DEVELOPMENT

development in Nigeria, with GDP growth rate as a proxy for economic development. Using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Model and Error Correction Mechanism (ECM), the study assesses both the short-run and long-run effects of key stock market and economic indicators, including market capitalization (MC), all-share index (ASI), inflation rate (INF), monetary policy rate (MPR), gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), and foreign direct investment (FDI). The findings reveal that the All Share This study examines the relationship between stock market performance and economic Index (ASI) has a persistent positive and significant impact on GDP growth, indicating that stock market performance plays a crucial role in economic development. Conversely, inflation (INF) and market capitalization (MC) exhibit persistent negative and significant impacts, suggesting that rising stock market values do not necessarily translate into real economic growth. Gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) and foreign direct investment (FDI) have negative and insignificant effects in the short run, while FDI exhibits a positive but insignificant long-run impact. Additionally, the monetary policy rate (MPR) has a negative and insignificant short-run impact on GDP growth. The study concludes that while stock market performance is important for economic development, inflation control, efficient capital allocation, and strategic investment policies are necessary to sustain long-term growth. Policy recommendations include enhancing financial market efficiency, ensuring productive capital allocation, attracting growth-driven FDI, and implementing balanced monetary policies to support economic stability. Keywords: Stock Market, Economic Development, ARDL, Market Capitalization, Inflation, Foreign Direct Investment, Nigeria.

Political corruption stands as the most formidable and deeply ingrained barrier to Nigeria’s progress, persistently undermining economic stability, eroding public trust, and crippling institutional development since independence. This study aims to critically evaluate the devastating impact of this scourge on national development by examining its historical roots, socio-political manifestations, and economic consequences, while also assessing the effectiveness of existing legal and institutional frameworks. Employing a doctrinal research methodology enriched with historical analysis and comparative insights from successful models like Singapore and Rwanda, the research reveals that corruption in Nigeria is not merely incidental but a systemic feature enabled by weak institutions, political interference, and a pervasive culture of impunity. Key findings highlight the ineffectiveness of agencies such as the EFCC and ICPC due to partisan influence and operational constraints, as well as the complicity of the judiciary and electoral bodies in perpetuating corruption. In response, the study urges comprehensive reforms including ensuring the autonomy of anti-corruption bodies, enacting stringent campaign finance laws, establishing specialized courts for corruption cases, and leveraging technology for greater transparency, ultimately emphasizing that sustainable change depends on genuine political will and an engaged civil society to foster a culture of accountability and transform Nigeria’s governance landscape.

This study examines the contributions of Christianity to the development of the Urhobo people, with particular attention to its influence on social, educational, cultural, economic, and moral transformation. Christianity was introduced into Urhobo land through missionary activities during the colonial era and has since become a major force in shaping the society. The study explores how Christian missions established schools, healthcare facilities, and churches that promoted literacy, improved healthcare services, and fostered community development. It also analyzes the role of Christianity in promoting moral values, leadership, peacebuilding, and social cohesion while encouraging the abandonment of certain traditional practices considered harmful. Furthermore, the research evaluates the interaction between Christianity and indigenous Urhobo culture, highlighting both the positive impacts and the cultural challenges arising from the decline of some traditional beliefs and customs. Using historical and descriptive research methods based on secondary sources, the study concludes that Christianity has made significant contributions to the overall development of the Urhobo people through educational advancement, human capital development, social welfare, and ethical transformation. However, it also emphasizes the importance of preserving valuable aspects of Urhobo cultural heritage alongside Christian values to ensure balanced and sustainable development.

