FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

This research focused on the impact of the universal basic education policy on public junior secondary schools in Edo State. The aim was to investigate how the universal basic education has improved instructional and learning materials availability in public Junior Secondary Schools in Edo State to meet modern pedagogy. The survey research method was adopted. The researcher employed the use of both primary and secondary sources of data collection. The study has a population which comprises four different UBE schools in Egor Local Government Area. Which include the following; Egor Secondary School (1,706), Asoro Grammar School (1,812), Use Junior Secondary School (531) and Evbotubu Grammar School (1,669). To ensure adequate representativeness based on the size of the study population, the study opted to drawing the sample size that will be representative through the method of percentaging. Thus, twenty percent (20%) sampling was drawn from each of the four selected UBE schools in Egor Local Government Area, which upon calculation amount study sample size of 946. Furthermore, the sampling technique adopted for this study is the stratified random sampling technique in which respondents was selected using certain conditions such as gender, class, age and teacher’s qualifications etc. Furthermore, both descriptive and inferential statistics methods of analysis were adopted. The descriptive statistics include the use of frequency distribution tables and simple percentages to get the figures of different categories of the responses to the questionnaire. The inferential statistics on the other hand was meant to measure the type of relationship between variables. The type of inferential statistics that was deployed is the Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (r) Coefficient analytical tool. These were done using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 22.0 version) software at 0.5 level of significance. It was found that the universal b sic education policy has made textbooks available in all subject areas in public junior secondary schools. The study also established that the universal basic education policy provides standard white or black boards with accompanying markers, chalks, and customized dusters among others. The study further show that the universal basic education policy also provides textbooks in the noncore subject areas of home economics, and fine art among others. On the issue of reduced number of out-of-school students, the study observed by reason of its retrieved field data and subsequent analysis that there exists a strong relationship between the UBE policy and reduced number of out-of-school students of public junior secondary schools in Edo State.

The broad objective of the study is to examine the migration of skilled workers to Europe and its impact on the socio economic development of Nigeria. The study was through structured interview in Benin City in Edo State.All of the respondents who were questioned stated that high unemployment, high crime rates, poverty, and insecurity are the main causes of migration to Europe. These are the main causes of the migration of people to Europe. People can migrate toEurope in search of a more secure life due to the country's pervasive insecurity. Insecurity is one of the social ills that puts human life in danger, instills fear in the world around it, and limits its freedom of movement. Feeling uncomfortable or uneasy, or experiencing a vulnerable and self- doubting mental state, are definitions of insecurity. Human resources are a vital and essential part of health systems, and they can have an impact on the quantity and caliber of healthcare services provided. Healthcare worker migration may have an effect on the countries of origin and destination. Respondents point out that for policymakers to maintain and advance development
in Nigeria, they require qualified workers. The increased recognition of the developmental effects of human migration and the need to incorporate migration into other sectoral policies has resulted in an increasing demand for new types of evidence. Anything can trigger it, such as traumatic experiences, abusive circumstances, early life events, and personal phobias.People
from Nigeria move to Europe in search of better medical care. Therefore, the study recommends that Nigeria government should improve the health sector and the condition of service so that health workers will not migrate to Europe. The study also recommends that the government of Nigeria should improve on the security so that citizen of Nigeria will not migrate to Europe.

Migration has been at the center of global discourses with Nigeria a much talk- about involved country. Generally, migration whether legal or illegal is a decision that impacts the welfare of households and societies in various ways which might be
positive or negative. To this end, this study examines the effects of youth illegal migration on family members. The study employed the review of literature on the concept of illegal migration and other works so as to understand the effects of illegal migration of youths on familymembers. The population for the study was drawn from Egor, Oredo and Ovia North- East local governments in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. The paper revealed the causes of illegal migration, its effect on the family and the country as a whole and its implication for social work practice. This work made use of questionnaire in collecting data from the study area. In order to curb the issue of youth illegal migration in Nigeria, the researcher recommends that policymakers or legislators, and other stakeholders in government should make provision for infrastructural development, better social welfare policy and programmes, and economic succor. Also, social workers should be included in the mainstream of decision making body to help in the formulation and implementation of favourable policies and programmes to address the issue of poverty, insecurity and other precipitating factors causing youths to migrate illegall

