Papers for Vol. 34(1) 2026
Contested Origins of Ukwuani/Ndosumili Peoples: Historical Claims and Empirical Genetic Testing
This study investigates the origins of the Ukwuani/Ndosumili people in Southern Nigeria, where the dominant narrative has favoured Benin (Bini) heritage over alternative origins such as Igbo. Lively debates and controversial arguments surrounding these origins have ensued. This study contributes to the debate from two perspectives. First, archival documents and other materials were employed to reassess accounts of Ukwuani/Ndosumili peoples' origins. Second, an innovative technique of DNA relative matching was applied to select individuals from Ukwuani/Ndosumili communities and clans to help determine whom the people are more genetically related to in Southern Nigeria. Historical accounts from the area suggest that many Ukwuani/Ndosumili communities originated from Benin, conferring an Edoid identity; however, these assertions have been challenged in scholarly work. Evidence indicates that the eponymous ancestors of many Ukwuani/Ndosumili clans originated from the Igbo heartland, a claim established by other scholars and corroborated in this study. An empirical analysis of matched unknown relatives results for Ukwuani/Ndosumili participants who took tests with a direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic company did not suggest that participants have more genetic relatives in Benin or are more genetically linked to the Bini. The DNA relative matching results showed that the study's participants have more recent genetic links—or are more closely related—to others within the Igboid grouping, which downplays the pre-eminent role accorded to the Bini origin narrative for the Ukwuani/Ndosumili people. Keywords:Ndosumili, Ukwuani, Nigeria, Oral history, DNA relative matching, Ethnicity, Igbo, Benin
Princely E. Ifinedo, Paul Oshagwu Opone, Ugochukwu B. Odagwe
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.1.23
Institutionalizing Dissent: Parliamentary Opposition in
Ukraine and Comparative Perspective
Abstract
This article explores the institutional role of parliamentary opposition within the system of legislative
power through a comparative analysis of Ukrainian and international experiences. The study
highlights the constitutional and legal foundations of opposition activity, emphasizing the importance
of opposition as a structural element of democracy and a counterbalance to the ruling majority.
Special attention is given to the functional aspects of opposition in legislative processes, particularly
in times of political instability or under martial law, as observed in Ukraine. Drawing on examples
from established democracies such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Poland, the article
identifies institutional mechanisms that ensure the opposition's ability to perform its functions
effectively, including oversight, alternative lawmaking, and representation of dissenting views. The
Ukrainian context is analyzed through the prism of existing constitutional provisions, parliamentary
rules of procedure, and recent practice under conditions of war, revealing persistent institutional
weaknesses and normative gaps. The article also engages with recent recommendations of the Venice
Commission and PACE Resolution 1601 (2008), proposing improvements to the legal and procedural
framework governing the rights and responsibilities of the opposition. Through this analysis, the
paper underlines that an empowered, legally protected, and structurally integrated opposition is vital
to the resilience and legitimacy of parliamentary democracy, especially in transitional or post-conflict
contexts. The findings support a balanced institutional model that affirms both the functionality of
parliament and the democratic value of dissent.
Keywords: Opposition, Parliamentary democracy, Ukraine, Comparative constitutional law,
Legislative power, Venice Commission
Andrii Hrubinko, Kyrylo Turchynov, Serhii Shylo, Viacheslav Krykun, Artur Statsenko, Tetiana Voloshanivska
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.24.37
Identity Politics: Issues and Challenges in a Globalized World
Abstract
Contemporary discourse and institutional practice persistently reduce human identity to surface-level
visible markers—race, phenotypical features, names, and biometric identifiers such as fingerprints
and DNA profiles. While these markers provide administratively convenient systems of classification,
they fundamentally fail to capture the multidimensional complexity of identity in an era defined by
migration, cultural hybridity, and rapid advances in genomic and surveillance technologies. This
study addresses the enduring problem of essentialism: the oversimplification of identity into rigid
racial and external categories that erase cultural heritage, intellectual contributions, personal agency,
and the lived experience of selfhood. Such reductive frameworks not only reinforce stereotypes but also
obscure the fundamentally constructed, contested, and dynamic nature of identity across historical
and geographical contexts. Drawing on a qualitative methodology that integrates cultural studies,
critical race theory, and anthropological perspectives on human variation, this research conducts a
thematic analysis of interdisciplinary literature to examine how identity operates as a fluid social
narrative rather than a fixed biological or legal datum. The investigation proceeds through three
analytical registers: first, a genealogical critique of racial classification systems from Linnaean
taxonomy to contemporary biometric governance; second, an examination of diasporic and hybrid
identities that resist categorical containment; and third, an exploration of identity as performative and
narratively constituted through cultural practice, intellectual achievement, and subjective experience.
