University of Jos Journals
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National Security and Crime Prevention in Nigeria: Leveraging Soft Power and Soft Policing
No full textNational security and crime prevention are pivotal towards achieving national stability, development and security. Conventional use of hard power approaches, such as military force (hard power) and strict policing were the norm in national security and policing. However, the increasing complexity of security threats in the 21st century has necessitated the integration of soft power and soft policing strategies. Through a critical review of existing literature, this study aims to contribute to the development of a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of national security and crime prevention, highlighting the potential benefits and limitations of soft power and soft policing approaches in addressing contemporary security challenges in Nigeria. The Broken Windows and Collective Governance theories were adopted to explain the ripple effect of crimes on national security, and how the infusion of soft power and soft policing would help improve national security and crime prevention. The paper concludes that by moving beyond traditional hard power approaches, soft power and soft policing tools, such as cultural diplomacy, quick impact projects, economic development, and social engagement, can be leveraged to prevent crime and promote national security. Consequently, the paper recommends an increased investment in community programmes, enhanced trust-building initiatives by the government and relevant security agencies, increased public participation in crime prevention, strategic media coverage and communication, and continuous evaluation and adoption of strategies fit for a given area
Political Finance and Party Politics in Nigeria's Fourth Republic
No full textThe paper investigated political financing in Nigeria and its impact on the country’s democratic process. The study considered issues involved in political financing such as the regulation and monitoring of the flow of finance within the electoral space in Nigeria, with particular emphasis on political parties’ finance. The study also interrogated the extent to which effective financial regulation of the electoral system in a society such as Nigeria is feasible, taking into consideration the high incidence of financial malfeasance in the country. The study is a documentary research and data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive method. Utilizing the hydraulic theory of political finance, the paper established that state institutions in Nigeria lack both the capacity to adequately monitor the flow of finance in the country’s political system and to sanction offenders of the relevant electoral statutes. Thus, voter education and monitoring of the electoral process by religious organisations, civil society, the mass media and social medial personalities is recommended in order to ensure transparency within the electoral system in Nigeria
SYSTEMATIC PENSION PLAN AND ITS PAYOUT PHASE IN FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA
No full textAccumulation phase of Defined Contribution (DC) pension represents a critical period where the regulator and DC beneficiaries need to monitor how contributed funds are invested to grow into sufficient funds for old age security. However, more critical in DC pension is the payout phase which has to do with different actuarial models for converting the accumulated funds into streams ofretire ment income. This has not received much research efforts. This study combines the two phases by modeling accumulated funds for retirement income options. Data for employees’ salaries for different grade levels were collected from one of the federal universities in Nigeria. The salaries data
collected were used to compute accumulated funds while the 1983 Individual Annuity Mortality Table for males’ lives were used to determine annuity rates from 4% to 6%. These rates were used to convert the accumulated funds into annual pension withdrawals for prospective annuitants. The findings revealed that annuity rates decrease with increasing age at any given rate of interest and age. Also, retiring employees with phased withdrawal options have more annual pension income for short payout duration than those with extended years in payout. The study recommends among other things that retiring employees need to ensure that their monthly pension contributions are remitted to their retirement saving accounts as and when due in order to accumulate sufficient funds for retirement
TRADE LIBERALIZATION AND MANUFACTURING SECTOR OUTPUT IN NIGERIA: EVIDENCE FROM 1981–2023
No full textThe manufacturing sector is widely regarded as a key driver of economic activities, yet its growth in Nigeria has remained sluggish despite various trade reforms and strategies. This study investigated the impact of trade liberalization on manufacturing sector output in Nigeria from 1981 to 2023. Employing annual time series data and the Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) estimation technique, the study analysed the relationship between trade liberalization and output growth, incorporating variables such as average tariff rate, exchange rate, inflation rate, interest rate, and foreign direct investment. The result revealed that the coefficient of Trade Liberalization Dummy (TLD) was found to be -17.14423 with a p-value of 0.8535 indicating that, on average, the period of trade liberalization in Nigeria was associated a 17.14 unit decline in manufacturing output growth. Besides, although individual explanatory variables were found to be statistically insignificant, the overall model was statistically significant, indicating that the joint effect of these variables plays a significant role in explaining variations in manufacturing sector output. The findings suggested that trade liberalization alone may not significantly influence the sector unless complemented by broader macroeconomic and structural policies. The study recommended a holistic and integrated policy approach rather than isolated trade reforms to enhance the performance and competitiveness of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector
The ‘un-palliating’ Palliative: The Politicization of Food Palliative in Nigeria
