Trafficked Women, Patriarchy and Social Media: The Case of Benin City, Nigeria

Trafficking in women remains a global concern despite the local and multilateral efforts to curb it. This work explores a classic case of Benin City, Nigeria, by examining the role that social media and family pressure play in stoking the problem. A cross-sectional analysis of the relevant variables, interviews with government officials, and discussions by victims on the issue show that women are trafficked as a result of the patriarchal tradition that places a little premium on females. The patriarchate of human trafficking is well established in literature. What is surprising in this case is that the networking and interactive characteristics of social media have escalated the problem and emboldened the actors. Unless the authorities take adequate measures to monitor online job advertisements to determine their authenticity, and stock up public libraries with anti-trafficking materials to enlighten vulnerable persons, the problem may become compounded. It may also be more than what the traffic can bear if inter-government agencies do not put in place robust cross border policies to checkmate the activities of traffickers

Trafficked Women, Patriarchy and Social Media: The Case of Benin City, Nigeria

Trafficking in women remains a global concern despite the local and multilateral efforts to curb it. This work explores a classic case of Benin City, Nigeria, by examining the role that social media and family pressure play in stoking the problem. A cross-sectional analysis of the relevant variables, interviews with government officials, and discussions by victims on the issue show that women are trafficked as a result of the patriarchal tradition that places a little premium on females. The patriarchate of human trafficking is well established in literature. What is surprising in this case is that the networking and interactive characteristics of social media have escalated the problem and emboldened the actors. Unless the authorities take adequate measures to monitor online job advertisements to determine their authenticity, and stock up public libraries with anti-trafficking materials to enlighten vulnerable persons, the problem may become compounded. It may also be more than what the traffic can bear if inter-government agencies do not put in place robust cross border policies to checkmate the activities of traffickers

Trafficked Women, Patriarchy and Social Media: The Case of Benin City, Nigeria

Trafficking in women remains a global concern despite the local and multilateral efforts to curb it. This work explores a classic case of Benin City, Nigeria, by examining the role that social media and family pressure play in stoking the problem. A cross-sectional analysis of the relevant variables, interviews with government officials, and discussions by victims on the issue show that women are trafficked as a result of the patriarchal tradition that places a little premium on females. The patriarchate of human trafficking is well established in literature. What is surprising in this case is that the networking and interactive characteristics of social media have escalated the problem and emboldened the actors. Unless the authorities take adequate measures to monitor online job advertisements to determine their authenticity, and stock up public libraries with anti-trafficking materials to enlighten vulnerable persons, the problem may become compounded. It may also be more than what the traffic can bear if inter-government agencies do not put in place robust cross border policies to checkmate the activities of traffickers

Trafficked Women, Patriarchy and Social Media: The Case of Benin City, Nigeria

Trafficking in women remains a global concern despite the local and multilateral efforts to curb it. This work explores a classic case of Benin City, Nigeria, by examining the role that social media and family pressure play in stoking the problem. A cross-sectional analysis of the relevant variables, interviews with government officials, and discussions by victims on the issue show that women are trafficked as a result of the patriarchal tradition that places a little premium on females. The patriarchate of human trafficking is well established in literature. What is surprising in this case is that the networking and interactive characteristics of social media have escalated the problem and emboldened the actors. Unless the authorities take adequate measures to monitor online job advertisements to determine their authenticity, and stock up public libraries with anti-trafficking materials to enlighten vulnerable persons, the problem may become compounded. It may also be more than what the traffic can bear if inter-government agencies do not put in place robust cross border policies to checkmate the activities of traffickers

Social Media as Information and Communication Tool for Socio-Economic Empowerment of Undergraduate Students in Nigeria

