NIGERIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY’S LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT, THE POWERS OF SUMMONS AND APPOINTMENTS’ RATIFICATION

The legislature as First Estate of the realm represents citizens and sovereignty. It makes the law, serve as checks on the activities of the executive (oversight) and represent the citizens in constituencies. The responsibility of the Parliaments is to guarantee that accountability and transparency of government activities are maintained in order to curb misuse of public funds, corruption, while effecting good practices. It also scrutinizes the nominees for top government positions by the executive arm while it ensures that the requests sent by the executive are properly examined in order to avoid inefficiency and non-performance. However, the paper relying on secondary research method and data gathering discover that limited political will by legislators, inadequate funds, deteriorating infrastructural facilities, pressure from the Executive, predominance of inexperience legislators in the art of lawmaking and the tendency to place a higher premium of personal and pecuniary interests at the expense of public interests are antithetical to the effective legislative power of summons and appointment ratification in the National Assembly. Therefore, the paper recommended that there is a need for legislators to shun mediocrity and rise above pecuniary, sectional and party interests in favour of the protection of democracy and its practices.

SMART CITY DEVELOPMENT, URBAN GOVERNANCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN LAGOS NIGERIA

Smart city is a major discussion in metropolitan planning and governance as it involves using technology to create livable spaces for the present and the future; it also considers issues of mobility, governance, economy and energy production. The innovation of smart city initiative can be beneficial to urban planning and policies for house provision. The housing challenge is a prominent issue in Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria with more than 20 million inhabitants. Despite the attempts by the Lagos state government to create low-cost housing for citizens living and working in the city, there are still enormously high housing deficits because of the city’s overpopulation and limited resources. The city still lacks adequate infrastructures for mobility, networking and affordable housing as some people come from other states to work in the state; this has increased the urban carbon emissions. Yet, emerging discourses on housing infrastructure have rarely engaged the smart city question in urban governance of Lagos. Although there is a plethora of literature interrogating urbanization processes and housing, there are feeble attempts at explaining the notion of the smart city as the panacea for infrastructural inadequacies and urban development. This research examines the concept of smart city and its implication for urban governance structures and affordable housing in Lagos, drawing information and data from interviews and relevant secondary sources. The relevance of this study is to the government, private sector and architectural community is formulating policies through the application of the smart city concept in a megacity in a developing country like Lagos.

TRENDS OF KIDNAPPING AND HOSTAGE TAKING IN 21ST CENTURY NIGERIA: A REFLECTIVE DISCOURSE

Kidnapping and hostage taking activities have geometrically increased across the world, taking different forms. These activities for money and other reasons have contributed immensely to the state of insecurity of average Nigerian from within and outside the territory. It is on this note that this paper addresses the trends of kidnapping and hostage taking in Nigeria, its causes, implications and how best to arrest the worrisome situation. Relevant existing body of knowledge were reviewed according to the objectives of the paper. The research design for the paper was explanatory in nature where rational choice theory, routine activity theory and situational crime prevention were adopted to buttress the understanding of the subject matter. Based on the reviewed literature, it was found that the trend of kidnapping and hostage taking in the 21st century Nigeria is on the “high” side thereby needing urgent attention from all stakeholders; Nigerian government, non-governmental organisations, private bodies and all citizens. It is, therefore, recommended that increased effort to fight kidnapping and hostage taking should be made possible by the Nigerian government. This would make the risk of involving in kidnapping related activities higher than the expected benefit; to deter offenders and potential ones from committing such act. Also, capturing the geographical boundary of Nigeria with sophisticated gadget will help reduce the chances of being a victim of kidnapping. These strategies would make kidnapping unattractive to the motivated offender since the opportunity to commit such crime no longer exists.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEARNED HELPLESSNESS AND ACADEMIC PROCRASTINATION AMONG UNDERGRADUATES OF UNIVERSTY OF LAGOS

The study examined learnt helplessness on academic procrastination among undergraduate students in the University of Lagos, with the aim of determining the influence of learned helplessness on academic procrastination. It also examined sex differences in academic procrastination. The study involved a cross sectional survey of 250 undergraduates, 125 females and 125 males. A paper and pencil self-report research protocol that, included questions that requested the bio-data of those involved in the study and two standardized Psychological instruments namely; The Learned helplessness scale (LHS), and the General Procrastination Scale (GPS) was used to gather data. The finding of the study shows that, a significant positive relationship exists between academic procrastination and learned helplessness (r= 0.295, p= 0.000, p< 0.01, 2 tailed). The finding also, shows, no significant sex difference on the level of academic procrastination among female and male students (t= -2.022, p= 0.044, p> 0.05). This implies that neither the male or female respondents reported a higher level of academic procrastination. The study concluded that, learned helplessness influences academic procrastination among undergraduate students.

DO GENDER EMPLOYMENT AND WAGE DISPARITIES AFFECT LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY IN NIGERIA?

Labour productivity is a vital economic indicator that is closely linked to competitiveness, economic growth and living standard within an economy. It provides the general information about efficiency and quality of human capital in the production process. This study examined the effects of gender employment and wage disparities on sectoral labour productivity in Nigeria for the period 1991 to 2019, using error correction model (ECM). The results showed that the effects of gender employment and wage disparities on labour productivity differed in the sectors, both in the short-run and long-run. The finding remained valid even when the disparities were moderated with education. Therefore, the study concluded that the effects of gender disparities on productivity in the sectors were heterogeneous. Consequently, the paper emphasised the need for the Federal Government of Nigeria to implement female education-friendly policies. Also, there is the need for employers in the Nigeria productive sectors to jettison gender prejudice in their employment decisions so as to engender increased and sustainable labour productivity.

