Ife Social Sciences Review

Protecting the Old Oyo National Park Savanna Ecosystem: Perspectives from Park Management Officials

Lawrence Enejeta Akpoterai — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Savanna ecosystems are globally significant for their biodiversity, ecological services, and support for livelihoods, yet face increasing pressures from land degradation, climate change, and human encroachment. Protected areas, such as Old Oyo National Park (OONP), serve as important spaces for savanna conservation; however, there is a research dearth regarding the management practices employed to sustain these landscapes. This study, therefore, employed qualitative research techniques—specifically, in-depth interviews with twenty park officials—to examine the ongoing efforts and strategies used to protect the savanna ecosystem within OONP, documenting existing conservation practices adopted by park authorities, identifying prevailing challenges, and highlighting adaptive management measures. The results show that existing conservation practices within the park include the use of early and late bush burning to trigger grass regeneration and control forest encroachment. Patrolling, boundary monitoring, and boundary clearing are used to prevent illegal activities and manage fire risks. Tree planting is also selectively employed to rehabilitate degraded areas. The findings also underscore the role of community sensitization in reducing anthropogenic pressure, and the partial success of the Green Bond program in providing alternative resources to buffer communities and support conservation efforts. However, challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, climate and environmental change, widespread invasive species, and insufficient government and non-governmental support hinder conservation efforts. The responses from the park management officials further underscore the importance of localized approaches and the need for strengthened community engagement to enhance savanna conservation in protected areas.

Girl-child Problems in Nigeria: A Scoping Review of Prevalence, Trends, Patterns and Implications

Dorothy N. Ononokpono, Itoro Benedict Umoren — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Child marriage and sexual abuse are problems with multiple dimensions and consequences, and also a form of human rights violation against girls. The largest number of child brides in Africa is found in Nigeria, and in recent times, several forms of sexual violence against women and girls have increased tremendously. This study examines the prevalence, trends, patterns and implications of child marriage and sexual abuse in Nigeria. We used online databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Medline, and other sources including Google Scholar, ResearchGate and Google search engine, to conduct electronic search to identify journal articles and grey literature for the scoping review. We focused mainly on journal articles and organization materials that examined the prevalence, trends and patterns of girl-child marriage, sexual abuse and demographic implications. Overall, there is an indication of high prevalence of child marriage and sexual abuse. The trend showed a slight decrease in child marriage between 1990 and 2018, while child sexual abuse increased slightly across the country over the last three decades. The patterns showed that education, urban poverty, region of residence, number of children in the household, ethnicity, social and cultural factors were key drivers of girl child problems. The findings suggest the need to address poverty, household and cultural practices that deny women and girls educational opportunities and expose them to early marriage and sexual abuse.

Migration Diplomacy and Foreign Policy in West Africa: Negotiating Europe's Border Externalisation Agenda

Omotola Adeyoju Ilesanmi — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Migration diplomacy has increasingly become an essential aspect of state relations and the foreign policy of states. Migration diplomacy refers to the utilisation of migration in interstate engagements as a means of cooperation, coercion, and negotiation. This article investigates the complex pattern of migration diplomacy in West Africa in relation to the EU’s externalization policies and border control in relation to the sovereignty of African states. This is as a result of European Union member States’ migration management and control of their borders by external actors. The seeks to examine the strategic instrumentalization of migration as a foreign tool in achieving stated goals. It investigates the centrality of migration in EU-West Africa relations and how the European Union engages with countries in West Africa for migration control. Concurrently, it examines how West African states have demonstrated agency through negotiation, selective cooperation, and diaspora diplomacy. Regional organisations like ECOWAS and the AU have tried to change the securitized narrative about migration by framing it as a pathway for growth and development. The study adopts a mixed qualitative approach, utilizing documentary analysis and key informant interviews. It draws from a wide range of existing literature — including scholarly books, peer-reviewed articles, official reports, and policy papers on themes in migration diplomacy, the European Union’s externalisation policies, and West Africa’s international relations. Findings reveal that the EU has securitised and instrumentalised migration governance in West Africa in achieving its foreign policy goals. The article enhances our understanding of migration diplomacy as a locus of contention between external state actors and regional agency. It concludes that Africa's ability to influence migration governance relies on enhancing institutional coordination, increasing diaspora impact, and establishing a development-focused foreign policy agenda.

