SOCIAL SCIENCES
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- ItemA STUDY OF THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF ARMED CONFLICT ON CHILDREN EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA (2018-2022)(2023-02)This study examined the Causes and Effects of Armed Conflict on the Educational Development of Children in Benue State, Nigeria (2018-2022). The study identified the types and nature of armed conflict, the factors responsible for them, and their effects on children's access to education in IDP camps. The study also examined the coping strategies and measures employed to improve their educational development. The study adopted Conflict theory and Relative Deprivation Theory as a theoretical framework. The adoption of the Conflict Theory in this study is justified by its recognition of the role played by the competition among groups or classes for limited resources. This theory helps shed light on the obstacles children face in accessing education during conflict. Similarly, the Relative Deprivation Theory allows for examining the psychological effects of armed conflicts. By exploring the perceived disparities in resources between different social groups, this theory helps reveal the potential effects of relative deprivation on the educational development of children residing in IDP camps. The study collected both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data was collected using 278 questionnaires, while qualitative data was gathered from in-depth interviews with 19 key informants. The study found that the primary type of armed conflict in the area was a crop farmer-cattle herder dispute, and the nature of the attack was the mass shooting of victims in their communities. The conflict was caused by a shortage of land for crop farming and animal grazing space. Displacement due to the conflict led to a lack of access to formal education and psychological trauma among children. Coping strategies included vocational skills acquisition and play therapy. The study recommended short-term measures such as providing learning infrastructure, psychological support, teachers and teaching aides to IDP camps, and long-term measures such as resolving the conflict, providing security, resettling the displaced victims, and rebuilding destroyed school infrastructures.
- ItemPERCEPTIONS OF THE FORMS AND EFFECTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON WOMEN’S HEALTH IN ZARIA, KADUNA STATE(2012-12)This study focused on investigating the Perceptions of the Forms and Effects of domestic violence on women’s health in Zaria Communities of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study was conducted in four communities within Zaria. The objectives were to identify and describe the forms of domestic violence on women’s health; explore the nature and prevalence of domestic violence on women’s health; examine factors that enhances domestic violence on women’s health; identify the effects of domestic violence on women’s health; strategies adopted by victims to cope with domestic violence and recommending ways of mitigating the incidence of domestic violence on women’s health. Liberal Feminist Theory served as the theoretical framework for this study with its basic assumptions that: as the dominant class, men have differential access to material and symbolic resources thus women are devalued as secondary and inferior; intimate partner abuse is a predictable and common dimension of normal family life; women’s experiences are often defined as inferior because male dominance influences all aspects of life. Information was derived from a sample of 186 respondents of age 10- 30 years and above, four in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted. The findings revealed that, domestic violence exist in the community with the most common forms as Sexual Assault 30 %( 55) and Spouse Battering 22 %( 41). As a consequence, its victims suffer effects like bruises/injuries 54 %( 100), swollen body parts and stress related injuries 52 %( 96). Findings also show that, factors that enhance domestic violence include age of marriage, how marriages are concluded and socioeconomic status. In addition, findings showed that reasons for the existence of domestic violence leading to poor health status of women were attributed to poverty, non-challant attitudes of spouse, and disobedience among couple. As a coping mechanism, the findings revealed some respondents tend to have very interactive relationships with their children, isolate themselves, become depressed, others accepted their situations and turn to God in prayers. The respondents recommended that: perpetrators must face the law; prayers should be implored; counseling and dialogue should be implemented; cases of domestic violence should be reported on time to parents and community leaders.