Tertiary institutions face significant challenges in managing student academic records, often relying on manual or semi-automated systems. These outdated methods frequently lead to delayed result processing, computational inaccuracies, and a lack of real-time access to academic performance data, ultimately hindering institutional efficiency and student development. This project addresses these issues through the design and implementation of a Result-Based Management System (RBMS). The system automates the computation and management of student results, featuring interactive dashboards for students and administrative staff, and generates standardized reports for lecturers, department administrators, and students. Using the Computer Science Department at the University of Benin as a case study, this project demonstrates the critical need for tertiary institutions to adopt automated solutions for tracking and analyzing student performance. The developed RBMS is a robust digital platform that includes modules for calculating Grade Point Average (GPA) and Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), alongside providing real-time academic analytics. Constructed as a web-based application, the system utilizes HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, jQuery, and MySQL. The project methodology follows the Structured System Analysis and Design Method (SSADM), ensuring a systematic approach by deconstructing complex processes into clear, manageable stages. The successful implementation of this system not only resolves the inefficiencies of manual result computation but also serves as a scalable model for digital transformation within academic administration.

The increasing demand for flexible, affordable, and collaborative learning has created opportunities for digital platforms that support peer-to-peer skill exchange. This study focuses on the development of an online skill barter-based system for personalized competency matching using machine learning. The system enables users to offer and learn skills through direct exchange rather than monetary transactions. A K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithm was integrated with TF-IDF and Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to intelligently match users based on skill similarity, learning preferences, and availability. The platform was developed using Next.js and TailwindCSS for the frontend, with Supabase as the backend for authentication and data management. The system promotes inclusive and accessible learning by removing financial barriers while fostering collaboration and community growth. This research demonstrates that integrating machine learning into skill exchange platforms significantly enhances user experience, match accuracy, and trust in non-monetary, peer-driven learning environments.

This study investigates the impact of university radio stations on campus community development, using UNIBEN 100.1FM as a case study. It explores the extent to which the station fosters student engagement, promotes academic and cultural growth, and supports social interaction within the University of Benin. The study is guided by five core objectives: to assess the level of student engagement and listenership, examine the station’s influence on academic and cultural life, identify the challenges hindering its effectiveness, evaluate the role of digital technologies in content delivery, and analyze how programming strategies align with campus development needs. Anchored on the Participatory Communication Theory, which emphasizes inclusive, dialogic communication, the research employs a descriptive survey method and gathers quantitative data through structured questionnaires administered to 100 undergraduate students. The findings reveal a high awareness of the station (93%) but lower levels of regular engagement and interactive participation. UNIBEN 100.1FM significantly contributes to students' academic interests and social cohesion, yet its full potential is hampered by limited funding, low student participation, and infrastructural constraints. Nonetheless, digital integration via online streaming and social media has extended the station’s reach. The study concludes that while UNIBEN 100.1FM plays a pivotal role in enriching campus life, deliberate reforms in programming, funding, and interactivity are needed to maximize its developmental impact.

This study empirically examines the role of banking institutions in Nigeria’s economic development. It focuses on four specific objectives: assessing the impact of market capitalization in the banking sector on Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP); analysing the influence of interest rates on GDP; evaluating the effect of monetary policy on GDP; and examining the relationship between financial deepening in the banking sector and GDP. The study utilizes aggregate data from all financial institutions listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) annual statistical bulletin. Given the broad scope of the financial sector, the research specifically considers annual reports of banking institutions from 1995 to 2024. A unit root test was conducted to determine the integration order of the variables, ensuring their compatibility with the selected econometric framework. An Error Correction Model (ECM) was employed to capture short-term dynamics while maintaining long-term equilibrium. Descriptive statistics and various econometric tests including t-tests, R-squared, and F-tests were applied to analyse the data using E-Views 11. The findings reveal that financial development in Nigeria has a mixed impact on economic growth. While financial system deposits positively contribute to short-term growth, other aspects of financial development demonstrate limited significance. In the long run, financial inefficiencies and instability pose challenges to sustained economic growth. These results highlight the need for policymakers to enhance financial sector efficiency, strengthen monetary policy implementation, and promote financial inclusion to ensure that economic growth translates into broader economic benefits. Given that Nigeria’s financial sector remains underdeveloped compared to emerging economies, it is essential to strengthen financial institutions. This can be achieved by empowering deposit money and microfinance banks to serve as effective credit sources for both large and small businesses. Additionally, improving access to funding particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and encouraging financial institutions to adopt innovative lending models tailored to underserved sectors will further enhance economic development.