Decisions Indicators and Firm Value of Industrial Goods Listed in Nigeria Exchange Group

Adoke Hameed Raimi, Maruf Adeniran Abdulaziz — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Despite their importance to Nigeria's economic development and progress, industrial commodities have historically had a mixed record in terms of firm value. The study looks into the firm value and decision-making indicators of five industrial items that are quoted and listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The market value of a company's shares (share price) divided by its book value of equity is the measure of firm value. The current ratio of the company's assets to current liabilities is used to gauge liquidity decisions. The ratio of total assets to total debt is used to calculate dividend decisions. The study employs a longitudinal panel with cross-sectional and time series data, as well as an ex post facto research design. Regression analysis and descriptive statistics were used to examine the data. All explanatory factors, with the exception of dividend decision, had little effects on company value, according to the study. In particular, firm value is significantly impacted by firm size, which is calculated as the logarithm of the company's total assets. The study comes to the conclusion that the control variable of firm size and the explanatory variable of liquidity decision have a favorable impact on the firm value of the business. In order to increase firm value, the study advises Nigerian industrial goods management to focus more on firm size and liquidity decisions. Lastly, deciding whether to pay out dividends should be a top priority for management. While some shareholders would prefer to have their shares distributed, others may consider holding them for future investments.

Business Enterprises in Nigeria under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Policy Initiative

Obisanya Joshua Funminiyi , Dauda Olalekan Yinusa — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The African Continental free Trade Area (AfCFTA) policy initiative was put in place to best position business enterprises in African countries, including Nigeria, for free continental trading benefits. With a view to promoting Nigeria-AfCFTA mutual relationship, which is scanty in the extant literature, this study aims at providing elucidating information on Nigeria Business Enterprises (NBEs) under the policy. The study employed a systematic review research methodology. Its findings include detailed information on: an overview of AfCFTA’s policy initiative; some efforts of the Nigerian Government to promote trading for NBEs under AfCFTA; the current status of participation of NBEs in AfCFTA; and harmonising guidelines for AfCFTA’s policy in relation to NBEs. The implication of this study is the knowledge support that it offers various stakeholders in the domain of advancing business enterprises in Nigeria and Africa at large. To this end, the study is recommended to guide policymakers to formulate well-informed trade policy, particularly a harmonised Nigeria-AfCFTA policy that could enhance trading between all kinds of business enterprises in Nigeria and their counterparts in other African countries. In addition, the study will serve as a basis for future empirical studies on the subject matter.

The Role of Photo-shopped Images of Zero-size Female Models and the Eating Health Challenges of Female Undergraduates in Delta State

James Urien — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The role of photo-shopped images of zero-size female models and the eating health challenges on female undergraduates in Delta State. Two research questions were raised in the study. The descriptive survey design was used. The population for this study comprised of 10,000 female students from five public higher institutions in Delta State. The sample for this study consisted of 1000 female students selected from five higher institutions, including Delta State University, Abraka; University of Science and Technology, Ozoro; University of Delta, Agbor; College of Education, Warri; and College of Education, Mosogar. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select the universities, while a purposive sampling technique was used to select respondents in the study. Descriptive statistics of simple percentage, mean, standard deviation and t-test was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that most female undergraduates feel that thinner women are more attractive than heavier women, leading them to feel the need to look thin like the models in the media, which may result in health challenges of eating disorders. The study concluded that exposure to digitally altered images of female models in media can negatively impact female undergraduates, contributing to body image dissatisfaction and increasing risks of eating disorders.

