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Influences of Regional Diffusion of Democratic Strategies in Nigeria from Neighbouring African States
No full textRegional imitation is a propensity aimed at neighbouring nations to meet toward a common level of democratic political development. One can understand how such a propensity exists by concentrating on a diffusion element that analyses the hypothetically anticipated outcome of electoral management policies in these neighbouring nations. Research on Nigeria’s democracy exist however, concentrated exclusively on domestic phenomenon and factors such as socio-cultural cleavages, overlooking the likely external influence of international norms, and regional diffusion of democratic strategies from neighbouring African states. This study examines the influences of regional diffusion of democratic strategies on Nigeria’s democratic development, through a qualitative process of data collection and analysis. The study concludes that, regional diffusion of democratic strategies from successful wave of democratic transition to opposition parties against the then incumbent ruling political parties in African countries, such as Senegal, Mauritius, Ghana, Uganda, Malawi and Mali has motivated people and institutions in Nigeria to emulate the development there. Particularly, strong adherence to the rule of law by political actors, independence and integrity of the legal system, and provision of efficient civic and voter education have greatly motivated and influenced the change in Nigeria’s democratic development strategies
The Future Of The Indigenous Languages Of Kenya And Tanzania
No full textThis paper examines the language policies and practices in Kenya and Tanzania and argues that, in spite of the observable differences between these neighbouring countries, the ethnic community languages face an uncertain future. Although language policies play a role in determining this future, there are stronger forces that defy language policy, viz. population movements, urbanization, technological changes affecting mass communication, and the structure of the economies
Homing Behavior, Site Fidelity and Territoriality of the Pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri) in Kenya
No full textAnimals exhibit unique spatial and temporal behaviors that enhance their survival. Understanding such behaviors is an important step towards effective conservation and management especially of threatened species. In this study, we experimented on whether the Pancake tortoise had the ability to home if translocated and also investigated on site fidelity and territoriality of the species in the natural habitats in Kitui County, Kenya. Behavior of 39 tortoises inhabiting 12 spatially separated rock crevices was studied from July 2020 to June 2022 through radio-tracking, camera trapping and combination of group-level scan sampling and ad libitum sampling. Fourteen of the tortoises were fitted with radio-transmitters and trans-located from their respective home crevices to other crevices away from their respective home crevices and their movement and behavior monitored. With an exception of only two females that adapted well to the new crevices of translocation, all the other tortoises attempted homing, with 46.15% of them tracing their way back to their home crevices with accurate precision and 15.38% also reaching areas believed to be within their home range. The successful homing indisputably gives evidence of strong site fidelity in the species. An analysis of the tortoise crevice occupancy showed that there was no statistically significant difference between numbers of the tortoises initially present in the crevices with the average number present over 162 sampling days (F(1,22) = 0.0699, P >0.05), further supporting strong site fidelity in the species. On the other hand camera trapping events and ad libitum sampling also proved the Pancake tortoises to be territorial with males aggressively defending their territories from other incoming males
Ecological implications of Rastrineobola argentea (omena) fishery: A rapid assessment of bycatch diversity at Dunga Beach, Lake Victoria, Kenya
No full textRastrineobola argentea (omena) is the second most important species in the fisheries of Lake Victoria after Nile perch. However, its fisheries have negative impacts on the ecology of the lake especially because of the high numbers and diversity of bycatch resulting from the fishery. This study conducted a rapid assessment in Dunga beach in Kisumu, Kenya to identify and quantify the bycatch and to collect information on the fishermen’s perceptions of the bycatch from the omena fishery. All the boats reported bycatches of different species and different sizes. The bycatches comprised of Lates niloticus, Haplochromis spps, Clarias gariepinus, Protopterus aethiopicus, Synodontis. The smallest bycatch recorded was Haplochromis spp (3.3 cm; 3g) while the largest fish bycatch was Protopterus aethiopicus (1.5 m; 2.4 kg). Other bycatch recorded were freshwater shrimps and molluscs. 80% of the fishermen suggested the provision of alternative livelihoods as a measure to reduce the pressure on omena fishery while 12% recommended stricter rules on gears implemented. A total of 99% of the fishers reported that they do not return bycatch into the lake but rather sell them together with the main catch (omena). The implications of this on the ecological functioning of the lake is predicated on the negative impacts on the trophic interactions in the ecosystem
