Broadband: A Catalyst for National Development

The study was on Broadband; A Catalyst for National Development of country Nigeria. The study adopted secondary data as sources of information. Relevant literatures on broadband in Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) and national developments were elicited from various impact journals and critically reviewed. The study viewed broadband as an “ecosystem” that comprises different elements that use high-speed connectivity to interact in different ways. Findings provided evidence of broadband been a key enablers for national development of developing countries like Nigeria, this is because of its crosscutting nature thus affecting all sectors of  the nation’s economy ranging from socio-economics, agriculture, commerce, education, oil and gas, government expenditure computation, security, healthcare, environment, among others. Adoption and proper utilization of broadband in ICT will lead to sustained increase in economic growth, hence aggregate national development. Government at all levels should as a matter of urgency intensify awareness about broadband and encourage the development of broadband-enabled applications and services, build ICT skills and technological capabilities among firms and her citizen as this would enhance the nation’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) positively. Keywords: Broadband, Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), National Development, Nigeri

Political and Institutional Factors in the Funding of Higher Education in Nigeria

The demand for higher education all over the world is on the increase as the expectations of every recipient of higher education is to acquire knowledge needed for a meaningful and better life in all aspects. Stagnant economy and increasing global inequalities have reduced governments and households’ educational financial resources, and in Africa the challenge is severe. This increasing demand for higher education has generated a lot of pressures leading to concerns and debates on how the sector should be funded and who does the funding. In Nigeria, for example, one of such concerns is that public universities have been closed down since February 2022 due to an industrial action embarked on by members of academic staff under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over issues of funding of universities. It is of concern that the budgetary allocation to education in Nigeria in the past seven years has been less than eight percent while a chunk of the budget goes to the political class which unfortunately the spending cannot be accounted for.  This study interrogated the political and institutional factors associated with the funding of higher education in Nigeria.  The study adopted social justice approach to the access and funding of higher education in the country. Using the social justice framework, this study investigated the political and institutional interplay influencing the funding structure in universities in Nigeria. The study, through a critique of the current form of capitalist political system in Nigeria advanced the system of social democracy, a socialist system of government achieved by democratic means and the collective good of all and not just a few which is obtainable in the current capitalist system in place.  The study contributed to the existing body of knowledge by advancing a realistic, sustainable but equitable funding model (s) of higher education in Nigeria. Keywords: Higher Education, Funding, Politics, Institutions, Nigeria. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-18-10 Publication date:June 30th 202

How Does COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Rice Yield? Lessons from, Southeast Nigeria

At the global level and particularly across sub-Saharan African (SSA), while rice farmers are still battling the negative impact of climate change and greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new risk that not only threatens farmers livelihoods but also the most important global food security crop “Rice”. Every farming season in Nigeria, rice farmers face risks such as low rainfall, price volatility, methane emissions, rising debts and poor government policies. But the present risks from the COVID-19 pandemic are putting new challenges in front of rice value-chain that is already under serious threat. Additionally, the growing demand for rice across SSA and particularly in Nigeria exceeds supply, resulting in a rice deficit. To overcome this challenge, rice yield should be increased particularly now there is a new threat for farmers. As a matter of urgency, farmers must respond to this new threat (COVID-19) by choosing measures that increase their yield. Incidentally, empirical studies that documented the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on rice yield cannot be found as at the time of this study. These create emptiness in research and make it extremely difficult if not impossible for the government/interest group to know the method they can use in helping farmers mitigate the negative effect of COVID-19 pandemic in rice production. It was against this backdrop that this study was systematically undertaken. The study was meticulously guided five (5) objectives. The survey was conducted from March through July 2020. A cross-sectional data was elicited from 504 rice farmers selected across Southeast Nigeria. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools such as means, flow-chart, percentage and likert scale-type. Mean age was 45.00 years. Greater proportions (61.30%) were male. A very salient finding was that COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting activities of rice value-chain like harvesting of 2019/2020 season’s produce that was ongoing and land preparations and planting for 2020/2021 season (x̄=≥3.11). Result show that the non-availability of labour is interrupting planting, harvesting and distribution activities of rice (x̄=≥3.32). There are disruptions in purchase of inputs because of restrictions (x̄=≥3.12). Findings also developed incisive conceptual framework showing the effect of COVID-19 pandemic in rice farming. Result also shows that extension visits to farmers have been seriously limited (85.32% had no visit) due restrictions. With this present threat, Nigeria are likely to experience a reversal in the development gains already achieved and will be unlikely to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the aspirations of African Agenda 2063. The study therefore identified the need for governments at all levels in the country to design a sustainable policy in such a way that farmers should have access to affordable farm credit as well as subsidized agricultural inputs in order to increase their ability and flexibility to change in production strategies in response to COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic; Rice; Conceptual Framework; Socio-economic Variables; Awareness; Source of Information; Precautionary Measure; Perceived effect of COVID-19 Pandemic; Barriers; Recommendations; Southeast Nigeria and sub-Saharan African (SSA), DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/10-15-06 Publication date:August 31st 202

An investigation into how first generation Nigerian mothers living in the UK experience postnatal depression: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Background/Objectives: According to census statistics of the United Kingdom (UK), people who identify as black Africans are now the largest black community group in Britain as opposed to those who identify as African Caribbean (ONS, 2015) and 2.3% of UK immigrants are Nigerian-born (Migration Observatory, 2017). Previous research reported that BME mothers in the UK do not access clinical and psychological services. Whilst there are a few studies exploring BME mothers’ experiences of Postnatal Depression (PND), there has been no research to date that has exclusively investigated the ‘lived’ experiences of the First Generation Nigerian Mothers (FGNMs) in relation to PND. This study is the first to investigate FGNMs’ postnatal depression experience in the UK. The study aimed to explore how FGNMs living in the UK experience PND, their experiences of available resources/treatment and the way they manage and cope with postnatal depression. Design/Method: A verbatim account of semi-structured interview data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The participants included six FGNMs aged between 30 and 45 who reported being formally diagnosed with PND by their GPs. Findings: Three main themes were generated in the process of the analysis: Sociocultural Factors (this talks about cultural expectations, perceptions of PND and adjusting to a different culture), Neglected Nurturer (this discusses the experiences of treatment) and Loneliness and Coping (this refers to lack of support and explores how PND was managed). Conclusions: The study suggests that the FGNMs encountered difficulties with their diagnosis, treatment and access to service for PND. All mothers felt a sense of cultural pressure and expectation to present as strong and resilient which impacted on early help-seeking. The mothers narrated concerns and negative experiences about how they were treated by healthcare professionals when they sought help and how their psychological needs were neglected, which contradicts previous research suggesting that BME groups do not seek support and are hard to engage. These findings could promote understanding and inform professionals about how to better support these mothers. Implication for clinical practice: The findings of the study suggest the need for healthcare professionals to provide equal and unbiased services and follow guidelines for care and referral in order to effectively treat the FGNMs. There is also need for a culturally-specific and psychosocial intervention rather than a predominantly medical model for supporting the mothers