The (Un)identical twins: Public administration and public management toward improving education and training for effective governance in Ghana
June 2015
There are some disagreements between academics and practitioners on how to improve the performance of government officials in Ghana. While academics advocate for reforms in governance through education and training, practitioners may have differing interests and expectations. Such impasse has contributed to the lack of a unified framework of concepts in nation building. Core concepts for training public managers for...
African growth, non-linearities and strong dependence: An empirical study
June 2015
The aim of this paper is to examine the behaviour of GDP growth in various African countries allowing for possible non-linearities that are particularly relevant in their case since they have been affected by various conflicts. Specifically, first we carry out standard unit root tests and then follow an approach that combines fractional integration and non-linearities (modelled using Chebyshev polynomials) in a single...
Communicating co-operation or individualism? The paradox of the Shona Proverb
May 2015
This research is an examination of whether there are contradictions in the cultural worldview of the Shona people as the proverbs they use seem to promote co-operation but at the same time they are those that apparently encourage individualism. It stems from the realisation that the Shona, just like other African cultural groups, adopt a communal approach to life shunning individualism. Since proverbs are an integral...
Pedagogic possibilities of ICTs and technology affordances in an increasingly networked environment in support of sustainable development
May 2015
The research project seeks new opportunities/ directions of learning and teaching in an increasingly networked world, and how they can benefit people in developing countries in support of sustainable development. The research agenda is aimed at studying how interconnected information and communication technologies (ICTs) can expand the reach of educational opportunities and improve learning outcomes as technology...
The contribution of savings and credit cooperative societies to income poverty reduction: A case study of Mbozi District, Tanzania
April 2015
This paper explores the contribution of Savings and credit cooperative societies (SACCOS) in reduction of rural households’ income poverty. Specifically, the paper looks at; activities undertaken by SACCOS that can lead to reduction of income poverty; comparing income levels between SACCO’s members and non-members; determining the impact of SACCOS to household’s income poverty reduction, and ...
Rethinking the water dimension of large scale land acquisitions in sub-Saharan Africa
April 2015
There is a new phenomenon in developing countries where land previously used by communities is being taken over by foreign investors (mostly from Europe, America, China, Gulf States, and other non-western countries) and governments for agriculture, mining and other economic projects. Findings from several studies have so far pointed to the controversial impact of large scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) on affected...
Reasons for low birth registration in Sudan
March 2015
The birth registration environment in Sudan is mature but confused. This study was undertaken on the birth registration practices in Sudan with a view to ascertaining the causes and effects of low birth registration. The registration of births is not improved with time, there is no progressive procedure in the registration application and the registration system effect according to sex ratio, number of women in the...
The persistence of western negative perceptions about Africa: Factoring in the role of Africans
March 2015
Africa has continued to be looked down upon by the Western powers. Negative perceptions and representations such as civil wars, hunger, corruption, greed, selfishness, diseases, poverty, and the like have been the defining characters of Africa and the Africans in the minds of many Western people. While the mainstream media has been blamed for much of Africa’s negative perceptions, little has been done to establish...
Real wages and labour productivity in Tanzania: How do they link?
March 2015
Using data from national level surveys, the present paper undertakes an empirical analysis of the linkage between labour productivity and real wages in Tanzania. After making tabular presentations of growth in labour productivity and real wages by industry and sector (public and private), regression analysis is undertaken to examine the factors that influence incomes. Granger causality test is applied to examine the...
Education criminality, graduates employability and the Maicibi’s formula: Friends or foes?
February 2015
A goat, a hyena and grass are dangerous bedfellows and thus cannot be friends. This analogy is similar to when one asks whether criminality in the education sector can enable or disable graduates to earn the necessary skills needed by employers; and further if Maicibi’s formula can be a moderating variable in this relationship. Studies in Europe (most likely with similar results in Africa) have indicated that...