No full textIn 2020, lockdown measures aimed at curbing COVID-19 in Nigeria severely disrupted livelihoods and prompted the government to distribute food palliatives as emergency relief. Since then, this approach has become a recurring strategy during economic crises or social upheavals, ostensibly to alleviate hunger among vulnerable populations. However, this paper contends that food palliatives are not merely humanitarian aid but a calculated political instrument. By temporarily appeasing public discontent, they divert attention from systemic governance failures such as chronic poverty, corruption, and institutional dysfunction, without addressing their root causes. Methodologically, the study employs qualitative analysis of secondary data (academic literature, media reports, and policy documents), thematically examining the nexus between palliative distributions and governance deficits. Findings reveal that such short-term measures reinforce cycles of bad governance by substituting performative relief for sustainable economic reforms. Through Foucault’s lens of governmentality, the paper demonstrates how palliatives function as tools of state control, masking structural inequities rather than resolving them. The study concludes by advocating for the abolition of the palliative programmes and urges governments at all levels to prioritise long-term developmental strategies to tackle food insecurity and governance challenges holistically
Nigeria-China Currency Swap and the Political Economy of Reduced Western Financial Dependency
No full textThis study examines the political economy of Nigeria-China currency swap agreement under which Naira-Yuan bilateral trade is achievable without the need for a dollar conversion. It examines how the agreement is in line with China's general policy of internationalizing the Yuan and promoting South-South economic cooperation. The article argues that the currency swap agreement is a significant step in Nigeria's cutting down on sole dependence on Western financial systems, the US dollar, and thereby improving its economic sovereignty. In consideration of the significance of the agreement to Nigeria's trade, monetary policy, and geopolitical alignment, the study finds that there lies the possibility that such agreements are capable of transforming global economic power structures. The study supports China-friendly rhetoric with emphasis on the win-win principle of the agreement without denigrating China's role as one of the actors in global economics. Finally, this study contributes to mounting literature on Western financial hegemonic decline and rising financial power of China and the Global South at large
EFFECT OF TRADE OPENNESS AND FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT ON NIGERIA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH
No full textOver time, Nigeria’s foreign investment has not yielded the desired result that would drive stable inflation, exchange rate, and enhance economic growth in Nigeria. This is as a result of the bottleneck that hinder foreign trade and encourage mono export drive (crude oil) in the country. The study examined the effect of trade openness and foreign direct investment on economic growth, using the Auto-regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model from 1986 to 2023. The result revealed direct relationship between trade openness (TOP), foreign direct investment (FDI), and economic growth in the long run. Specifically, trade openness had a direct and significant relationship with economic growth at 5% level in the long run. In the same vein, foreign direct investment (FDI) had an inverse and significant relationship with economic growth at 5% level in the long. Inflation (INF) exhibited an inverse and insignificant relationship with economic growth, while exchange rate revealed a direct and insignificant relationship with economic growth in the long run. The paper recommended that government needs to do more by ensuring stable inflationary rate, attract foreign direct investment (FDI) through production diversification that would enhance foreign exchange earnings, stabilize inflation and boost economic growth in Nigeria
The Challenges of Women Religious Leaders in Peacebuilding and Reconciliation in Nigeria
No full textThis study explores the pivotal role of women religious leaders in peacebuilding and reconciliation in Nigeria, focusing on conflict-prone regions of Kaduna, Jos, and Borno. Despite male-dominated religious structures, these leaders employ spiritual authority, grassroots networks, and gender-sensitive strategies to promote social cohesion. Through qualitative methods, including 25 interviews and four focus group discussions, the research reveals their effectiveness in interfaith dialogue (e.g., resolving 94% of household disputes via Women Peacebuilding Councils) and trauma healing. Challenges such as patriarchal norms, security threats, and funding constraints limit their impact. The study advocates for institutional support, gender-inclusive policies, and interfaith forums to amplify their contributions, offering insights for Nigeria’s peacebuilding framework and global gender-focused peace initiatives
States and Local Government Relationship in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: Constitutional Provisions Versus Reality
No full textThe constitutional lacuna and often back and forth on the position of the local government in Nigeria over the years are worrisome and keep begging for a lasting solution particularly the growing indifference of the state governments to accord needful respect to the extant laws, and the judiciary. Due to its inevitability in modern political systems, local government is a catalyst for development at the grassroots level. This inevitability becomes meaningful with the presence of both political and economic autonomy at the local level of governance. The absence of these two (political and economic autonomy) in the local governments across the country needs to be desired. Moreover, the thrust of this study is to stir ongoing debates on the constitutional provisions versus reality on the status of local government in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. The main objective of the paper is to add to the ongoing debate on the state of local government in Nigeria, particularly its nature of relation with the state government, and to interrogate constitutional provision versus reality. The study is situated within the system theory to substantiate the importance of interdependence of parts to form a functional whole, relating it to dependency, and exploitative relations between state and local government in Nigeria. Similarly, the three models of coordinate, overlapping, and inclusive were examined to . The study utilized both the primary and secondary sources of data as a method of data collection, and the paper was analyze using a descriptive method. The paper argued that the recent Supreme Court judgment on July 11, 2024, on local government financial autonomy has pushed further the hitherto debate on the state of local government in Nigeria. Therefore, local government autonomy can only be meaningful if and where each level of government is bound by the constitution and does not accept dictates or directives from another level of government. The time is here for the political leaders to respect the constitution and the court judgments