INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) AND GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECT

Information and communication technologies have permeated the different sectors of the Nigerian society, like they have done globally, gradually making the dependence on them an imperative for the effective and smooth functioning of the society. Especially, ICTs have contributed to e-governance in Nigeria and created more open spaces for citizen, organisation and interagency interaction with gov- ernment and its representatives. E-governance is increasingly becoming the touchstone and facilitator of the delivery of social goods by national, state and local governments via ICTs to citizens, busi- nesses and governmental agencies today. The increasing diffusion of e-governance practices globally has been underpinned by the Diffusion of Innovations Theory adopted in this study. However, in spite of the role of e-government in enabling the provision of relevant government information in electronic form to the citizens in a timely manner; better service delivery to citizens; empowerment of the people through access to information without red tape; improved productivity and cost savings in doing busi- ness with suppliers and customers of government; and participation in public policy decision-making, e -government practice is still faced with different challenges in Nigeria. Resolving issues such as legis- lative and regulatory barriers, limited budgetary allocations for development, the digital divide between urban and rural areas of the country and lack of basic infrastructure such as power, among others, must be hastened for a robust and effective e-governance practice to happen in Nigeria. In this study, valid recommendations have been made on the way forward

IMPACT OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE ON NIGERIA’S EVOLVING DEMOCRACY

There is now a widespread belief underpinned by growing scientific consensus that one of the biggest challenges facing humankind today is the issue of global warming caused by climate change. Climate change is simply any change in climate over time caused by natural variability or as a result of direct or indirect anthropogenic activity. This study has adopted sociological perspectives bordering on politi- cal economy, human ecology and environmental impact approaches to explain how human factors have been chiefly responsible for climate change which has altered the composition of the global at- mosphere leading to negative environmental and social consequences. In Nigeria, environmental deg- radation, ecological crisis, waste management problems, flooding, deforestation, spread of gully and erosion, reduction of food production, local health problems like asthma, cholera, cancer, chronic bron- chitis, blood disorders, and other diseases, are highlights of climate change in the country. Even then, the adverse consequences of accentuated climate instability are predicted to increase. Conse- quently, the question of whether democracy matters for climate change or whether climate change matters for democratic sustainability in Nigeria is the focus of this paper. The study concludes that without addressing the negative impacts of climate change in Nigeria, the democratic stability in the country may be threatened

EMERGENT INTERNET SERVICES IN NIGERIA: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGE

Information and communication technology and internet services in particular stand today at the very centre of human and social progress. The world today has become a global clan with internet services as part of the major driving force. Internet services are rapidly cascading from developed countries to developing countries including Nigeria. This paper, therefore, examines the emergent internet services in Nigeria and their worldwide multidimensional capability and the mechanism they have become with regard to information dissemination and interactions between individuals and their computers without regard for geographical boundaries. In this research work, the authors admit that while the internet, as a new global media tool, has powerful potentials and opportunities, it has also brought along with these potentials, certain challenges which must be put on a short leash lest they destroy or reduce society, particularly Nigeria to a state of anarchy, lawlessness or anomie. Suggestions are made on how to mitigate these challenges

IPOB Agitations for Self-Determination and the Response of the Federal Government of Nigeria: Implications for Political Stability

This study examines the strategies of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) agitations and the response of the Nigerian government towards IPOB agitators and its implications on political stability. The study adopted the use of survey research design. The sample of the study was taken from IPOB members in selected six locations of six states including Abuja. The selected locations were chosen due to the high activities of IPOB group. Using a sample size determination table, the sample size of the selected areas was summed up 385. In-depth interview was the second method of data collection. The returned copies of the questionnaire were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings showed that the government’s strategy for dealing with the Biafra separatist movement has focused mainly on police action, most times, involving excessive use of force. It can be concluded that the recurring agitation for Biafra has serious implications for political stability and democratic consolidation. Finally, it was recommended that the positive responses of government on development projects and inclusivity in governance will determine the courage IPOB and the Biafra movement will have going forward

ASSESSING EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT AS A FUNCTION OF ORGANISATIONAL JUSTICE IN NIGERIA’S CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION

The goal of any organisation is to make considerable progress regardless of the situations with which the business has to contend. Organisational goals can be achieved with the right commitment of employees to assigned responsibilities. Employee commitment, however depends on how employees view the relationship they share with the organisation. In this paper, attempt was made to understand how organisational justice impact the commitment and contributions of employees towards the achievement of organisational goals within Nigeria‟s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), an organisation that administers business registration and incorporation in Nigeria. The study adopted quantitative method and used some theories among which are Equity and Expectancy theories. Using simple linear regression, each dimension of organisational justice (distributive, procedural and interactional) was linearly regressed on individual types of employees‟ commitment (affective, normative and continuance). Using age, sex and years of experience as control variables, it was found that organisational justice in its distributive form significantly impacts the level of commitment an employee exhibits as a result of being emotionally attached to an organisation. In the same way, it was observed that employees of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) exhibited normative commitment, since they perceived fairness of processes within the organisation. On the other hand, a smooth relationship between CAC managers and associates (interactional justice) does not necessarily translate to continuance commitment. The study concluded that if organisations including CAC deliberately implement all dimensions of organisational justice they will achieve and retain employees‟ commitment, which is vital for organisational survival and sustainable growth. It was recommended that organisations should strive to get at least 85% of their employees into the affective commitment loop and retain them there through the deliberate implementation of all dimensions of organisational justice. Also, organisations are encouraged to ensure that the pre-selection process evaluates and considers prospective employees‟ vision and other socio-cultural factors to ensure that they align with the organisations‟ overall vision and strategy as they influence employees‟ commitment

AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION ON HOW IPOB AGITATIONS AFFECT POLITICAL STABILITY IN NIGERIA

In this study, an effort was made to empirically investigate the effects of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) agitations for self-determination on Nigerian political stability. Some factors as the methods used in agitations and the actions of the government with regards to the group agitations have been identified as what can result in political instability in the country. Group theory is adopted in this study to analyze the IPOP group in their agitations for self-determination. Survey research design is used in this study. The instruments applied in this study are qualitative (interview) and quantitative (questionnaire) in nature to obtain relevant data from the IPOB group, and some members of the society. The areas of study are selected locations from six states in Nigeria with the addition of The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. In Diaspora, four locations were covered to capture the existence of IPOB groups and their activities. They are South Africa, United States of America, London and Malaysia. It was concluded that IPOB agitations greatly affect Nigeria’s political stability. The result showed that the increase in the rate of agitations results in a decrease in the level of political stability. It is then recommended that Nigeria’s federal government should set up a team that will carry out a study on the countries where achievement of self-determination by groups have occurred and countries where it has not succeeded in order to weigh the pros and cons in order to ensure that Nigeria preserves or enhances its political stability

IPOB AGITATIONS AND POLITICAL STABILITY IN NIGERIA: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE SUPPORT GAINED

In this paper, an assessment is carried out on the agitations by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for self-determination and how these affect the political stability of Nigeria. This is done through survey research design that made use of instruments of data collection such as a questionnaire in addition to interviews administered to IPOB members, IPOB leaders, community leaders, government representatives, police, and IPOB Lawyer from selected areas. The collected data were analyzed using quantitative data analysis software – Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 32. The study revealed that the support gained by IPOB promotes continuous agitations for self-determination by IPOB and will lead to a decrease in political stability in Nigeria. The paper concludes that it is common for people to always identify with and support the group they belong to especially when they are fighting for a common cause that will be beneficial to all. In alliance with the findings, the suggestions from the paper are that policies of inclusiveness, where different groups as IPOB will be part of an entity without seeking for a separate country, should be supported either internally or externally. This will also raise the confidence IPOB with their group and various groups that are engaged in different types of agitations in Nigeria and furthermore will promote political stability in Nigeria

The Impact of Internet Services on the Research Output of Academic Staff of Selected State Universities in South-Western Nigeria

This study investigated the impact of internet services on the research output of aca demic staff of selected state universities in South -Western Nigeria and examin ed the extent to which academic staff of state universities embraced computer literacy and utilised internet services . It also considered how internet services had affected teach ing and research output of academics in state universities and highlighted factors that impacted on respondents’ research output. Quantitative and qualitative methods were adopted for data collection. Questionnaires were administered on 355 academic staff, selected through simple random sampling technique. In -depth interviews (IDIs) complemented the quantitative data. The utilisation of internet services had aided 54.3% of the respondents to publish their works, 61.6% to attend conferences and 74.2% to teac h. Most of the respondents depended on internet services to enhance their teaching and research efforts. The study recommended better funding of university education by government to be supported by the private sector. Stable power supply and better workin g conditions were to be provided to further motivate academic staff of study universities to engage internet services for their research efforts.Key Words: Internet, Services, Research, Output, Information, Communication, Technology, Academic, Staff, State, Universitie

Women Entrepreneurship and Poverty Alleviation: Understanding the Economic and Socio-cultural Context of the Igbo Women’s Basket Weaving Enterprise in Nigeria

This study explores the socio-cultural and economic context in which Igbo women’s basket weaving enterprise develops and operates in Nigeria and their beliefs about how entrepreneurial action can alleviate poverty. We conducted a qualitative study of 48 Igbo women entrepreneurs who run local basket weaving enterprise in 16 rural communities of 4 out of the 5 Igbo States (southeast region) of Nigeria, to explore the impact of informal entrepreneurial learning, socio-cultural and economic issues, individual values in business start-ups and development in the cities after post-primary education in an attempt to alleviate poverty in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 1). Focusing on three dominant themes (including socio-cultural and economic issues of the Igbo women basket weaving entrepreneurs, etcetera) from the thematic analysis, we analyze the factors that contribute to understanding the socio-cultural context of the Igbo women’s basket weaving enterprise in Nigeria. Findings provide a framework of the Igbo women entrepreneurs’ poverty alleviation and show evidence of a perspective of entrepreneurship for poverty alleviation that is different from the mainstream entrepreneurship literature on poverty alleviation