Assessing the Roles of Economic Conditions and Human Capital Formation as Drivers of Self-Employment in Southwestern Nigeria

Olalekan Oyedele, Abiodun Adegboye, Abayomi Adebayo — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In developing economies, a larger percentage of the economically active population is self-employed. However, little is known about why many engaged in self-employment. Therefore, this study examined how economic conditions and individual-level human capital influence the choice of self-employment in Southwestern Nigeria. To achieve this, data were collected using questionnaires administered to 511 self-employed individuals from five states in South-West Nigeria. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression and multinomial regression. Findings reveal that both economic conditions and human capital are significant determinants of self-employment entry in Southwestern Nigeria. Furthermore, the study found individual human capital as a key influencing factor motivating self-employment entry among the less educated group and educated professionals (i.e., lawyers, doctors, etc), while unemployment was a major factor that increased the participation of educated, especially female graduates, in personal businesses in Southwestern Nigeria. The study concludes that both push and pull factors influence the choice of self-employment in South-West Nigeria. Therefore, policymakers must consider introducing training that enhances the productivity of the educated group when formulating policies that affect self-employment in Southwestern Nigeria.

Gender, Religion, and Education Differences in Intercultural Communication Apprehension and Ethnocentrism Levels among Yoruba Youths in Ede, Southwest Nigeria

Oluwaseun Ayomipo, Sunday Soladoye Asa, Agnes Aderonke Peter — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Levels of human ethnocentrism and intercultural communication apprehension (ICA) affect the quality of relationships among people and peace in society. The levels vary with people’s demographics and are less studied among Yoruba youths in Southwest Nigeria. Therefore, this study investigated the levels of ethnocentrism and ICA among Yoruba youths in Ede town, Southwest Nigeria. The population of the study was young people (aged 16 – 35 years), among whom 66 (47.0%) females and 182 (51.6%) males were selected for the study using a convenience sampling technique. The study employed a survey method, using a pen-and-paper questionnaire to collect data, which was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results showed that, the male and female participants had similar levels of ethnocentrism (t = .647 (p > .05)) and intercultural communication apprehension (t = .984 (p > .05)). Muslim youths had higher levels of ethnocentrism than Christian youths (t = 4.018 (p < .01)), and Christian and Muslim youths had similar levels of intercultural communication apprehension (t = .009 (p > .05)). Furthermore, participants who had only secondary school education had similar levels of ethnocentrism (t = -1.11 (p > .05)) and intercultural communication apprehension (t = .571 (p > .05) with their counterparts who had post-secondary school education. The study concluded that religion is a significant demographic variable that should be taken into account when formulating policies and strategies to promote interfaith and intercultural relations and foster national unity.

Exploring the Influence of Personality Traits and Socio-Demographic Factors on Occupational Stress among Bank Workers in Abuja, Nigeria

Akeem A. Kenku, Adedayo Olufunmilayo — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigated the roles of personality traits and socio-demographic factors in predicting occupational stress among bank workers in Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 277 participants (132 males and 145 females) in Abuja. The findings reveal that personality traits, collectively, significantly predicted occupational stress, accounting for 70% of the variance. Specifically, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and extraversion independently influence occupational stress, while openness to experience did not. In contrast, socio-demographic variables (age, work experience, and educational level) showed no significant predictive influence. Gender analysis indicated that female bank workers experienced significantly higher levels of occupational stress than their male counterparts. These results emphasize the critical role of personality traits in occupational stress and underscore the need for personalized stress management interventions, gender-sensitive policies, and continuous employee well-being monitoring to improve workplace outcomes.