The relativity of heterosexual norms and gender power on young people’s sexuality in Africa
February 2015
Within sociological discourse, young people’s sexual practices have become an area of particular interest as sociologists attempt to contextualise sexuality as multifaceted social experiences rather than as psychological or psychoanalytic processes. This study introduces a conceptual framework for investigating young people’s sexuality and sexual practices in African context. It was achieved through a...
Resolving Nigeria’s dependency on oil – The derivation model
January 2015
Since the discovery of oil in commercial quantity in Nigeria in 1956 and the oil boom of 1970s, oil has dominated the economy of the country. Oil accounts for more than 90 percent of the country’s exports, 25 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and 80 percent of government total revenues. As a result, the economy of the country has been substantially unstable, a consequence of the heavy dependence...
Income distribution in rural Egypt—A three-village case
January 2015
Using household survey data, this paper examines the case of three villages in rural Egypt to shed light on the determinants of income distribution. We first employ decomposition techniques to identify the contribution of farm and non-farm income to overall household inequality. We then use regression analysis to identify the role of different factors in determining the level of farm and non-farm income. Based on the...
Access of urban farmers to land, water and inputs for urban agriculture in Dodoma municipality, Tanzania
January 2015
This paper examines the access of urban farmers to land, water and inputs for urban agriculture (UA) towards household food security, employment creation and income generation in Dodoma municipality. A cross-sectional survey was employed involving 300 urban farmers from both squatter and non-squatter settlements. Structured questionnaires, focus group discussions, key informants, observations and documentary review were...
An appraisal of the procedures for direct grant and conversion of statutory right of occupancy in Kaduna, Nigeria
December 2014
Land has remained an indispensable companion to man providing a base for his activities; thus, a basic necessity in life in which all activities has a link with. In most parts of Nigeria, Kaduna inclusive, land acquisition is a sensitive issue and is beset with a lot of problems. Thus, the introduction of the Land Use Decree 1978 which was an attempt by the Federal Government of Nigeria to solve these problems. But till...
A progressive analysis on role of women in the socio-economic development in Sierra Leone
December 2014
This study highlights the gender gap in contemporary Sierra Leone society, and discusses the constraints and underlying attitudes which determine women’s disadvantaged position. As new resources, opportunities and structures are introduced in the course of development in Sierra Leone, gender differentials are becoming apparent. Women form a minority in the new wage labor sector, but majority of the petty traders....
Challenges confronting African students in Malaysia: A case of postgraduate Nigerian students at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Kuala Lampur
November 2014
Students leaving their home countries to study abroad is a global phenomenon. African students are not exception to this global practice. Many African students do migrate to Western countries to seek for higher education, a tradition that originated during the colonial rule in most parts of Africa. The colonial government did not promote development of higher education in many parts of the continent. Africa with its...
Poverty and livelihood of coastal communities in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar
November 2014
This article discusses levels and forms of poverty among coastal communities in Tanzania. The objective of study from which this article is grounded was to explore and describe the impacts of global market on the livelihood of coastal communities along the Indian Ocean. A combination of sociological and economic paradigms of poverty analysis was adopted. The poverty analysis focused on three poverty indices namely, head...
The impact of Plan Ghana’s microfinance scheme on poverty reduction among women in Lower Manya Krobo
October 2014
The main purpose of the study was to assess the impact of Plan Ghana’s Microfinance Scheme on the livelihoods of female beneficiaries in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana. A descriptive survey design was adopted and 180 sample size was used. The study showed that the scheme had improved beneficiaries’ lives tremendously in areas of health, child education, personal...
Nigeria and the crisis of cultural identity in the era of globalization
October 2014
This paper examines the crisis in the Nigerian cultural environment as a result of globalization. Globalization, referred to as the inter-dependence of countries, peoples, races and institutions in politics, economics, arts, science and technology, is equally responsible for inter-cultural exchanges and the coming together of people of diverse persuasions. In place of previous prejudices, biases and misunderstandings,...
