FACULTY OF ARTS

One intriguing thing about sculpture is it's ability to bring ideas, imaginations, opinions and philosophies to life in three dimensions; That thoughts can be tangibly seen and felt as much as spoken about. That from materials lying bare on the floor one can create almost life like. The project is a long awaited quiet voice now shouting as an idea incarnated in three dimensions. Having been gifted with skill in the area of sculpture, I have found a visual means to communicating to society that man's mind must develop first for success to happen. This project is inspired by the idea to emphatically look into man’s quest for success, which in other words is tagged "flight" how that the quest for success pushes man to go for more and more understanding. By proof of research it is evident that from the earliest periods man has always wanted dominion which accounts as his success This project is intended to enlighten the public on the need to being resilient in their search for knowledge, because soaring high and being successful doesn’t happen accidentally but by systematic and guided approach to life. This project therefore adopts the exploratory method of data collection. And in material usage it adopts the technique of direct concrete modeling technique in sculpture. This project therefore presents visually, a Nine feet and 6inches sculpture in the round, finished in blue Partina and a touch of gold.

This study evaluated the use of social media for critical democratic citizenship among residents of Edo State, Nigeria. The study addressed the following research Objectives: Ascertain social media users’ engagement with government policies in Edo state, determine the level of social media users’ criticism of the democratic process, examine citizens Critical reflection on the political and economic systems in place on social media, evaluate how citizens have used the social media to call for social justice, ascertain the relationship between government performance and critical democratic citizenship. Survey method was adopted, with a cross sectional design, using purposive sampling technique. A sample of 400 respondents was drawn from the estimated 960,000 Social media users in Edo State (Datareportal's Digital 2023 Report). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that social media is widely used for political awareness, active engagement in discussions but activism remains limited. Respondents reported using social media daily to stay informed about political issues (Mean = 3.68, SD = 1.40), but active participation in discussions was less common (Mean = 3.02, SD = 1.23). WhatsApp emerged as the most preferred platform for political discussions (Mean = 3.46, SD = 1.28), while Instagram was the least preferred (Mean = 2.14, SD = 1.28). Users trust social media for government-related information (Mean = 3.97, SD = 1.44) but exercise caution in verifying content before sharing (Mean = 4.14, SD = 0.87).Demographic factors influenced social media engagement, with men and older individuals showing higher participation rates, while women and highly educated individuals exhibited lower levels of engagement. For instance, 68.8% of respondents were female, and 49.9% held postgraduate degrees, yet engagement among these groups was lower compared to their counterparts. A moderate positive correlation was found between social media engagement and critical democratic citizenship (r = 0.461, p < 0.01), indicating that active users are more likely to participate in democratic processes. However, despite recognizing the impact of government performance on civic engagement (Mean = 4.67, SD = 0.68), this awareness does not always translate into active participation. The study concluded that social media is a vital tool for political awareness in Edo State, but active engagement, criticism, and critical reflection remain limited. To address these gaps, the study recommends the implementation of educational programmes to promote responsible and critical engagement with political content and developing targeted initiatives to increase the participation of women and highly educated individuals in online political discourse.

This project examines the depiction of the Nigerian Civil War in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun. It’s focus is on how the novel portrays the war's impact on individuals, families, and communities. Findings reveal that Adichie's novel provides a nuanced and humanized portrayal of the Biafran War, highlighting the devastating effects of conflict while also showcasing the enduring resilience and cultural identity in the face of adversity.

This essay examines the representation and significance of the Olokun myth in selected poems by Tanure Ojaide, Tony Afejuku, Okinba Launko, and J. P. Clark-Bekederemo. Focusing on Olokun as a central figure in Yoruba mythology, Benin mythology, and Ijaw mythology, the study explores how this deity—associated with the sea, wealth, and the subconscious—is reinterpreted in contemporary Nigerian poetry.

Adopting a qualitative textual analysis, the essay investigates how each poet appropriates the Olokun myth to engage with themes of identity, colonial memory, environmental consciousness, and socio-political realities. The findings reveal that the poets creatively rework the myth beyond its traditional framework, using it as a symbolic and ideological tool to critique historical disruptions, reflect on cultural continuity, and articulate modern African experiences.

