Lwati: A Journal of Contemporary Research

Leveraging artificial intelligence for enhancement of public relations strategies in Nigerian economic recovery in 21st century

Chigozi Eke — 2024-09-19

This study ascertained the public relations and image building as pathways for Independent National Electoral Commission inclusiveness and image recovery in Nigeria. The theoretical framework of the study was drawn from the image restoration theory and agenda setting theory. This study adopted the qualitative research approach and the in-depth (intensive) interview method was employed. The research population consisted of 17 (seventeen) public relations officers and professional experts in the unit of public relations in INEC in Rivers State and public relations experts in the Department of Public Relations and Advertising in University of Port Harcourt. Purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were used to arrive at the study sample. The study adopted thematic method of data analysis to analyse the data gathered from the in-depth interviews. Findings from the study revealed that, the current Public Relations strategies employed by the INEC have been partially effective in addressing negative public perceptions and rebuilding its image, as they have managed to increase transparency and engagement through targeted communication campaigns and stakeholder interactions; however, persistent challenges such as allegations of electoral malpractice and inconsistent messaging. The study concluded that while INEC's current Public Relations strategies have made some progress in mitigating negative public perceptions and enhancing its image, the presence of on-going challenges, such as perceived electoral malpractices and inconsistent messaging, suggests that these strategies have not yet fully achieved their desired impact. The study recommended that, INEC should adopt a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to its Public Relations efforts, focusing on consistent messaging, greater transparency, and expanded outreach to all demographics.

Communication strategies and governance in driving national development: An analysis of peter Obi's speeches

Patience Akunna Osondu — 2024-09-16

Effective communication and proficient governance are indispensable components for fostering socio-economic progress and societal cohesion within a nation. This study examines the critical role of communication Strategies and Governance in advancing development with a specific focus on analyzing speeches delivered by Mr. Peter Obi, a 2023 presidential aspirant of Labour Party in Nigeria. The study employs Howard Giles Accommodation Theory (1991) as the theoretical framework for analyzing the dynamic interplay between communication strategies and Governance in driving National development. The theory posits that individuals adjust their communication behaviour to align with or diverge from the linguistic norms and expectations of their interlocutors, influenced by factors such as social identity, power differentials and relational dynamics. The study analyzed twenty five (25) communication strategies from different speeches of Mr. Peter Obi to scrutinize the rhetorical techniques, policy articulations and leadership narratives employed by Obi in his speeches elucidating how he accommodates or diverges from linguistic norms to foster effective communication and governance practices. The study reveals valuable insights and best practices for policy makers, communication practitioners, and governance stakeholders seeking to leverage communication strategies to drive tangible outcomes for societal progress and cohesion. The analysis underscores the pivotal role of communication accommodation in shaping the trajectory of national development initiatives, highlighting it is significance as a lens for understanding the complexities of governance and communication dynamics in contemporary societies.

Leveraging digital media for effective healthcare information dissemination: A study of reach, accessibility, and impact

Sheetal Kapoor — 2024-09-16

Healthcare information dissemination via digital media is crucial for enhancing public health awareness and decision-making. This study investigates the effectiveness, reach, and barriers of digital media in healthcare communication. Utilizing a sample of 186 respondents from Delhi, India, the study employs chi-square tests to examine the relationships between digital media reach and healthcare information accessibility, improvements in health knowledge and behavioural changes, and the perception of barriers and facilitators. Results indicate significant relationships between the perception of digital media reach and information accessibility (χ² = 38.796, p = 0.001), health knowledge improvement and behavior change (χ² = 37.772, p = 0.002), and between perceived barriers and facilitators (χ² = 118.721, p < 0.001). These findings highlight the potential of digital media to enhance healthcare information dissemination and promote positive health behaviour’s, while highlighting the need to address digital literacy and access disparities. Recommendations include enhancing user engagement through personalized content, improving digital literacy, ensuring robust quality control, and safeguarding privacy and security. This study contributes valuable insights for healthcare practitioners, policymakers, and digital media professionals aiming to optimize health communication strategies in the digital era.

