DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

Social media has emerged as one of the most transformative forces shaping the landscape of entrepreneurship in the contemporary digital economy. Between 1997 and 2024, the rapid evolution of internet-based platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok has redefined how businesses are created, managed, marketed, and scaled globally. This study examines the relationship between social media and digital entrepreneurship over this period, with emphasis on how digital platforms have influenced entrepreneurial development, business innovation, customer engagement, and market expansion. The study adopts a qualitative research approach, relying on secondary sources such as scholarly journals, textbooks, policy reports, and credible online publications. It traces the historical development of social media from early online networking systems to modern algorithm-driven platforms that support real-time communication, targeted advertising, and data-driven decision-making. The research explores how entrepreneurs leverage social media tools for branding, digital marketing, product promotion, customer relationship management, and e-commerce transactions. Findings from the study indicate that social media has significantly lowered the barriers to entry for entrepreneurship by reducing startup and marketing costs while increasing access to global audiences. It has also enhanced innovation by enabling entrepreneurs to test ideas quickly, gather feedback, and adapt to market demands in real time. However, the study also identifies key challenges such as cyber insecurity, online fraud, misinformation, algorithm dependency, and intense market competition, which may hinder sustainable business growth. The study concludes that social media is a critical driver of digital entrepreneurship in the 21st century, reshaping traditional business models and creating new economic opportunities. It recommends that entrepreneurs develop digital literacy skills, adopt strategic online engagement practices, and implement cybersecurity measures to maximize the benefits of social media while minimizing its risks.

This study examines the role of immigration in Nigeria’s national security, with particular attention to the opportunities and challenges associated with cross-border migration. Immigration has become a major issue in contemporary international relations due to increasing globalization, economic integration, armed conflicts, and regional mobility within West Africa. Nigeria, as one of Africa’s largest economies and a strategic regional power, experiences significant inflows of migrants from neighboring countries, which has implications for its political stability, economic development, and internal security. The study explores how irregular migration, porous borders, human trafficking, smuggling, terrorism, and transnational crimes contribute to national security concerns in Nigeria. It also investigates the positive contributions of immigration, including labor supply, cultural integration, economic growth, and regional cooperation. The research adopts a qualitative approach using secondary data obtained from textbooks, journal articles, government publications, reports from international organizations, and relevant media sources. Theoretical frameworks such as the Human Security Theory and Migration Theory are employed to analyze the relationship between immigration and national security. Findings reveal that weak border management, inadequate immigration policies, corruption, and limited surveillance mechanisms have increased Nigeria’s vulnerability to insecurity, including insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and illegal arms trafficking. However, the study also finds that effective immigration management can enhance national development, regional peace, and socio-economic stability. The study concludes that immigration plays a dual role in Nigeria’s national security by serving as both a potential threat and a tool for national development when properly regulated. It therefore recommends stronger border control measures, improved intelligence sharing, modernization of immigration systems, regional collaboration among ECOWAS member states, and comprehensive policy reforms aimed at balancing national security with human rights and regional integration.

Between 2015 and 2024, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia underwent a monumental socio-economic and diplomatic pivot, driven by its ambitious Vision 2030 blueprint. Central to this transformation has been an unprecedented multi-billion-dollar investment in global sports. This paper evaluates Saudi Arabia’s strategic deployment of sports as an instrument of soft power and public diplomacy during this pivotal decade. Utilizing a qualitative case-study methodology framed by Joseph Nye’s conceptualization of soft power, the study investigates the mechanisms through which the Kingdom has sought to reshape its international image, diversify its hydrocarbon-dependent economy, and foster global political goodwill. The analysis reveals a multi-layered approach characterized by the aggressive acquisition of elite foreign clubs, the domestic integration of world-class sporting icons, and the securing of hosting rights for high-profile mega-events. The study finds that while these initiatives have effectively repositioned Saudi Arabia as an indispensable hub in global sports governance, they have also generated a distinct soft power paradox—manifesting as deep international polarization and widespread accusations of "sportswashing." Ultimately, this paper underscores the complexities of state-backed sports diplomacy, demonstrating that while financial capital can swiftly command global attention, translating that presence into enduring cultural attraction remains a contested geopolitical endeavor.

Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry, has grown to become the second-largest film industry in the world in terms of volume, producing thousands of movies annually and distributing them across Africa and beyond. Its rapid expansion, since the 1990s, has transformed it into a cultural powerhouse, contributing not only to the Nigerian economy but also to the global perception of Nigeria. This transformation has sparked significant interest in Nollywood’s potential as an instrument of cultural diplomacy, whereby films act as tools for communicating national values, traditions, and identity to international audiences¹. The concept of cultural diplomacy involves the strategic use of a nation’s cultural assets to promote mutual understanding, enhance its image, and strengthen diplomatic relations with other countries. Historically, nations have deployed art, music, literature, and cinema as tools to achieve soft power objectives. In Nigeria’s case, Nollywood represents a powerful cultural export capable of influencing international opinion and projecting a positive image of the country. By depicting everyday life, cultural traditions, and societal challenges, Nollywood offers global audiences nuanced insights into Nigerian society²