Perceived Stress, Smartphone Addiction and Sleep Quality among Undergraduates of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examined the relationship between perceived stress and sleep quality, examined the relationship between smartphone addiction and sleep quality, and assessed the influence of gender and age on sleep quality among undergraduates. A descriptive survey research design was employed, and a sample of 579 students was selected using a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected through face-to-face administration of the research instruments and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA. The study result showed that there was a positive correlation between perceived stress and the quality of sleep, r (577) =.15, p <.001 which has indicated that an increased perceived stress correlated with lower sleep quality. There was no significant correlation between smartphone addiction and sleep quality r(577) =.08, p>05. The impact of gender on sleep quality was also significant, t (577) = -2.15, p <.05, indicating that female students had a sleep quality slightly better than their male counterparts. Nonetheless, there was no significant overall influence of age on sleep quality, F(61, 517) = 0.696, p =.960, though the post-hoc results showed that younger students (15-20 years) had worse sleep quality than older ones (p =.041). The study concluded that perceived stress and gender are major predictors of sleep quality among university students, while smartphone addiction and age have minimal influence. It recommends the introduction of gender-sensitive stress management and sleep hygiene programs at the beginning and midpoint of each semester to improve students' mental health, academic productivity, and overall well-being.

Integrated Morphometric and Hydrologic Characterization of Watari River Basin using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Mukhtar Suleiman, Adamu Mustapha, Abubakar Ibrahim Tukur — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The morphometric characteristics of a river basin are very important factors in watershed hydrology. The morphometric analysis of the Watari River Basin was carried out in this study with a view to assessing its morphological characteristics using Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The morphometric parameters analyzed were categorized into linear, areal, and relief aspects of the basin. The results showed that Watari was a 6^th order river with a dendritic stream network. The sum length of the entire streams for all orders is 1437.52km and the main channel is 62.57km with maximum basin length of 72.90 and minimum basin length of 55.61km. Watari has maximum width of 41.51km and a minimum basin width of 5.57km. For the Area morphometry, Watari has a basin area of 1554.72km². Basin area of 215.10km and 30 numbers of sub basins with an area circle of 5373.56km². Watari has a circle perimeter of 260.52km and diameter of circle of 82.71km. With respect to the relief properties, Watari basin had lowest elevation of 434 metres and highest elevation of 621 metres. The secondary relief depicted the characteristics of an elongated basin. In addition, the drainage density of 1.17Km suggest a smaller surface runoff and a flatter ground surface. More so, the form factor and bifurcation indicated that the basin is a rolling and relatively flat basin with less risk of flooding.

Assessment of the Cultural, Economic and Environmental Consequences of Okuama–Okoloba Crisis in Delta State, Nigeria

Efe Agabi, Ashikodi Marian Onyemaechi — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigated the cultural, economic and environmental consequences of the crises between Okuama and Okoloba in Delta state, Nigeria. The study employed a qualitative method to examine the perspectives of community members regarding the causes and effects of the conflict. A total of fifty individuals from both communities were interviewed. Content analysis was adopted to analyze the responses. The study revealed that land disputes, competition for land perceived to contain high hydrocarbon deposits, and the absence of proactive governmental intervention were the major causes of the crises. The livelihoods, housing, and cultural artifacts of the people were completely destroyed during the counter-response to the killing of state actors in Okuama. The reconstruction of the Okuama community was anchored on the top-down approach that failed to consider existing boundaries and land ownership structures. The study therefore recommends that the government should adopt more proactive measures to de-escalate inter-communal crises, and that the deployment of military force in community land disputes should be minimized. Where military presence is deemed necessary, it must be guided by utmost professionalism. Adequate compensation should be provided to those whose livelihoods were completely destroyed.

Workplace Bullying as A Correlate of Employee Withholding Effort among Workers in Lagos, Nigeria

Sylvester Ororume Atiri, Omonigho Simon Umukoro, Femi Adesina — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The study examined workplace bullying as a correlate of employee withholding effort among workers in Lagos state with the aim of determining the relationship between workplace bullying and employee withholding effort. The study involved a cross-sectional survey method using 250 participants from five organizations A pencil and paper questionnaire and two psychological scales were used to elicit information from the respondents. The questionnaire was made up of biodata form, which elicited demographic information from the participants. The Experience of Work Bullying Behaviour scale developed by Quine (2001) was used to measure workplace bullying, while the Effort Withholding Work Scale was used to measure workers’ level of effort withholding behaviour. The result showed that workplace bullying has a significant positive correlation with effort withholding among workers (r = .19**, at p<0.05). The study concluded that workplace bullying is related to employee withholding effort in workers.