Juxtaposition of selected sections of the British Butler’s act and Nigeria's Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act: Implications for universal education in Nigeria

Benjamin N. Nyewusira — 2024-09-16

Education laws are imperative for the activation or actualization of education policies and programmmes. Therefore, a critical examination of education laws is necessary in order to establish why and how such laws directly or remotely impact educational systems. This paper is a juxtaposition of the famous Butler’s Act of 1944 in Britain with the Universal Basic Education, Act 2004 in Nigeria. It is an attempt to demonstrate how the spirit, letter or lacuna of a law can affect the enforcement or implementation of the law in particular, and the educational system in general. The paper explores the amplitudes of the historic British Act, and identifies the tremendous gains recorded in the British universal education, owing to the robust provisions of some Sections of the Act on aid to voluntary schools, the role of parents and feefree school system, which is contrary to the questions of suitability, lacunae and ambiguities that touch on similar Sections in the UBE Act. The paper notes that the lacunae and ambiguities identified in these Sections of the UBE Act manifested in their apparent skewness and evident impracticability. The paper submits that Nigeria has a lot to learn from Butler’s Act, particularly from the Sections that gave support to private schools, enabled active participation of parents and clarified the status of fee-free education. The key findings of the paper therefore makes it a comparative analysis of how similar laws, though at separate points in history, have informed the marked differences in the practices of universal education in Britain and Nigeria.

Inclusiveness of skills development and employees’ performance of Cross River University of Technology, Cross River State, Nigeria

Glory Emmanuel Edoho — 2024-09-16

The main purpose of this study was to examine skills development and employee’s performance of Cross River University of Technology, Cross River State. To achieve the purpose of this study, one null hypothesis was formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The simple random selecting technique was adopted in selecting four faculties/departments while the accidental sampling technique was adopted in selecting two hundred (200) respondents used for the study. A twenty-eight four point Likert scale rating questionnaire instrument used for data collection. To test hypotheses formulated for the study, Pearson product moment correlation statistical analysis was used for data analysis. The result obtained from analysis of data revealed that there is a significant relationship between skills development and employee’s performance. Based on these findings, it was recommended that, Staff that is skillful in promoting organizational growth and development should be encouraged to acquire the basic necessary skills that would promote the development of the organizational.

Dynamics impacting the land question in Laikipia County 1850-2022

Bradley Barasa Namunyu — 2024-09-16

A multitude of factors contributed to the escalation of the land question in Laikipia County. This research article therefore sought to establish why these factors continued to impact the land question despite of numerous interventions. It was qualitative and used a historical research design that enabled thematic analysis of the derivied data. It applied interpretivism philosophy. The research article also corroborated instrumentalism and articulation modes of production theories. Thematic analysis also permitted interpretation of data to achieve reliability and validity. It concluded that changes in land use and land tenure during the colonial and post-colonial era, geo-politics, ethnocentrism and skewed resettlement programmes by post-colonial regimes contributed to the rise of the land question in Laikipia County. It recommended that fixing changes in land use and land tenure, geo-politics, negative ethnicity and skewed resettlement programmes will resolve the land question in Laikipia County.

A socio-linguistic study of English and Ibibio idioms

Comfort Joseph-Odu — 2024-09-16

This study examined selected English and Ibibio idioms with a view to showing, through sociolinguistic tools how English-Ibibio bilinguals leverage on linguistic and socio-cultural hints in their understanding and interpretation of idioms. The study, among other objectives, sought to show how idioms can be deployed to meet specific communication needs of Ibibio-English bilinguals. It also indicated how the occupational and economic potentials of English and Ibibio people are revealed through the use of idioms, how the historical, mythical, beliefs and socio-cultural practices of English and Ibibio people are revealed through the use of idioms. The study is also to show whether there are idioms in the two languages for the expression of worldviews and whether there are English idioms that can express the same thoughts and propositions as Ibibio idioms. The data for the study comprised eight (8) extracts that contained four idioms each for English and Ibibio languages. The extracts were sourced from a combination of audience participant‟s Observation Method, Face-To- Face-Communication (FTFC) and data from purposive reading of online and hard copies of some Nigerian Newspapers comprising the Vanguard and the Punch, newspapers. The data obtained were analyzed following Dell Hyme‟s SPEAKING model and they yielded findings that showed that idioms fulfil different social and linguistic functions like, admonition, appeal, criticism, mockery, resentment, compliment, praise, encouragement, instruction, knowledge, and giving information. Findings also revealed that the interaction of idioms within a language through sociolinguistic tools can meet specific communication needs of speakers and that through idioms, the occupational and economic lives of a people can be revealed.