The findings indicate that identity is neither static nor self-evident. It is continuously shaped by
historical forces, cultural ecosystems, personal accomplishments, and reflexive self-understanding.
Crucially, the study identifies a persistent tension between external ascription and internal selfdefinition—
a gap in which stereotyping, discrimination, and erasure take root. The analysis further
reveals that even ostensibly "objective" biometric and genomic identity systems reproduce racial
logics under the guise of scientific neutrality, demanding renewed critical scrutiny. The study
concludes by advocating for a relational and narrative model of identity that accounts for multiplicity,
change over time, and the interplay between structural constraints and individual agency. Such a
model holds significant implications for policy fields ranging from migration governance and human
rights to education and digital identity infrastructure. Recognizing identity as an ongoing
negotiation rather than a fixed label offers a more ethically robust foundation for engaging with
difference in increasingly pluralistic societies.
Keywords: Identity, Race, Essentialism, Social Construction, Biometrics, Cultural Hybridity,
Narrative Identity, Critical Race Theory
Paul Obi-Ani
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.38.47
Management by Objectives and Employee Performance: Evidence
from Zenith Bank Branches in Abuja Municipal, Nigeria
Abstract
This study examined the effect of Management by Objectives (MBO) on employee performance at
Zenith Bank branches in Abuja Municipal, Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted, and data
were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to staff across 16 branches. The total
population comprised 384 employees, and a census sampling technique was employed, ensuring every
staff member was included in the study. The instrument's reliability was assessed using Cronbach's
alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis with SPSS version 20.0. The
findings revealed a positive and statistically significant effect of Management by Objectives on
employee performance. This indicates that MBO practices enhance employee productivity within the
studied branches. The study recommends that Zenith Bank branches in Abuja Municipal sustain and
strengthen their MBO practices, as they contribute meaningfully to improving employee performance
outcomes.
Keywords: Management by Objectives, Employee performance, Employee productivity, Performance
management, Zenith Bank, Abuja Municipal
Christy Twaliwi Zwingina, Esther Y Bagobiri, Virginia Kassah, Kingsley Nwagu, Udeme Okon Efanga, Geogina Obinne Ugwuanyi, U. C. Anochie, Kelechukwu Colman Ozor, Augustine Okpaje, Chidi Paul Orji
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.48.66
Staging Sustainability: Ecoscenography, Technology, and Climate-
Conscious Performance in Nigerian Theatre
Abstract
This article examines the transformative intersection of technology, ecological design, and
performance practices in Nigerian theatre. It argues that the integration of ecoscenographic principles
— especially those spearheaded by Tanja Beer — offers revolutionary pathways for sustainable theatre
production while addressing Nigeria's urgent environmental challenges. Through case studies of ecotheatre
projects, digital innovations, and indigenous performance practices, we demonstrate how
Nigerian artists are pioneering climate-conscious performance models. The research reveals that
effective eco-design in Nigerian theatre hinges on three pillars: technological adaptation, cultural
relevance, and community co-creation. Findings indicate that ecoscenography not only reduces the
theatre's ecological footprint but also amplifies its capacity as a tool for environmental education and
resilience-building in climate-vulnerable communities. The article concludes with a new framework
for Nigerian theatre that combines Beer's theories with indigenous knowledge and suitable
technologies.
Keywords: Ecoscenography, Nigerian theatre, Sustainable design, Climate dramaturgy, Tanja Beer,
Performance, Indigenous knowledge, Technology
Richard Ndu Umezinwa, Cynthia Nwabueze, Obiora Ekwueme
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.67.79
Between Skepticism and Context: Four Methodological
Paradigms in Orientalist Qur'anic Scholarship
Abstract
This study examines the methodologies of Western Orientalism in Qur'anic studies through a critical
comparative analysis of four prominent models: John Wansbrough, Andrew Rippin, Arthur Jeffery,
and Angelika Neuwirth. These figures represent a spectrum of methodological trends—from Jeffery's
lexical-philological approach and Wansbrough's radical historical criticism to Rippin's hermeneutical
skepticism and Neuwirth's literary-contextual approach rooted in Late Antiquity. The study adopts a
descriptive, analytical, and comparative method by consulting the original works of these scholars and
recent studies on the field's methodological transformations. The study addresses three questions:
What methodological foundations govern each scholar's reading of the Qur'an? What are the points of
agreement and difference among them regarding the text's authority, history, relationship to Islamic
exegesis, and prior religious contexts? To what extent can these approaches be assessed as useful
scholarly contributions versus hypotheses that exceed the bounds of methodological inference? The
study argues that Western Orientalism in Qur'anic studies is not a unified tradition but an
internally diverse field, and that judging it monolithically leads to reductive oversimplification.
