WHICH WAY IS NIGERIA HEADING? THE POST-COLONIAL POLITICAL SYSTEM AND DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES

This article explores development challenges in Nigeria through a qualitative methodological approach. In explaining the challenges pitting Nigerian economy and development, the objectives adopt modernization and dependency theories for analysis. The information gathered from the field suggests that there is the need for the blend of the Nigerian pre-colonial traditional systems with the post-colonial political system in addressing developmental issues. An overhaul of the existing political systems to accommodate Nigerian traditional and democratic punitive measures in addressing the country developmental challenges is prescribed. The ingenuity in pre-colonial traditional system cannot be overemphasized hence, the paper concludes that, for Nigeria to achieve the status quo of developed nations, a lot of works and review needs to be done internally in the Nigerian political systems and institutional structures to eschew the external forces and pressures causing backwardness in our political and economy development in Nigeria. &nbsp

‘There’s no thing as a whole story’: Storytelling and the healing of sexual violence survivors among women and girls in Acholiland, northern Uganda

Storytelling has become an acceptable intervention tool amongtransitional justice promoters and peace-builders because of its catharticnature and ability to help society in transition to come to terms with atraumatic past. It has played a significant role in the area of truth findingand accountability and has been widely used in several countries in thelast decade. In this article the focus is on Acholi women and girls inAcholiland, northern Uganda, who have suffered most severely from theimpact of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony. Theirstories of trauma in the face of terror have not been properly acknowledged.This paper examines the role of storytelling in the healing of sexualviolence survivors. It argues that constructive storytelling projects ca

“Who Hears the Cry of the Wailing Women?”: Discourses on Livelihood Activities and the Challenges of Internally Displaced Women in Nigeria

In this paper, we examine the livelihoods and daily challenges of internally displaced women (IDW) in the New Kuchingoro Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Abuja, Nigeria. We discuss strategies that have the potential to help create successful livelihoods, and we listen to the views of displaced women on how effective they think these strategies might be. We also examine the social and economic factors forcing IDW to develop resilience and highlight the dire social burdens which these women carry with them. Previous studies concerning livelihood activities of IDW in IDPs camps have emphasized distress, hardship, neediness, deprivation, and general inability to cope with prevailing conditions. Although we stress the resilience of these women, our research reveals failure by the government and other agencies to adequately support strategies employed by IDW to support themselves and their families

Between terror and religion: paving ways to silencing arms in the north-eastern region of Nigeria

The growing influence of the insurgent group known as Boko Haram is a worrisome prospect for Nigeria. It appears that the insurgent landscape of the country will become more complex and threatening after the emergence of the Shekau Bin Abubakar-led Boko Haram insurgent group in the north-eastern region. Because Nigerian insurgents do not operate in isolation, it is natural for them to draw inspiration from the IS. As insurgent group prepare to enter into another phase of ideologically and operationally transformed jihadist discourse, the implications for Nigeria’s internal security are severe. Apart from security implications, this process will affect extremism discourse in the country and the behaviour of non-violent religious organisations. This article will explore how the widespread use of arms in Nigeria’s north-eastern region aggravates the problem of the safety and security of lives and property, undermining stable peace. It also suggests ways by which the critical challenges posed to human security in the region can be tackled in order to realise genuine religious tolerance and peace everywhere in the north-eastern region

Are They Victims of COVID-19? The livelihood and quandaries of sex workers in the New Kuchingoro camp for internally displaced people in Abuja, Nigeria

In this paper, I examine the challenges faced by sex workers in the New Kuchingoro camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies on sex workers’ activities in the camp have underscored their hardships, distress, and deprivation, as well as their general inability to cope with COVID-19. Through my research, I reveal that the government and other agencies failed to support sex workers’ struggle to adequately provide for themselves and their families. I also explore the different strategies they employed in their efforts to survive during this period of hardship, which demonstrated their resilience

Assessing the effectiveness of government and non-governmental organization in assisting internally displaced women in Nigeria