- ItemIMPACT OF SELECTED MACROECONOMIC VARIABLES ON AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT IN NIGERIA (1981 – 2017).(2021-04)In the past 3 decades (1981-2017), the Nigerian government has set out various policies targeted at stimulating the macroeconomic variables and consequently affecting the agricultural outputs positively in the economy, but have inadequately achieved these goals. This is evidenced in the annual agricultural outputs which are always insufficient to cater to the rising population of the country. Hence, this study examined the impact of selected macroeconomic variables onNigeria’s agricultural outputs (aggregate and dis-aggregated) over the time under review(1981-2017). The Cobb-Douglas Production theory formed the theoretical framework for the study. After reviewing relevant works of literature, the suitable analytical techniques (Johansen cointegration(long-run relationship), Fully Modified OLS(FMOLS(long-run impacts) and Error Correction Model (ECM)(short-run impact)) were chosen and employed. The five (One aggregate and four disaggregated) estimated Johansen results all indicated a long-run equilibrium relationship. Furthermore, the coefficients of the FMOLS results for aggregate agricultural output, in the long run, reveals that credit and Non-oil importsaresuitable macroeconomic variables that can be used to positively and negatively impact the aggregate agricultural outputs in Nigeria respectively. In the short run, non-oil exports impact much positively with a 24.6% increase for any 10% increase. While Non-Oil Imports impact much negatively to aggregate agricultural output with -20.6% for any 10% increase. For the sub-sectors, the FMOLS results for crop production suggested credit to be a more suitable variable to use to rapidly increase the sub-sector's outputs with a 2.07% increase to the output for a 10% increase; while Non-Oil imports can impose the most negative impact with -0.41% reduction the sub-sector’s output for any 10% increase. And in the short run, Non-oil exports impact much positively with 0.804% for any 10% increase; while non-oil imports impact much negatively to the sub-sector with -0. 8.15% for any 10% increase. Again for a quick and much positive response in fish production, in the long run, the result suggests credit be the most suitable variable with a 2.323% increase in fish output for any 10% increase; while Non-Oil exports can impose the most negative impact with -1.996% reduction of fish output for any 10% increase. And in the short run, Non-oil imports impact much positively with a 0.990% increase in fish output for any 10% increase. While non-oil export impacts much negatively with -1.013%. reduction for any 10% increase. Considering the result obtained from the FMOLS estimation for the forestry sub-sector, to achieve the quickest and positive response in forestry production, in the long run, the result suggests Non-Oil export as the most suitable variable with a 0.616% increase to the forestry output for any 10% increase; while credit can impose the most negative impact with - 0.716% reduction of forestry output for any 10% increase. In the short run, Non-oil exports impact much positively with a 0.322% increase in forest output for any 10% increase; while Non-Oil imports impact much negatively with a -0.255% reduction for any 10% increase. Finally, to achieve a fast and much positive response in livestock production, in the long run, the FMOLS result suggests labour as the most suitable variable with a 0.514% increase to the livestock output for any 10% increase; while public debt servicing can impose a quick and more negative impact on livestock output with -0.140% reduction in the output for any 10% increase. In the short run, labour impacts more positively with a 0.307% increase in the output for any 10% increase. Thus, the results obtained suggest that macroeconomic variables still affect the sector’s outputs; and practical policy recommendations by policymakers to help and rapidly boost the sector output’s growth is by helping farmers via the good provision of credit and helping them to market their produce at the international markets which can help them earn foreign currencies and thus, stimulate them to produce more and consequently lead to expansion of the whole sector vis-à-vis the Nigerian economy.
- ItemASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ON COMMUNITY BASED INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IN SELECTED COMMUNITIES OF BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA 2015-2016(2021-04)Displacement of Persons resulting from human conflicts is becoming an issue of global concern. Many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are settled in camps, but majority of these persons in North Eastern Nigeria are based in various host communities. These displaced persons need urgent, stringent and continuous support which is expected from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Therefore, this study is aimed at examining the effectiveness of NEMA in assisting the community based IDPs, between January 2015 to December 2016, in selected communities of Bauchi State. The main objective of the study was to explore the mandate of NEMA in the management of the IDPs with a view to assessing the extent of the application of the mandate in supporting the displaced persons. Reviewed literature suggested that NEMA draws its mandate from the NEMA Act, which was developed from International Disaster Response Techniques, and placed NEMA in the context of disaster response strategies,unveiled some challenges in accomplishing its mandates. Structural Functionalism, a theory which emphasizes on order, stability and consensus in the society was adopted as the theoretical Framework for the study. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were adopted for the study. For the quantitative technique, a total of 244 questionnaires were distributed to the IDPs in three communities of Bununu, Tulai and Liman Katagum, of which 229 were retrieved and analyzed. For the qualitative technique, a total of thirteen persons were interviewed in depth. Of these, four NEMA personnel, one person each from among the IDP leaders, leaders of the host communities and a community member was selected. The study found that although NEMA has been mandated to provide immediate support to the victims of other disasters, there was no explicit mandate on the support to be given to the conflict induced, community based IDPs. Instead,the type of support given to the camp based IDP‟s is offered to the community based, even though their needs and predicaments are not always similar. The study also found that although NEMA has a viable strategy for the management of persons afflicted with disasters, it has been hindered from providing effective management of the IDPs by numerous challenges. It is suggested that a specific policy should be formulated to mandate NEMA to provide services for the community based, conflict or insurgency induced IDPs whose quandary is peculiar in comparison to others. The study also suggest that States and Local Government Counci ls should be mandated to enact Laws that will enable them to fully fund SEMA and LEMA personnel and programmes for effective management of human conflict induced, community based IDPs.
- ItemA STUDY OF SOCIAL STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA(2021-05)Mental healthcare is not given the desired attention like other illnesses in Nigeria. The existing psychiatric hospitals are only concentrated in the urban areas and laws to protect the rights of people with mental illness against stigma and discrimination are ineffective. There is lack of coordinating mechanism to take care of public education on mental illness. Consequently, people with mental illness and their family members are therefore left to suffer alone. Furthermore, they also have to contend with the symptoms of the disease on one hand and the stereotype and prejudice due to misconception about mental illness on the other. As a result, they internalize public stigma and become devalued members of the society. This study examined public attitude towards mental illness. The study examined the prevalence of internalized stigma against people with mental illness. The study examined the level of discrimination of people living with mental illness by mental healthcare professionals. The study also examined the stigma experienced by family members of people with mental illness and the strategies they use to cope with stigma. The labeling theory of mental illness was adopted as a theoretical frame work for the study. Data were collected in six selected local government areas in the State, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Center Makurdi and six traditional psychiatric hospitals. A survey questionnaire was administered to 400 members of the public, 468 people living with mental illness, 468 caregivers and 69 mental health care professionals. In-depth Interviews wer e held with people living with mental illness, their family members and mental health care professionals. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 23. The findings revealed that members of the public have negative attitude towards mental illness. This was demonstrated through the unwillingness of members of the public (54.3%) to associate with the mentally ill, to entrust sensitive tasks like babysitting to them (64.6%) and to marry persons who had once suffered from mental illness (58.3%). The study also revealed that 67.9% of the people suffering from mental illness had elevated internalized stigma. People living with mental illness who received traditional health care had elevated stigma scores more than those who attended orthodox (t = 4.404, df = 466, sig. 2 tailed (p) = 000). Nurses and social workers with mean rating of 2.94 and standard deviation of 0.87, 2.94 and standard deviation of 0.97 respectively exhibited more negative attitude. It was also revealed through in-depth interviews with people having mental illness that they took overdose of the drugs from the hospitals to forget about the public stigma they experienced. It was recommended that government and non-governmental organizations should embark on public awareness to educate members of the public about mental illness. It was also recommended that government and non-governmental organizations should undertake psycho educational programs and counseling targeted at people with mental illness receiving traditional psychiatric care. Anti-stigma courses should form an integral part of the training curricular of medical schools. Stigma of mental illness remains a major challenge to the individual with mental illness, their family members and the society at large because it affects productivity. Consequently, concerted effort should be made to end stigmatization and discrimination of mental illness. Key words: Stigma, Mental Illness, Internalized Stigma, Public, Family Members,Benue State