Enyojona

ENYO JONAL VOL.6 NO.1 2025 complete issue

ENYO : A Journal of African Studies, Vol. 6. No 1, 2025 complete issue — 2026-01-18

Vol. 6. No 1, 2025 ENYO : A Journal of African Studies, is a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed, original researches, that focuses on African issues relating to: Arts, Humanities, Philosophy, Medicine, Science, Technology, Geography, Education. This annual journal accepts well researched and original submissions from: languages, linguistics, history, religion, philosophy, creative and performative arts, mass communication, sociology, anthropology, education, sciences, political science, information technology, and any study that relates to Africa.

ETHICAL MONOTHEISM AS THE FOUNDATION FOR NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION IN NIGERIA

Rt. Rev. Alozie Chukwnyere Iroanya PhD — 2026-01-18

Historical and contemporary events seem to indicate that humanity is dealing with the confusion of marriage, sex, standards and values. Other such obstacles include but not limited to; disregard for the sanctity of human life, abuse of human rights and social injustice, religious extremism, ecological crisis, corruption and social inequality. In view of the myriad problems confronting humanity today occasioned by her deplorable moral standard, this paper highlights a credible alternative in the search for the solution. This is anchored on God, the moral Sovereign Creator of the universe who demands ethical behavior. Ethical monotheism is the belief in only one God with consequent ethical implications for human conduct and practical life. Ethical monotheism espouses that people act towards another with justice, peace, mercy, and love as the foundation for national transformation. Accordingly, this paper using descriptive research method reveals that ethical monotheism is the safeguard to mankind's inclination towards evil, subjecting them to temptation, and lustful desires that would pollute their minds, corrupt their spirit, and eventually destroy their bodies. Without mincing words, this paper reveals that God's moral and ethical guidelines creates strong communities free of crime, emotionally strong families, and emphasis on spiritual commitment to God. Therefore, without hesitation, it recommends the adoption of ethical monotheism as a panacea for ills in the contemporary society and for national transformation.This is because man cannot understand himself, his dignity, and vocation without God.

DAUDA KAHUTU RARARA'S “CONTINUITY TINUBU”: A POLITICAL SONG THAT SPARKS CONVERSATION ON NORTHERN REGION LOYALTY IN NIGERIA

Daniel Ufuoma OMAREN — 2026-01-18

This study examines the emergence and sociocultural impact of Dauda Kahutu Rarara's song "Continuity Tinubu", a pro-Bola Tinubu campaign song released in March 2025 on the political landscape of Nigeria, particularly in the context of regional loyalty in the North amid anticipations for the 2027 elections. The primary objectives are to analyze the song's lyrical content and rhetorical strategies in fostering political continuity, assess its reception on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, and evaluate its role in shaping discourses on Northern loyalty to the Southwestern Yoruba-led administration of President Tinubu. A mixed methods approach was employed: thematic content analysis of the song’s lyrics and associated commentaries, quantitative tracking of engagement metrics (views, shares, sentiment scores) on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. The song "Continuity Tinubu, We love you Tinubu, We thank you Tinubu", employs Hausa-inflected praise-singing (waka) traditions to invoke gratitude for economic reforms and security initiatives, while subtly addressing regional grievances like fuel subsidy removal. It has garnered millions of views, polarizing Northern audiences: supporters hail it as a symbol of cross-ethnic unity and loyalty to Tinubu's "Renewed Hope" agenda, evidenced by endorsements from groups like the Northern Nigeria Women Support for Continuity Tinubu/Kashim 2027. Critics, however, decry it as performative allegiance, sparking debates on elite co-optation and youth disillusionment. In conclusion, "Continuity Tinubu" exemplifies music's potency as a tool for political mobilization in Nigeria's multi-ethnic democracy, bridging North-South divides while exposing fissures in regional solidarity. It underscores Tinubu's strategic cultivation of Northern patronage, potentially solidifying his re-election prospects. Recommendations include leveraging indigenous genres for inclusive campaigning, investing in digital literacy to counter misinformation in political songs, and conducting longitudinal studies on music's influence on voter turnout in Northern states.

THE UNBROKEN CANDLE: NGUGI WA THIONG’O’S JOURNEY FROM DETENTION TO GLOBAL ICON

Onyeashie, James E — 2026-01-18

This research aims to critically analyze the pivotal metamorphosis of Ngugi wa Thiong’o from a detained dissident into a global icon. Its specific objectives are to: examine the catalytic role of his 1977-78 Kamiti detention in solidifying his ideological rupture; analyze the strategic construction of his global iconography during exile; argue for the intellectual coherence of his pre- and post-detention output; and probe the tensions between his radical message and his institutional acceptance within the Western academy. The study employs a multi-methodological framework grounded in Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). This involves a comparative textual analysis of Ngugi’s oeuvre across three phases, a historical-contextual reconstruction of Kenyan politics and global solidarity networks, and a reception study mapping his canonization through academic curricula, prizes, and institutional appointments. Theoretical lenses from postcolonial studies and the sociology of intellectuals guide the interpretation. The analysis reveals that Kamiti Prison was a generative crucible, transforming personal trauma into the decolonial theory of Decolonising the Mind. His exile facilitated the global dissemination and institutional branding of this radical core, creating the paradoxical icon celebrated today. Contrary to readings of disconnected phases, his work demonstrates profound thematic and aesthetic coherence as a single, evolving liberation project. His contemporary status is defined by a productive tension where he strategically leverages institutional platforms to advance his critique, even as those platforms risk commodifying his radical politics. Ngugi’s metamorphosis is a contested making, not an inevitable rise. His iconicity lies in maintaining an unresolved dialectic between radical critique and global acclaim. The study concludes that faithful engagement with his legacy requires a refusal of comfortable hagiography. It recommends that scholars prioritize his Gikuyu texts, that institutions aligning with his work materially support African languages, and that public understanding embrace the instructive paradox of his position as a strategic insurgent within the very systems he challenges.

