Traditional Medicine and The Promotion Of Inter-Group Relations: The Igbo And Igala (Igara) Experiences In Nigeria

One central objective of history is to preserve knowledge especially where such knowledge is endangered. Even as a historian is not to sound evangelical, his views could and do change views and salvage threatened knowledge systems.  In Igboland, the knowledge of traditional medicine is seriously threatened by the spate of condemnation it attracts from those who want to become more Catholic than the Pope. The spate of condemnation of African traditional medical practices are alarming and at best disturbing. This is because, the same people who would stop at nothing to buy Chinese made herbal drugs would condemn in its totality drugs made by local medical practitioners here in Nigeria. Rather than take the pains to study and understand the art involved in the profession and harness its potentials and more importantly preserve the knowledge therein, many obstacles are placed on the way of the traditional medicine men on account that they are “diabolic”, their products “ unhygienic” and unsafe to drink or a nuisance to human health. The present writers hold a contrary view as traditional medicine is a portent force in inter-group relations and very effective where orthodox medicine has failed.  How true the latter statement is to be demonstrated in how two brands of traditional medicine-Odiette and Akpaballa have helped in cementing relationships between the Igbo and Igala especially as it concerns their health and security. Lessons from the experience of these groups would go a long way in fostering peace in the nation especially now that there are several security threats to its citizens. Key Words: Traditional medicine, inter-group relations, Igbo, Igala, Nigeri

Cultural and Attitudinal Tenets of Ghanaians on Insurance Service: An Empirical Study

This study compared the cultural and attitudinal tenets of Ghanaians towards insurance service in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. The research utilized the convenience sampling to gather data from 291 respondents. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used and the relationship between the demographic variables and the actual variables was examined. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) statistical technique using smart Partial Least Square (PLS) 3.0 was also used to assess the study's hypothesized relationships. It was observed that a significant relationship existed between attitudinal trends and awareness, attitudinal trends and perception, attitudinal trends and purchase intention, awareness and purchase intention, cultural trends and awareness, cultural trends and purchase intention. Conversely, a significant relationship did not exist between cultural trends and perception, as well as perception and purchase intention. The study revealed that attitudinal trends have a greater effect on awareness, perception, and purchase intention than cultural trends, while awareness has the strongest relationship with purchase intention but perception has the weakest relationship with purchase intention. These findings may help to bring about social change by raising awareness of the importance of life insurance in the socioeconomic development of individuals, families, organizations, and communities, resulting in insurance coverage and the reduction of poverty in Ghana. Insurance practitioners who want to increase insurance penetration for business and sustainability can find the study useful.This study compared the cultural and attitudinal tenets of Ghanaians towards insurance service in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. The research utilized the convenience sampling to gather data from 291 respondents. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used and the relationship between the demographic variables and the actual variables was examined. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) statistical technique using smart Partial Least Square (PLS) 3.0 was also used to assess the study's hypothesized relationships. It was observed that a significant relationship existed between attitudinal trends and awareness, attitudinal trends and perception, attitudinal trends and purchase intention, awareness and purchase intention, cultural trends and awareness, cultural trends and purchase intention. Conversely, a significant relationship did not exist between cultural trends and perception, as well as perception and purchase intention. The study revealed that attitudinal trends have a greater effect on awareness, perception, and purchase intention than cultural trends, while awareness has the strongest relationship with purchase intention but perception has the weakest relationship with purchase intention. These findings may help to bring about social change by raising awareness of the importance of life insurance in the socioeconomic development of individuals, families, organizations, and communities, resulting in insurance coverage and the reduction of poverty in Ghana. Insurance practitioners who want to increase insurance penetration for business and sustainability can find the study useful

Women and Evolution of Cultural Practices Among the Igbo of Nigeria

Studies on Igbo women have ignored the part played by either fear of women or respect for them in the evolution of festivals and some customary practices. Embedded in this neglect is the non-recognition of their contribution to the development of their societies. However, evidence that some cultural practices evolved out of fear of women and respect for them by the men abounds as manifest in the evolution of some spirit being institutions, memorialisation of women’s war exploits, and veneration of kola nut. Anchored on extensive field investigation, the application of historical narrative and qualitative research method, this study traced the origin of some Igbo customary practices, their gender origins and rationale for some observances. This research, it is hoped, would ensure that the very histories of such festivals and customs are preserved and the efforts of Igbo heroines past are not interred with their bones. Equally, the findings would mitigate the spate of denigration of women