Jeffery's philological contributions, while limited in scope, provide useful textual data. Wansbrough's
and Rippin's revisionist hypotheses, though methodologically provocative, often rely on argument
from silence and impose biblical source-critical models onto the Qur'an without sufficient regard for
its particularity. Neuwirth's approach, by contrast, offers a more text-sensitive paradigm that engages
seriously with the Qur'an's oral and liturgical dimensions while situating it within the religious
landscape of Late Antiquity. The study concludes by proposing a balanced critical framework for
engaging with Orientalist Qur'anic studies, based on distinguishing between the methodological tool
and the interpretive result, and between what is suitable for scholarly benefit and what ought to be
subjected to review and critique. Such a framework may open the way for a more precise academic
dialogue between Arabic Qur'anic studies and modern Western treatments.
Keywords: Orientalism, Qur'anic studies, John Wansbrough, Andrew Rippin, Arthur Jeffery,
Angelika Neuwirth, Historical criticism, Textual criticism, Late Antiquity, Methodology
Mohamad Abdullah Alsaied, Abderrazak Ourkia, Asma Omar Ali, Fatima Mohammed Alameri, Fatima Alketbi
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.80.96
Impoliteness Strategies in Selected Twitter Posts on the Supreme
Court's Declaration of Tinubu as the Winner in the 2023 Election
Abstract
This study investigates the impoliteness strategies employed in selected Twitter posts following the
Supreme Court's declaration of Bola Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 Nigerian presidential election
— a decision that ignited a firestorm of outrage across the digital landscape. Utilising a mixedmethods
approach, the study analyses purposively selected tweets concentrated within the immediate
aftermath of the announcement, applying Culpeper's (1996) impoliteness theory to identify,
categorise, and critically evaluate the discursive strategies deployed by users responding to the ruling.
The findings lay bare a striking pattern of linguistic aggression. The most dominant strategy — bald
on-record impoliteness (37.5%) — reveals a base unwilling to temper its fury, opting instead for
direct, unvarnished expressions of indignation aimed squarely at what they perceive as a systemic
injustice. Following closely is mock politeness, or sarcasm (31.25%), a more insidious strategy that
cloaks biting criticism in the language of civility, allowing users to weaponise irony as a shield while
delivering pointed attacks. Positive impoliteness (18.25%) targets the social face and identity of
political actors, while negative impoliteness (12.5%) encroaches on their autonomy. Notably, the
withhold politeness strategy is entirely absent from the analysed corpus — a telling silence that
underscores a user base unwilling to retreat into passivity. The study argues that digital platforms
such as Twitter have become arenas of unrelenting political contestation, where language functions
not merely as a tool of expression but as a weapon of resistance. The aggressive deployment of
impoliteness strategies reflects a deep-seated disillusionment with institutional legitimacy, revealing
how online discourse mirrors and magnifies broader sociopolitical fractures. The findings underscore
the power of language in shaping public opinion, contesting authority, and channelling collective
dissent in an era of heightened political polarisation.
Keywords: Bald on-record, Mock politeness or sarcasm, Positive impoliteness, Negative
impoliteness, Nigerian 2023 Election and Twitter Posts
Chika Kate Ojukwu
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.97.117
Between Communal Rhythm and Digital Code: Modernization, AI,
and the Democratic Ethos of West African Music
Abstract
This paper examines the interrelationship between democracy, African musical ideology, and
modernization from the mid-twentieth century to twenty-first century musical practices, with a
specific focus on West African traditions. Following the independence struggles of the 1950s and
1960s, African music became a central force in shaping political identity and mobilizing democratic
consciousness. African musical ideology, rooted in communal participation and dialogic performance,
resonated with emerging democratic values. The paper clarifies that this "democratic ethos" is
understood not as liberal representative democracy but as a metaphorical democracy — a
participatory, egalitarian social logic embedded in performance practices such as call-and-response
structures, collective rhythmic negotiation, and consensus-based decision-making within musical
ensembles. These traditions, particularly pronounced in West African drumming and vocal forms
(e.g., Highlife rhythm section, Igbo folkloric akuko n'egwu traditions, Yoruba dundun ensembles),
instantiate values of horizontal dialogue, distributed agency, and communal authorship that parallel
democratic ideals without replicating Western institutional models. However, modernization through
urbanization, media technology, globalization, and digitization, especially in the face of recent
advances in artificial intelligence, has both enriched and challenged these traditions. This theoretical
study, drawing on postcolonial theory and cultural studies frameworks, explores how modernization
and AI affect the democratic ethos inherent in West African musical practices. It argues that while
modernization provides avenues for innovation and global recognition, it also risks eroding communal
structures, participatory values, and indigenous ideologies through mechanisms of commodification,
the elevation of individual stardom over collective creation, and the displacement of indigenous
temporal and harmonic systems by Western norms. The study concludes that a balanced approach —
one that combines legal protections for traditional forms, community-led technological adaptation,
and ethical frameworks for AI engagement — is necessary to safeguard cultural identity while
embracing modern trends in music and governance.
