets in Bida metropolis, Niger state. Results: Data presented are from the ethnobotanical survey from 220 participants. The names of the plants used as contraceptives or abortifacients and the methods of preparation of these recipes are presented. The results from the survey contained 26 species of medicinal plants including Crotalaria mucronata, Mangifera indica, Securidaca longepedunculata and Vernonia amygdalina. The most frequently used plants for contraception or abortifacient are Newbouldia laevis, Ricinus communis and Azadirachta indica. Conclusion: Further pharmacological screening into the reported plants distributed in 28 genera belonging to 24 families is strongly suggested to ascertain or disprove the claims of the TMPs
Agricultural Output and Economic Growth: Evidence from Nigeria
Get PDFThis study examines the effect of agricultural output on economic growth in Nigeria between 1981 and 2021. The main objective of the study is to examine the impact of crop production, livestock production, fishery and forestry on economic growth in Nigeria. The type of data necessary for this study is secondary because the research work is analytical in nature. Time series data relating to the dependent and explanatory variables were employed for a period covering 1981 and 2021. Data used in this study were sourced through Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin, Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS), and World Bank Data Base (WBDB). The variables examined had varying results. Crop Production, Livestock Production and Fishery production exhibited positive correlation on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), whereas a divergent nexus was found for Forestry. Moreover, when the level of value of agricultural output declines, it mitigates against the growth of an emerging economy like Nigeria. It is hereby recommended that to improve agriculture, the government should see that special incentives are given to farmers. These should include: adequate funding and infrastructure such as good roads, pipe-borne water, and electricity. Moreover, the government should discourage people from the act of bush burning, especially during the dry season, in order to preserve the trees in the forest
Paul Kagame’s Nation-Building Policies and Their Impact on Post-Conflict Rwanda: An Assessment of Achievements, Challenges, and Future Prospects
Get PDFRwanda’s post-conflict recovery following the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi has become one of Africa’s most studied examples of nation-building. Central to this trajectory is the leadership of President Paul Kagame, whose policies have sought to reconcile a divided society, stimulate economic growth, and strengthen governance institutions. Through initiatives such as Vision 2020 and Vision 2050, investment in education and healthcare, and the promotion of “Rwandanness” as a unifying identity, Rwanda has achieved impressive gains in stability, human development, and international recognition. Community-based reconciliation mechanisms and robust state reforms further reinforced social cohesion and institutional capacity. However, these achievements remain challenged by critics who highlight the trade-offs between stability and democratic freedoms, pointing to restricted political pluralism, media censorship, and the centralisation of power. Persistent socio-economic inequalities and the suppression of ethnic discourse also raise concerns about the inclusiveness and sustainability of Rwanda’s model. This paper assesses Kagame’s nation-building policies, examining achievements, challenges, and prospects. It argues that Rwanda’s experience offers valuable lessons for post-conflict governance in Africa but underscores the need for greater democratic participation, equity, and institutional resilience to ensure long-term sustainability
Innovative Time Management Strategies and Improved Academic Staff Performance in Nigerian Public Universities in South West, Nigeria
Get PDFThe contribution of lecturers in public tertiary institutions in south west, Nigeria, to national development remains underexplored, while their performance is hindered by institutional inefficiencies and overwhelming workloads. This study, therefore, investigates the direct effect of innovative time management strategies on the performance of academic staff in the Nigerian public universities in south west, Nigeria; assesses work engagement as a mediator in the relationship between time management and performance of academic staff; and evaluates the extent to which reduced role overload mediate in the relationship between time management and performance of academic staff in Nigerian public Universities in south west, Nigeria. The research is anchored on the Resource-Based Theory and the Job Demand Resource Model. This study was conducted quantitatively with a cross-sectional survey used to collect data from 350 academics from 6 public universities in south west, Nigeria. Findings from the study indicated that innovative time management strategies substantially improved academic staff performance (β=0.53, p < .001). The results also showed, albeit marginally, work engagement and role overload as moderating variables. The study states that the use of modern techniques, such as digital batching, time management systems, and the use of a modern prioritisation matrix improved the performance of employees through increased engagement in deep work and decongestion of role overload. The engagement outlined in the paper is unique as it describes the applicability of the integration of organisational psychology to the theory and practice of management within the university system
Detection of Bank Customer Churn Using Neural Network and Voting Classifier Ensembles
