CHALLENGES

This study investigates the knowledge of school safety challenges and their impact on the educational development of secondary school students in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. It emphasizes the importance of a safe school environment as a foundation for effective teaching, learning, and overall student development. The research highlights those frequent issues such as violence, bullying, cultism, sexual harassment, poor infrastructure, and insecurity continue to affect students’ academic performance and emotional well-being in many Nigerian schools. A descriptive survey research design was adopted to collect data from both public and private secondary schools within the study area. Using a structured questionnaire titled School Safety and Educational Development Questionnaire (SSEDQ), data were gathered from a sample of 150 students selected through proportionate stratified random sampling. The study examined students’ awareness of safety risks, their exposure to safety training, and how these factors influence attendance, academic performance, and psychological stability. Findings revealed that although students recognize some safety threats in their schools, many lack sufficient knowledge of preventive and emergency measures. Schools with inadequate infrastructure, poor security systems, and limited safety education reported higher cases of absenteeism, fear, and reduced classroom participation. The study also identified gaps in policy enforcement, teacher training, and stakeholder collaboration as major barriers to ensuring safe learning environments. Based on these findings, the research recommends that school authorities and government agencies should prioritize the implementation of comprehensive safety policies, regular safety drills, and improved infrastructure. Teachers should receive training on child protection and crisis management, while students should be continuously educated on safety awareness and response strategies. A collaborative approach involving parents, communities, and educational stakeholders is essential to creating a secure, supportive, and conducive learning environment for students.

Underdevelopment in Nigeria has been attributed to numerous factors, both internal and external, which continue to hinder the nation’s socio-economic progress. Overcoming these challenges is a very necessary topic for both the general public and the government. It is essential for sustainable development and national growth. The study seeks to explain and understand the root causes of underdevelopment in Nigeria and examine its effect on society and the state. It also explores possible pathways for overcoming these challenges, drawing insights from scholarly suggestions and recommendations, empirical research, and past studies. The research adopts a qualitative approach, relying on secondary data from academic articles, books, government and international bodies reports, and publicized works. Through the use of theories like the Modernization theory, the Dependency theory, and the Human Development theory, we are able to understand the causes of and solutions to underdevelopment. Finding reveal that corruption, weak institutions, and the structural nature of Nigeria's economy has contributed significantly to underdevelopment. External factors such as unequal trade relations, foreign aid dependency, and the colonial legacy further compound the problem. All these have hindered development efforts, and continue to make life hard for citizens, while moving the state backwards.

Caregivers in crèche settings play a pivotal role in nurturing and educating children during their formative years. However, the demand of this profession can lead to emotional stress, burnout, and job dissatisfaction. Therefore, this study explores the occupational related challenge faced by caregivers in crèche settings, with a focus on the impacts of these challenges on caregiver well-being and the quality of care provided to young children. The study adopted a survey research design and the population comprised all the care givers in the 39 registered crèches in Benin City. The sample was 100 crèches care givers selected from 25 crèche settings through multi-stage sampling techniques. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire designed after a careful study of related literature. The instrument was validated by the three experts including the researcher’s supervisor. The internal consistency of the instrument was calculated with the cronbach alpha which yields a value of 0.86. The data were analysed with frequency count, percentages and standard deviation. The findings revealed that caregivers in crèche settings encounter a range of occupational challenges. The most commonly reported challenges include caring for crying babies, feeling unsatisfied due to salary payment, lack of appreciation from parents, poor recognition and appreciation of work by crèche management, and poor working conditions of the crèche. Caregivers experience fair challenges associated with the job of caring for children. Additionally, occupational-related challenges posed moderate impact to their health although feeling ill due to job was not mainly ascribed to job demand hence; do not perceive it as impactful to their health. Consequently, it was recommended that government should institute policyframework for effective monitoring and supervision of crèches and Managements ofcaregiving centres should ensure better welfare package for care givers including exposing them to various regular training programme.