Keywords: African musical ideology, West African music, Metaphorical democracy, Modernization,
Artificial intelligence, Postcolonial theory, Cultural preservation
Emelda Chinasa Nnanyelugo, Oluchi Maria Trinitas Keke, Unoma Adaora Echezona, Samson Obialor Onu, Innocent Terver Jande, Nnanyelugo Okoro
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.118.135
Beyond the Colonial Gaze: The Enduring Significance of Odo and
Iyiocha Deities in South-east Nigeria
Abstract
This study interrogates the conceptual essence and enduring significance of deities within the Igbo
cosmological framework, drawing critical evidence from the Odo and Iyiocha deities in Amaokpala,
Anambra State, South-east Nigeria. A prevailing consensus among numerous scholars holds that the
incursion of foreign religions — particularly Christianity — into Igboland dealt a devastating blow to
Indigenous African religious worship and spirituality, systematically eroding this foundational
dimension of the peoples ancestral heritage. Contrary to this narrative of erasure, this study
demonstrates conclusively that African Traditional Religious worship and spirituality — firmly
rooted in the worship and veneration of deities — remains profoundly relevant and formidably potent
in the 21st Century, as resilient and commanding as it was in the pre-colonial era, before the
imposition of Western religions and values sought to supplant it. To accomplish this objective, the
study adopted a rigorous qualitative research design and methodology. Data collection employed indepth
interviews and sustained observational fieldwork, drawing on both primary and secondary
sources to ensure a rich, multi-layered analysis.
Keywords: Deity, Odo and Iyiocha, Igbo Worldview, African traditional religion and spirituality
Uchenna Henrietta Obieluem, C. P. Okpalaekeli, Cyriacus Chijioke Oji, Kenechukwu Chidiogo Daniel
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.154.171
Doctrine and Geography in Boko Haram's Rise
Abstract
This study examines the doctrinal transformation and geopolitical repositioning of Boko Haram from
its emergence in 2002 through the end of 2024, with attention to ongoing developments into early
2025. It traces the movement's evolution from a local, protest-oriented preaching group in
northeastern Nigeria into a cross-border insurgency with a regional footprint across the Lake Chad
Basin. The study proceeds from the premise that explaining this transformation requires more than a
security or social-factors analysis; it demands an analytical framework linking the evolution of the
movement's doctrinal discourse to the shifting geopolitical context in which it operated. By tracing
the development of core concepts in Boko Haram's discourse—including takfīr, political legitimacy,
the enemy, and authority—the study examines the relationship between doctrinal change and
geographic expansion, connecting these conceptual shifts to transformations in patterns of violence
and the widening of the operational theater. The analysis employs a multi-level approach that
combines discourse analysis of the movement's doctrinal production with an examination of its armed
operations within their regional context. The study finds that doctrinal transformation within Boko
Haram was not merely a linguistic shift in religious rhetoric; rather, it functioned as a mechanism for
redefining the boundaries of belonging and hostility, thereby enabling the legitimation of violence and
the expansion of its geographic scope. At the same time, institutional fragility and weak border
governance in the Lake Chad Basin region provided the geopolitical conditions that facilitated the
movement's transition from a local actor to a regional insurgent network. These findings underscore
the importance of examining the interaction between ideology and political geography in order to
understand the dynamics of contemporary jihadist movements in West Africa.
Keywords: Boko Haram, Takfīr, Jihadist insurgency, Lake Chad Basin, Ideology and political
geography, West Africa
Marya Alhattali, Abderrazak Ourkia, Omer Elbashir, Mohamad Abdullah Alsaied, Azza Alkaabi
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.172.198
A Comparative Study of Shakespeare's The Tempest and Césaire's A
Tempest: Seeing Vital Similarities and Differences
Abstract
William Shakespeare's The Tempest is a narrative of deception, magic, marriage, and revenge. The
play highlights how a power struggle leads Prospero, the former Duke of Milan and a skilled
magician, into exile on an island with his daughter, Miranda. Through the alliance with Ariel, his
subordinate spirit, Prospero orchestrates a shipwreck to punish his rival, Antonio, seen as a foe. The
subsequent events resolve past conflicts and culminate in the romantic union of Ferdinand and
Miranda. Additionally, Shakespeare explores themes of enslavement and freedom, exemplified through
Prospero's servants, Ariel and Caliban. Conversely, Aime Cesaire's A Tempest presents a
postcolonial reinterpretation of Shakespeare's work, sharing the core plot but differing significantly in
characterization and themes. Cesaire's adaptation emphasizes the power dynamics between colonizers
and the colonized, contrasting with Shakespeare's focus on themes of power, revenge, and love. This
study employs postcolonial theory to analyze the authors' ideological intentions, particularly
Cesaire's. Using the French explication de texte method, the paper provides a detailed, objective
examination of structure, themes, and imagery. The conclusion underscores the limited political,
economic, and cultural progress in Africa and the Caribbean, highlighting the negative impacts of
neocolonialism as depicted by the two authors. A clarion call is made to Afro-Caribbean leaders to
intensify their efforts in ensuring proper development in their respective zones.