Get PDFCustomer churn is the loss of business clients to a competitor. Since keeping current clients is more economical than finding new ones, customer retention measures such as churn detection are now essential aspects of modern banking strategy. However, many existing studies rely heavily on conventional machine learning approaches such as Support Vector Machines, Logistic Regression , Random Forest, etc., often neglecting the deeper learning capabilities of neural networks. Also, the repeated use of the same small dataset by the banking studies may limit the improvement of the models’ generalisation. To address these gaps, this study presents a method that integrates deep learning for customer churn detection and a soft and hard voting classifier ensemble embedded with the best performing models over the years for results comparison, supported by a synthetic data augmentation method for model improvement. The study utilised a secondary banking churn dataset from Kaggle, which contained 10,000 unique customer records. To address the dataset limitations, a Conditional Tabular Generative Adversarial Network (CTGAN) model was used to generate an additional 10,000 records, expanding the dataset used for the study to 20,000 rows. Data preprocessing steps were done before training, including oversampling using Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE). Model development and analysis processes were implemented using Python programming language with prominent libraries and frameworks on Google Colab. In this study, a Feedforward neural network and a soft and hard voting classifier were developed. The voting classifier ensembles integrated three prominent classifiers: Random Forest, XGBoost, and Logistic Regression. The performances were evaluated using Accuracy, F1 Score, and Area Under ROC Curve as metrics. Results show that while the Feedforward Neural Network achieved strong predictive performance with an accuracy of 88.23%, an F1 Score of 87.83% and an AUC of 94.73%, the ensemble approaches performed slightly better as the soft voting classifier delivered the best results, obtaining an accuracy of 89.46%, F1 Score of 88.92% and AUC of 95.40% showing the advantage of combining multiple models to leverage complementary strengths. After comparison with past studies, the proposed models did not surpass the very best outcomes. However, they remain highly competitive, achieving performance levels that are on par with or exceed many earlier works. The contribution of this work is to show how synthetic data augmentation, enhanced preprocessing, deep learning techniques, and machine learning ensembles can improve churn detection in banking studies. Banking institutions can utilise the results from this study to accurately detect churn, supporting proactive customer retention strategies, targeted marketing, and personalised financial services, thereby reducing revenue losses
Innovative Financing Strategies for Urban Transport Infrastructure: Evidence from Lagos, Nigeria
Get PDFThis study investigates the impact of innovative financing strategies on urban transport infrastructure development in Lagos, Nigeria. The research specifically examined four financing dimensions: Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), Infrastructure Bonds, Land Value Capture (LVC), and Multilateral/Development Bank Financing. Guided by Public Finance Theory, Institutional Theory, and Accessibility Theory, the study employed a quantitative approach using multiple regression analysis. A structured questionnaire was administered to a stratified sample of 220 respondents drawn from a population of 5,200 stakeholders, including officials from transport agencies, private investors, and transport professionals. The reliability of the instrument was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha value above 0.7. Findings revealed that Infrastructure Bonds and Multilateral/Development Bank Financing significantly and positively influence urban transport development, particularly in improving accessibility and mobility. However, PPPs and LVC mechanisms showed no statistically significant effect, reflecting institutional and implementation challenges. The model summary indicated an R² of 0.327, suggesting that the four financing strategies jointly explain 32.7% of the variance in urban transport infrastructure outcomes. The study contributes to empirical knowledge by quantifying the relationship between financing strategies and urban transport outcomes, filling gaps in Nigerian transport finance literature which has remained largely descriptive. Recommendations include strengthening PPP frameworks, expanding the bond market, institutionalizing LVC mechanisms, and enhancing multilateral coordination. Limitations include reliance on stakeholder perceptions and a focus on a single state. Future studies should adopt longitudinal designs and explore other Nigerian cities to generalise findings. The research offers practical insights for policy-makers, investors, and urban planners.
 
Tradition and Transition in Nigeria: Historical evolution and Contemporary Challenges of the Chieftaincy Institution
Get PDFThis paper examines tradition and transition in Nigeria with emphasis on historical evolution and contemporary challenges of the chieftaincy institution. Utilising historical documents, anthropological research, and current policy discussions, the study investigates how the colonial policy of indirect rule reshaped indigenous leadership systems and incorporated them into the framework of state governance. Despite the growing pressures of democratisation, urbanisation, and legal reforms, the chieftaincy institution has endured in the post-independence age as a site of cultural validity, political power, and communal identity. The politicisation and commercialisation of chieftaincy titles, as well as conflicts between traditional authority and constitutional frameworks, are highlighted in the paper. The paper contributes to the body of knowledge on the role of traditional institutions in post-colonial African states by situating the chieftaincy system within larger narratives of continuity and change. The paper concludes that any sustainable integration of traditional institutions into modern governance must address issues of accountability, equity, and cultural representation