For generations, the potential of Nigerian women to contribute effectively to national development seems to be suppressed by many factors which cut across religious, environmental and cultural constraints. Consequentl...For generations, the potential of Nigerian women to contribute effectively to national development seems to be suppressed by many factors which cut across religious, environmental and cultural constraints. Consequently, women have strongly resolved to renegotiate their relevance through the adoption and utilization of various initiatives. At the forefront, one of these initiatives early in time was Margaret Ekpo (1914-2006), a Nigerian female political activist who unilaterally began radical movements in parts of Nigeria to transform the political consciousness of the Nigerian women, and to reverse gender-related inequalities in the country. This paper sets out to evaluate her approaches to what could be described as political re-engineering. It develops a framework drawing from theories of conflict resolution and the principles of liberalism and feminism. Findings show that despite of the limited formal education and political ideologies to which she was exposed to, she was able to rise above the prevailing challenges of her time to build a firm pedestal upon which many women politicians in Nigeria have stood to launch themselves to political limelight. The study concludes that the principles of liberalism and a desire to foster the political development of Nigeria account for Margaret Ekpo's venture into the political field.展开更多
The language policy in Ghana's educational system has become an issue of debate in recent years. A change in the language policy from the local languages as the medium of instruction to English for the first three ye...The language policy in Ghana's educational system has become an issue of debate in recent years. A change in the language policy from the local languages as the medium of instruction to English for the first three years of primary school in the year 2002 was reversed in 2004. It is obvious that the language policy adopted does not reflect in improvement in school achievement. The debate must go beyond the use of English or the local languages for the first three years of primary education to address the real issues that hinder school achievement. This paper examines the factors that hinder school achievement in Ghana and other developing countries. The paper argues that the problem of poor academic performance in Ghana is not due to the language policy adopted. The paper points out that the language policy is just a veil that the politicians use to perpetuate the use of English as the language of rule in the higher domains in order to preserve the privileges with which this language is associated. The paper concludes that politicians in Ghana use the language policy in education as a means to perpetuate elite closure.展开更多
Rail transport in most developing countries, is usually the least developed mode. For instance, in Nigeria the vibrant fortune of rail transport operations and development has been on decline since mid 1970s.The devel...Rail transport in most developing countries, is usually the least developed mode. For instance, in Nigeria the vibrant fortune of rail transport operations and development has been on decline since mid 1970s.The developmental gap in rail transport in Nigeria is responsible for a significant level of access denial to a safer, affordable and environmentally-friendly mode of transport, to the younger generation of Nigerians. Through a critique of past railways developmental projects and policies, this paper was able to identify the principal factors responsible for its intangible contributions to the socio-economic development of Nigeria. It further highlighted the role(s) politics of policies inconsistency and somersault plays, to the detriment of realization of a vibrant railway system in Nigeria. The findings revealed that discontinuity and incoherence in policy implementation by successful governments, policy reversal as well as uncoordinated national transport policy goal and objectives as clogs in the wheel of progress of railways development in Nigeria. In conclusion, the paper hinged the rapid development of the rail industry in Nigeria on institutional paradigm shift, whereby the rail authority will enjoy a reasonable level of autonomy in decision making, finance and investment in rail operations, infrastructure supply and technological advancement in Nigeria.展开更多
文摘For generations, the potential of Nigerian women to contribute effectively to national development seems to be suppressed by many factors which cut across religious, environmental and cultural constraints. Consequently, women have strongly resolved to renegotiate their relevance through the adoption and utilization of various initiatives. At the forefront, one of these initiatives early in time was Margaret Ekpo (1914-2006), a Nigerian female political activist who unilaterally began radical movements in parts of Nigeria to transform the political consciousness of the Nigerian women, and to reverse gender-related inequalities in the country. This paper sets out to evaluate her approaches to what could be described as political re-engineering. It develops a framework drawing from theories of conflict resolution and the principles of liberalism and feminism. Findings show that despite of the limited formal education and political ideologies to which she was exposed to, she was able to rise above the prevailing challenges of her time to build a firm pedestal upon which many women politicians in Nigeria have stood to launch themselves to political limelight. The study concludes that the principles of liberalism and a desire to foster the political development of Nigeria account for Margaret Ekpo's venture into the political field.
文摘The language policy in Ghana's educational system has become an issue of debate in recent years. A change in the language policy from the local languages as the medium of instruction to English for the first three years of primary school in the year 2002 was reversed in 2004. It is obvious that the language policy adopted does not reflect in improvement in school achievement. The debate must go beyond the use of English or the local languages for the first three years of primary education to address the real issues that hinder school achievement. This paper examines the factors that hinder school achievement in Ghana and other developing countries. The paper argues that the problem of poor academic performance in Ghana is not due to the language policy adopted. The paper points out that the language policy is just a veil that the politicians use to perpetuate the use of English as the language of rule in the higher domains in order to preserve the privileges with which this language is associated. The paper concludes that politicians in Ghana use the language policy in education as a means to perpetuate elite closure.
文摘Rail transport in most developing countries, is usually the least developed mode. For instance, in Nigeria the vibrant fortune of rail transport operations and development has been on decline since mid 1970s.The developmental gap in rail transport in Nigeria is responsible for a significant level of access denial to a safer, affordable and environmentally-friendly mode of transport, to the younger generation of Nigerians. Through a critique of past railways developmental projects and policies, this paper was able to identify the principal factors responsible for its intangible contributions to the socio-economic development of Nigeria. It further highlighted the role(s) politics of policies inconsistency and somersault plays, to the detriment of realization of a vibrant railway system in Nigeria. The findings revealed that discontinuity and incoherence in policy implementation by successful governments, policy reversal as well as uncoordinated national transport policy goal and objectives as clogs in the wheel of progress of railways development in Nigeria. In conclusion, the paper hinged the rapid development of the rail industry in Nigeria on institutional paradigm shift, whereby the rail authority will enjoy a reasonable level of autonomy in decision making, finance and investment in rail operations, infrastructure supply and technological advancement in Nigeria.