Prevention of Sexual Assault in Nigeria

Sexual assault occurs commonly worldwide and is particularly pervasive in the developing world. The background to sexual violence is important in  the understanding of the ramifications of the problem. Some elements that offer the means to the prevention of sexual assault in the community are important highlights especially where the means - expertise and facilities - for managing cases of sexual assault is grossly inadequate. These concepts, though are applicable universally, are however discussed in the context of the developing world and with particular emphasis on the Nigerian situation. Their applicability in sexual assault prevention is derived from previous studies in different parts of the world that highlight the viability of these interventions. Therefore if one posits that sexual assault can be prevented, certain  responsibilities are imperative; some challenges must be anticipated; and special needs/circumstances should be catered for.Keywords: Sexual Assault, Prevention, Nigeri

The question of the “African” in African philosophy: in search of a criterion for the Africanness of a philosophy

The African question in African philosophy is enigmatic because of the intentional attempt to rationalize Africans out of humanity. Eurocentric scholars and missionaries mutilated history and concocted a false image of Africans which they presented as the substantive African identity (MUDIMBE 1988); an identity that presents the African as pre-logical, barbaric and as such incapable of philosophic thoughts. This identity was foisted and consolidated on humanity including Africans, and intellectually accepted as the true African identity for over four centuries. Consequently, while the racist Eurocentric description of the African makes it impossible for one to suggest that there can be anything like African philosophy, the enslavement, balkanization, colonization and the introduction of a Western-oriented formal education into Africa further dehumanized, traumatized and alienated Africans from their culture. This experiment is what precipitated the identity problem in Africa. Hence, the issue of a criterion for the Africanness of a philosophy is a contentious one because Africans were by their intellectual orientation trained to believe that there is nothing as such. This training and orientation also makes it difficult for those who think that there is a distinct African mode of thinking to be able to present it in a clear and unambiguous manner. This is because such a criterion will restrict the scope of African philosophy to a given epoch. In this sense, African philosophy will be concerned with only a part of the African historical experience. Given the comprehensive nature of philosophy, we are inclined to the persuasion that a criterion for the Africanness of a philosophy ought to be derived from the totality of the African experience.KEYWORDS: African philosophy, African, Africanness, criterio

The Confinement of High Temperature Plasma by the Heliotron Magnetic Fields

A magnetic field named the Heliotron field is produced by electric current in a series of pair coils wound around a discharge tube at regular intervals. The electric current in each coil of the pair differs both in intensity and direction. The lines of force in this field undulate near the tube axis without cutting the wall, while those near the tube wall intersect the wall. Thus a high temperature plasma can be produced by ohmic heating in the central region of this field, and the plasma is prevented from touching the wall. This field is found to satisfy the necessary condition for equilibrium. The interchange instability of the plasma confined in this field is discussed. A general expression is given for the magnetic field, and it is shown that the Heliotron B magnetic field, the cylindrical cusp field, the helical winding field of the Stellarater and the Picket-Fence field are derived as special cases of this general formula

Islamic Teacher Preparation in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects

This paper examines the challenges facing Islamic Teacher preparation in Nigerian universities through a consideration of a number of input factors ranging from admission criteria, course content, teaching practice programme, evaluation of student achievement, particularly in the affective domain, organizational climate, in-service training of teachers and follow-up programmes for new teachers. The paper further establishes the relevance and practicability of the objectives of Islamic Teacher Education and suggests systems or models for its effective implementation. Keywords: Teacher Preparation; Islamic Teacher; In- Service Training.International Journal of Educational Research Vol. 4 (1) 2008: pp. 175-18

Towards an indigenous model of conflict resolution: Reinventing women’s roles as traditional peacebuilders in neo-colonial Africa

Women have always been at the centre of peace processes across differentpre-colonial African societies. Their peace agency in these societies can belocated in their cultural and socio-political roles as well as their contributionsto the overall well-being of these societies. It is noteworthy that women’speacebuilding roles then were reinforced by perceptions which stereotypedwomen as natural peacemakers, and as being more pacific than men. However,women in neo-colonial African states appear to have lost this myth/sacrednessthat surrounded their being and social existence in pre-colonial Africa. This isbecause apart from being marginalised socially, economically and politically,they have increasingly become victims of male violence.How and why did women transform from being active participants in precolonialpolitics and peace processes to being passive observers of politics andpeacebuilding in neo-colonial Africa? And second, given their pre-colonialpeacebuilding antecedents, do women have the potential to transform politicsand conflict in neo-colonial Africa

Religious Networks in Post-conflict Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Prognosis

The role of religion and religious networks in public life is gaining increasing attention in contemporary social science discourses against the backdrop of ascendant religiosity in many non-Western societies. In Africa, the reality of ascendant religiosity is exemplified by the phenomenal growth in the membership of the two leading religions – Christianity and Islam – and the increase in the number of other syncretic sects. Within this context, religious networks have emerged as important actors in civil society and as powerful forces for social mobilisation, albeit for both constructive and destructive ends. With reference to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), religious groups wield enormous influence in the public space as providers of social services in a polity that has been characterised by years of misrule, declining state capacity and protracted conflict. The conflict in the DRC has deepened the imperative for constructive engagement by faith-based groups in the public domain, especially in facilitating the peacebuilding process. Against this background, this paper examines the roles of religious networks in the DRC's public sphere in the post-conflict epoch and prognosticates the future of the country. African Journal on Conflict Resolution Vol. 8 (3) 2008: pp. 57-8

Antifungal effects of two tropical plant leaf extracts (Ocimum gratissimum and Aframomum melegueta) on postharvest yam (Dioscorea spp.) rot

Effects of leaf extracts of Ocimum gratissimum and Aframomum melegueta on spore germination and mycelial reduction of the most occurring fungal pathogen causing soft rot of yam tuber were investigated. Fungi isolated from rotted yams were Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, Fusarium oxsporiumRhizopus stolonifer, Botryodiplodia theobromae and Penicillium chrysogenum. The leaf extracts with ethanol extraction were most effective followed by cold-water and hot water extraction. The fungicidal activity with Ocimum gratissimum leaf extracts was more effective. In vitro inoculation of fresh yamwith A. niger, A. flavus and F. oxsporum at room temperature for 3 months showed typical rot symptoms characteristic of the disease. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to plant chemical or non-chemical means of disease control on yams in Afric

A SURVEY OF SECURITY VULNERABILITIES IN WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS

Sensor networks offer a powerful combination of distributed sensing, computing and communications. They lend themselves to countless applications and at the same time offer numerous challenges due to their peculiar nature which primarily are their stringent energy constraints to which sensing nodes typify and security vulnerabilities. Security concerns constitute a potential stumbling block to the impending wide deployment of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Current developments in WSN protocols have not taken security into consideration. On the other hand, the salient features of WSNs make it very challenging to design strong security protocols while still maintaining low overheads. In this paper we provide a survey of typical attack scenarios on WSNs and provide some viable solutions while also elaborating on a number of important security issues. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v35i2.2

Mental health care for medical staff and affiliated healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for society. Supporting the mental health of medical staff and affiliated healthcare workers (staff) is a critical part of the public health response. This paper details the effects on staff and addresses some of the organisational, team and individual considerations for supporting staff (pragmatically) during this pandemic. Leaders at all levels of health care organisations will find this a valuable resource. </jats:p