Keywords: Grammar, Character, Revenge, Shipwreck, Influence
Akinkorede Somana Adisa, Anthony Kayode Salau, Babatunde Olanrewaju Adebua, Oluwagbeminiyi Adewanle Bamisaye, Chidi Paul Orji
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.198.208
Awareness and Perception of the 2025 Anambra State Homeland
Security Law among Residents of Awka, Nigeria
Abstract
The enactment of the 2025 Anambra State Homeland Security Law represents a critical juncture in
the state's governance framework. Yet, the gulf between legislative intent and public reception
remains dangerously underexplored. This study examined the awareness levels and perceptual
underpinnings of the Homeland Security Law among residents of Awka, the state capital. A crosssectional
survey design was adopted. From a projected population of 1,371,013, a sample of 385
respondents was drawn using multi-stage probability sampling. Data were collected via a structured
questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, and frequency
distributions). Residents exhibited high factual knowledge of the law's provisions. However,
perception was sharply stratified by four forces: political affiliation, media access, educational
attainment, and trust in government. Critically, political allegiance emerged as the dominant lens
through which the law was interpreted and either supported or contested. Those with access to digital
information ecosystems demonstrated significantly more accurate understanding of the law's purpose.
Knowledge of the law does not translate into perceptual consensus. In a politically polarized
environment, awareness alone is a weak lever for legitimacy. The Anambra State government must
urgently deploy a hybrid information strategy — fusing traditional broadcast media (radio, television,
newspapers) with aggressive digital outreach including social media engagement, official web
platforms, and mobile messaging—to bridge the perception gap and depoliticize public understanding
of the law.
Keywords: Homeland Security Law, Anambra State, Public awareness, Perception, Political
influence, Security governance
Robert Chinweze Ezeanwu, Victor Somtochukwu Okeke, Olanrewaju Abosede Chukwuma, Martins Ezeugwu, Precious Ogechi Ezeagba
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.209.222
Between the Spirit World and the Pentecostal Pulpit:
Agulu Masquerade at the Crossroads
Abstract
In Igbo cosmology, masquerades (mmanwu) are not mere performers in costume—they are the living
embodiments of ancestral spirits who have crossed the threshold of death yet refuse to sever their bond
with the living. The Agulu people hold this tradition with profound reverence: the masked spirit
enforces social norms, dispenses communal justice, transmits oral knowledge through chant and
performance, and bridges the chasm between the visible world and the spirit realm. But this sacred
institution now stands at a precipice. Two relentless forces—Pentecostal Christianity and the tide of
modernization—converge to strip the masquerade of its spiritual legitimacy, reducing centuries of
embodied theology to—at best—folkloric entertainment, and at worst, pagan idolatry. The crisis is
epistemological: as elders die without initiating successors, the connection between specific
masquerades and the particular ancestors they embody dissolves into irretrievable silence. Who is the
spirit behind the mask? The question, once answered with unshakable certainty, now echoes
unanswered across Agulu. Drawing on ethnographic observation and community testimony, this
paper examines the categories, functions, symbolism, and performative rituals of Agulu masquerades
against the backdrop of this existential threat. It argues that preservation cannot succeed through
nostalgia alone. Instead, the paper recommends an interfaith community dialogue—one that carves
out space for mutual respect between Christian doctrine and ancestral veneration—paired with
urgent documentation and digital archiving of masquerade lineages, chants, and ceremonial protocols
before the last initiated elder takes the knowledge to the grave.
