FACULTY OF ARTS

his essay examines the spatial conundrum in Niyi Osundare’s poetry collection on hurricane Katrina disaster in order to investigate how the poet has represented the effects of the storm on the city of New Orleans. The research aims to analyse the spatial imagery and metaphors used in Osundare’s poetry to convey the experiences of Katrina victims. It also investigates how the poems challenge and reinforce dominant narratives of disaster response and recovery

Harmony is essential to music. The fundamental element of music, which is the harmonic progression, plays a crucial role in shaping emotions and aesthetic impact of a musical piece. This study contains a comparative analysis of harmonic progression in various musical genres which includes Classical, Jazz, Pop, and Hip-Hop. The study revealed the difference between the harmonic progression of different genres. The study applied the Schenkerian analysis theory greatly influenced by Heinrich Schenker. This theory combines music theory analysis that reveals the underlying structure and coherence of a piece. Information for this work were gathered by the use of questionnaires. This study rounded off with the following recommendations: that (1) musicians and composers should consider blending harmonic elements from different genres to create innovative musical styles. (2) Music teachers or educators can use the comparative findings to develop more detailed teaching that focus on genre-specific harmonic techniques. (3) Further research could explore harmonic progression analysis in rising or less-studied genre to broaden the understanding of contemporary musical trends. The researcher identified gernes and specific harmonic progression, investigated the revolution of the harmonic progression pattern across genres and historical periods. Harmonic progression in these musical genres were also compared and contrasted. Finally, the study explored the relationship between harmonic progression and emotional expression in music thereby focusing on three key points which are Harmony: A pleasing combination of notes, Progression: A succession of music from one chord to another and Musical Genres: A category of musical composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content.

This study critically investigates the role of stage actors in bridging cultural difference using the University of Benin Theatre adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, adapted by Effing Bassey and directed by Joan Salami, as a case study. Grounded in intercultural performance theory (Pavis), postcolonial thought (Bhabha), and performance studies (Schechner; the research interrogates how actors function as cultural mediators, transforming Achebe’s narrative of Igbo tradition and colonial disruption into embodied experiences that facilitate cultural dialogue among audiences. The background situates theatre as a cultural forum where traditions and histories are not only represented but actively negotiated. Achebe’s novel was selected because of its global significance as a text of cultural conflict and resilience, while the UNIBEN Theatre context provided a live platform for examining how Nigerian actors re-stage colonial encounters for contemporary audiences. The research employed a qualitative design, combining semi-structured interviews with the director, four actors, and three audience members, alongside live and digital performance observations. Thematic analysis was applied to the data, triangulated with secondary sources from African theatre scholarship. Findings reveal that actors extended beyond textual fidelity, engaging in what Fischer-Lichte describes as the creation of “liminal spaces where different cultural systems encounter one another in embodied form” (117). Performers reported a conscious responsibility to carry Igbo traditions on stage while rendering them intelligible to diverse audiences. Audience testimonies confirmed that actors’ emotional intensity and ritual enactments generated both cultural recognition and cross-cultural empathy. However, limitations were noted, including the underrepresentation of female agency, echoing Stratton’s critique of Achebe’s gender politics. The study concludes that actors play a pivotal role in transforming Achebe’s prose into lived cultural encounters, effectively bridging difference by embodying rituals, songs, and colonial tensions in a manner that transcends text. Recommendations emphasise enhancing actor training in cultural literacy, balancing ritual authenticity with psychological depth, and leveraging digital platforms such as YouTube to extend intercultural dialogue globally. The research contributes to theatre studies by repositioning actors as central to the politics of cultural exchange, while offering practical insights for practitioners, scholars, and policymakers committed to the role of performance in intercultural communication. Overall, the thesis underscores that in Nigerian university theatre, and specifically in the UNIBEN staging of Things Fall Apart, the actor is not only an artist but a cultural ambassador, shaping how communities perceive themselves and others across cultural divide.

This study undertakes a critical, comparative case analysis of the director’s vision as applied by two distinct student directors at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), examining its translation from theoretical concept to realised stage performance within a resource-constrained Nigerian academic setting. Drawing upon a qualitative methodology that triangulated evidence from in depth interviews, non-participant observation, and documentary analysis, the research critically assessed each directorial vision one aligned with the Interpreter Model (Director Emmanuel) and the other with the Auteur Model (Director Godstime) against a three pronged criterion: Conceptual Cohesion, Cultural and Aesthetic Relevance, and Pragmatic and Pedagogical Effectiveness. The empirical findings refute the simplistic Auteur/Interpreter binary, revealing that the efficacy of the vision is fundamentally context dependent. Director Emmanuel’s Interpreter vision, characterised by intellectual rigour and structural fidelity, achieved superior pragmatic resilience by employing low tech, high concept solutions (e.g., the symbolic dismantling of the set) that were well suited to unreliable infrastructure. However, this approach struggled with affective translation and the integration of resonant, nonverbal cultural aesthetics, leading to a diminished emotional impact. Conversely, Director Godstime’s Auteur vision, though introducing dangerous technical vulnerabilities through its reliance on precise cues, proved superior in achieving cultural resonance and pedagogical efficacy. His focus on visceral imagery and physical metaphor successfully fulfilled the Nigerian aesthetic mandate, while his commitment to "collective artistry" (Godstime Q10) fostered greater collaborative growth and actor honesty (Godstime Q9). The study concludes that a successful directorial vision in this environment must adopt a Blended Model, strategically synthesising the Interpreter’s conceptual discipline with the Auteur’s aesthetic courage. Ultimately, pedagogical efficacy and affective resonance were found to supersede pragmatic safety and structural fidelity in defining overall success within the educational theatre sphere. This research serves as a vital corrective to Eurocentric directing theory, establishing context specific criteria for directorial excellence in African academic institutions.

