FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

The study investigated the crises between state and local government on autonomy in Edo State: Post Supreme Court judgement and its effect on service delivery. To achieve the purpose of the study, four (4) research questions were raised and answered. The sample size for the study was made up of 100 respondents. The data collected was analyzed using frequency count and simple percentage. The study revealed that financial control, staff appointments, constitutional ambiguities, political rivalry, and delayed fund releases were the major sources of conflict undermining local government autonomy in Edo State. It was concluded that the autonomy crisis between state and local government significantly hindered education, healthcare, sanitation, and local projects. The study recommended among others that the Edo State Government should as a matter of utmost urgency ensure full compliance with the July 11, 2024 Supreme Court judgment by granting local governments the constitutional autonomy required to function effectively.

This study investigated the impact of women education on sustainable development in Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of the study, five (5) research questions were raised and answered. A sample size of 100 respondents was used for the study. The data collected was analyzed using frequency count and simple percentage. The study revealed that women’s education serves as a fundamental driver of sustainable national development. Educated women were found to play crucial roles in boosting economic productivity through entrepreneurship, formal employment, and innovation. It was concluded that women’s education significantly enhances social and political development by promoting health awareness, family well-being, and active participation in governance. The study recommended among others that government should allocate more resources to improve access to quality education for women, particularly in rural and underserved communities. This includes building schools, providing learning materials, and ensuring affordable or free education at all levels.

This study examines the relationship between government expenditure on education and economic growth using time-series data from 1981 to 2022. Economic growth is measured by real GDP, while government expenditure on education, gross fixed capital formation, life expectancy, foreign direct investment, and exchange rate are included as explanatory variables. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) -Error Correction Model (ECM) approaches is employed. The findings confirm the existence of a long-run relationship among the variables, as indicated by a negative and statistically significant error correction term. In the short run, government expenditure on education has a negative but insignificant effect on economic growth, suggesting delayed growth impacts. Life expectancy exerts a positive and significant influence on economic growth, while gross fixed capital formation shows a negative and significant effect. Foreign direct investment exhibits mixed effects, and exchange rate changes are found to be insignificant. The speed of adjustment indicates that about 92 percent of short-run disequilibrium is corrected annually. The study concludes that effective human capital development is crucial for sustainable economic growth

This study investigates the relationship between oil revenue and developmental challenges in Warri's riverine communities. A one-time face-to-face survey administration of a semi-structured questionnaire, comprising both closed and open-ended questions, was employed to collect data from 200 respondents. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS, with descriptive and statistical analysis emphasizing frequency and percentage tables, as well as interpretive analysis of open-ended responses. Key findings reveal significant developmental challenges, including environmental degradation, inadequate infrastructure (e.g., poor roads, healthcare), high poverty levels, and limited benefits from oil-related employment. The study recommends active community involvement in oil revenue distribution, education and training for oil-related employment, and inclusive decision-making processes to address these challenges and promote sustainable development.

This study examined the influence of social media on voting patterns among Faculty of Social Sciences students at the University of Benin, using the 2023general elections as a case study. The research focused on four key variables: social media influence, exposure to misinformation or fake news, peer discussions, and the frequency of social media use, and their effect on students’ political opinions, candidate preferences, and electoral participation. A descriptive and inferential research design was employed, with data collected from300 students using structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that social media significantly shapes political opinions and voting behavior, with exposureto fake news affecting trust in candidates, peer discussions moderately influencingvoting decisions, and frequent social media use enhancing political awareness and participation. The study concluded that social media plays a central role in shaping electoral behavior among university students, both as an informative tool and a potential source of misinformation. Based on these findings, the study recommended promoting digital literacy, enhancing fact-checking mechanisms, encouraging responsible social media engagement, and fostering peer education to ensure informed electoral participation. The research contributes to understanding the role of social media in political communication and provides insights for students, policymakers, and election stakeholders.

This study examined the prevalence of cyber bullying and mental health among students in university of Benin. A total of 140 respondents participated in the study, providing insights into their perception on cyber bullying and mental health, and the relationship between the two. This study employed a descriptive survey research design and the data for this study was collected by using the questionnaires. The findings indicate that The mental health impact of cyberbullying was also significant, with anxiety being the most common psychological consequence, followed by depression and stress. Many students also reported low self-esteem and a sense of social isolation. These findings underscore the severe consequences of cyberbullying, affecting students’ mental well-being and overall aca demic performance. The study concluded that The low awareness of available support systems, along with their perceived ineffectiveness, highlights a gap in addressing the needs of students who are victims of cyberbullying.

