FACULTY OF ARTS

This study interrogates the notion of recodification as an act of resistance in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Chigozie Obioma’s An Orchestra of Minorities. Though separated by decades, both novels converge thematically in their defiance of cultural erasure and their reclamation of Igbo indigenous identity through narrative innovation. The research analyses how Achebe and Obioma adapt, bend, and blend language employing proverbs, idioms, myth, cosmology, and oral tradition not merely as stylistic choices but as deliberate strategies of epistemic and cultural resistance against colonial and neo-colonial forces. Using a qualitative, interpretive methodology grounded in close reading and informed by postcolonial theory and cultural studies, the study examines narrative structure, symbolic representation, and linguistic hybridity to uncover how both authors recode English to carry Igbo rhythms, ontologies, and worldviews. Building on the works of Said, Bhabha, Spivak, Ngũgĩ, and Hall, the analysis demonstrates that recodification functions as a decolonial praxis a recentering of African epistemologies within global literary discourse. The thesis argues that both Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Obioma’s An Orchestra of Minorities use recodification through the adaptation, bending, and blending of language, myth, and oral tradition as tools for resisting colonial and modern dislocation, rewriting identity, and reclaiming cultural power.

This study investigates the stylistic features of selected funeral dirges in the Ika dialect, with the aim of identifying the linguistic and artistic devices that characterize them as a unique form of oral poetry. The work explores how language is used in Ika dirges to express grief, convey communal beliefs about death, and preserve cultural identity. The study adopts a qualitative research design, drawing data from field recordings, oral interviews, and transcriptions of authentic funeral performances among native Ika speakers. The analysis is based on stylistic and ethnographic frameworks, which allow for the interpretation of the dirges within their linguistic, cultural, and situational contexts. Findings from the analysis reveal that Ika funeral dirges are rich in figurative language such as metaphor, repetition, personification, imagery, and symbolism. These stylistic features heighten emotional expression and strengthen the communal bond during mourning. The dirges also reflect the Ika worldview that regards death not as an end, but as a transition to the ancestral world. Moreover, the performance of dirges marked by call-and-response patterns, tonal variation, and rhythmic delivery demonstrates the aesthetic and participatory nature of Ika oral tradition. The study concludes that Ika funeral dirges serve both artistic and social purposes: they console the bereaved, immortalize the dead, and transmit moral and cultural values across generations. The research therefore recommends the preservation, documentation, and inclusion of Ika oral literature in educational and cultural programs to safeguard the linguistic and cultural heritage of the people.

This study examines the contributions of Christianity to the development of the Urhobo people, with particular attention to its influence on social, educational, cultural, economic, and moral transformation. Christianity was introduced into Urhobo land through missionary activities during the colonial era and has since become a major force in shaping the society. The study explores how Christian missions established schools, healthcare facilities, and churches that promoted literacy, improved healthcare services, and fostered community development. It also analyzes the role of Christianity in promoting moral values, leadership, peacebuilding, and social cohesion while encouraging the abandonment of certain traditional practices considered harmful. Furthermore, the research evaluates the interaction between Christianity and indigenous Urhobo culture, highlighting both the positive impacts and the cultural challenges arising from the decline of some traditional beliefs and customs. Using historical and descriptive research methods based on secondary sources, the study concludes that Christianity has made significant contributions to the overall development of the Urhobo people through educational advancement, human capital development, social welfare, and ethical transformation. However, it also emphasizes the importance of preserving valuable aspects of Urhobo cultural heritage alongside Christian values to ensure balanced and sustainable development.

The study looks at the topic “Evaluating the Effectiveness of ITV’s Izigan Programme in Cultism Awareness and Prevention in Benin City. The objectives of this study were to assess the effectiveness of ITV’s Izigan programme in raising public awareness about cultism in Benin City. To evaluate the influence of the Izigan programme on youth attitudes and behaviours toward cult-related activities.To examine the factors that affect audience reception, understanding, and engagement with the Izigan programme. To explore potential strategies for enhancing the content and delivery of the Izigan programme to improve its impact on cultism prevention. The study employed the Cultivation theory and the agenda-setting theory, and then the survey research design with a questionnaire as an instrument was used to collect responses from a sample size of 400. The study discovered that Izigan is highly effective in raising public awareness of cultism, while also maintaining relevance through audience engagement. It also found that through the consistent framing of cultism as a destructive social problem, Izigan cultivates rejection attitudes and reinforces preventive behaviours among youths. In addition, it was discovered that, while Izigan successfully engages its audience, infrastructural and institutional challenges remain significant barriers to its full potential in combating cultism. Lastly, it was found that enhancing the impact of Izigan requires strong involvement of security experts, expanded access through digital platforms, and the inclusion of more real-life stories. These strategies, supported by audience feedback, would improve credibility, engagement, and long-term effectiveness in cultism prevention. The study then recommended that the programme should collaborate more closely with security agencies, psychologists, and community leaders to provide expert perspectives that boost credibility and authority in addressing cultism. Moreso, to overcome barriers like poor electricity supply and reach a wider youth audience, Izigan should increase its presence on social media and other online platforms, making the content accessible anytime and anywhere. In addition, the inclusion of testimonies from former cult members, victims, and community stakeholders would make the programme’s message more relatable, impactful, and persuasive to viewers. Lastly, it was recommended that sustained coverage, dramatisations, and interactive segments should be developed to keep the issue of cultism at the forefront of public discourse, reinforcing long-term behavioural change among youths.