This study examines the role of social workers in HIV/AIDS prevention and control in University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). Other objectives are to find out the role of the social workers in the control of HIV aids in University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), to assess the capacity of University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) to control HIV/AIDS, to find out what should be done to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS in university of Benin Teaching hospital (UBTH) The instrument adopted for data collection in this study is the structure questionnaires and was administered only to literate people. The sample size of this study is 50 respondents The primary data collected was analyzed using statistical analysis tools. Coding was done in Microsoft Excel 2010 while the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) was used. Tables were used for easy presentation of results, simple percentage was used to analyze the results obtained from the questionnaires distributed while cross-sectional method was used to test the relationship between social worker role and HIV/AID prevention in UBTH. The finding showed that social workers has play their role by advising, making sure that those HIV patient do not go to the public place and creating awareness in the control of HIV/AIDS in University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), by advising both patient and employee at UBTH and creating awareness to every individual. Both employee and non employee at UBTH are nowaware of the way to control HIV, how to prevent and how it can be treated, it was also reviewed that with the role of social workers at UBTH the level of HIV/AIDS patient at UBTH has reduce, respondent also reviewed that if individual should be advised to avoid misusing drug which can lead to engaging in certain behaviour that may increase chances of contracting or transmitting HIV and if sharing of needles for shooting DRUGS, piercings or tattoos is avoided, the level of HIV spreading will reduce.

This study examined the relationship between institutional barriers, psychological factors, and career progression among female academic staff at the University of Benin, with limited input from two other Nigerian universities for contextual comparison. Descriptive results showed that many women were clustered in lower academic ranks, had experienced delays in promotion cycles, and were underrepresented in leadership positions. The data also highlighted constraints such as limited mentorship, unclear promotion guidelines, challenges balancing work and family life, and self-limiting behaviours such as hesitating to apply for leadership roles. Qualitative insights strengthened these findings by illustrating how gender norms, workplace culture, and internalised beliefs influence career decisions. The study concludes that gender-based disparities in career progression remain a significant challenge within UNIBEN. While institutional policies exist to support academic promotion, their implementation is inconsistent, and cultural norms continue to disadvantage women. Individual factors such as confidence, motivation, and perceived suitability for leadership further shape career choices. Leadership training for women, the university should sponsor workshops and training programmes aimed at equipping women with administrative skills and confidence. Support for Work–Life Balance, policies such as flexible scheduling and accessible childcare services can help reduce the domestic burden that disproportionately affects women. This study contributes to existing literature by presenting current evidence on gendered career barriers in UNIBEN and highlighting the combined effect of institutional constraints and self-limiting behaviours

This study evaluated the social work intervention strategies for the remediation of Child abuse in the mitigation of such disaster, it specifically examined the factors promoting Child abuse and neglect , investigated the effects of Child abuse in the lives of the victims and the society at large, ascertained the people's perspective and knowledge about Social Workers and how they have intervened so far and examined most children who are depressed and isolated as a result of abuse from caregivers and significant others. The theories that help to inform this study are applicable to the many forms of child maltreatment. These theories include Ecological Systems Theory, Trauma- informed care, Attachment theory, family system theory, social learning theory/intergenerational transmission of violence, general strain theory, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Self-control theory, filicide typology, three-factor theory and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. The result of the research showed that the main
factors that contribute to child abuse includes poverty and economic instability , lack of education and healthcare , cultural norms that condone violence, Parental attitudes towards corporal punishment: Parents who believe in physical punishment are more likely to abuse their children, Socio-economic status: Children from poorer families are at a higher risk of abuse because sometimes they are forced to labor very hard for the family, Child's age and sex: Male children and those in certain age groups are more vulnerable to abuse, Conflict and instability, parental history of abuse, weak child protection systems. non-challant attitude
of the government towards perpetuators. The study utilized the survey Research design and the qualitative approach, the population of the study was made up of persons residing in Sajnt Saviour Community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Edo State, who have been residing there for at least six years, who have been abused and neglected and willing to participate and also understand the phenomenon being investigated. The sample size of the study was 100, which is made up of 50 males and 50 females and participants were selected through simple random sampling method. The study utilized the interview guide that were used to interview the selected and consented participants on a one-on-one basis. The data collected were thematically analysed and presented in a qualitative pattern of research. The results of the analysis showed that social workers have helped in the intervention of child labour and neglect in areas of education, family and marital status. This is to state that the practice of social work in Saint Savior Community has helped to ratify many vices that the children are faced with in some of the institutions like education and family. The research also entails social workers helping to advise parents about their children’s abuse and neglect
and also caution couples on the dangers of divorce on their children and how it can affect them negatively.

