STRUCTURE

This study examines the syllable structure of Ikale, a dialect of Yoruba language spoken in Ondo State Nigeria, using a descriptive approach. This study established the syllable type utilize by this dialect, the syllable processes available in Ikale dialect and the absence of consonant cluster in Ikale dialect. The data for this research were collected from competent native speakers of the dialect. The theoretical framework for this research is the CV phonology introduced by Kahn (1970) as it analyze the internal structure of syllable, consonant - vowel interaction as well as realisation of complex segments and co-articulations as a single segment. The findings reveals that the basic syllable structure of Ikale dialect is V (vowel) and CV ( a sequence of a consonant and a vowel) with no syllable ending with a consonant and the phonotactic constraints of this dialect does not permit consonant cluster in words. The result of this research contribute to a deeper understanding of phonology and syllable as well as the academic world.

This study presents a morpho-syntactic analysis of the internal structure of Urhobo personal names. While existing scholarship has often focused on the cultural and semantic significance of these names, a significant gap remains in the systematic description of their grammatical architecture. This research, therefore, aims to examine the morphological processes and syntactic patterns that underlie the formation of Urhobo personal names. The study is framed within the Item-and-Process model of morphology and the Principles and Parameters theory of syntax. Data comprising 100 personal names were collected from native speakers in Jesse town and school registers in Delta State, Nigeria, and were subjected to linguistic analysis. The findings reveal that Urhobo names are predominantly complex linguistic constructions rather than simple labels. Morphologically, they are formed primarily through compounding and the productive use of nominalizing prefixes (e.g.,Á-, Ò-, È-). Syntactically, a majority of names are shown to be desententialized forms, originating as full clauses (e.g., Óghènéguédjókè meaning "We give account to God") that conform to the Subject-Verb-Object word order of the language. The analysis also identifies governed morpho-phonological processes like vowel elision at morpheme boundaries. The study concludes that Urhobo personal names are rule-governed, systematically generated from the language's grammatical system. It recommends further research into the sociolinguistics of naming, comparative Edoid onomastics, and detailed phonological analysis. This work contributes to African linguistics by providing a formal grammatical account of naming practices and serves as a resource for Urhobo language education and preservation.

This study examined the limited linguistic research on minority languages. The study focused on an aspect of the layered structure of Arogbo clauses to uncover the significant for expanding the understanding of Ijaw syntax. The aim of the study was to investigate and analyze the layered structure of clauses in Arogbo. The objectives included to identify and describe the syntactic components of Arogbo clauses; examine the structural tterns of simple; discuss the compound and complex clauses in Arogbo amongst others. The study relied on primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected rough oral interviews with native speakers of Arogbo Izon using a field note and a voice order. The secondary data consisted of existing texts and audio recordings related to Arogbo dialect. The type of data selected from the bulk of data collected consisted of clauses eflecting the layered structure of Arogbo clauses. The data were analyzed using the Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) framework. The findings of the tudy revealed the intricate and flexible nature of Arogbo Izon clause structure. Central to this structure is the nucleus, which serves as the grammatical and semantic core of the lause, typically represented by the verb. Also, the core of an Arogbo Izon clause consist of hree main components; the subject referential phrase (RP), the object RP and the predicate, adhering strictly to the Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order and the periphery which altogether play an essential role in shaping the overall meaning of a clause by offering supplementary information that is crucial for emphasis, context and communicative intent among others. The study concluded that Arogbo Izon employs a highly layered and flexible lause structure where various syntactic positions such as the nucleus, core, periphery, pre-core slot, and detached positions work together to shape both the grammatical and communicative aspects of a sentence

The study examined the relationship between ownership structure and bank performance covering a period of 10 years spanning from 2014 to 2023. The specific objectives of the study were to examine the effect of foreign ownership bank performance, the effect of institutional ownership on bank performance, the effect of float ownership on bank performance, the effect of government ownership on bank performance, and the effect of family ownership on bank performance. To this end, the study employs a panel data regression approach, sampling 12 banks from all listed banks in the Nigeria stock exchange as at December, 2024. The analysis covered the descriptive statistics of the variables, followed by correlation analysis then the panel OLS regression analysis. The findings revealed that institutional ownership has a positive but insignificant impact on bank performance, that government ownership has a significant negative impact on bank performance, that family ownership has a negative and insignificant impact on bank performance, that foreign ownership does not have a significant impact on bank performance, and lastly, float ownership has no significant impact on bank performance in Nigeria.The study concludes that empirical evidence on the relationship between ownership structure and financial performance of Nigerian banks has been provided, recommending, among others, that in order to successfully improve firm performance and profitability, institutional owners should diversify their investment strategies, governments should privatize state-owned enterprises and implement governance reforms, governments should simplify regulatory frameworks to attract foreign investment, firms should promote investor education and engagement, and family-owned firms should develop succession planning and establish clear governance structures.