A comparative study of colour description in Nigerian and Ghanian Englishes

Happiness Uduk — 2024-09-16

This study on the exploration of colour terms: A comparative study of colour description in Nigerian and Ghanaian Englishes is a qualitative study of colour terms as it is used in the fashion domain by two West African varieties of English language. The study describes shades of colours by Nigerian and Ghanaian speakers of English language. The theory adopted two theories namely, Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and Linguistics Relativity. The systemic functional linguistics is adopted because of the choices that people make in meaning explication while linguistic relativity is adopted because of the way the world is differently experienced and conceived in different linguistic communities. More so, humans have different perspective of the world and this is reflected through the languages spoken in their various communities. Data were randomly collected from Nigerians and Ghanaians who are into weaving of native attires. The data were obtained in written and audio-record format. Fifteen (15) colour terms were obtained for each of the varieties. The study reveals those Nigerians and Ghanaians speaker of English name colours after item peculiar to their immediate environment and culture. The paper concludes that further research needs to be carried out in order to develop a framework that could account for the meaning of colours in indigenous languages both in Nigeria and Ghana and possibly other West African languages.

One too many: A Lexico-semantic analysis

Michael Gunn — 2024-09-16

This study presents a lexico-semantic analysis of Kayode Kasum's movie One Too Many, focusing on the interplay between lexical choices and their semantic implications. The research aims to uncover how language use in the film contributes to its thematic depth and narrative structure. By employing a qualitative methodology, the study examines key scenes and dialogues to identify significant lexical items and categorized them into semantic fields. The analysis reveals how specific lexical choices delineate character traits, particularly highlighting the protagonist's journey from addiction to recovery. Metaphorical language and the repetition of certain phrases are also explored to understand their role in emphasizing key themes and emotional states. Grounded in lexico-semantic theory and incorporating elements of film theory, this research underscores the importance of linguistic analysis in film studies. The findings demonstrate that the lexico-semantic features of One Too Many significantly enhanced its narrative and thematic expressions, offering a deeper understanding of the characters' psychological landscapes and the film's overall message. This study contributes to the broader field of film linguistics and provides a model for analyzing other cinematic works.

An analysis of the use of emoji in communication among students of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Nigeria

Mercy Zainab Nzejiogu — 2024-09-16

Communication, an essential aspect of human existence, has undergone a transformation with the advent of media, progressing from traditional to digital platforms in what is commonly referred to as the "Second Media Age." Within this context, computer-mediated communication (CMC) has introduced emojis as substitutes for nonverbal cues. However, the misuse of emojis may result in legal repercussions, as evidenced by documented cases. This study seeks to examine the understanding of specific emojis among the students at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, with the objective of contributing to the comprehension of this phenomenon and raising awareness of the potential legal implications. Utilizing the theoretical framework of Symbolic Interactionism, this study explores the diverse interpretations of emojis, while considering cultural nuances and discrepancies across platforms. The findings underscore the importance of being cognizant of the context in which emojis are employed in order to prevent misunderstandings. As emojis continue to shape the landscape of digital communication, it is crucial to consider their legal implications and strive for effective and responsible communication in the digital age.

Three grey areas of the concept of duress under Rwandan Law

Pie Habimana — 2024-09-16

Duress, which in principle can invalidate a contract, is recognized in both civil and common law systems. In Rwanda, while duress is addressed under the law on contracts, the Rwandan law lacks a precise definition of it, leading to potential inconsistencies in its application. This paper explores the conceptual ambiguities in Rwandan contract law regarding duress, specifically whether it must be physical or not, whether it must necessarily arise from an illegitimate act, and whether it can be exerted by or to third parties. Through a normative approach, the paper focusses exclusively on contractual duress and seeks to illuminate these grey areas by examining Rwandan legal texts, judicial precedents, and insights from other jurisdictions. The goal is to provide a clearer framework for understanding and applying the concept of duress in Rwandan contract law.

Social advocacy and linguistic inventiveness in selected poems of Joe Ushie

Augustine A. Edung — 2024-09-16

The literary voice remains unwaveringly rooted in its quest for social advocacy. This is evident in the poetic ingenuity of Joe Ushie where he takes up the responsibility of passing a piercing commentary on the sociopolitical misconducts that threaten to ravage the Nigerian (African) society. In doing this, the poet stands with the common man who is relegated by the political bourgeoisies to the fringes of society. From three of Ushie‟s collections—Eclipse in Rwanda (2004), A Reign of Locusts (2004) and Lambs at the Shrine (2005), the analysis is conducted under the theoretical anchorage of New Historicism and Marxism, and draws richly from the outlining principles of Stylistics to effectively explore the poet‟s depiction of the sociopolitical fate of the postcolonial Nigerian nation (and continental Africa). By evoking elements of history, the contemporary, religion, socio-moral conditions and politics, the poet gives a crystal-clear picture of a society in fast decline, and in need of moral reclamation. Also, it analytically surveys devices of style such as symbolism, allusion, indigenous linguistic forms, etc. and how they enhance the effective reflection of society. It is demonstrated, in the end, that through a creative manipulation of literary and linguistic elements, the poet gives a farreaching outcry against social and political wrongs. His poetic oeuvre thus becomes a reliable channel for the repair of social and political excrescences.