This study examines the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in contemporary global conflict since 2000AD. The rapid advancement of digital technology and artificial intelligence has significantly transformed the nature of warfare, security operations, intelligence gathering, and international conflict management in the twenty-first century. The study explores how AI technologies have been applied in modern conflicts through autonomous weapons systems, surveillance technologies, cybersecurity operations, drone warfare, intelligence analysis, and military decision-making processes. It also investigates the implications of AI on global peace, security, and international relations. The study adopted a descriptive and analytical research design using secondary sources of data, including books, journal articles, government publications, online reports, and scholarly materials related to artificial intelligence and modern warfare. Findings revealed that AI has improved military efficiency, speed, precision, and intelligence capabilities in many countries involved in global conflicts. Nations such as the United States, China, and Russia have increasingly invested in AI-driven military technologies to strengthen national defense and strategic advantage. The study also found that AI has contributed to the rise of cyber warfare, automated surveillance systems, misinformation campaigns, and the development of autonomous combat weapons. Despite these advantages, the study identified several challenges associated with the use of AI in contemporary conflicts. These include ethical concerns, civilian casualties resulting from autonomous systems, loss of human control in warfare, cyber threats, privacy violations, and the possibility of AI technologies being used by terrorist groups and criminal organizations. The study further revealed that the absence of comprehensive international regulations on military AI poses serious risks to global security and stability. The study concluded that artificial intelligence has become a major factor shaping the nature of contemporary global conflict since 2000AD. While AI offers opportunities for improved security and military effectiveness, its misuse and uncontrolled expansion could threaten international peace and human safety. The study therefore recommended the establishment of global policies and ethical frameworks to regulate the use of AI in warfare, encourage international cooperation, and ensure that AI technologies are used responsibly for the promotion of peace and security worldwide.

This study examines the influence of Christian missionaries in Owerri between 1910 and 1990. The arrival of Christian missionaries in Owerri brought significant social, educational, religious, and economic changes that transformed the traditional structure of the society. The study investigates the activities of various missionary groups and evaluates their contributions to the development of Owerri during the colonial and post-colonial periods. It also explores the interaction between Christianity and the indigenous beliefs and practices of the people of Owerri. The study adopted a historical research design using both primary and secondary sources of data. Primary sources included oral interviews and archival materials, while secondary sources consisted of textbooks, journals, articles, and previous research works related to missionary activities in Eastern Nigeria. Findings from the study revealed that Christian missionaries played major roles in the establishment of schools, hospitals, churches, and other social institutions in Owerri. They contributed greatly to the spread of Western education, literacy, healthcare services, and moral teachings, which helped in shaping modern social and political development in the area. However, the study also found that missionary activities led to the decline of some traditional religious practices, cultural values, and indigenous institutions. The introduction of Christianity created both cooperation and conflict between converts and traditional worshippers. Despite these challenges, the overall impact of Christian missionaries in Owerri between 1910 and 1990 was largely positive, particularly in the areas of education, religion, and social transformation. The study concluded that Christian missionary activities significantly influenced the historical development of Owerri and contributed to the modernization of the society. It therefore recommended that the positive legacies of missionary efforts, especially in education and healthcare, should be preserved while promoting respect for indigenous cultural heritage and values.

In most cases, students’ academic performance is not totally and entirely a function of their intellectual capability and ability. Some other extraneous variables such as the state of the nation’s general economic condition play major role in their academic performances. Undergraduate students are constantly influenced by multiple stressors from different aspects of their lives and the society.1 Life and academic stress often generate difficulties and impact on university students’ mental health. University students have been stressed by intensive demands of developmental and academic tasks. With current economic contraction, many additional economic stressors are added to university students’ existing stress levels.2 It is against this backdrop, this study examine the
response and adaptation of University of Benin students economic hardship. Over the years University of Benin has played significant roles in actualizing quality education to Nigerians, with array of academic programmes and courses offered in the areas of Medicine, Law, Journalism, Banking and Finance, Engineering and Technology, Architecture, Health, Safety and Security, Agriculture, as well as the field of education itself where teachers are raised as architect of nation building.

The act of changing or harming a woman's genitalia for non-medical purposes is known as female genital mutilation. An estimated 230 million women and girls worldwide have experienced female genital mutilation, which is acknowledged internationally as a violation of human rights. The number of girls who undergo female genital mutilation will continue to rise if the practice persists at current levels, even though it is decreasing in the majority of the countries where it is common.

The latter half of the 20th century saw a seismic shift in global economic thought. Neoliberalism, championing free markets, privatization, and minimal state intervention, gained traction, particularly within powerful international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF).¹ These institutions became instrumental in propagating and implementing these policies, especially in developing countries grappling with economic vulnerabilities.² Nigeria, a nation endowed with vast human and natural resources yet plagued by persistent economic challenges, found itself at the crossroads of this global economic order, becoming a focal point for the IMF's interventionist approach.

To be able to effectively discuss women and their form of nationalism in Southern Nigeria before independence, one may need to understand the role women played in precolonial Southern Nigerian societies, how women were viewed, their rights and privileges, the impacts colonial rule had on them, and how they responded to this rule. In precolonial Nigeria, the position of women was a reflection of their subordinate status. Men held the premiums in the society, and women had the sole purpose or responsibility to be mothers of the children of these men. The ability of a woman to give birth won her the closest attachment of her husband while barren women were always the object of scorn in the society. An instance is the Esan woman who is socially not recognized. She is always represented by her husband in any social affair even if the issue at stake directly concerns or affects her. Whatever contribution she has to make, she does so through her husband who is her voice and mouthpiece. This is only when she is respected, recognized and her contributions highly welcomed and valued. Also, as long as a woman is not married in sanland, no matter how successful she may be, her views and
contributions are not welcomed or accepted. She is considered to be an outcast and is treated as one without an owner. She is ot also recognized in and among the women community. Women are seen through the lens of marriage in a homestead.