Stephen Okhonmina

This study examines student union politics and its effectiveness in aggregating and satisfying student interests at the University of Benin. The research explores the extent to which the student union represents student concerns, the challenges it faces, and tudent satisfaction with its performance. A quantitative survey research design was adopted, with data collected from 264 students through structured questionnaires. The findings reveal that while the student union is effective in advocating for student welfare, mediating conflicts, and disseminating information, it struggles with governance representation and financial transparency. Major challenges identified include administrative interference, leadership conflicts, low student participation, poor communication, and repression by university authorities. Despite these obstacles, students expressed satisfaction with welfare initiatives, recreational activities, and communication efforts, though concerns about transparency persist. The study establishes a significant relationship between student union representation, student interest aggregation, and satisfaction. Recommendations include enhancing student participation, strengthening financial transparency, and reducing administrative interference. These findings contribute to the discourse on student governance and provide insights for improving student union effectiveness in Nigerian universities

This study examines the impact of Federal Government programmes on youth empowerment in Nigeria, with particular focus on the Niger Delta region. Youth empowerment remains a critical strategy for addressing unemployment, poverty, restiveness, and socio-economic instability in Nigeria. Over the years, the Federal Government has introduced several intervention programmes such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), and N-Power, aimed at improving youth skills acquisition, employment opportunities, entrepreneurship development, and economic inclusion. The study adopts a descriptive survey research design, utilizing both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to selected youths in the Niger Delta, while secondary data were obtained from government publications, journals, and policy documents. The findings reveal that although Federal Government programmes have contributed to skill acquisition, job creation, and improved livelihood for some beneficiaries, challenges such as inadequate funding, corruption, poor implementation strategies, political interference, and limited accessibility have significantly reduced their overall effectiveness. The study concludes that while Federal Government youth empowerment initiatives have made measurable impacts in the Niger Delta, their potential has not been fully realized. It recommends improved transparency, proper monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, increased funding, community participation, and policy continuity to enhance programme effectiveness and ensure sustainable youth empowerment in the region.

This research examined revenue allocation and political stability in Nigeria. The research seeks to examine the impact and challenges of allocation on different tiers of government in Nigeria, to investigate how revenue allocation has defined political stability in Nigeria and to examine the extent to which the statutory allocation formula adopted in the past has affected the path of economic growth and development in Nigeria. The research adopted the human capital theory as theoretical framework. The study largely adopted the library research method as secondary data were utilized and content analyzed. The study concludes that revenue allocation in Nigeria both in the pre-independence era and the post-independence era has been fraught with cotroversies. It was revealed that all the revenue allocation formulae have been geared towards the favor of the federal government, given that they have the highest share of the federation account. The study therefore recommends that that the state and local government be given a higher share of the revenue, given that they are seen to be closer to the citizens. It was also recommended that transparency, accountability, and efficiency on the part of all the levels of government should be enshrined to ensure that revenue allocated to specific projects are utilized appropriately, that way preventing the abandonment of projects when a new government emerges