FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

The Encyclopedia of Leadership has highlighted the critical role of leadership development in enhancing organizational performance and fostering effective leadership practices (Encyclopedia of Leadership). Without adequate training, leaders may default to familiar, often less effective, styles, perpetuating existing issues. Many Nigerian organizations suffer from a dearth of structured leadership development programs. Leaders often rise through the ranks based on technical competence or seniority rather than demonstrated leadership capabilities. This result in managers who lack the necessary skills in communication, motivation, conflict resolution, or strategic thinking. This study examine leadership style as a predictor of organizational achievement. It specifically determine why leadership style impact employee engagement and motivation, examine the relationship between leadership style and team productivity, find out if leadership style determines organizational adaptability, and to find out if leadership style affect the achievement of organizational goal. Questionnaire was used as research instrument to source for relevant data for the study. 327 questionnaire was distributed to non-academic Staff in University of Benin. Both frequency and percentage employed to analysis the respondent opinion on the issues of subject matter. Chi-square method was employed to test the hypothesis of the study. The finding of the study show that leadership style can be use as instrument for organizational achievement. Leadership style was discovered to be one of the determinant of employee engagement and motivation. The study revealed that a relationship exist between leadership style and team productivity. The analysis revealed that a good leadership style can be use as a determinant of organizational adaptability. And also it was discovered that leadership style has positive significant effect on the achievement of organizational goal. The study recommend that every organization should as issue of importance, ensure of getting the right leader that will man their organization; in order to achieve their set goals/objectives.

This study evaluates the performance of international trade and its contribution to economic growth in Nigeria over a 34-year period (1990- 2024), utilizing annual time series data and the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimation technique. The research addresses the persistent challenge of why Nigeria has struggled to achieve significant economic growth despite its participation in global trade and the implementation of an Export-Led Growth (ELG) strategy. The key objective was to examine the impact of export trade, import trade, and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on the Real Gross Domestic Product (RGDP). The empirical results established that international trade exerts a mixed influence on Nigeria’s economy. The findings revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between import trade and economic growth, suggesting that the importation of productive capital goods and raw materials is crucial for enhancing domestic production capacity. Similarly, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) had a significant positive impact on economic growth, underscoring the value of a favorable investment climate. Conversely, export trade exhibited a negative and statistically insignificant effect on economic growth, which is primarily attributed to Nigeria's overreliance on crude oil and a weak, undiversified export structure.

This study investigates the intricate impact of single parenthood on child development within the Egor Community of Edo State, Nigeria, and explores its implications for social work practice. Using a descriptive survey design, the research gathered empirical data from 300 single parents to illuminate their socio-economic realities, challenges, and perceptions of how single parenthood affects their children's cognitive, emotional, and social development, as well as the availability of support systems. The findings reveal a concerning landscape where single-parent households are disproportionately burdened by pervasive economic precarity, unstable incomes, and a striking deficit in support from both informal networks and formal structures. A particularly poignant finding is the perceived inadequacy of emotional support from family and friends, which challenges the traditional narrative of robust extended family support in African cultures. This lack of support, coupled with economic strain, leads to significant emotional overwhelm and formidable challenges in managing child behavior for single parents. These multifaceted challenges are perceived to exert profound negative influences on children's academic performance, emotional well-being, and social integration. The study, guided by Social Learning Theory and Family Systems Theory, underscores how these stressors can impede positive parental modeling and destabilize the family's emotional equilibrium. The empirical evidence also confirms a severe deficit in formal support systems, representing a systemic failure to protect a vulnerable population and making social work interventions critically urgent and foundational. The research provides a compelling empirical foundation for urgent, integrated, and culturally sensitive social work interventions aimed at bolstering the resilience and well-being of single-parent families in Egor Community

This research study examined National Question of State Police as a Panacea to security in Edo South Senatorial District, Nigeria. The study aimed to determine the crime rates in Edo South Senatorial District, Edo State, find out the most common crime in Edo South Senatorial District, Edo State, ascertain the roles of State Police in crime control in Edo South Senatorial District, Edo State, and determine the perception of the Edo South residents towards State Police if established. Anchored on structuralfunctionalism theory as the theoretical framework of the study, the research descriptive survey design methods and questionnaires to obtain information and employ frequencies and percentages to analyze data. The research unveils that there is a high rate of crime in the senatorial district, kidnapping rank first among the common crime in the senatorial district, followed by cultism,theft/burglary, then rape, and fighting, Edo South senatorial district residents perceived that the if State Police get established, will be very good, worthwhile and commendable. It was suggested that the government should make a priority to meaningfully engage the youth in 7 the county thereby reducing the rate of unemployment, for an adage says "idle hands are the devil's workshop, the establishment of the State Police is strategic to the national security of the country because of its size and heterogeneous nature. The State Police if created will not only decongest the administrative stress at the federal level but will also have a closer chief of security of icer in the person of the governor monitoring to address security issues before they escalate, to this end if it gets initiated, it should be guided against abuse by State actors