DATA AVAILABILITY ST ATEMENT : The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.MOTIVATION : There is scant information on support systems for internally displaced persons in Nigeria, and none on internally displaced women in the New Kuchingoro camp. This limits the operations of aid agencies and other stakeholders, preventing them from providing targeted assistance. PURPOSE : First, it examined the support provided by two government agencies: the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Second, it investigated and examined the support given by non-governmental organizations, religious organizations, and philanthropists. Third, it analysed the challenges facing these bodies, drew conclusions about the policy implications of the situation in New Kuchingoro, and made recommendations for changes that would improve the lives of internally displaced women in the camp. METHODS AND APPROACH : Using qualitative research methods, the study investigated and evaluated the various support systems provided by NCFRMI and NEMA to internally displaced women in the New Kuchingoro camp in Abuja, along with some NGOs, religious groups, and philanthropists. FINDINGS : The study revealed the inadequacy of co-ordination between government agencies and NGOs in the provision of humanitarian assistance to the New Kuchingoro camp. While these NGOs were willing to provide humanitarian assistance to the women, the lack of administrative support from NCFRMI and NEMA frustrated this objective. POLICY IMPLICATIONS : The government needs to clarify the respective roles of NCFRMI and NEMA with regard to IDPs and relationships with non-government aid providers, ensure adequate funding for IDPs, stamp out corruption, respect the humanitarian principles of impartiality and neutrality, and ultimately address the underlying causes of displacement.http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/dpram2024Anthropology and ArchaeologySDG-17:Partnerships for the goal

The Kampala Convention and challenges to geopolitical security

The AU Kampala Convention aims to ensure that the states that have signed the treaty protect and assist internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their regions to establish geopolitical security, which is threatened by the inevitability, volume, and heterogeneity of forced displacement. This article interrogates the link between the Kampala Convention and the minimisation of interstate conflict through a political will to tackle the challenge of forced displacement amongst member states, the cooperation and integration of which would contribute to geopolitical security. Thus, using secondary data, the author determines how addressing large-scale forced displacement in the region can improve geopolitical security. Thus, based on an extensive review of relevant IDP issues in Africa, attention is paid to displacement trends on the continent, factors precipitating displacement and the flow of IDPs across the region, a current analysis of the AU Kampala Convention framework, the challenges to African geopolitical security, and responsibility sharing amongst African states. The authors concludes that there should be synergy between host and displaced communities for integration and the provision of opportunities for IDPs to regain their livelihoods. Therefore, African states need to adapt and implement, as a matter of urgency, national, regional, and international policies to solve the challenges of internal displacement in Africa and ensure geopolitical security.https://upjournals.up.ac.za/index.php/strategic_reviewam2024Anthropology and ArchaeologyNon

The travail and feasibility of returning home of Gwoza women in New Kuchingoro internally displaced persons camp, Nigeria

The lived experiences of women in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps are poorly understood despite the centrality of this issue in discourses on victims’ experiences. This study examines the travail of Gwoza women in New Kuchingoro IDPs camp in Abuja, Nigeria. It attempts to identify the survival strategies adopted by women and the possibility of their returning home, in northeastern Nigeria. The study adopted a qualitative research design utilising both primary and secondary data. Insights for data analyses were drawn from transactional theory of stress and coping strategies. The study reveals that Gwoza women rely largely on humanitarian aid from NGOs, while the federal government has largely failed to fulfil that role. Reliance on subsistence farming and humanitarian aid implies that their coping or survival strategy is only tentative. Gwoza women also regard the issue of security as a source of livelihood crucial to their survival, which they are unlikely to get should they return home where they will be exposed to attacks by the insurgent Boko Haram. Moreover, the Nigerian government has not given them any assurance on the provision of adequate security and means of livelihood upon return. They are thus compelled to remain in camp.https://journals.sagepub.com/home/jashj2022Anthropology and Archaeolog

Securing world heritage sites: insurgency and the destruction of UNESCO’s world heritage sites in Timbuktu, Mali

Because of the political and religious disagreements in Mali, the protection of the country’s world heritage sites (WHSs) has been a constant agenda of state-parties to the World Heritage Convention (WHC). To avoid irreversible damage and loss of these valuable national heritages, appropriate action is needed at every level for their conservation and preservation. Significant attention has been directed at understanding the relevance and benefits of WHSs to the economic sector specifically, but, there has been relatively little academic and policy research on the destruction and looting of WHSs especially in Timbuktu, Mali. This is the gap this study intends to fill. This calls for serious questions regarding what precipitated and led to the destruction of Timbuktu’s cultural heritage. What is the significance of Timbuktu’s WHSs to the Malians? How should government authorities respond to the destruction of the sites? Finally, against the background of the destruction of the Timbuktu WHSs, how can the WHSs be preserved and protected? This study critically interrogates insurgents’ attacks on the WHSs, with the motive of developing a sustainable template suitable for forestalling potential attacks by Islamic/jihadist insurgents, or any other insurgents for that matter, in other locations in Mali, using the attacks in Timbuktu as a case study.http://link.springer.com/journal/10708hj2022Political Science