EXPLORING GANG RISK FACTORS AMONG URBAN NIGERIAN YOUTHS

The proliferation of urban youth gangs is often attributed to criminogenic factors of economic, family, and community contexts. Among urban Nigerian youths, the sharp increase in youth gangs has been exacerbated by a broken socio-cultural value system arising from a sustained economic dislocation, aping of foreign cultures, as well as a predatory political elite that uses gang members as foot soldiers in the violent struggle for political power by rival political groups. This study examines the etiology, trend, and dynamism of gang culture in Nigeria. Employing a qualitative approach, the study used data from semi-structured interviews with gang members in Ibadan and Lagos, two of the large southwestern cities in Nigeria. Findings revealed that the interplay of multi-dimensional risk factors has contributed to the rapid growth of urban gang culture in Nigeria with the consequent effect on the increase in crime rates

ADOPTION OF INTELLIGENCE LED POLICING STRATEGIES AND TECHNOLOGIES IN COMBATING INSECURITY IN NIGERIA

The changing nature of communities and shifting trend of crime requires that the Nigeria police and role players seek effective strategies to address crime and insecurity in Nigeria. Fundamental changes are needed in the ways information are gathered, assessed, and redistributed by the criminal justice officials, the military and security agencies. The Nigeria police and role players have not been able to win war against crime due to the approaches adopted by them. Many have come up with different theories and recommendations to tackle insecurity in Nigeria, but the strategies were not effective. The paper focuses on the adoption of intelligence led policing strategies, approaches and technologies to combat insecurity in Nigeria. Data was obtained qualitatively; interview technique was used to elicit information from fifty-five participants. Findings reveals that, insecurity has spread to all states of Nigeria, criminals are in possession of sophisticated weapons, incessant killings and kidnappings of Nigerians are predominant, police still rely on reactive model of policing. Recommendations includes; need for increased collaboration, information gathering and intelligence sharing, need for adoption of intelligence led policing strategies, approaches methodologies, technique and technologies for tackling insecurity in Nigeria.

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND MANUFACTURING PERFORMANCE: NIGERIA’S COINTEGRATION AND CAUSAL EVIDENCE

This paper investigates the long-run and causal relationships of technology spillovers on manufacturing performance in Nigeria using the share of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in gross fixed capital formation as a proxy for technology transfer for the period 1981 to 2019 in a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). The FDI stock appears to be too low at less than 1% of capital formation to generate any significant positive spillovers on manufacturing performance, resulting in an insignificant negative long-run relationship and the absence of causal relationships. The size of the local market has the most significant positive long-run effect on manufacturing performance, and the causality for this effect is one-way from manufacturing. A one-way causality was also observed from manufacturing to income per capital, though the long-run effect was significantly negative. The paper concluded that FDI technology spillover is presently not a major factor in Nigeria’s manufacturing performance. This may be redressed with policies aimed at increasing FDI inflows, increasing the technology-learning capacity of local firms and their vertical integration with foreign firms, and the creation of national infrastructure for technology development and diffusion

INFLUENCE OF CONTENT FRAMING ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEDIA AND AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION DISCOURSE IN KENYA

Audience perception of wildlife conservation discourse in Kenya has been negative as evidenced in the results of conservation efforts. The purpose of this study was to interrogate the moderating influence of media content framing in the relationship between media and audience perception. The study employed convergent parallel mixed methods design. The population in this study comprised of three groups namely; sampled media practitioners in three media houses in Kenya; residents living next to national parks in four out of the eight conservation areas in Kenya as delineated by Kenya Wildlife Service; and park managers in the four sampled national parks. A questionnaire was administered to 83 human-wildlife conflict resolution committee members. This generated quantitative data while qualitative data was generated from interviews with 6 media practitioner, 12 park managers, and Focus Group Discussions with 4 groups of human-wildlife conflict resolution committee officials each comprising of 8 participants The study applied both qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques. Results indicated that half (50%) of the total respondents from the three media houses focus on messages that can solve the conflicts that exist between wildlife and human beings as a factor when framing wildlife conservation messages touching on human-wildlife conflict. There was a general perception among participants that the media tend to emphasize the interests of state (KWS) more than those of the common man, thus the view that the media cannot fully be trusted to report matters from the perspective of the common man. This undermines the role of the media in educating the audience to appreciate wildlife and therefore conserve it. The study concludes that the target audiences are not satisfied with the manner in which these messages are communicated. As the media highlight the plight of the wildlife, it should equally communicate the plight of the communities.The study therefore reocommends more training of journalists and park managers to enhance sensitive flaming and reporting of wildlife conservation messages

ROLE OF PARTICIPATORY COMMUNICATION IN INFLUENCING MEN’S BEHAVIOUR RESPONSE TO PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING AND TREATMENT IN CENTRAL REGION OF KENYA

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of death among men in the world. Early screening is recommended as one of the prevention measures of the disease. Screening can be encouraged by Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) strategies. These strategies include mass media campaigns, participatory and interpersonal communication, advocacy and message framing. In Kenya, the Central Region is one of the leading regions in PCa prevalence rate. This study therefore examined the participatory communication strategies used in influencing men’s behaviour response towards PCa screening in the region by the Kenyan government. The study was guided by Theory of Reasoned Action. It was anchored on the Pragmatist philosophical paradigm and took a mixed method approach which involved both qualitative and quantitative designs where Key Informant Interviews, Survey and Focus Group Discussions were used to obtain data. A sample of 384 people was picked from an estimated population of 700,010 men aged 40 years and above from the region using simple random sampling. Findings showed that although health workers and communication officials appreciated the role of screening in containing the scourge, the two levels of Kenyan government (County and National) did not put in place sound participatory communication strategies for positive behaviour response to the disease. It is therefore recommended that effective participatory communication strategies for behaviour change be put in place and an annual budget allocated by the governments for this purpose.