Integration policies as structures of disintegration: the political economy of nationhood and resource control in Nigeria.
October 2014
In its exploration of the sub-theme, ‘Nigerian nation, Resource Control and National Integration’, this paper attempts to explain the fundamental reason why all the previous efforts towards national integration failed. The paper observes that the prevailing Nigerian nation is an organizational framework established for purposes of economic exploitation and domination of multi - ethnic nationalities by...
Access and attrition of female students in secondary schools in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
October 2014
The study investigated access of female students to secondary education and the completion rate of those that were enrolled in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It also determined the factors responsible for the attrition of female students with a view to promoting the education of the girl child in the FCT. Twenty two public secondary schools were randomly selected from three area councils of the FCT. Documentary...
The practice of Almajiri: Prospect and socio-medical challenges in Northern part of Nigeria
September 2014
The main purpose of the study is to identify the practice of Almajiri: prospect and socio-medical challenges in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey method was adopted using a cluster and sampling method. Questionnaire was used to collect the data, from three hundred male Almajiri. The study revealed that most of the respondents were between the ages of 8-14 years while very few...
Partial institutionalization and its relationship to Kenya’s poor economic development since independence: The case of the agricultural sector
August 2014
This review paper presents the concept of partial institutionalization as the process prevents countries that ought to have achieved higher levels of socio-economic development from realizing their potential. The author has reconceptualised de-industrialization away from the mainstream understanding of this notion, that is, the movement away from manufacturing to service industry in the developed countries...
Knowledge in praxis and socio-economic development: Explaining the African situation
August 2014
One of the most fundamental questions bedeviling the African continent is the problem of underdevelopment which manifests in the forms of fears and despairs Africans face daily as they try to make sense of their existence in a world that has become a global village. Such a situation affects the level of confidence Africans have in terms of the relative opportunity to realize their potentials within the...
A Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Migration of Highly-Skilled Professionals from Health Institutions in Nigeria
June 2014
Emigration and immigration/returning (simply put as migration) of highly-skilled professionals are of increasing concern in developing countries of the world. Emigration of core health professionals from Nigeria have been claimed to be increasing towards the developed North, while immigration/returning of health professionals into the country was believed to be increasing as well, over time. Ironically, virtually no...
EU, China, Africa towards a trilateral cooperation: Prospects and challenges for Africa’s development
June 2014
The trilateral Africa-China-EU cooperation represents a unique opportunity for Africa’s development without ignoring the interests of each of the parties including the European Union (EU) and China. This paper aims at advancing the debate around trilateral development cooperation between the European Union (EU), China and Africa. The trilateral approach includes common interests for all parties and it can be an...
Assessment of the effects of changing land use from pastoralism to crop farming on Lake Nakivale wetland system in Isingiro District, Uganda
May 2014
The paper assessed the effects of changing the land use from transhumant pastoralism to crop farming on Lake Nakivale Wetland system. Semi-structured questionnaire was administered directly to 315 respondents from randomly selected households in three parishes bordering Lake Nakivale Wetland. In order to trace trends in land use practices overtime and understand the associated environmental problems, analysis of...
Perceptions of development by residents of a rural community in Kenya: A capability issue
May 2014
Despite the acknowledgment that participatory approaches in development have potential in understanding and designing development programmes and policies, perceptions of development continue to be dominated by outsiders including professionals and other development agents, most of whom do not experience the conditions. Using qualitative data collected from residents of Makueni County of Eastern Kenya, this paper...
Dynamic relationship between tourism, trade, infrastructure and economic growth: Empirical evidence From Malaysia.
April 2014
This paper aims to investigate a positive inter-relationship between tourism, trade, infrastructure and economic growth. Through number of literature examine bilateral relationship between the variables; the literature has certified that tourism is the one of the key factor in trade and economic growth as well as trade is the key factors of tourism and economic growth. Furthermore, the literature found that...