Keywords: Homeland Security Law, Anambra State, Public awareness, Perception, Political
influence, Security governance
Williams A. Umegbolu, Victoria Yemi Fagbemi, Samson O. Onu, Samson O. Onu, Bartholomew O. Agu, Damian C. Ogbuabor, Kingsley Chimezie Okoroafor, Christian Ukom Edu, Eric Okwuchukwu Ugwu, Christian Ukom Edu
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.223.235
Beyond the Broken Kola: Iwa Oji, Westernization, and the
Philosophical Crisis of Igbo Identity
Abstract
This study critically examines Iwa Oji—the Igbo kola nut ritual—as both a living cultural heritage
and a sophisticated system of Indigenous philosophy within Igbo society. Far from a mere ceremonial
formality, Iwa Oji embodies the metaphysical, ethical, and cosmological foundations of Igbo
worldview: it mediates communion between the living, the ancestors, and the gods; it enacts
principles of hospitality, hierarchy, and collective identity; and it functions as a site of orature,
symbolism, and customary law. Drawing on oral interviews, ethnographic observation, and secondary
sources analyzed through a descriptive-interpretive framework, this study reveals the
multidimensional role of Iwa Oji across the socio-cultural, philosophical, economic, and political
spheres of Igbo life. However, the paper confronts a sobering reality: the sustained onslaught of
Westernization and Christian evangelism has severely eroded the practice, stripping it of its sacral
depth and reducing it in many contexts to a hollow, performed relic. This paper argues that the
survival of Iwa Oji demands urgent and deliberate intervention. It proposes a tripartite strategy of
revitalization: the institutionalization of the practice through continuous community performance,
the formal integration of Iwa Oji into school curricula as a pillar of Indigenous knowledge systems,
and the establishment of competitive Iwa Oji festivals among Igbo communities to foster pride,
transmission, and innovation. Without such measures, the paper warns, Igbo society risks not merely
the loss of a ritual, but the severance of a philosophical thread that binds its people to their ancestors,
their land, and their way of being in the world.
Keywords: Iwa oji, Kola nuts, Cultural heritage, Philosophy, Igbo, Nigeria
Joshua Okenwa Uzuegbu, Obiora Anichebe, James Onyekachi Onyeabor, Wilson Ejiofor Anowia, Cyriacus Chijioke Oji, Emeka Kingsley Onyekwere
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.236-247
Critical Disconnects: Digital Pedagogy, Structural Inequality, and the
Foreclosure of Sustainable Music Education in Post-Pandemic Nigeria
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic did not merely disrupt education—it detonated a global crisis that forced
institutions into a digital arena for which they were catastrophically unprepared. At the Alvan Ikoku
Federal College of Education (A.I.F.C.E.), the shift to online classes thrust the institution into the
internet space, creating an illusion of visibility that masked a grim reality: the teaching and learning
experiences of musical arts students and lecturers were unraveling. This study confronts the urgent
question of whether Sustainable Education Goal 2030 remains attainable under such conditions—a
question the literature has dangerously neglected. Employing a qualitative design guided by critical
theory, the study examined the entire census population of musical arts lecturers alongside a
purposive sample of ten 300-level and ten 400-level students. Thematic analysis of interview data
exposed a brutal chasm between institutional digital visibility and actual learning outcomes. The
virtual space, far from being a liberating pedagogical frontier, became a site of compounded failure.
Students were crippled by the absence of Android phones, computers, internet connectivity, and
electricity—basic infrastructures treated elsewhere as givens, here as luxuries. Compounding this
catastrophe, both lecturers and students were demonstrably unprepared, even incompetent, for the
digital demands thrust upon them. We argue with urgency that without massive financial
intervention to provide the technologies essential for digital musicianship, the Sustainable Education
Goal of 2030 is not merely threatened—it is effectively doomed. We demand inclusive musical arts
spaces forged through rigorous preparation of both educator and learner, laser-focused on the nonnegotiable
imperative of sustainable development.
Keywords: Musical arts spaces, Pandemic pedagogies, Sustainable education, Alvan Ikoku
Calista A. N. Ugwu, Eunice N. Ahanotu, Mercy O. Nnamdi-Mbara, Kalu K. Egwu-Kalu, Cyril O. Ajamgbe, Constance O. Ejiaga, Chimaroke C. Nwaoha
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.248-260
Forced Displacement and Urban Migration Trends in Nigeria: Drivers,
Outcomes, and Policy Implications
Abstract
Forced displacement remains a persistent challenge in Nigeria, driven by armed conflict (including
the Boko Haram insurgency and herder-farmer clashes), climate-induced disasters, and structural
vulnerabilities such as poverty and weak institutional capacity. With over 3.3 million internally
displaced persons (IDPs) recorded in 2024—accounting for roughly 3% of the global displaced
population — Nigeria faces a displacement crisis of significant scale and complexity. Formal IDP
camps, originally established as temporary refuges with access to essential services, are increasingly
being deserted by their occupants. Evidence suggests this trend is driven by ineffective camp
governance, inadequate food and healthcare provision, and the absence of livelihood opportunities.