This project focuses on the development of a 5kVA, 48V hybrid solar inverter system aimed at providing a reliable and sustainable energy solution for domestic and small-scale applications. The system integrates solar photovoltaic (PV) energy with utility grid supply to ensure an uninterrupted power source, with solar energy serving as the primary supply and the grid as backup. A hybrid charging approach was adopted to maintain adequate battery capacity during periods of low solar irradiation. The inverter was designed to deliver a stable output suitable for powering common household and office appliances, while incorporating essential protection features to enhance system safety, efficiency, and reliability. Performance evaluation showed that the inverter provided consistent output with smooth changeover between power sources and improved energy efficiency. The project demonstrates a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to fuel-powered backup systems, reducing, dependence on the national grid and promoting cleaner energy usage.

This study examined the contribution of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the development of Ubiaja in Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo State from 1999 to 2023. Despite the execution of various international development frameworks aimed at alleviating poverty and improving grassroots infrastructure across Nigeria, many rural and semi-urban communities continue to grapple with developmental deficits. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the localized impact of MDG and SDG projects on critical socioeconomic indicators—specifically healthcare, primary education, water supply, and economic empowerment—within the Ubiaja community over a twenty-four-year timeline. The study adopted a descriptive survey and retrospective evaluation research design. The target population consisted of residents, community leaders, and local government officials in Ubiaja. Primary data were gathered through a structured questionnaire and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), while secondary data were sourced from local government development plans, project tracking reports, and relevant academic literature. A total sample size of respondents was selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. The quantitative data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean scores, percentages, and frequency tables) and inferential statistics (such as Chi-Square or regression analysis) via the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), while qualitative insights were subjected to thematic analysis. The findings revealed that interventions under the MDGs (2000–2015) and SDGs (2015–2023) made notable contributions to Ubiaja, particularly through the renovation of primary classrooms, the provision of basic medical equipment to the General Hospital and Primary Health Centres, and the installation of solar-powered boreholes. However, the study established that the overall developmental impact was heavily constrained by systemic challenges, including poor maintenance culture, top-down project implementation without community consultation, lack of administrative synergy at the local government level, and project abandonment due to political transitions. Consequently, the transition from MDGs to SDGs showed a gap between global policy formulations and the actual realities of rural infrastructure sustainability in the locality. Based on these findings, the study concludes that while international goal-driven frameworks possess immense potential to accelerate grassroots growth, their success is ultimately dependent on institutional continuity and local accountability. Therefore, it is recommended that the Edo State Sustainable Development Goals office establish a strict monitoring and maintenance framework to protect existing infrastructure in Ubiaja. Furthermore, educational and political authorities should actively involve community stakeholders in the needs-assessment phase of future projects to guarantee cultural relevance, public ownership, and long-term sustainability

The political, economic and social development of any country depends on the amount of revenue generated for the provision of infrastructure in that given country. However, one means of generating the amount of revenue for providing the needed infrastructure is through a well- structured tax system. Tax is a major player in every society of the world. The tax system is an opportunity for government to collect additional revenue needed in discharging its pressing obligations sustainable development. In the study methodology, the study adopts the survey research design, population of this study consist of the total population of Delta State. Which is estimated at 3,233,366 according to the 2006 population census. The sampling technique used for this study is the simple and convenient sampling technique. Also, questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection, while the techniques of data analysis was the simple percentage analytical method. The study found amongst others that tax payers in Isoko South local government area are very willing to compliance to pay tax if they can visible see and witness massive infrastructural development in the local government area. It was also discovered that a good tax administrative system will bring about massive development in terms of fostering increase in the internally generated revenue profile of the local government area. The study also found out that tax remission centres in Isoko South local government area should be decentralize in order to allow for easy payment of tax by tax payers. Furthermore, policy recommendations were adopted which include amongst others the following; the local government in Isoko South should continue to implement infrastructural development like construction of roads, markets, schools, hospitals etc so as to enable tax payers pay their taxes knowing fulfil well that their money in being put to judicious purposes. Also, effective tax policies like property tax and personal income tax be given some consideration in terms of its adoption in the local government area (Isoko South)