HEZEKIAH UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES & EDUCATION

Peace and communality are virtues in African culture that African Christian theology have enculturated. Since independence, both the church and the nation have battled disunity, instability, ethnic and class conflicts. This is a major distraction that has hindered the church from effective execution the Great Commission and mission. This study explores Pauline teaching on harmonious relationships in 1 Cor. 1:10-12 as a model for promoting unity in the Roman Catholic, Lagos Province, and sustainable democracy in Nigeria. Scholars have expressed different views on the divisions reported in 1 Corinthians. Grace (2011), Naselli (2018), Rhodes (2020) and others viewed the conflicts and division in the Corinthian church as a departure from the centrality of Christ. This paper however examined 1Cor.1:10-12 and the need to embrace peace as Christians and promote unity in the Church. The study adopts mixed methods which comprises the historico-critical method and the existential method in the analysis of 1 Corinthians 1:10-12; secondary data and participant observation. Peacebuilding in the church will serve as catalyst for sustainable democracy because many of the people in governance are members of the church.  The Church must imbibe the virtues of peace and communality as enshrined in African culture and the Bible.

This study examines extrajudicial killings by government and non-state actors, as well as abuse and violation of human rights, which have been a major challenge in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Both state and non-state actors have been implicated in the perpetration of these violations, resulting in a climate of fear, insecurity, and mistrust among the population. The Nigerian government has a legal obligation to protect the rights of its citizens, including the rights to life, education, and health, which are enshrined in the Nigerian constitution and international human rights law. However, the failure to hold perpetrators accountable has perpetuated a culture of impunity, leading to more abuses. Urgent action is needed by the Nigerian government and law enforcement agencies to investigate and hold perpetrators accountable, provide adequate compensation and redress to victims, and implement comprehensive reforms to strengthen the rule of law and respect for human rights.

This study looks at how the conflict paradigm affects adult learners' empowerment in Nigerian rural areas. The conflict paradigm, which has its roots in Marxian sociology, sees society as being marked by power struggles, inequality, and competitiveness, all of which have an impact on educational achievements and access. Adult learners in rural Nigeria frequently encounter systemic obstacles that limit their chances for empowerment, including poverty, gender inequity, cultural norms, and a lack of government assistance. The study emphasizes how adult education can be a place of contestation as well as a tool for emancipation by utilizing the conflict paradigm. On the one hand, it highlights how unequal distribution of chances and resources can cause educational systems to perpetuate social inequality. However, it also highlights how adult education may change lives by increasing critical consciousness, encouraging group action, and enhancing social and economic involvement skills. The paper concludes that conflict paradigm remains highly relevant in understanding empowerment through adult education. By foregrounding issues of inequality, class struggle, and power, it provides a critical lens for examining how adult education can either entrench existing disparities or serve as a platform for transformation.

This study investigated school location and students' attitudes on achievement in business studies in junior secondary schools in Port Harcourt City, Rivers State, Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive research design. The study population included 688 teachers and 16,663 students in the 20 public Junior Secondary Schools in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area. A sample of 224 respondents (56 Business studies teachers and 168 JSC III students) was selected using multistage sampling in 20 public Junior Secondary Schools. A 20-item non-cognitive instrument titled “School Location and Students' Attitude on Achievement in Business Studies Questionnaire” (SLSAABSQ), and a 40-item cognitive instrument “Business Studies Achievement Test” (BSAT), with reliability coefficients of 0.869 and 0.852, were used for data collection. Data collected was analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Corelation (PPMC) to answer research questions 1 and 2, while Multiple Regression Analysis was used to answer question 3. The study revealed Pearson Correlation Coefficients (r) of 0.830, and 0.842, as well as same p-value of 0.000, which indicated a positive, very strong and significant contribution of school location, and students’ attitude, respectively to students’ achievement in Business studies in Junior Secondary schools in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Rivers State. The study recommended, among others, that the government should ensure that policymakers and planners focus on effectively addressing environmental and infrastructural disparities, as well as integrate interventions to improve student attitudes and teachers' enthusiasm, which can have a direct and measurable impact on student achievement in Business Studies, irrespective of their school location.

This study assesses the ethnobotany of contraceptives among the adolescents of Omudioga in Emohua Local Government Area. An exploratory research design was adopted and the respondents were selected among people of ages 9-20 years using purposive non-probability sampling method. The study randomly selected 187 (98 males and 89 females) respondents as the sample size. A questionnaire titled; Questionnaire on Ethnobotany of Contraceptives (QEC) was specifically designed as the instrument for the study. A reliability coefficient of 0.89 was obtained using Cronbach’s Alpha method. Frequencies and percentages were employed in data analysis to answer research questions. The findings of this study revealed a remarkably high level of contraceptives awareness, though only 5.3% of respondents identified herbal contraceptives. There was a low level of herbal contraceptive awareness as well as level of actual herbal contraceptives knowledge was low at 6.6%. The study also revealed that 10.7% of the teenagers had sex more than once in a week, while 20.3% had sex several times in a month. 8.0% of the teenagers had sex at least once in every month. Findings also indicated egalitarian decision making (35.8%) on the issue of herbal contraceptives use. Based on the findings, this study recommends among others that due to the low level of herbal contraceptive knowledge accurate and detailed information should be passed to teenagers with the aim of creating more positive attitude towards herbal contraceptives.