This research paper looks at the features of the language used in new media today. The analysis reveals how this new media has created new language mostly used in these media platforms and the effects it has in our everyday English. Majority of the people that use this language in new media are teenagers and young adults, so this paper also shows the effect of these media language in speech writing in schools.

This paper examines the interplay of folklore and identity in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Americanah, exploring how cultural narratives, traditions, and societal norms shape personal and collective identity. The study adopts a qualitative research method, employing content analysis of the texts to evaluate how folklore serves as a vehicle for cultural preservation and self-definition. Adichie intricately weaves elements of folklore, including proverbs, customs, and oral traditions, into her narratives, illustrating the tensions between tradition and modernity, home and diaspora, as well as individual and collective identity. In Purple Hibiscus, the influence of colonialism on religious and cultural identity is brought to the fore, depicting characters struggling with imposed Western ideologies and indigenous traditions. Religious fundamentalism, family dynamics, and Igbo proverbs contribute to the construction of identity and highlight the complexities of cultural inheritance. Conversely, Americanah presents a transnational perspective, portraying the challenges of migration, racial identity, and cultural displacement. Ifemelu’s journey in America underscores the fluidity of identity as she navigates different cultural spaces, while Obinze’s experience in the UK reflects the intersection of class, race, and personal aspirations. Through an in-depth analysis of folklore and identity, this study underscores the role of storytelling in shaping perceptions of self and community. It concludes that folklore remains a powerful tool for cultural continuity, helping individuals negotiate their place within both local and global contexts. The findings advocate for a greater appreciation of indigenous knowledge systems in literary discourse, reinforcing the significance of cultural heritage in contemporary African narratives.

Ritual killings, the unlawful and often gruesome act of murdering individuals for the purpose of using their body parts, blood, or other human materials for spiritual, magical, or economic purposes, remain a persistent social menace in various parts of Nigeria, including Ibadan Metropolis, the capital of Oyo State. Ibadan, as a traditional Yoruba city with a rich heritage of religious pluralism including indigenous beliefs, Christianity, and Islam—has long been a site where traditional beliefs in supernatural powers intersect with pressures for wealth and success. Ibadan, as the largest city in West Africa and the capital of Oyo State, has witnessed several reported and unreported cases of ritual killings linked to deep-seated cultural beliefs, economic desperation, and criminal exploitation of traditional religion.

The study of the place of women in the socio-political and economic life of the society from the early period to the present has aroused a wide range of interests amongst scholars and writers in recent times. Women’s study received a boost after independence especially with the declaration of the United Nations Decade for women, 1976-85. Attention was not only drawn to the need to grant greater freedom and more privileges, to womenfolk throughout the world, but also the need to study the role of women in society, their problems, and the best way to enable them to participate effectively in their own self-actualization as well as their societies and the world at large.1 It is imperative to note that even till date, Africa is not left out in the marginalization, subjugation and underrepresentation of women in politics, they have also undermined the roles women have played over time in the economic and socio development of the continent. This is despite the fact that, African women had a prestigious and recognized place in the traditional society which made it possible for the gifted ones among them to rise to positions of political, social and economic eminence.²Among them were: Queen Nefertiti of Egypt, Queen Amina of Zaria, Queen Sheba of Ethiopia, Queen Moremi of Ife, Queens Idia, Iden and Emotan of Benin, Omu of Onitsha, Omu of Ossomari among others.

A mysterious pneumonia known as COVID-19 broke out from Wuhan, China in late December, 2019. The early stages of what would become a global health crisis were first identified in December 2019 when reports surfaced regarding an initial outbreak at a bustling market, which impacted the market’s workforce with approximately 66% of it’s staff reportedly falling ill. The severity of the situation prompted a swift response from local health authorities. On December 31, 2019, an epidemiological alert was formally announced, leading to the decisive measure of shutting the market on January 1, 2020.

The outbreak of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China in 2019 was phenomenal. It significantly altered the patterns of political and economic behaviour across the globe. COVID-19 engineered the rise of new rhetoric and narratives in academic discourse. This includes the concept of covidnomics that espouses the intricate between COVID-19 and economics in general. As the impact of coronavirus on humanity begins to unfold gradually, its impact on the economy of nations in Africa is glaring. Among the many unprecedented economic challenges it engendered, the dramatic fall in the demand for goods and services in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa stands Tall. The result is that some manufacturers in the continent Have been overwhelmed by the imbalance between demand and supply.1 The fall in demand under the pandemic had nothing to do with a lack of want on the part of the people but, it was a manifestation of the decline of human development index that had impeded consumers’ capacity to make
demands of goods and services.