This study examined the socio-teaching property of decided breach visit Oredo Local Government Area, Edo State. The study chosen the survey design advancing questionnaires as gadget of file. The study chosen allocation enumerations and mean test to resolve the file calm from field survey. The results presented that low case stop money in Oredo Local Government Area stretch to play a awake act in advocating friendly merger, organization completeness, and instructional guardianship. These native practices advance respect for typical expert and speed intergenerational catch, through embellishing the socio-teaching fabric of people as political whole. While visualized as direct in lowering approximate and undisturbed crimes unambiguously in country tradition their overall impact islimited by challenges somewhat capital restraints, legal dif erences, andtroublesin harmonizing settled approaches following new constables wholes. The verdictsstress the continuing consistency of usual machines but still climaxtheindispensable need for fortification and correct to embellish their influence and sustainability inside current government institutions. In conclusion, the verdicts claim that settled breach stop method in Oredo LGA wait having to do with the a fluence of humanity appropriate and rationally encouraging, definitely in boosting joint fullness, respect for decided expert, and intergenerational date. While their influence is habitual particularly in country fields and intimate conflicts their more exhaustive worth is restricted by support shortages and permissible incompatibilities. This underlines the need for process fixes, corrected ability categorization, and detracting exertions to competition decided and new wholes cause counterfeit a more holistic and productive approach to organizational freedom. The study rushed that presidencies and appropriate husbands persist longer processes that in an of icial type acknowledge and touch settledbreak stop processes into the more sufficient criminal legitimacy arrangement, guaranteeing completeness 'tween typical masters and new constables. Adequate capital and arrangement support sustain be supported to indurate illustrative example stop drives, permissive aristocracy to conduct in a greater class and sustainably. Efforts recognize chance should hold more young result energetically in typical meanness stop practices to guarantee progress and address a few developing outlooks. Public management campaigns can help raise information about the benefits and difficulties of conventional forms, numberingequalized association partnership and support. Ongoing research and trial resume be transported to judge the influence of linked ferocity stop conduct and to understand resulting challenges or best practices.

The research was designed to examine staf training and workers motivation in Nigeria: Acase study of NTA, Benin city. The objectives of the study include the following: to examine the extent
to which staf training afects workers motivation. to investigate if trainings are motivations for optimal workers performance. to examine the impact of increased job responsibility on workers motivation. to identify factors that militate against staf training. to prof er solutions tothe challenges of staff development and workers motivation in NTA, Benin city. The study adopted survey research design. The population of study of this research is made up of staf s of theNTA, Benin city, Edo state. The sample size of this study are respondents drawn from four departments of the NTA, Benin city. The instrument used for the collection of data was the questionnaire which was administered to the study's sampled respondents. Out of the 103 questionnaires distributed, 98 copies were retrieved. The data collected was analyzed using simple percentage and chi-square analytical method to test the hypotheses generated for the study. The study discovered amongst others that, lack of fairness and equity in the training and selection processaf ect workers motivation in NTA, Benin city. Also, lack of staff capabilities affects workers motivation. Furthermore, policy recommendations were adopted which include amongst others that, staff training should be given top priority in NTA, Benin city. Also, the training selectionprocess should be fair and equitable.

In the contemporary digital era globally, social media has become an integral part of daily human interactions, especially among young adults and the middle-aged individuals. Platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) are frequently used for communication, entertainment, and information sharing. While these platforms offer numerous advantages, their overuse has been linked to addictive behaviors that may negatively affect interpersonal relationships and mental health (Kuss & Griffiths, 2023). In Nigeria, particularly in Edo State, the upsurge of smartphones and internet access has amplified social media usage, with increasing concerns about its consequences on family cohesion and domestic behavior. Social media addiction is characterized by excessive concern with social networking platforms, driven by an uncontrollable urge to use them, and devoting so much time and effort to them that it interferes with other important areas of life (Andreassen, Torsheim, Brunborg, & Pallesen, 2022). Individuals suffering from this form of behavioral addiction often experience mood modification, salience, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict, and relapse, similar to other forms of addiction

This research work sought to examine the nexus of urbanization, traffic congestion and transportation infrastructure development in Nigeria; a case study of selected cities in Edo State. The study made use of questionnaire to obtain data from respondent. Four objectives were raised for the study. The study found The country’s socio-economic ambitions are directly based on its transport infrastructure. However, the country’s current network transport infrastructure is in dismal state. Although the country has taken up ambitious plans to enhance its transport infrastructure by constructing new rail line and concession of the airports. It also found that critical factors that could contribute to the development of transport infrastructure in Nigeria, such as good planning, coordination between federal and state governments on transport policies, availability of technical expertise, assets management and eradication of corruption in awarding contracts and project execution. The study concluded that Traffic congestion has become a critical issue in many cities in Edo State, despite being sometimes touted as an inevitable symptom of strong economic growth. It is greatly affecting people’s quality of life. Therefore a suitable policies and frameworks are needed to improve transportation infrastructure in Nigeria.