This has given rise to a new migration pattern: IDPs moving from formal camps into urban centres
such as Lagos, Ibadan, and Abeokuta. Upon arrival, however, they face heightened risks of
exploitation, abuse, and exclusion from formal humanitarian support systems, as urban IDPs often
fall outside the mandate of camp-based relief programmes. This paper examines the driving factors
behind forced displacement and the emergent trend of camp-to-urban migration in Nigeria using a
mixed-methods approach. The study combines a systematic review of academic literature and policy
documents with semi-structured interviews conducted among 20 respondents randomly selected from
IDP populations in Lagos, Ogun, and Osun States—three Southwestern states hosting displaced
persons from conflict-affected regions. Findings reveal a dual perception of camp interventions: while
75% of respondents acknowledged formal camps as helpful in principle, the majority expressed
dissatisfaction with camp conditions. Notably, 70% indicated a willingness to return to their
communities of origin if provided with credible assurances of security and sustained access to basic
services and livelihood support. The paper discusses the implications of Nigeria's displacement crisis
for multiple stakeholders — host communities, humanitarian actors, and policymakers — and argues
that the current camp-centric humanitarian model is insufficient for a crisis increasingly
characterised by urban migration. It calls for an immediate multisectoral approach to IDP camp
reform, alongside the establishment of dedicated frameworks to identify, register, and support the
growing urban IDP population. Specific recommendations include investment in climate-resilient
infrastructure, the creation of livelihood programmes tailored to displaced populations, and the
development of host-community integration systems that promote social cohesion rather than
marginalisation.
Keywords: Forced displacement, Internally displaced persons, IDP camps, Urban migration,
Humanitarian policy, Nigeria
Oyefunke Yetunde Alabi, Oluwatoyin Olatundun Ilesanmi
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.261.278
Tautology in Igbo Language: A Conscious or an Unconscious
Repetition of Words and Phrases
Abstract
Tautology has received divergent treatments across linguistic traditions—dismissed as a stylistic
fault in grammar, treated as a necessarily true statement in logic, and valued as a literary device for
rhetorical emphasis. Despite this theoretical attention, tautology remains understudied in African
languages, particularly Igbo. This study investigates tautological expressions in Igbo to determine
whether they function as grammatical errors, literary devices, or both, depending on context.
Drawing on corpus data from five selected Igbo texts and audio recordings of thirty-eight native
speakers across varied sociolinguistic backgrounds, the study identifies and classifies forty-two
tautological expressions, with sixteen subjected to detailed analysis under Redundancy Theory. The
findings reveal that Igbo tautology operates along a conscious–unconscious continuum: conscious
tautology serves pragmatic functions such as emphasis, intensity, and stylistic effect, while
unconscious tautology arises from grammatical deficiency or code-mixing with English and other
Nigerian languages. Tautology in Igbo may be intralingual (originating within the language) or
interlingual (resulting from code-switching). Crucially, the study finds that speaker awareness is
low—only seven of thirty-eight respondents recognised their utterances as tautological—and that
neither gender nor age significantly affects tautology production. The study concludes that effective
communication in Igbo requires balancing formal grammatical rules with functional contextual
demands, and that tautology cannot be universally condemned or endorsed without reference to its
communicative context. These findings contribute to the broader reappraisal of tautology as a
pragmatically nuanced phenomenon rather than a purely formal error.
Keywords: Igbo tautology, Redundancy, Pragmatic repetition, Code-mixing, Intralingual vs.
Interlingual phenomena, Speaker awareness
Gloria Tochukwu Okeke, Mbacke Diagne, Chukwuma Onyebuchi Okeke
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.279.304
Slag Heaps in a Silent Landscape: Archaeological Evidence for Early
Iron Smelting at Owerre-Elu and the Urgency of Heritage Intervention
Abstract
This report presents the findings of an archaeological field investigation conducted at Owerre-Elu
between 4 and 15 December 2025, undertaken as a rigorous field-school training exercise for thirdyear
students of the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The exercise was designed not merely to instruct, but to immerse students in the fundamental
disciplines of archaeological fieldwork while simultaneously generating critical data for reconstructing
the early history and archaeometallurgical heritage of the community. The investigation employed a
multi-method approach comprising oral interviews, systematic reconnaissance survey, and controlled
excavation. Oral testimonies revealed a community with a profoundly rich cultural heritage—
expressed through vibrant festivals, elaborate rituals, sacred objects, and venerated sites—yet one
whose technological memory bears a striking lacuna. Massive heaps of slag littering the landscape
provide unequivocal evidence that iron was once smelted on an industrial scale. Paradoxically, the
current inhabitants possess no knowledge of this metallurgical past, raising urgent questions about
cultural discontinuity and the erasure of technological memory.Reconnaissance survey and
excavation were specifically targeted to interrogate the problem of early iron smelting—a task made
critically urgent by the accelerating transformation of the landscape into farmland, commercial
premises, and residential housing. Each passing season threatens to obliterate the archaeological
record before it can be documented. This study argues with pressing conviction that the early iron
smelting site at Owerre-Elu demands immediate preservation—not merely as an academic curiosity,
but as a vital heritage resource, a reservoir of untapped archaeological data, and a foundation for
sustainable tourism development. The window for intervention is narrowing.
