DEPARTMENT OF ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION

The study investigated the influence of functional literacy in reducing unemployment among youths in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. In order to achieve the objectives of this study, five research questions were raised. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consists of youths under-going various functional literacy programmes in both public and private organization in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. A census sampling technique was used to select one hundred and twenty-six (126) youths in Ovia North East Local Government Area. A self- structured questionnaire designed with a modified Likert Scale method made up of four- point rating scale of Strongly Agreed (SA), Agreed (A), Disagreed (D), Strongly Disagree (SD) was the instrument adopted for the study. The instrument was validated by the researcher’s supervisor and other lecturer in the Department of Adult and Continuing Education. The instrument reliability was determined using the Cronbach’s alpha procedure. The correlation of the coef icient of the instrument was found to be o.71. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics which involved frequency count, percentage and mean score analysis was used to answer the research questions. The findings of the study revealed that functional literacy programmes such as digital literacy, vocational training, entrepreneurship skills, agricultural skills are relatively available for unemployed youths in Ovia North East Local Government of Edo State. The findings also revealed that unemployment has negatively impacted the well-being of the majority of the youths. It was also revealed that there is a significant relationship between functional literacy programmes and economic empowerment of youths, as well as between functional literacy and reduction in youths unemployment. Challenges confronting the ef ective delivery of functional literacy programmes targeting youths in Ovia North Local Government Area of Edo State ranged from inadequate funding, poor infrastructure and facilities, inadequate skilled trainers and lack of awareness. Based on the findings, it was recommended that government and agencies should expand the reach of functional literacy programmes to more communities within Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. Also, more training centres should be established and adequately equipped to accommodate a large number of unemployed youths.

The study assessed the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) as a precipitator of social media addiction among undergraduate students of the University of Benin. To achieve the objectives of the study, five research questions were raised to guide the study, while three hypotheses were formulated. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The population of the study includes all undergraduate students of the University of Benin, Ugbowo campus. A sample size of 120 students were selected for the study using a multi- staged sampling technique. A self-designed questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection and it was titled: Assessment of Fear of Missing Out Questionnaire (AFOMOQ). After the validity, the instrument was tested for reliability using the internal consistency reliability procedure; whereby the instrument was pilot tested in 20 participants, the data yielded a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.70 as the reliability index. The data collected were analyzed using mean score analysis for providing answers for research questions 1 and 2. The hypotheses 1 and 2 were tested using the Pearson’s r while hypothesis 3 was tested using the independent simple t-test. All the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance.
The findings of the study revealed that the social media platforms undergraduate students are addicted to include WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat; that there is a prevalence of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) among undergraduate students of the University of Benin; that there is a positive and significant relationship between Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and academic performance of undergraduate students of the University of Benin; that there is a significant relationship between Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and social media addiction among undergraduate students of the University of Benin; that there is a significant difference in Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) between male and female undergraduate students of the University of Benin and thus indicating that Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) was higher among the female.

This study explored women’s contribution to socio-economic development of Ovia North - East Local Government Area of Edo State. It explores how women has made impactful contributions to the development of Ovia North-East. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study as five (5) research questions were raised to guide the investigation and the population of the study consisted of women residing in Ovia North-East Local Government Area while a total of one hundred (100) respondents were randomly selected as the sample size. A structured questionnaire titled Contribution of Women to The Socio-Economic Development Questionnaire (CWSEDQ) was used to collect data from respondents. The research instrument was validated by experts in the Department of Adult and Continuing Education. Data collected were statistically analyzed using frequency counts, simple percentage, mean scores and standard deviations. The results were presented in tables showing respondent’s responses and the decisions made based on the established decision rule. The findings revealed that women contribute significantly to socio-economic development, particularly in agriculture, small-scale enterprises, community development, family welfare, and local trade. The study further showed that women’s economic activities have a strong positive impact on household income and poverty reduction, as ix their involvement in business, cooperatives, and entrepreneurial ventures improves financial stability and living standards. Furthermore, women’s education was shown to be a major determinant of their socio-economic contribution, as educated women demonstrated higher participation, better decision-making, and stronger engagement in leadership and community development. Based on these findings, the study recommends improving women’s access to education, addressing cultural barriers through awareness campaigns among others. These measures are essential for enhancing women’s contributions to sustainable socio- economic development in Ovia North-East.

This study explores the integration of vocational training into academic curricula in Nigeria, emphasizing its potential to bridge the gap between education and the labor market, thereby addressing the nation's challenges of unemployment and economic development. With a historical emphasis on theoretical learning, the Nigerian education system has left graduates ill- equipped with the practical skills demanded by employers. This research identifies the critical benefits of incorporating vocational education, such as enhanced employability, entrepreneurship promotion, and alignment with national development goals. The methodology employed for this research involved a descriptive survey design, targeting adult learners at the Pioneer Literacy Centre in Benin City. A sample of 50 participants was selected using simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire designed with a modified Likert scale. The questionnaire was divided into two sections: personal demographic data and specific research questions. The validity of the instrument was ensured through expert review, while reliability was assessed using test-retest methods. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, focusing on frequency counts, percentages, and mean scores to draw conclusions regarding the integration of vocational aining.Additionally, the study draws comparisons with successful global models, showcasing the importance of dual education systems that combine academic learning with practical workplace training. It highlights the necessity of fostering collaborations between educational institutions and industries, addressing resource constraints, and changing societal perceptions of
vocational education to enhance its attractiveness. Despite facing challenges like inadequate funding and societal biases, this study advocates for a multi-stakeholder approach that includes government initiatives, public-private partnerships, and public awareness campaigns. Through comprehensive analysis, the research underscores the transformative potential of vocational
education in fostering economic empowerment and social inclusion, ultimately contributing to sustainable development in Nigeria.

This study examined parental attitudes toward participation in adult education programmes in Ovia North-East. The findings showed that parents attitudes strongly influence participation in adult education programme. This is possibly due to the fact that many parents lacked understanding of adult education programme and the benefits it bestows on that participants. The factors found to influence parental attitudes include finance, limited awareness and the distance where programme are located. The aim was to explore and determine the disposition of parent to participation in adult education programmes in the area understudy. In this regard the research sought to explore the parent perception of their children's participation in adult education, it's influence on their choice of programmes and factors guiding the parents disposition and perception. In pursuance of this, 6 research questions were raised to examined in the course of the study