The Importance of Representing the Physical Universe or Virtual Universes in Functional State Space to the Progress of Physics
No full textHuman-Centric Functional Modeling is a newly emerging branch of network theory that is hypothesized to define a methodology for representing any system, including the physical universe or any object in it. This paper explores how any region in the physical universe or how any virtual representation of such a region might be represented this way, as well as outlining the benefits of doing so
The Varying Openness Of Open Access Publishing In The Light Of Globally Inclusive Research Equity
No full textIn an open lecture titled “The varying openness of Open Access publishing in the light of globally inclusive research equity”, Dr. Jo Havemann, trainer and consultant in Open Science Communication with a background in Evolution and Developmental biology discusses the path towards equal opportunities in publishing, detailing both the opportunities and challenges of Open Access publishing with a special focus on Latin America, Africa, and Asia. She will also touch upon UNESCO:s Open Science recommendations and discuss how research can inform activities toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
On the method of surgery and applications : surgery
No full textIn this paper we introduce the concept of surgery. This concept ensures that almost all discontinuous functions can be made to be continuous without redefining their support. In spite of this, it preserves the properties of the original function. Consequently we are able to get a handle on the number of points of discontinuities on a finite interval by having an information on the norm of the repaired function and vice-versa
Experiences of First Year University Students Regarding Institutional Mentoring Programme during COVID-19 Outbreak: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis
No full textUniversities had to ensure that students were well supported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the years, peer mentors have provided one-on-one psychosocial support to first-year students. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, it became difficult to provide face-to-face assistance. As a result, new forms of communities, networks, and interactions, that student can develop and participate in, emerged to cope with the crisis. The problem is that students encounter unexpected challenges from the moment they arrive at university, owing to the substantial shift in roles and complex responsibilities that comes with being a student at a university. The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ first-year experiences during the COVID-19 outbreak so as to provide insights that could be useful for institutional policy and practice. The study was undertake a Qualitative Evidence Systematic Review, which is a summary of research literature focused on a single subject that claims the role of systematic reviews in evidence-based practices. A qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted using the PICO framework (Population/Place; Intervention; Comparator; Outcome) so as to seek to answer the question: “What are the experiences of first-year university students regarding the institutional mentoring programme during the Covid-19 Outbreak?” Articles were critically reviewed for eligibility using the PRISMA flow diagram, with relevance screening and duplicate removal using the CASP assessment tool. This is a method that allows the researcher to evaluate data both deductively and interpretively to better understand phenomena. In total fifteen articles were selected for this study; they were chosen through purposive sampling and then subjected to thematic analysis. The findings of this study are expected to add to the existing body of knowledge on the first-year university student experience
Public Policy Challenges in Ghana
No full textMore often than not, those in positions of power believe that, regardless of their likelihood of success, policies should be energetically pursued if they have the support of the majority. Since Ghana's independence, numerous administrations, both previous and current, have developed and put into effect a number of policies that are intended to address the issues that are limiting its progress. Every nation, especially those with emerging economies like Ghana, where I am from, has to implement policies effectively to advance. Despite multiple policies put in place by the successive leadership, Ghana's progress has stagnated. What may be the issue
An examination of John C. Maxwell's The 5 Levels of Leadership theory
No full textPastor and leadership best-selling author John Maxwell has written more than 70 books to date. He is the writer of the bestseller:”The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow them and people will follow you”. John Maxwell (2011) provides five levels of leadership, ranging from the lowest to the highes