Suchergebnisse

In this contemporary Nigeria democratic situation, conflict, violence and all such other kind of insecurity has over dominated the country from the North East issues of Boko Haram Insurgent, Herdsmen and Farmers conflict in Zamfara, Benue, Nasarawa and Kaduna. The issue of violent communal and religious conflicts have become regular feature of social life in Nigeria. These conflicts result from different value systems, aggressive competition for land, water and political resources, and unhealthy competition of some leaders. There is hardly a year when there is no major violent conflict. Conflict in this respect, especially in Northern part of the country varied in scope, intensity and nature, and has taken immeasurable toll on human lives, leaving many dead, maimed and numerous others displaced, as a result of the involvement of small arms illegally acquired. To this end, this study seeks to examine the nature of ethno-religious conflicts in Kaduna metropolis, to find out the sources of illegal small arms and examine its impacts on ethno-religious conflicts. In collecting data for this study, two complementary modes of data collection – survey and in depth interviews were used, and the data generated were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed. The data revealed that, there are frequent ethno-religious conflicts in the State. The conflicts are usually between the two major ethnic and religious groups, and most often these involve the use of illegal small arms. The study also found out that smuggling from neighboring States/countries, politicians, local manufacturers, arms dealers, theft of security forces arms constitute the major sources of illegal small arms in Kaduna metropolis. The essence of reveling the prevalence of internal conflicts in Kaduna State is responsible for continued proliferation of illegal small arms in the State. It was also found out that, illegal small arms destroy lives and properties, cause injuries and maiming, displacement of people and creates general sense of insecurity. In ...

This study explores the idea of Islamic banks requesting for collateral or guarantee when financing, the rationale for requesting loan security, and its acceptability from Islamic perspectives. The study reviewed the previous literature and Islamic injunctions to study and justify the use of collateral and guarantor to hedge the risk of financing default. It is found that Islamic banks like conventional banking system encourage requesting loan security to ensure borrowers' commitment and protect investors' wealth. Despite its effect on loan rejection, secured loans are found to be recovered more easily than unsecured loans. Government and Islamic banks are therefore advised to device mean for helping small-scale businesses to access financing, through credit guarantee schemes and participatory financing mechanisms, to enhance financial inclusion.

This study is an analysis of the nature and pattern of intra-party conflict in Nigeria's Fourth Republic with specific reference to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Intra-party conflict has been the norm in Nigerian politics leading to crises, setback and failure of many parties to forge ahead for proper democratisation in Nigeria including the ruling parties in many instances. The problem is the way in which intra-party conflict is becoming the bane of democratisation and good governance in Nigeria for many decades and despite the previous experiences, the phenomenon continued unabated. The study investigated the new dimension of intra-party conflict in Nigeria taking the All Progressives Congress as the case study. The study used a qualitative method of data collection and analysis. Primary and secondary sources of data were used. The primary data involved an in-depth interview with some selected informants from the relevant institutions and agencies related to the APC and the crises such as the national party executives, senior officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and academicians that are experts in the area of study. The secondary sources include books, journals, newspapers, internets and other documented materials. The data obtained were discussed using content analysis where thematic analytical interpretations were used in the discussions. The research discovered that, the intra-party conflict under the APC has taken a new dimension where the members of the ruling party constituted an opposition and a stumbling block for the party's progress and governance. The work recommends that intra-party conflict of APC and other Nigerian political parties can be resolved through constitutional reforms, institutionalisation of party ideology and principles and strict sanctions from the national leaders of the party.

This study explores the idea of Islamic banks requesting for collateral or guarantee when financing, the rationale for requesting loan security, and its acceptability from Islamic perspectives. The study reviewed the previous literature and Islamic injunctions to study and justify the use of collateral and guarantor to hedge the risk of financing default. It is found that Islamic banks like conventional banking system encourage requesting loan security to ensure borrowers' commitment and protect investors' wealth. Despite its effect on loan rejection, secured loans are found to be recovered more easily than unsecured loans. Government and Islamic banks are therefore advised to device mean for helping small-scale businesses to access financing, through credit guarantee schemes and participatory financing mechanisms, to enhance financial inclusion.

