Innovations

Published Papers

Environmental Variables and Heads of Departments Accountability in Public Universities in South South, Nigeria

Ifeoma Unyime Ukoette & Roseline Onyeje Olilima

The study determined the extent to which environmental variables predict heads of departments' accountability in public universities in South-South, Nigeria. Seven research questions were raised and seven null hypotheses were also postulated to guide the study. The correlation design was used for the study. The population for the study consisted of all the 374 Heads of Departments in six public universities in south – south, Nigeria during the 2019/2020 academic year. The sample of the study consisted of 306 Heads of Departments representing 90% of the Heads of Departments population. Multi - stage sampling technique was used to select sample from the six federal universities in South–South Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria. The instruments for data collection was the researcher – made instruments titled “Environmental Variables questionnaire (EVQ) and Heads of Department Accountability Questionnaire (HDAQ)” which were validated by experts in the Educational Foundation, Guidance and Counselling, Curriculum Studies, Educational Management and Planning respectively. The Cronbach’s Alpha Analysis was used to determine the reliability of the instruments which yielded reliability co-efficients of .76 for EVQ and .80 for HDAQ which were quite appropriate and usable. Linear Regression Statistics, R and R2 were used to answer the three research questions while F- value was used to test the null hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that: change of leadership, social, economic, academic practices and joint variables are significant predictors of Heads of Department accountability in public universities in south – south, Nigeria. It was concluded based on the findings that joint environmental variables are significant predictors of Heads of Department accountability in public universities in South – South, Nigeria. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that institution management should develop a safe work environment that will encourage Heads of Department to acquire skills on the utilization of ICT facilities in order to improve their administrative accountability.  

Revolutionizing Narratives: A Postcolonial Re-Reading on black Feminist Empowerment in Ama Ata Aidoos Changes and Jamaica Kincaids Annie John

Oluchi Chris Okeugo(PhD) Nkechi Elizabeth Obiukwu, Eze Jane Chinenyenwa

In revolutionizing the narratives and stance of black feminist empowerment, Ama Ata Aidoo’s Changes and Jamaica Kincaid’s Annie John play a pivotal role in articulating postcolonial literature as a literature that continues to set and retain the gaze of its audience as not just art but as a core representation, in aesthetic and mimetic content. In a literature of this kind, the postcolonial subject is simply left with no option than being a deviant and a non-conformist, whose life is rife with glaring and deliberate contradictions. Women as the feminist postcolonial subject appear to arrest the incompatibilities as theyconvert their life in the postcolonial and societal otherness.This paper engages the transformative power of black feminist narratives in two seminal literary works: Aidoo's Changes and Kincaid's Annie John.Focusing on the intersection of identity and otherness, it delves into the ways these narratives challenge societal norms and empower their protagonists. Both texts serve as powerful testaments tofeminism, thereby, highlighting the resilience and agency of their protagonists within oppressive systems. This articleaims to showcase the transformative power and the voices of black women, highlighting their struggles, triumphs, and the resilience that defines their narratives. Ultimately, it seeks to illuminate the pivotal role of black feminist empowerment in reshaping societal norms and advocating for a more inclusive and equitable future.This paper engages postcolonial feminist theory as theoretical tool for the re-reading of the texts.  

Resurging Military Interventions in Francophone West and Central African Countries: Between Re colonial Rhetoric and Flagrant Civilian Misrule

Taiwo Oladeji Adefisoye, PhD & Ojo Olawale Ariyo, PhD

The recent resurgence of military interventions in the West and Central African sub-regions calls for scholarly interrogation. There are similar patterns among the five countries: Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, the Republic of Niger and Gabon. All five countries are former French Colonies that still retain strong affinities with the erstwhile colonial master. More significant are the allegations of France’s overbearing meddling in the internal affairs of these countries (which has been labeled as re-colonialism), and the failure of internal democratic governance to deliver democratic dividends. This article concerns itself with the task of examining the salient issues around the military interventions in those countries and raised the following questions: were the coups a protest against France’s alleged interferences in the internal affairs of those countries? Were they crass protests against flagrant internal misrule? Or do those coups revalidate the contagious-effect--thesis of military intervention? This article answers these questions through the qualitative research approach. A conceptual framework was woven around the neo-colonial/re-colonial thesis, while salient indicators were used to gauge the performance of democratic governance in the coup-affected states.  