Environmental determinant of religious names : a study of Úgwú and naming among the Nsukka-Igbo people of Nigeria

This article makes a contribution towards understanding the correlation between Úgwú (hill or mountain) and personal names among the Igbo people of Nigeria. Sacralisation of the natural environment which include hills or mountains is a belief that cuts across religions. Among the Igbo, the perceived sacred value placed on such natural environment prompted a series of socio-cultural changes. Personal names are usually drawn from deified entities such as the earth, sun, rivers, and so on. Studies on Igbo personal names portrayed the environmental determinant for personal names in different Igbo-subcultures. However, the pattern of Nsukka-Igbo names, influenced specifically by Úgwú has hardly gotten any scholarly attention. This study, therefore, provided evidence that Úgwú is the single most environmental element that shaped the culture of naming among the Nsukka-Igbo people with its psycho-social and economic implications. Drawing from the theory of sacralisation, which stresses on placing religious values on objects, this article showed that the deified Úgwú environment influenced an unprecedented frequency and exclusive nature of Úgwú personal names in the study area. Documentary research, observation and interview methods were used to collect and analyse secondary, as well as primary data for this study. The article drew attention to the increasing influence of Úgwú on personal names in Nsukka-Igbo, and its effects which include the conservation of the environment occasioned by the deification of Úgwú. CONTRIBUTION: This article shows that the deification of natural environment of Úgwú influenced the increasing frequency of Úgwú personal names and its associated variants among the Nsukka-Igbo people of Nigeria.DATA AVAILABILITY: The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.http://www.hts.org.zaNew Testament Studie

Customer willingness to participate in value co-creation: The moderating effect of social ties (empirical study of automobile customers in Ghana)

Value co-creation as a social process involves the interactions and dialogues between stakeholders. As such, the social ties that stakeholders develop have the propensity to influence their level of interaction in a co-creation activity. In this study, we examine the effect of social ties on consumer’s level of interaction and looked at how it moderates on consumers’ willingness to engage in interaction leading to co-creation. Data was collected from 535 automobile owners in Ghana through a self-administered questionnaire. The data was analyzed using structural equation model in AMOS and statistical tool package. The test results on consumers’ willingness and level of interaction, willingness and co-creation, social ties and level of interaction, social ties and co-creation, interaction and co-creation are significant. On the moderating effect of social ties on willingness, the result shows that social ties strengthen the positive relationship between willingness and interaction. We propose that organizations should manage social ties they develop with their customers effectively so as not to impact negatively on their willingness to engage in co-creation interactions

Effects of Zr Doping on Magnetic and Structural Properties of DyBa 2

DyBa2(Cu 1−x-Zrx )3 O 7−δ thin films (with x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06) were synthetized using the chemical solution deposition method on single crystalline LaAlO3 substrates. Effects resulting from Zr doping were investigated by means of magnetic and structural measurements. X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated a strong c-axis orientation in the DyBa 2(Cu1−x -Zrx) 3 O 7−δ thin films, with only minor reflections due to the presence of Dy2 O 3 and BaZrO3 phases. Narrow transitions with Δ Tc ranging from 1 to 2 K for samples with x = 0.00 and 0.06, respectively, were observed in ac magnetic susceptibility curves, where the nondoped sample demonstrated the highest T onsetc of 91.7 K compared to the Zr-doped samples. Critical current densities Jc of the thin films were obtained from magnetization loop measurements with applied magnetic fields up to 6 T and by employing the Bean model. The sampled doped with 4% Zr exhibited the highest J c value (J c = 3.5 MA/cm 2, self-field, 77 K) in the low field range and we, in general, observed that Zr-doped films demonstrated higher values compared to the pure sample. Pinning force plots ( Fp versus B ) reveal a significant improvement over the magnetic field range investigated of the maximum pinning force for Zr-doped samples. We found FMaxp = 1.7 GN/m3 and 3.8 GN/m 3 for pure and 6% Zr samples, respectively. Analysis based on the Dew-Hughes model shows that normal surface pinning is the dominating pinning mechanism