The studies investigate Undergraduate Student Perception Of Campus Dating In University Of Benin And Environs. The sample of the study comprises 150 respondents from the departments in the faculty of social sciences in the University of Benin. The instrument of data collection was a questionnaire. Five research questions aided this research. The research questions were answered using frequency table and simple percentage. Chapter One will introduce the Topic and problems and give a brief history of the subject matter, statement of the problem , research objective, research questions, significant of the study and scope of the study, Chapter Two will deal with review of relevant literature and also connect the project to Theoretical framework. Chapter Three deals with the method by which the research will be conducted . Chapter four will focus on the analysis and presentation of the research findings and also discuss them, to conclude the project chapter five will look at summary, limitation, conclusion and then give recommendation on how cohabitation among unmarried undergraduates can be better handled.

This study examines the impact of food crises on children's health in Nigeria over the period 1981–2024, amid recurring economic shocks, conflicts, pandemics, and policy failures that have exacerbated food insecurity and malnutrition. Drawing on secondary data from the World Bank and employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Error Correction Model (ECM) approaches, the research investigates the short-run and long-run relationships between food crises, child health indicators (such as stunting, wasting, and under-five mortality), and social factors including income, health expenditure, sanitation, education, and poverty.
The findings indicate that food crises have a significant positive association with deteriorated child health outcomes, intensifying vulnerability to infections, cognitive impairments, and mortality, with nearly 45% of under-five deaths linked to malnutrition. Income and sanitation exhibit negative effects on child health, underscoring the roles of economic inequality and inadequate infrastructure in perpetuating cycles of poverty and poor health. However, education and health expenditure show insignificant impacts, highlighting implementation gaps and inefficiencies in policy delivery. Cointegration tests confirm long-run equilibrium relationships, while diagnostic checks affirm model robustness. The study concludes that Nigeria's protracted food crises pose a critical threat to national development, necessitating integrated, evidence-based interventions. Recommendations emphasize strengthening agricultural resilience, poverty alleviation, sanitation infrastructure, educational reforms, and efficient health investments to mitigate malnutrition and foster sustainable child health improvements.

This study investigates the incidence and impact of human trafficking in Osasogie Community, Ovia North East Local Government Area, Edo State. It adopts a descriptive research design to observe and describe the behavior and experiences of community members, including parents, guardians, and trafficking survivors, without manipulation. The total population of 31,347 households, as obtained from the 2023 National Population Commission (NPC) records, was used to determine a sample size of 397 respondents through the Taro Yamane (1967) formula at a 95% confidence level. A stratified sampling technique was employed to select representative clusters within the community, while convenience sampling ensured fair questionnaire distribution. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire divided into demographic and objective-based sections, with validity ensured through expert review and reliability tested via the test-retest method using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques—such as frequencies, percentages, means, and Chi-square tests—were utilized for analysis using SPSS software. Ethical considerations were strictly observed, ensuring confidentiality, informed consent, and voluntary participation. The study provides a scientific and systematic framework to understand and address human trafficking in Osasogie Community, offering insights that could inform policy formulation and community intervention strategies

This study examined the knowledge and awareness of mental health services among women in Benin City. Mental health has become a vital aspect of overall well-being, yet many individuals, particularly women, still lack adequate awareness of available services and resources. The study aimed to assess the level of awareness, identify sources of information, and explore the barriers that influence the utilization of mental health services among women in Benin City. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and data were collected through the administration of structured questionnaires to women residing in Benin City. The findings revealed that although many respondents understood the concept of mental health and believed that mental health problems are treatable, the level of awareness of existing mental health services remains low. Most women were unaware of where to seek professional help when facing mental health challenges. The study also found that cultural beliefs, social stigma, financial constraints, and poor access to information significantly affect help-seeking behaviour. Social media and informal networks emerged as the main sources of mental health information, while professional health channels were less utilized. The study concludes that despite growing recognition of mental health issues, awareness and utilization of mental health services among women in Benin City remain inadequate. It recommends intensified public health education, improved funding, and community-based awareness campaigns to bridge the gap between mental health knowledge and service utilization