Linking culture and water technology in Zimbabwe: Reflections on Ndau experiences and implications for climate change
February 2014
Renaissance studies continue to grow in post-colonial Africa. This study explores the Ndau culture in a bid to assess its vitality and relevance to contemporary society’s water technology in Zimbabwe. The thesis of the study posits that the Ndau people have indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) that can be tapped in the implementation of water resource management. Some Ndau beliefs and practices on water resources...
Managing tourism for socio-economic development in Nigerian Local Government: A case study of Idanre Local Government
February 2014
This study examined the management of tourism in socio-economic development in Nigerian local government using Idanre local government as a case study. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 120 staffs of Idanre Local Government. In all a total of one hundred and twenty respondents constitute the population. This research revealed that there is a significant relationship between tourism and socio-economic...
Analysis of local institutions capacity to implement development plans and programs in Gamo Gofa Zone of Southern Ethiopia
February 2014
The study argues poverty in Ethiopia is the function of incapable local institutions. It measures the existing capacities and challenges of the local institutions to translate development plans to action in the study area. For data acquisition, pre-tested structured questionnaires were administered to 100 randomly selected civil servants in ten local institutions. The study has found that the local institutions had...
Implementation challenges of a donor funded development project: Lessons learned through a deep-end strategy while implementing a development program in Zambia
January 2014
Several authors have noted that despite the huge volume of international aid supporting development projects, there is a chronic litany of challenges threatening the effectiveness of development projects. Most donor funded projects require project teams to produce and disseminate monitoring and evaluation reports for purposes of informing stakeholders of project achievements and challenges. Unfortunately, such...
Sociological implications of domestic violence on children’s development in Nigeria
January 2014
Domestic violence against women is an issue of global concern that is gaining more and more prominence. It transcends national, cultural, racial and class boundaries. It is a social malady that is threatening the stable and balanced psychological development of children in the Nigerian society. Children raised in violent homes are known to imbibe violent tendencies as they grow up. This paper studies the domestic...
The effects of the Niger Delta oil crisis on women folks
January 2014
The Niger Delta area is one of the locations that is seriously affected by oil spill in Nigeria’s fifty one years of oil exploration. This study was designed to investigate the effects of the Niger Delta oil crisis on the women folks. Oil crisis could result in vast effects on humans and animals which include social, ecological, health, economical amongst others. The environment (air, water, soil) usually...
Engendering politics and parliamentary representation in Zimbabwe
December 2013
This paper discusses the trends and patterns regarding the participation of women and men in parliamentary politics in Zimbabwe from the first democratic elections in 1980 to the 2008 elections in the context of global and regional trends. The main objective of this paper is to review both quantitative and qualitative data concerning the progress made in the direction of promoting women’s participation in politics...
Exploring the Greek kindergarten teachers’ views about school programs
December 2013
School programs are well defined by the curriculum all over the world, so that they are implemented by teachers in all educational ranks. Our paper aims to identify and present the Greek kindergarten teachers’ views about school programs. Specifically, Greek kindergarten teachers are called to express their aspects on the different types of school programs, the teaching methods, aids and materials used in school...
Semiotic translation and the expression of African thoughts and cultural values in English
December 2013
This paper identifies different situations which give rise to translation from the indigenous African languages. The relationship between language and thought on one hand and between language and culture on the other is fully discussed. Also stressed in the paper is the role of language in promoting cultural understanding. Attempt is made in the paper to identify different types of translation. As many scholars have...
Forcing the dumb to sing? Rejuvenating farmer cooperatives in Uganda amidst waning social capital
December 2013
Neoliberal reforms had for long recommended large scale corporate agriculture as the way forward; small scale peasant agriculture was considered as a hindrance to the capitalist progress of developing countries. However, crises that have befallen countries like Uganda, especially poverty and food crises have heightened the pressure and questions about the whole philosophy of corporate agriculture and food production,...