Urbanization in Nigeria has profoundly shaped intergroup relations, fostering both opportunities for integration and sources of tension. From the colonial times to present, rapid urban growth transformed Nigeria’s social, cultural, and political landscapes as rural-urban migration brought diverse ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups into close proximity in cities such as Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Abuja among others. This process facilitated cultural exchange, economic collaboration, and the emergence of cosmopolitan identities that challenged rigid communal boundaries. However, the pressures of competition for resources, housing, employment, and political representation also generated conflict and reinforced ethnic and religious cleavages. This study, used the primary and secondary sources to generate the data needed for the study. It adopted the Intergroup Contact Theory as template for analysis. The work revealed that colonial policies of spatial segregation, post-independence struggles for indigene-settler rights, and contestations over urban governance further complicated intergroup relations. It showed that the oil boom of the 1970s, structural adjustment in the 1980s, and democratic transitions from 1999 accentuated urban inequality, shaping patterns of inclusion and exclusion. The study established that in contemporary Nigeria, urban centers remain both melting pots of, intergroup relations, cultural and religious ties, national integration on one hand and flashpoints of violence, as seen in ethno-religious clashes in Jos and identity politics in Lagos and Port Harcourt on the other hand. The paper recommended promotion of inclusive urban governance and political representation, integration of cultural education and national identity programs in urban schools, and support for community-led initiatives for intergroup dialogue and collaboration among others. It concluded that inclusive urban governance and equitable development are crucial to transforming Nigerian cities into engines of peaceful coexistence and national integration.

This study examines policy implementation and enforcement strategies for technical and vocational education in Rivers State. Although national policies outline clear expectations for curriculum delivery, teacher preparation and skill development, implementation gaps remain widespread. A descriptive survey design was used to assess teachers’ and students’ perceptions across four Government Technical Colleges and seven Government Craft Development Centres. A sample of 532 respondents was selected through proportional stratified random sampling. Data were gathered using a validated questionnaire, interviews and document analysis, and were analysed using mean scores, z-test and t-test statistics at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that most policy provisions guiding technical and vocational education are not effectively implemented in the state. Only the design of technical courses for industry relevance and the provision of practical skills for students were consistently carried out. Other essential policy elements such as teacher training, resource provision and staffing showed low implementation levels. Enforcement strategies were also largely ineffective, with only supervision of staff and students identified as a consistently applied strategy. Hypothesis testing revealed no significant differences in perceptions between teachers and students on policy implementation and between teachers in technical colleges and vocational centres on enforcement strategies. These results indicate systemic weaknesses rather than isolated lapses. Strengthening implementation and enforcement structures is therefore essential for improving training quality and ensuring alignment with national TVE goals. 

This study examines the influence of religious-induced interventions on sustainable development of secondary school students from disintegrated families in South South, Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive research design. The study population included 1543 principals, 3086 vice principals, 37,453 teachers, and  1,834,995 students in South-South Nigeria’s public senior secondary schools. A sample of 918 respondents was selected using multistage sampling across 102 public senior secondary schools in four South-South Nigerian states. A 24-item instrument titled “Religious-Induced Interventions and Sustainable Educational Development of Secondary School Students from Disintegrated Families Scale” (RISEDSSDFS), with 0.917 reliability, was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The study revealed a grand mean score of 3.60, indicating that religious-induced interventions strongly influenced the sustainable educational development of secondary school students from disintegrated families. Also, the category of the respondents’ administrators, teachers, and students) significantly influenced their rating on how religious-induced interventions influenced the sustainable educational development of secondary school students from disintegrated families in South-South, Nigeria (F2, 870=.000, p˂.05). The study recommended among  others that religious organizations should conduct pre-marriage classes and marriage seminars that emphasize love, forgiveness, tolerance, unity, honesty, hard work, prudence, ethical values and dedication as essential traits for building strong bonds, shared responsibilities, and stable families that support their children’s educational development in senior secondary schools. 

This study investigates the implications of community-induced strategies on the sustainable educational development of secondary school students from disintegrated families in Delta State, Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive research design. The population of this study comprised the 283 principals, 566 vice principals, 7,471 teachers, and 336,131 students in the 283 public senior secondary schools in Delta State. A sample of 377 respondents (29 principals, 29 vice principals, 87 teachers, and 232 students) was selected using a five-phase multistage sampling technique in 29 public senior secondary schools. A 24-item structured instrument titled “Community-Induced Strategies and Implications for Sustainable Educational Development of Students from Disintegrated Families Questionnaire” (CISISEDSDFQ), with a reliability coefficient of 0.914, was used to collect data. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypothesis at a 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed among others that category of the respondents (school administrators, teachers and students) significantly influenced the community- induced strategies integrated for sustainable educational development of secondary school students from disintegrated families in Delta State, Nigeria (F2, 351=.000, p˂.05). The study recommended among others that school administrators and community stakeholders should establish structured mentoring programmes and vocational life-skills workshops to provide students from disintegrated families with role models, emotional support, and essential academic skills.