The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) made the theory of separation of powers a fundamental principle of state governance. This essay examines the doctrine of separation of powers under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with a view to critically assessing the challenges facing same in Nigeria. The 1999 Constitution in different sections vested the powers of government in separate organs of government as follows: section 4 deals with the legislative powers; section 5 deals with the executive powers, while section 6 is concerned with judicial powers. This kind of separation of powers is known as the horizontal separation of powers. It has been discovered, by the adoption of doctrinal methodology as well as comparative research methodology, that a water-tight application of the doctrine of Separation of Powers is not possible. It is in recognition of this fact that the founders of the doctrine developed the principle of checks and balances which empowers each arm of government to serve as a check on the others to ensure that they do not go out of their constitutionally assigned roles. This concept of checks and balances is as well provided for in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). Despite these provisions of the constitution, there are presently in Nigeria disputes and controversies concerning the meeting points of the powers allotted the various arms of government. The executive arm of government by virtue of the amplitude and plentitude of powers allotted to them by the constitution. The judicial arms of government appear to be at the receiving end of this power tussle. There are however certain salient areas in the interplay of powers where the three arms of government must converge or meet for the orderly regulation or governance of Nigerian society. This long essay reviewed the hallowed concept of separated 15 powers of government, the doctrine of checks and balances as well as the Independence of judiciary, the meeting points of the powers and their areas of dislocation. Some recommendations that will uplift the law and practice of sep rated powers in Nigeria were made.

BACKGROUND: In the digital era, university students are increasingly exposed to high levels of online
engagement through academic platforms, social media, and entertainment, leading to a phenomenon known as digital overload. This study examined the relationship between digital overload, mental health (depression), and academic burnout among pharmacy students at the University of Benin, Nigeria, and explored how these factors influence academic performance. OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of digital overload among pharmacy students in UNIBEN. To measure the degree of academic burnout (emotional exhaustion and academic inefficacy) among the respondents. To examine the relationship between digital overload and mental health on academic burnout. To assess the extent to which digital overload and academic burnout affect students academic performance. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted, with data collected from 334 pharmacy students across all levels using a structured questionnaire comprising the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Student Survey (MBI-SS) and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25, employing descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and one-way ANOVA tests.

Flow assurance has become one of the most pressing challenges in onshore oil and gas production. It refers to the ability to transport hydrocarbons from the reservoir through pipelines and surface facilities to the point of sale without blockages or interruptions. While the concept first gained traction in offshore systems, onshore operations face their own unique and complex issues. These challenges are linked to aging infrastructure, climatic variations, and the exploitation of marginal and mature fields, which often present high water cuts and unstable emulsions. This study provides a systematic review of the major flow assurance problems in onshore environments, focusing on wax deposition, hydrate formation, asphaltene precipitation, mineral scale, emulsions, and corrosion. Each mechanism was examined in terms of its underlying chemistry and physics, its operational impact, and the mitigation strategies commonly applied. Traditional solutions such as thermal treatments, chemical inhibitors, pigging, and water management remain central, but they are often costly, environmentally intensive, and sometimes unreliable under harsh conditions. The review also highlights the increasing use of innovative technologies, including nanomaterial-based inhibitors, environmentally friendly chemical alternatives, advanced coatings, and digital monitoring supported by artificial intelligence and machine learning. These emerging approaches show promise in reducing chemical volumes, lowering costs, and improving predictive control, although many remain at laboratory or pilot scale. The findings demonstrate that no single strategy is universally effective. Instead, integrated approaches tailored to field-specific conditions provide the best outcomes. For instance, thermal and pigging strategies remain practical in wax-prone pipelines, while low-dosage hydrate inhibitors and AI-based prediction models are more suited for hydrate management in colder climates.