Given the diverse nature of the Nigerian society and the tension associated with political contestations, particularly elective positions at various levels of government, some power sharing frameworks evolved in both formal and informal contexts. The 'Federal Character Principle' for instance, which is a constitutional provision that requires the sharing of major political and bureaucratic positions among the diverse people of Nigeria is meant to ensure fair representation, equitable distribution of political incentives and sense of belonging. This principle is also internalized by the major political parties in Nigeria in their candidates' selection procedures and indeed by the legislature in determination of candidates for legislative leadership positions. Thus using the National Assembly of Nigeria from 1999- 2011, the paper examined the extent to which formal and informal power sharing arrangements affects democratic governance in the country. The paper relied on secondary sources of data, which include official documents such as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, constitutions of various political parties, newspaper and bulletins and some extant literature. Theoretically, Lijphart's (1968; 1977; and 1990) consociational model of Proportional Representation (PR) provided the guide to understanding the power sharing arrangement in Nigeria's democracy and particularly the informal arrangement within the National Assembly. This theoretical stance, though contradicts the broader theory of legislative institutionalization, is seen as an effective strategy for dousing tensions, curtailing upheavals and ensuring mutual trust among the diverse groups of Nigeria for democratic stability. The paper, however, argues that the informal power sharing arrangement in the Nigeria's National Assembly undermines its autonomy, complexity and the principle of universal procedure of conducting legislative business. Essentially, the power sharing arrangement affects the stability of legislative leadership which is central to legislative autonomy and its institutionalization as well. The paper concluded that while the National Assembly in Nigeria is unlikely to institutionalize conventionally, the fragile nature of the informal arrangements of power sharing may also be a source of tension and conflict once it is obstructed.

Abstract: To ensure the attainment of good governance and sustainable development, corruption and its scourge must be combated. In Nigeria, the state has had series of anti-corruption measures by successive administrations in its 55 years of existence as an independent entity. While such measures appeared to have been well packaged, however, absence of political will and inability of the state to regard civil society organizations as important partner in the anti corruption has retarded the country's ability to get rid of the menace of corruption, hence the inability of Nigerian state to provide effective and efficient services to its teeming populace. Being a partner in the development process of modern state, and in order to effectively enhance their roles in the fight against corruption, the paper proper ways upon which civil society groups can organize themselves and work with the state to get rid of corruption in the country.Keywords: Civil Society, Corruption, Democracy, Democratization, State

"With microfinance including the provision of small loans to individuals and groups who have no access to credit from traditional banks the focus of this book on the nexus between microfinance and economic development, offering a broadening of ideas on how the provision of microfinance can aid the transformation of the economies of developing and emerging countries."

Reconnoitering the possibilities of Sustainable Microfinance based on Indian experience for the preservation of magnificent African natural resources /Manpreet Arora, Swati Singh, Roshan Sharma --Service failure, recovery and sustainable development: Towards justice in the extractive industry Nigeria /Anthony Kalagbor --The Shortfalls of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Act 2010 in Achieving Sustainable Development /Manuchim Adele --The Relationship between Developmental Social Work, Poverty Alleviation, and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities /Chigozie Ugwoji, Uzoechi Nawgbara --Role of Microfinance in Entrepreneurship Development /Neeta Baporikar --Investigating Entrepreneurial Success Factors of Businesses Owned by Nigerian Women in the UK /Victoria Temitope, Seema Sharma.

ABSTRACT Background: Child marriage remains a challenge in Ghana. Over the years, government and development partners have made various commitments and efforts to curb the phenomenon of child marriage. However, there is little empirical evidence on the predictors, norms and practices surrounding the practice to support their efforts, a gap this study sought to fill. Methods: The study adopted an explanatory research design and quantitative research approach in which simple random and convenient sampling technique were used to select ninety-three respondents from Kongo-Pitanga of Nabdam district. The study used structured questionnaires as a tool for data collection. Findings : From the qualitative data, the study identified poverty, teenage pregnancy, and cultural norms such as, exchange of girls for marriage and pressure from significant others as the drivers of child marriage. Conclusion: The findings show that various socio-economic and cultural factors such as education, teenage pregnancy, and poverty influence child marriage. Hence, efforts to curb child marriage should be geared towards retention of girls in school, curbing teenage pregnancy, empowering girls economically, enforcing laws on child marriage in Ghana, as well as designing tailored advocacy programs to educate key stakeholders and adolescent girls on the consequences of child marriage. Additionally, there is the need to address socio-cultural norms/practices to help end child marriage.