Keywords: Archaeological, Excavation, Reconnaissance, Owerre-Elu, Nsukka
Edmund Ikechukwu Itanyi, Joshua Okenwa Uzuegbu, Cyracus Oji, Uchenna Ngonadi, Daniel Kenechukwu, Oguejiofor V. Omeje
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.305.317
Analysing Syntactic Patterns and Social Hierarchies in
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
Abstract
This study examined how syntactic patterns in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice encoded and
reflected social hierarchies in early nineteenth-century England. Guided by Systemic Functional
Grammar and Transformational Generative Grammar, it employed a qualitative descriptive approach
with purposively selected utterances from characters across social strata. The findings revealed that
upper-class characters predominantly used complex hypotactic structures and nominalisations,
signaling education, authority, and emotional restraint. Middle-class speakers employed balanced
coordination and interrogatives, reflecting adaptability, politeness, and intellectual confidence.
Conversely, lower-class characters frequently used paratactic and exclamative constructions,
indicating social anxiety and linguistic insecurity. Thus, these syntactic variations functioned as a
semiotic code constructing and reinforcing class distinctions within the novel. The study underscored
the value of integrating syntactic and sociolinguistic analyses into literary studies, particularly
within Nigerian university curricula, to enrich understanding of how grammar encodes ideology and
social identity. It recommended further comparative study on the syntactic representation of social
class in both African and European literary traditions. While the qualitative design provided in-depth
insights, the purposive sample limited generalisability. Future study could benefit from larger corpusbased
analyses and inclusion of diverse linguistic frameworks to deepen understanding of language
and social stratification in literature. Finally, this study contributes to interdisciplinary scholarship
by illuminating the nuanced role of syntax in portraying social power dynamics in a classic literary
work.
Keywords: Syntax, Social Hierarchy, Linguistic Variation, Class Distinction, Pride and Prejudice
Cynthia Adaeze Onuegwunwoke, Chinenye C. Olekaibe, Benedict Nkemdirim Igbokwe, Perpetua Ugochi Nduka, Gloria Ukamaka Amadi, Florence Dakoru Anuonye, Mercy A. C. Osuji
https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.1.318.334
Representation of Migration Experiences in Nollywood Films:
A Content Analysis of Oloture and Blood Vessel
Abstract
A nation's character is etched into its art; in Nigeria, Nollywood has become the unwitting chronicler
of a generation in flight. Migration across the Global South is rarely a choice born of ambition — it is
a survival calculus forced by collapsing states, crushing poverty, and a systemic failure of governance.
Yet mainstream discourse often sanitizes the migrant's ordeal, reducing it to statistical abstractions
or policy talking points. This study confronts that erasure by interrogating the raw, unflinching
depictions of migration in two landmark Nollywood films — Oloture (2019) and Blood Vessel
(2023) — to expose the lived horrors that conventional narratives obscure. Anchored in Everett Lee's
push-pull theory of migration, the analysis maps how structural violence (insecurity, institutional
decay, familial coercion) operates as the engine of displacement, while the illusory promise of safety
and opportunity abroad functions as a predatory pull. Through a comparative content analysis of
narrative structure, character trajectories, and visual semiotics, the paper dissects how both films
render visible the subterranean economies of human trafficking, the commodification of migrant
bodies, and the systematic infliction of physical and psychological violence along transit routes. The
findings are stark: migration is framed not as a journey toward dignity but as a carceral passage —
one defined by confinement, death, and irreparable loss. Neither hope nor aspiration survives the
crossing. This paper argues that Oloture and Blood Vessel function as cinematic testimonies,
forcing audiences to bear witness to the catastrophic human cost of a world order that has abandoned
entire populations to the mercies of traffickers, borders, and the sea. In doing so, they challenge the
academy and the public alike to reckon with migration not as a problem to be managed, but as a
wound to be understood.
Keywords: Nollywood, Migration, Push-pull theory, Migrant exploitation, African cinema, Human
trafficking
Godstime Eze, Somtochukwu J. Ogbuehi, Nkechinyere Opara, Richard Umezinwa, Ikechukwu Erojikwe, Chioma E. Akaebe