An African Metaphysics of Social Order and the Culture of Being with others

Dr Joseph Omokafe Fashola

The concept of Being in African culture encompasses all forms of existence. Everything in the universe is a being endowed with life-force, albeit, not in equal proportion as some beings are more gifted than others. Humans for instance possess more life-force or beingness than any other being in the physical world. At the metaphysical level, other beings like ancestors and deities are positioned in the higher plane of the hierarchy. One important part of this worldview is that all beings both physical and non-physical have a shared existence. One affects the other either benevolently or malevolently, and this interaction is responsible for the sustenance or destruction of the universe respectively. Considering that the interaction of beings including humans is given metaphysical interpretation, it becomes necessary for this paper to examine and establish this metaphysical foundation as a way of engendering social order. It employs Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative which can serve as a principle for social order since it prompts an individual to do to others what they desire should become a universal maxim in interrogating the issue at hand. This is because it provides a means through which we understand and describe humans to be first, rational beings. Some of the findings of this paper are that African metaphysics encourages a complementary relationship, and promotes social harmony as well as an ordered society. The paper would contribute to discourse and knowledge of the African worldview as a means of engendering social order.  

ICT Infrastructural Deficit in African Rural Communities: Exploring the Complementary Roles of Indigenous Communication Systems in Accessing and Utilizing Business Funding Information among Rural Agribusiness Entrepreneurs

Agbaeze Kalu Emmanuel, Ejike Sebastian Oforkansi, Ike Nnia Mba Sr, Anene Jane Nwakaego, Imhanrenialena Ogbemudia Benedict

Many studies have called for research into the potential of African indigenous communication systems to serve as a complementary information dissemination model to the Western model following the deficit of information and communication technology infrastructure in rural areas. As a result, the current research explored how indigenous communication systems influence access to business funding information, and the influence of indigenous communication systems on business funding information utilization. In addition, the study investigated the preferred savings model, payment channel, and mode of obtaining credit facilities among agribusiness entrepreneurs in Nigerian rural areas. The probability sampling method was used in selecting 511 samples from the registered 50,000 smallholder agribusiness entrepreneurs in Edo State for the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchored Borrower’s Programme. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the preferred savings model, payment channel, and mode of obtaining credit facilities among agribusiness entrepreneurs while regression analysis was deployed in testing the hypotheses. The findings indicate that physical cash transactions, informal savings, and informal credit facilities dominant financial services among rural farmers. The outcomes from the test of hypotheses show that indigenous communication systems have a significant influence on access to business funding information among agribusiness entrepreneurs in Nigerian rural areas (β = 0.312, t-value = 7.161 > 1.96, p-value = 0.000 < 0.05, and R2 = 0.498). It was also found that indigenous communication systems significantly influence the utilization of agribusiness funding information in Nigerian rural areas (β = 0.295, t-value = 6.617 > 1.96, p-value = 0.000 < 0.05, and R2 = 0.422). Policy-wise, the study suggests ways financial authorities can leverage on indigenous communication systems to increase financial information literacy for increased access and utilization of business funding information among agribusiness entrepreneurs in Nigerian rural areas.  

Recent Advances in Behavior Management Among Children

Sharmishta S, Dr. S. Dhivya, Dr. jayaprakash Reddy, Dr. Karthika Shankar, Dr. Ahsana Asif, Dr. Pavithra Suresh

Behaviour management techniques are important part of paediatric dentistry in managing the child and for providing successful treatment outcome. The major criterion in managing the child in dental clinic is by proper communication combined with good rapport which makes the child fearless and cooperative. These are challenging aspect for paediatric dentist whereas various traditional methods for behaviour management have been employed and few can tend to be aggressive technique in the eyes of children and their parent. Recently there are various modifications and innovations have created a new technique in the paediatric field to overcome the disadvantages faced in traditional technique. This newer technique have been utilized in clinics and found to be advantageous and makes the child cooperative and have interest in facing the dentist in future. This review article will focus on various recent advances in behaviour management techniques in children.  

Academic Staffs Engagement to the Implementation of Multicultural Education Dimensions at Hawassa College of Education, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia

Tesfaye Limoreo Degaga, , Yilfashewa Seyoum Mekuria (Ph.D.) , Garkebo Basha Abo (Ph.D.) . Feyera Dinsa Hundessa (Ph.D.)