Inclusion and the world of disability: A case study of Zaka Central Cluster, Masvingo, Zimbabwe
December 2013
This paper discusses research carried out to investigate the effects of inclusion on children with severe intellectual disability who are in the mainstream system or in six ordinary regular rural primary schools in Zaka Central Cluster, Zaka District, Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. The study adopted the descriptive survey method. Three schools were randomly selected from the six which make up the cluster. The study...
The informal sector as a source of household income: The case of Alice town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
December 2013
The role of entrepreneurship in economic development has been extensively studied in the richer Western (i.e. first world) countries, but it could be argued that entrepreneurship is even more vital in developing countries. The informal sector in developing countries not only makes a significant contribution towards gross domestic product, but is a major potential source of entrepreneurship, hence a source of income too...
Advancing the development agenda: Options
December 2013
Apparently, our schools and universities produce a lot of educated youths. However, there seems to be a mismatch of the content of the education and the stage at which we are in terms of economic modernisation, and the very content of our economy. Perhaps our schools’ curricula should be re-examined and redone to calibrate them accordingly and with prospects which are natural in the part of the globe in which we...
The feminist discourse and the development of a civic virtue in Zimbabwe: Case of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
December 2013
Recent literature on women and gender has sought to highlight the rising virtue against the violation of women’s rights on the backdrop of a dominantly patriarchal society. Given the increasing global recognition and efforts to uphold the status of women, international instruments and legislation have been incorporated into the arguments that support the recognition of women’s rights in every facet of...
Policy and institutional perspectives on local economic development in Africa: The Ghanaian perspective
November 2013
Local economic development involves identifying and using primarily local resources, ideas and skills to stimulate economic growth and development, with the aim of creating employment opportunities, reducing poverty, and redistributing resources and opportunities to the benefit of local residents. Growth and development cannot take place in an institutional and legal vacuum. Local development and growth...
An assessment of the organisation commitment of the Nigerian Port Authority workers
November 2013
This study examined the organisational commitment of the Nigerian Port Authority Workers using organisation commitment scale with (r = 0.71) as a measuring instrument. Five hundred workers were randomly selected from the various departments of the Nigerian Port Authority Lagos. They comprised male and female workers with their age ranges between 25 to 50 with a mean age of 32.5 years. Three hypotheses were...
The people the boundary could not divide: The Gyaman of Ghana and Côte D’ivoire in historical perspective
November 2013
This article aims at constructing the history of the Gyaman state before colonial rule. It is the first in a series of three papers to be published in the Journal of African Studies and Development. The current paper shall interrogate the pre-colonial political structures that culminated in the formation of the Gyaman state. It also discusses the socio-politico-economic activities of the Gyaman people before...
The socio-emotional dilemmas of primary school teaching in Anglophone post-colonial Africa: Policy implications for developing countries
November 2013
This study investigated the underlying reasons for pre-service university student teachers’ negative responses toward an innovative faculty-based primary teacher education programme. The purpose of the study was to understand and explain post-Sixth form trainee teachers’ resistance to teach in primary schools. The data to address the problem was collected by means of the descriptive survey...
African nationalist transformational leaders: Opportunities, possibilities and pitfalls in African fiction and politics
October 2013
The paper studies selected African writers’ dreams and fears, the way four novelists have been diversely excited by the topical issue of African leadership and discerns that artists dig into past history and tradition to reconstruct epic leaders, while fictionalising contemporary history and behaviour to critique modern African political leadership. The paper examines how African leaders have been...
Leadership crisis in the parliament of Nigeria: The case of the senate in the Fourth Republic
October 2013
The article explores the political dynamics that explain the rapidity of the impeachment processes and resignation of Nigeria’s Senate Presidents in the Fourth Republic. By means of narrative analysis and utilising content-analysis of primary and secondary sources, gathered from fieldwork in Lagos and Abuja, the article seeks to capture the crisis-ridden character of the Nigerian Senate from 1999 to...
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