African poetry as an “informal evening fire-side school”: Multi-utilitarian values in Niyi osundare’s snapsongs: Homegroans and foreignflares

Micah Okon Asukwo — 2024-09-16

Poetry has developed in leaps and bounds right from its earliest, oral phase to the modern, written form and has been effectively utilised to serve different levels of needs in many societies and cultures for many centuries. However, what constitute the predominant leitmotifs or thematic thrusts of poetry vary from one society to another. While very many climes emphasise and project its formal/aesthetic qualities, content and value, African creative artists predominantly deploy poetry to serve multiple, community-oriented, utilitarian functions. This is the thrust of this paper which examines Niyi Osundare‟s Snapsongs: Homegroans and Foreignflares as a quintessence of African poetic art deployed chiefly to examine society with a view to attacking its imperfections and projecting or promoting its values. The research is a qualitative one, and adopts the interpretive design. The paper finds that Osundare‟s Snapsongs: Homegroans and Foreignflares chiefly derives its afflatus from the quotidian socio-economic and political realities of the African environment and reflects the complexity of the African experience. Through a lavish appropriation of copious oral artistic categories such as proverbs, aphorisms, metaphors, satires, and panegyrics, Osundare intensifies the didactic, communal, functional and other utilitarian values of the African poetic art.

Appraising the use of satires in political cartoons in selected Nigeria Print Media

Egbe Egbe Iloke — 2024-09-16

This article appraised the use of political cartoons in communicating messages to the public using The Guardian newspaper, The Punch newspapers and The Sun newspapers; particularly, between June 2022 and February, 2023. The paper adopted media intrusion theory propounded by Dennis Davis in 1990. And framing theory propounded by Gregory Bateson in 1972. Comment: take the deleted details to the body of the paper. The paper adopted content analysis and in-depth interview with key informants. The units of analysis included: image of corruption, image of responsibility, image of brutality, image of cruelty, image of terrorism, and image of political failure. The findings indicate that the impact and significance of cartoons in the information age cannot be over emphasize. That cartoons are very attractive to mostly children and it influences their perception of the world and value system in their upbringing, and that people read cartoons for different reasons. Political cartoons aim to make people laugh about current political situations or issues, while at the same time enabling readers to critically think about issues in a new way. Findings also indicate that cartoons have help to expand media scope and content by adding cartoons varieties from every field or disciplines. It is therefore, recommended among others that, the media should be granted true or practical freedom to perform it functions the public and more cartoons should be employed in articles, news or stories that are sensitive or important since it make reading more appealing thereby enhancing retention of messages.

Investigating reporting, tools to enhance inclusivity and accountable governance presented at a media training on investigative journalism, inclusive development and accountability in Nigeria

Jude Omaka Okoro — 2024-09-16

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Communication approaches in sustainable rural development: A study of selected projects in the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Nigeria

Okon Obio Arong — 2024-09-16

This study was designed to evaluate communication and development which are termed by scholars as twin concepts because when development is initiated, the person, community or a society such a development is targeted at must be properly carried along through the instrument of communication. This is considered important to allow for proper diffusion, adoption and possible sustainability of such a development. Four objectives, four research questions, and two hypotheses were formulated to direct the study based on identified variables. Literature was reviewed in tandem with identified variables and the participatory communication theory used to explain the phenomenon under study. It utilised the ex-post facto research design in selecting a sample size of 355 using a quota sampling technique. Findings indicate that the communication approach adopted in the execution of the selected rural development projects was one that created a social distance between benefactors. It also indicates that the target population and benefactors failed to adopt appropriate communication approach which would have equally granted them access to lean their voices before the implementation of those projects. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made: benefactors of rural development projects should always adopt communication approaches that give and afford benefiting community’s opportunity to equally express their own opinions about any development projects meant for them for sustainable rural development. Host communities of rural development projects should always make use of communication channels which are easily understood and appraised by beneficiary communities rather than depending only on the mass media.