The study aimed to investigate the engagement of academic staffs in practicing multicultural education dimensions at Hawassa College of Education at Sidama region. A qualitative case study research was used, and data were collected through in-depth interviews and document analysis. The findings revealed that academic staffs' engagement in using MCE dimensions was not actively affirmed, hindering their capacity to apply knowledge and create awareness of accommodating differences in classrooms. Descriptively; although an endeavor made by academic staffs to implement the fundamentals of MCE: content integration, knowledge construction, prejudice reduction, equity pedagogy, and empowering school culture and social structures as part of their lesson design, the results found that quite a lot remains to come to the level we want. Lack of motivation, insufficient orientation from the College's deans and a deficiency in instructional plans and context-based curriculum materials were identified as barriers. The policy-practice gap and the need for knowledge formation, skill development training, and research studies were highlighted as crucial areas for improvement. The study recommended that the MoE, Regional Education Bureau, and The Hawassa Education College critically address these gaps and enhance teachers' endeavors in applying MCE perspectives effectively in culturally diverse classrooms to meet learners' needs and achieve principles and intended goals of MCE.  

Moderating Influence of Firm Age on the Adoption of E Publishing Innovations

Emmanuel Ifeduba, Pauline Adeniran, Benedette Unuigboje & Nkechi Christopher

Demographic factors such as age are known to be correlates of innovation adoption across industries, including the publishing industry, but several studies present conflicting results on the correlates of technology adoption. Thus, it is yet to be clearly understood whether firm age exercises moderating influence on organisational adoption of e-publishing innovations or not. This study, using data collected from 109 publishing firms, therefore, attempts to assess the influence of firm age on the adoption of e-publishing hardware, e-formats, e-promotion and e-commerce. Findings indicate that firm age played a role in the adoption behaviour of firms but did not significantly influence innovation adoption rates, suggesting that innovation characteristics play more crucial roles in the adoption of e-publishing innovations. The fact that e-publishing is needed for survival by both old and young publishers explains the contradiction and suggests that business focus might be more important in understanding adoption behaviour in some industries.  

Predicting Innovation Adoption in Turbulent Newspaper Markets

Emmanuel Ifeduba, Salome Ighomereho O. , Basiru Adetomiwa

Traditionally, newspapers are distributed by consignment, and when this distribution method unsustainable in Nigeria, studies attributed it to the advent of online newspapers and free reading at newsstands, without interrogating the phenomenon from both the supply and the demand perspectives. This study is, therefore, focuses on both newspaper suppliers and vendors in search of an answer to questions raised against consignment distribution. The findings indicate that the industry is experiencing market turbulence which necessitated six strategies introduced to quickly address indebtedness to publishers, declining print sales, production cost, business risk, marketing efforts as well as control of ordered quantities. Statistically, only perceived cost with a p-value .004 was significant to the prediction of innovative distribution adoption at 0.05.This study submits that newspaper as a product has reached a point in its life cycle when it must reinvent itself in order to remain relevant, and that tinkering with the supply chain is just one of many steps publishers are taking to remain afloat.  

Finance Digitization in Low and Lower Middle Income Countries: An Empirical Investigation and Prediction of Future Outcomes

Ladi Daodu & Professor. Dr. Amiya Bhaumik

Previous studies have suggested that digitization of finance leads to growth in the economy in several middle- and high-income countries, but research in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs) remains limited. This research aimed to examine the trends, barriers, relationships, and prospects of finance digitization in LLMICs. This study used analytical and descriptive cross-sectional study designs. Sixty-six countries were purposively selected based on the available data on the Global Findex and the World Development Indicators databases. The results indicated that the adoption and utilization of finance digitization increased in these countries, but the growth rates varied by region and income group. Low-income countries reported the highest rates of subscriptions to digital finance accounts and storing money in digital accounts, while lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) reported higher rates of inbound/outbound digital transactions, borrowings, and savings using digital channels. Sub-Saharan Africa reported the highest rates of digital finance account subscriptions, digital savings, and digital borrowings, while Europe and Central Asia reported the highest rates of in/out digital transactions. Barriers to digitization in these countries included poor access to the internet, high cost of digital finance products, and lack of a mobile phone, with low-income countries facing more challenges. The analysis revealed a negative significant relationship between finance digitization and Gross National Income growth and a positive significant correlation between finance digitization and other economic growth indicators (gross savings and Gross Domestic Product). Finance digitization was predicted to continue to rise in these countries for the next decade.  

Announcements

➡ Papers are invite for publication in 76 Number (March 2024)

➡ You can find our journal in Cairn International database also but not in Taylor & Francis publication, please check all information carefully before publishing your valuable paper.

➡ Innovations is active Scopus and Scimago indexed journal

➡ Scopus Cite score (2023) 01.00 and Scientific Journal Ranking (2023) 0.255

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