‘BANDIDOS DE TERRAS’ OU ‘GRILEIROS’: INCESSANTES CONFLITOS SANGRENTOS ENTRE PASTORES FULANI E FAZENDEIROS LOCAIS NA NIGÉRIA

Countless of needless deaths have occurred due to the incessant clashes involving Fulani herdsmen and local Nigerian farmers. The security situation in the country is bad enough without this menace, which involves the simple, innocent and hardworking grassroot people. Nevertheless, the authorities appear clueless as to the appropriate angle, from which to tackle the issue. The wealth of scholarly discussions on the subject matter have also overlooked the conflict in relation to grazing and land use laws. This research, therefore, investigates the Fulani herdsmen perpetuated slaughter in the light of multi-dimensional factors, which are also subject to an ever-changing political landscape. The research is qualitative and employs archival and secondary sources of data. Discussions are based on the Modernisation theory and the Resource Scarcity Theory, which enable engaging the clashes from varying angles. The study identifies the incoherent policies on appropriate and peaceful land use and the problematic appeasement scheme at the various levels of the Nigerian government as one of the triggers for the clashes. Also, the poor social security package of the populace can be traced to the incessant bloody fights. As proper structural development plans are not made to construct grazing reserves for the nomadic merchants, they have decided to expand their enterprises by force—an option that readily addresses their need in a security handicap nation. Again, the porosity of the nation’s borders is also a major factor considered in this research, as evidence abounds to prove that most of the perpetuators of the senseless killings have their hideouts in border nations, from where weapons are transported into the country to carry out their activities. Lastly, the study discusses farmland takeovers, as a finishing of the massacre of the Fulani herdsmen. After destroying a village, the culprits confidently occupy the land, sometime with military assistance while the original owners scamper for safety. This security challenge is tantamount to economic, social and political retardation, as it leads to loss of lives and properties, delayed and probably denied foreign and local investments, the destruction of fertile arable land, reduced food supply and ultimately shortened overall productivity. If the government does not rise to the occasion through drastic security measures, future occurrences will remain most likely.Incontáveis mortes desnecessárias ocorreram devido aos incessantes e sangrentos conflitos entre pastores Fulani e fazendeiros locais nigerianos. A situação da segurança no país já é ruim o suficiente sem esta ameaça, que envolve a simples, inocente e trabalhadora população de base. No entanto, as autoridades parecem não ter pistas sobre o ângulo apropriado, a partir do qual abordar a questão. As principais discussões acadêmicas sobre o assunto também não deram atenção ao embate em relação às leis de pastoreio e uso de terra. Esta pesquisa, portanto, investiga as mortes perpetradas por pastores Fulani sob a luz de fatores multidimensionais, que estão, também, sujeitos a um cenário político em constante alteração. A pesquisa é qualitativa e utiliza fontes de dados secundárias e de arquivo. As discussões são baseadas na Teoria da Modernização e na Teoria da Escassez de Recursos, o que permite abordar os conflitos de perspectivas variadas. O estudo identifica as políticas contraditórias para o uso pacífico e apropriado de terras e o problemático esquema de apaziguamento nos diversos níveis do governo nigeriano como um dos gatilhos para os confrontos. Além disso, o fraco pacote de segurança social ofertado à população pode ser conectado às Lutas sangrentas e incessantes Visto que não são realizados planos de desenvolvimento estrutural apropriados, que criem reservas de pastagem para os mercantes nômades, estes decidiram expandir seus negócios à força, uma opção que rapidamente atende às suas necessidades em um país deficitário em segurança. Novamente, a porosidade das fronteiras da nação é, também, um fator crucial considerado nesta pesquisa, já que abundam evidências para provar que a maior parte dos perpetradores destes assassinatos sem sentido tem seus esconderijos em nações fronteiriças, de onde armas são transportadas para dentro do país, a fim de executar suas atividades. Por último, o estudo discute a tomada de terras rurais como a finalidade dos massacres realizados pelos pastores Fulani. Após destruir as vilas, os criminosos confiantemente ocupam a terra, algumas vezes com ajuda militar, enquanto os donos originais fogem em busca de segurança. Este desafio securitário contribui para o atraso econômico, social e político, visto que leva à perda de vidas e propriedades, dificulta e provavelmente impede investimentos locais e estrangeiros, destrói terras férteis e aráveis, além de reduzir o fornecimento de alimentos, em última instância reduzindo a produtividade como um todo. Se o governo não responder à altura, por meio de medidas de segurança drásticas, ocorrências futuras permanecerão prováveis