This study analyzed the challenges faced by final-year guidance and counseling students at the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria, during their teaching practice. Five research questions guided the investigation. The sample comprised 131 final-year guidance and counseling students from the Department of Educational Evaluation and Counseling Psychology. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were used to analyze the data, and hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed no significant gender differences in the challenges encountered by final-year guidance and counseling students during their teaching practice. The study concluded that the challenges faced by these students included a lack of teaching materials, overcrowded classrooms, unsupportive learning environments, and strained student-teacher relationships. The study suggested that the government ought to assign additional resources to the provision of educational materials, guaranteeing that guidance and counseling students possess the necessary tools for successful teaching practice implementation.

The study examined challenges encountered by student teachers during teaching practice in Nigeria Universities with reference to University of Benin. Five research questions guided the study that adopted a simple descriptive research design.Thepopulation of the study was 300Level and 400Level students of the Faculty of Education, University of Benin for 2017/2021 academic session. The method for data collection was Random Sampling Technique which was used to draw a sample size of 200. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire that was duly validated and its reliability determined. The findings show that inadequate funds, class management and supervision are some of the challenges student.The study also reveals that location of teaching practice school, transportation to the school of practice, extra work load given to the student teacher by the head teacher, lack of infrastructure in the practicing school and negligence on the part of the student teacher are challenges encountered by student teachers during teaching practice.x The study concluded that the challenges encountered by students are numerous. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations were made the provision of adequate instructionalmaterials by the practicing school, organization of ef ective and adequate orientation for the student teacher by the institutions and posting of student teachers to schools close to them to enhance teaching practice efectiveness to achieve education for sustainable development in Nigeria

This study examined the Challenges of Child Welfare and Protection Services in Uromi Town, Esan North East Local Government Area, Edo State. The main objective was to investigate the barriers hindering effective child welfare and protection in Uromi and to identify strategies for improving the well-being of children. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were collected from a sample of 100 respondents, including caregivers, teachers, community leaders, and social workers, selected through stratified random sampling. Structured questionnaires and interviews were used for data collection, and the results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that harmful cultural practices, poverty, and weak law enforcement were the major challenges affecting child welfare in Uromi. Although awareness of child protection laws was relatively high, knowledge and utilization of available welfare services remained limited. Additionally, most cases of child abuse and neglect were underreported due to fear, stigma, and lack of trust in existing structures. Encouragingly, the study found strong community willingness to participate in child protection initiatives if supported by government and NGOs. The study concludes that child welfare challenges in Uromi are rooted in cultural, economic, and institutional factors. Addressing these issues requires coordinated efforts to bridge the gap between legal frameworks and practical implementation at the grassroots level. It is therefore recommended that government and NGOs: (i) engage community and religious leaders in awareness campaigns to discourage harmful practices, (ii) implement poverty alleviation and empowerment programs to reduce economic pressures on families, (iii) decentralize child welfare services through community-based social workers and confidential reporting systems, and (iv) establish participatory community child protection committees to harness local willingness and strengthen enforcement of child protection laws

This study examined the record management practices and challenges in public secondary schools in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State.Seven research questions was raised to guide this study. The population for this research consists of all the principals in the 13 public senior secondary schools in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State.The 13 principal will be automatically adopted as the sample population given the fact that it is researchable. No sampling technique is used to select the 13 principals in the 13 public senior secondary schools in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. The analysis of the data produced the following findings That the predominant record management practices in Egor LGA secondary schools are generally high, leaning toward modern and organized approache that the challenges in managing school records are generally high and require strategic attention, especially in areas of staff training and infrastructure development.Urban schools appear to have an advantage in terms of digital access and support, while rural schools continue to struggle with staffing and logistical issues, the following recommendations are offered:There should be a clear, LGA- wide records management policy for all schools that standardizes file classification, indexing, retention and disposal schedules, privacy rules, and access controls, with principals held accountable for compliance.There should be continuous capacity building for records officers and administrative staff, including practical training on basic records lifecycle, digital filing, data protection, and use of simple database or spreadsheet tools.There should be phased digitization of core records such as admission, attendance, assessment, transfers, and staff records, with secure
backups, off-site storage, and a routine for verifying data quality.