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to establish how undergraduate students in the University of Lagos and University of Nigeria, Nsukka, are using social media as information and communication tool for their socioeconomic empowerment including the specific ways in which their adoption has empowered them socioeconomically.Design/ Methodology/ Approach: The exploratory research design was adopted for the study while the simple random sampling technique was adopted in selecting undergraduate students who were seen at the lecture rooms during the lecture days. A total number of 400 third and final-year students altogether, were randomly selected from the Departments of Sociology and Mass Communication of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the two universities. A questionnaire, constructed with both open and close-ended questions was used for data collection.Findings: The findings revealed that the social media tools generally known to all the participants are; Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter, while the most popularly utilized ones for their socio-economic empowerment are: WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. The specific ways it has empowered them socio-economically include; reduction in their cost of business communication, accessing information that helped their business to blossom, advertising their products and services, and linking them up with new customers.Originality /value: This study shows how undergraduate students in the two universities are using social media as an information and communication tool for their socio-economic empowerment. It offered insight into the specific ways in which their usage has empowered them socio-economically

Library Automation and Use of Open Source Software to Maximize Library Effectiveness

Automation of library services and the use of open source software are essential for efficiency and effectiveness and at a minimal cost, too. Library automation benefits both the library staff and the users as it reduces the level of job stress on the staff and enhances remote and timely provision of up-to-date information to the users. This literature based opinion paper majorly aimed to establish the relevance of using open source software in library automation. To achieve this goal, the paper was divided into sub-headings that respectively highlighted the relevance of library automation, spelt out the salient issues to consider in library software selection, discussed the characteristics of OSS that qualify them to be effective library automation software, and enumerated and briefly discussed the various OSS available for integrated library management. Recommendations on the key factors that should be prioritized for the achievement of a successful automation of the library services with the open source software is equally made in the paper. Keywords: Library automation, Open Source Software, Library effectiveness, Software selection criteria

Adoption of open source software in library management: an instance with Koha

This literature and practical knowledge based opinion paper explored Koha software, bringing to limelight its applicability in the library. The various modules contained in the software (Circulation, Patrons, Advanced Search/OPAC, Cataloguing, Serials, Acquisition, Report and Tools) and the various specific services that they can be used to perform were exhaustively discussed. The paper also briefly discussed library software and open source software (OSS) initiative respectively. It explained the various characteristics including the numerous benefits such as; availability of source code, free redistribution, stability, less expensive, etc, associated with the use of OSS. It concluded by stating that the provision of current, timely and easy access to information even, remotely, is a task which libraries and librarians cannot ignore if they want to remain relevant in today’s information environment and therefore recommend that rather than spent futile years waiting for funds to acquire proprietary software, the OSS such as Koha should be embraced as most times, they are more effective and efficient.Keywords: Koha Software, Open Source Software, Library Software, Software Application in Librarie

Continuing professional development and innovative information service delivery in Nigerian libraries: Inhibitors and the way out

269-275This study examined the various forms of continuing professional development (CPD) that Nigerian academic librarians have participated in during the last five years with a view to ascertain the various ways in which skills acquired from such programmes had enabled innovative and creative information service delivery. The survey method of investigation was adopted for the study. The findings revealed that the librarians participated in very few forms of CPD programmes and the few skills acquired during participation in the CPD programmes are minimally utilized in providing creative and innovative services in the library. The major inhibitors to being innovative and creative with the acquired skills were identified to be: epileptic Internet access due to low bandwidth, lack of computing facilities to put the skills into practice in the library, irregular power supply and, not working in the section where the skill can be put into use. The study therefore recommends that librarians should begin to explore other CPD programmes such as participation in webinars as well as making use of online training sites and YouTube tutorials. It also recommends that more skills in the areas of digitization, real-time referencing, teleconferencing, and networking management should be acquired by the librarians if they want to remain relevant while the university and library management should provide adequate number of computers and also upgrade the Internet bandwidth in the libraries to allow for its effective utilization in services creation and provision by the librarians

ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING AND OPEN ACCESS TO INFORMATION: THE NIGERIAN SITUATION

Publishing has transited from traditional to Electronic format making information resources available to users without much subscription. E-publishing is engendered by the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT), this development has brought about increase in the number of scholarly communication in circulation. The awareness and rate of e-publishing differs among faculties, it based on this that this study was carried out to survey the situation of e-publishing and open access of librarians in three federal universities in Southern Nigeria, five research questions were formulated to guide the study. The methodology adopted is descriptive survey, questionnaire was given to a total population of 64 librarians consisting of librarians from the institutions understudy, the data collected from the study shows that though librarians are aware of e-publishing but they have not being publishing as should have been expected in University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) out of the 95% that aware of electronic publishing only 30% have published there articles electronically, in University of Lagos (UNILAG) 100% indicated that they have published electronically while in University of Benin (UNIBEN) 45.4% percent indicated yes while 54.5% said they have not published their articles electronically. On availability of open access it was discovered that they have access as a total of 84% from UNN responded Yes, UNILAG 100% said Yes while in UNIBEN 90.9%. The following problems based on their scoring militating against e-publishing and open access in Nigeria. Inadequate power supply; inadequate computer terminals; inadequate funding for subscription payment

Publicação eletrônica e acesso aberto à informação: a situação nigeriana

Publishing has transited from traditional to Electronic format making in formation resources available to users without much subscription. E-publishing is engendered by the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT), this development has brought about increase in the number of scholarly communication in circulation. The awareness and rate of e-publishing differs among faculties, it based on this that this study was carried out to survey the situation of e-publishing and open access of librarians in three federal universities in Southern Nigeria, five research questions were formulated to guide the study. The methodology adopted is descriptive survey, questionnaire was given to a total population of 64 librarians consisting of librarians from the institutions understudy, the data collected from the study shows that though librarians are aware of e-publishing but they have not being publishing as should have been expected in University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) out of the 95% that aware of electronic publishing only 30% have published there articles electronically, in University of Lagos (UNILAG) 100% indicated that they have published electronically while in University of Benin (UNIBEN) 45.4% percent indicated yes while 54.5% said they have not published their articles electronically. On availability of open access it was discovered that they have access as a total of 84% from UNN responded Yes, UNILAG 100% said Yes while in UNIBEN 90.9%. The following problems based on their scoring militating against e-publishing and open access in Nigeria. Inadequate power supply; inadequate computer terminals; inadequate funding for subscription payment.As publicações têm migrado do formato tradicional para o formato eletrônico tornando os recursos de informação disponíveis a os usuários em acesso aberto. A publicação eletrônica é possível a partir da introdução de tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TIC), e cujo desenvolvimento provocou aumento do número da comunicação científica em circulação. A conscientização sobre isso e a taxa de publicação eletrônica difere entre os professores de três universidades federais do sul da Nigéria. É com base nessa realidade que este estudo foi conduzido, a fim de pesquisar a situação da publicação eletrônica de acesso aberto nas bibliotecas desses professores, a partir de cinco questões de pesquisa formuladas. A metodologia adotada foi a pesquisa descritiva e, para tanto, um questionário foi aplicado a um total de 64 bibliotecários das instituições em estudo. Os dados coletados, a partir da pesquisa, demonstram que embora os bibliotecários estejam cientes do desenvolvimento da publicação eletrônica, os mesmos não têm publicado como se esperava. Na UNN dos 95% sujeitos pesquisados que estão cientes quanto à tendência da publicação eletrônica, somente 30% publicaram artigos em formato eletrônico. Na UNILAG 100% dos pesquisados indicaram que têm publicado em formato eletrônico, na UNIBEN apenas 45,4% publicaram, enquanto 54,5% afirmaram que não publicaram seus artigos em formato eletrônico. Em relação a disponibilidade de acesso, na UNN verificou-se que eles têm acesso a um total de 84%; na UNILAG 100% afirmaram que possuem acesso; enquanto na UNIBEN 90,9% dos sujeitos pesquisados afirmaram que possuem acesso. Os problemas mencionados que limitam a publicação eletrônica e o acesso aberto na Nigéria são: alimentação inadequada; terminais de computadores inadequados; financiamento insuficiente para o pagamento de assinatura inadequado