The study concludes that the continued invocation of the Olokun myth demonstrates the enduring relevance of indigenous belief systems in contemporary literary expression. It highlights how mythopoesis serves as a bridge between tradition and modernity, enriching African poetry with layered meanings while reinforcing cultural identity in a postcolonial context.

Theatrical productions have long aimed to immerse audiences through visual and emotional storytelling. One of the most captivating elements of live theatre is set and prop design, which plays a crucial role in establishing the atmosphere and enhancing the narrative. In contemporary stage productions, designers face the unique challenge of balancing realistic portrayals with technical and financial constraints.

The Lion King, an acclaimed stage production adapted from Disney's animated film, provides a powerful case study in how modern theater grapples with these issues. The production is celebrated for its imaginative use of puppetry, props, and sets, combining traditional theater techniques with innovative designs to create a unique visual experience. However, the ambitious realism and grandeur come with challenges in design, construction, and performance continuity. This research endeavor attempts to identify challenges of achieving realistic props and set design in contemporary stage production, it will also provide possible solution to this challenges.

This study examined the Influence of Email Marketing on Brand Engagement: A Study of Ekehuan Campus, University of Benin Students. The objective was to evaluate the extent at
which Uniben students are exposed to email marketing, to find out the perception of Uniben students toward email marketing, to ascertain the impact of email marketing on Brand Engagement amongst students of Uniben. To provide a theoretical framework, the study was anchored on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). It’s is a theoretical framework developed to understand and predict users' acceptance and adoption of new information technologies. Survey research design was adopted with a sample size of 343, and questionnaire as the primary instrument of data collection. Findings from the analysis of the data gathered showed that email marketing plays a crucial role in capturing students' attention and fostering brand engagement. Factors such as personalized content, frequency of emails, and relevance of the messages were found to be key determinants of brand engagement through email marketing efforts. Additionally, the study highlighted the importance of leveraging email marketingasastrategic tool to build and strengthen relationships with the student demographic. Overall, the conclusions drawn from the research underscore the significance of incorporating effective email
marketing strategies to enhance brand engagement among university students. Hence, this study recommends that Companies should ensure that emails are mobile-friendly to accommodate the increasing use of smartphones among students for accessing emails. Also, there is need to strike a balance between maintaining regular communication and avoiding email fatigue by carefully scheduling and managing email frequency.

This study investigates Ẹdo personal names from a morpho-semantic perspective to show how the internal structure of names and the cultural context of the Ẹdo people work together to create meaning. Data for the study were collected through oral interviews with native speakers and from published sources. The names were analyzed using basic morphological description and the Principle of Compositionality, which states that the meaning of a complex word is derived from the meanings of its parts.
The findings reveal that Ẹdo names are not mere labels but meaningful expressions that reflect the people’s worldview, beliefs, and social values. The study shows that Ẹdo names come from several sources, including kinship, birth circumstances, personal traits, religious beliefs, and the cultural understanding of destiny and reincarnation. Each category of names carries messages about identity, family structure, moral behavior, spirituality, and the historical pride of the Ẹdo people. The analysis demonstrates that Ẹdo names serve as tools for preserving cultural heritage, transmitting values, and reinforcing the social structure of the community. This work contributes to existing knowledge by providing a detailed linguistic analysis of Ẹdo anthroponyms and by showing how language encodes cultural knowledge. It also emphasizes the need to document and preserve Ẹdo names for future generations, as they remain an important part of the people’s linguistic and cultural identity.

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.

This research examined how face threatening acts (FTAs) are mitigated with politeness strategies and mitigation devices during postgraduate seminar presentations in the University of Benin. The data for this study were collected using field notes, and an audio recorder to capture the seminar presentations in five faculties. These faculties were randomly sampled from the fifteen faculties in the University, and they include Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Physical Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Management ciences, and Faculty of Engineering. From these five faculties, the following departments were selected: English and Literature, History, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Accounting, Business Administration, Mass Communication, Production Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Pharmacy, Banking and Finance, Economics, Marketing, Statistics, and Linguistics. Also, the data for the study are analysed using the Brown and Levinson Politeness Theory. Focusing on four types of politeness superstrategies and itigation devices, the study has found that regardless of the power-distance relationship between students and lecturers, lecturers tend to be cognisant of the face wants of the presenters as evidenced by the use of negative politeness and off record superstrategies, which both occur as the most used face threat mitigating strategies in the postgraduate seminar presentations.

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.