This study examines how unconscious fears, trauma, and repression shape female identity in Amma Darko’s Faceless and Bayo Adebowale’s Lonely Days. Using the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, complemented by feminist perspectives, the research investigates how internal psychological conflicts mirror the external realities of patriarchal societies. The analysis demonstrates that both authors employ narrative realism, imagery, and interior monologue to reveal how women internalise fear, pain, and silence as mechanisms of survival. In Faceless, Fofo and Maa Tsuru represent the psychological consequences of abandonment, social neglect, and sexual exploitation, while in Lonely Days, Yaremi embodies the trauma and repression caused by widowhood and cultural marginalisation. The study finds that these psychological experiences, though destructive, ultimately inspire self-awareness and resistance. The research concludes that Darko and Adebowale portray African womanhood as both wounded and resilient. Through psychoanalytic interpretation, the study establishes that women’s repressed emotions and fears become instruments of identity reconstruction and liberation within oppressive social structures. Keywords: Psychoanalysis, Unconscious Fears, Trauma, Repression, Female Identity, Patriarchy, Faceless, Lonely Days.

This study investigates the attitudes of undergraduate students at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) towards media campaigns against hard drug use. Despite ongoing efforts by the government and NGOs to spread anti-drug messages through television, radio, and social media, drug misuse remains common among students. The research is grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Elaboration Likelihood Model, which help explain how attitudes and behavioral intentions are formed through media influence. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 400 undergraduate respondents across UNIBEN’s Ugbowo and Ekehuan campuses using structured questionnaires. Results showed that while students are generally aware of anti-drug media campaigns, many do not find them persuasive or relatable. Factors such as peer influence, media trust, and personal experiences played a major role in shaping student reactions. The findings revealed that students were more influenced by campaigns featuring real-life stories, relatable role models, or culturally relevant messages. However, emotional reactions ranged from motivation to indifference, depending on the campaign’s content and medium. The study recommends that future campaigns should be studentfocused, engaging, and reflective of real campus life to increase effectiveness.

In the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to himself those he desired, and they came to him. The aim of this study was to evaluate the missionary enterprise of the Nigerian Evangelical Mission Association (NEMA) in Ibadan in light of Henry Venn’s threefold principles of mission. Some churches and mission organisations in Ibadan who are members of NEMA were assessed with the prism of Henry Venn's principles of self-supporting, self propagating and self governing. The methodology adopted for this study was historical and Phenomenological. The level of compliance and achievement of churches and missionary bodies which were registered with NEMA in realising these mission fundamentals informed the application of questionnaires and interview which were thoroughly analysed to secure accurate result. The findings revealed that through collaboration and networking which were the core principles of NEMA, some member churches and agencies had been better placed to carry out the Lord's command. It further revealed that though NEMA was the umbrella body for missions in Nigeria, many churches were yet to identify with it. Lastly, based on the principles of Henry Venn, churches/mission organisations find it difficult to raise adequate fund amongst nationals, though it was easier for indigens to propagate indigenous work. Therefore, there is the need for collaboration and corporation. Time, finance and the reluctance of participants to divulged necessary information posed some challenge. However, painstaking effort was made to secure the needed information. Efforts should be made towards creating awareness on the goals and modus operandi of NEMA and getting churches to key into her vision to be able to meet up with the goals of mission.

This study examines the role of corruption in Nigeria’s electoral process through a comparative analysis of the 2011 and 2015 presidential elections. It argues that corruption is a structural feature of Nigeria’s democratic system, shaping electoral outcomes, political behavior, and public trust. Using qualitative methods, including interviews, focus group discussions, and secondary sources, the research explores how electoral malpractice, vote-buying, institutional manipulation, and political violence undermine electoral integrity. The findings reveal that while the 2011 election was relatively credible in procedure, it was followed by widespread post- election violence, whereas the 2015 election marked a historic democratic transition but was heavily characterized by systemic corruption and elite manipulation. The study further establishes that electoral reforms, such as the introduction of biometric technologies, have had limited impact due to weak enforcement and lack of political will. It concludes that corruption operates at multiple levels within the electoral system and continues to hinder democratic consolidation in Nigeria. The study recommends strengthening institutional independence, enforcing electoral laws, and addressing socio-economic vulnerabilities that sustain political corruption