Hans Kelsen on the normativity of law: A critical appraisal

Onyeka Jude Nwabuokei — 2024-09-16

Hans Kelsen (1881-1973) is an outstanding American philosopher, jurist, and public affairs analyst whose enormous contributions to the realms of philosophy of law, political sociology, civil and criminal litigation, legal reasoning, etc., cannot be over-emphasized. His conception of law is coloured and shaped, to a large extent, by his uncompromising and unflinching commitment to the major assumptions or ideals of rigorous legal positivism as a school of thought in legal philosophy which holds that there is no necessary connection between law and morality. This paper therefore, attempts an exposition of Kelsen‟s concept of the normativity of law. It x-rays his idea of „basis norm‟ (Grundnorm) and how it features in a legal system noting its relative strengths and weaknesses. Methodologically, it adopts qualitative research method which is basically descriptive and employs textual analysis of both primary and secondary texts. It also utilizes the method of philosophical hermeneutics in its exploration and interpretation of Kelsen‟s pure theory of law. Its epistemological significance consists of a conceptual and logical clarification of key themes in Kelsen‟s legal theory. It also provides a blueprint or template for the law making process in the Nigerian body-politic. It posits in conclusion, that Kelsen‟s conceptualization of law and its operational workings in a legal system is both infallible and plausible as it tends to accord the concept of law an autonomous status. It recommends a reconstructive adaption of Kelsen‟s idea of basic norm for contemporary Nigerian legal system.

Theatre for development as catalyst for empowerment at the grassroots through cybernetic pedagogy in selected Ekiti state communities

Nasir Taofiq Laide — 2024-09-16

Theatre for Development (TfD) is a type of community-based or interactive theatre practice that aims to promote civic dialogue and engagement that uses performances as a participatory tool to help individuals and groups share their experiences with the intent of social transformation and empowerment. But the policy has failed to involve or include the people in the rural areas in development that concerns their lives. This observe therefore addresses the hassle of under improvement and disempowerment among Nigerian population especially in some selected Ekiti communities with the aid of exploring the validity of Theatre for Development Methodology. The demanding situations of human empowerment, transformation, emancipation and rural development remain critical issues in Ekiti State. The paper adopts qualitative studies technique, incorporating development communication via cybernetic pedagogy, participant commentary in its facts gathering and content analysis at the same time, ethnographic research layout method of records collection is used in the BOUESTI/ selected communities in Ekiti. Theatre for Development projects. The projects x-rayed the low-level of development in these clusters which includes, the urban drift of youths the neglect and lack of support of the widows from within and without, lack of health centre and convenient facilities (i.e. toilets) which toll the death rate of the people on the increase. The look hence unearths that Theatre for Development possesses the potency for facilitating human improvement in all ramifications if correctly carried out. This paper therefore recommends that the usage of the theatre for Development alternative which encompasses the conventional nuance of conversation, performance-oriented approach to promote dialogue, create attention and inspire participation would decorate sustainable development in the communities and the nation at large.

Dramaturgy of martyrdom and tension of postcolonial self-retrieval in Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba’s The Killing Swamp and Jude Idada’s Sankara

Elizabeth N. Enukora — 2024-09-19

This paper examined the imaginaries of viable and assertive nationhood in the face of fragmented, oppressive and tyrannical regimes that pervert postindependence and postcolonial African states. To do justice to this paper, the qualitative approach and critical textual analysis using postcolonial theoretical framework was adopted for this study. In the plays under review, Onukaba and Idada, conscript two contemporary revolutionary visionary leaders in the post-independence/postcolomial African politics; namely, Ken Saro-Wiwa and Thomas Sankara, to deliberate on the decadence that pervert African political consciousness, creating lessons for all. The two visionary leaders in context are metaphorically summoned to the court of history to reflect on socio-political reality of Africa‟s politics and governance. The two real-life personalities whose audacious stance against neocolonial African state created great political tension and struggles and thus they suffered martyrdom in their different efforts at national self-retrieval and struggle for true independent African nationhood. The two playwrights creatively endowed their protagonists with true heroic, democratic, nationalistic and populist revolutionary temperaments. The study while teaching a lesson to African politicians and people, concludes that postcolonial Africa is in dire need of revolutionary transformation from the neocolonialist and imperialist vestiges, despite the setbacks that have been experienced over the years. The paper further postulates that a radical temperament such as depicted by the texts under review, remains relevant for birthing a viable African nationhood that will free Africa from the dungeon of slavery, and concludes that attention must be given to the pitfalls of those who have made such moves in the past and failed for the sake of correction and fresh paradigms in such patriotic pursuits.