PERFORMING PATRIARCHY: SYMBOLIC AND MATERIAL DIMENSIONS OF FEMALE COMMODIFICATION IN EFUA T. SUTHERLAND’S THE MARRIAGE OF ANANSEWA

Chukwuka Eugene OFIE, PhD — 2026-01-18

This study explores Efua T. Sutherland’s The Marriage of Anansewa stages and reinforces patriarchal power through symbolic and material performances of female commodification, using Radical Feminist Literary Theory as its interpretative framework. The analysis argues that the play represent patriarchy not merely as individual male dominance but as a systematic structure enacted through cultural rituals, economic transactions and parental authority. By examining Ananse’s orchestrated marriage negotiations, the paper reveals how female identity becomes a site of patriarchal performance in which the daughter is transformed into an object of exchange, valued for her economic utility rather than her agency. The study highlights both the symbolic dimensions – such as cultural expectations, ritualized displays and gendered scripts – and the material dimensions including bridewealth, financial motivations and the commodification of the female body. Through the lens of radical feminism, the paper contends that Efua T. Sutherland’s play exposes deeply entrenched patriarchal mechanisms that normalize the reduction of woman to property within social, familial and economic spheres. Ultimately, the research demonstrates that The Marriage of Anansewa critiques the pervasive and performative nature of patriarchal control while calling attention to the enduring implications of these gendered power structures in African societies.

REFRAMING THE NARRATIVE: AFRICA'S TRANSNATIONAL REAWAKENING AND THE SHATTERING OF HISTORICAL AMNESIA (1960S-2010S WEST AFRICA AND ITS DIASPORA)

Emekwuru Cosmas Chidozie — 2026-01-18

Africa’s post-independence history has often been narrated through Eurocentric, crisis-centred, and state-failure frameworks that marginalise African and diasporic agency. This narrative review reframes that historiography by examining Africa’s transnational reawakening from the 1960s to the 2010s, with a particular focus on West Africa and its diaspora in the Caribbean, North America, and Europe. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship, the review interrogates the production of historical amnesia and demonstrates how African political, intellectual, cultural, and economic networks have persistently shaped global processes despite periods of disruption and silencing. Using a narrative review methodology approach, the study synthesises literature across three interconnected phases: post-independence Pan-African mobilisation and global Black solidarity in the 1960s–1970s; fragmentation under neoliberal restructuring and Afro-pessimist discourses in the 1980s–1990s; and reawakening through digital transnationalism, cultural soft power, and renewed diaspora engagement in the 2000s–2010s. The analysis reveals enduring continuity in people-centred transnational agency, even when state-led initiatives weakened. By foregrounding memory, identity, and power, the review challenges linear decline narratives and reframes Africa as an ideational and cultural actor in global history. In doing so, it contributes to the decolonisation of African and diaspora historiography and offers a more inclusive understanding of Africa’s place in the world.

NIGERIAN PIDGIN ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA IN POPULAR MUSIC

Daniel Ufuoma OMAREN — 2026-01-18

This article investigates the pivotal role of Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE) as a lingua franca in shaping contemporary Nigerian popular music, with a primary focus on its musical implications within the globally influential Afrobeats genre. Emerging from colonial contact, NPE has become Nigeria's most accessible unifying language, profoundly influencing lyrical composition, rhythmic delivery, and audience engagement in a multilingual nation. Drawing on ethnomusicological and sociolinguistic analysis, the study traces NPE's integration from early highlife and Afrobeat to its dominance in modern Afrobeats and hip-hop. Through close examination of lyrics by leading artists such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Rema, and Asake, it demonstrates how Pidgin's simplified syntax, expressive slang, and code-switching enhance melodic flow, vocal phrasing, and rhythmic vitality, contributing to the genre's infectious appeal and dance-oriented aesthetics. Findings highlight NPE's contribution to musical inclusivity, enabling artists to reach diverse domestic audiences while facilitating Afrobeats' international resonance evident in viral hooks and global collaborations. Despite linguistic stigma, Pidgin empowers creative authenticity and cultural hybridity in Nigerian music production. In conclusion, NPE stands as a transformative musical resource that drives innovation in Nigerian popular music, reinforcing Afrobeats' sonic identity and global dominance. Its strategic use underscores music's capacity to transcend linguistic barriers, fostering stylistic cohesion and expressive depth.

THE CHURCH AS A CATALYST FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OF ECWA KADUNA SOUTH DCC'S IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Apostle Moses Yaro Shok — 2026-01-18

This study investigates the role of the Church as a catalyst for sustainable development using ECWA Kaduna South DCC as a case study. The research is driven by the growing need for faith-based organizations to support government efforts in addressing socio-economic challenges in Nigerian communities. The main objective of the study is to examine how ECWA Kaduna South DCC’s programmes contribute to education, economic empowerment, health, and social welfare in Kaduna State. The study adopts a qualitative research method that relies on data gathered from library books, internet sources, relevant journals, and documented church activities. The Social Capital Theory serves as the theoretical framework, emphasizing how networks, community trust, and collective action strengthen development outcomes. Findings reveal that ECWA Kaduna South DCC has initiated notable developmental activities such as scholarship schemes, vocational training, skill acquisition programs, and health outreach services, all of which positively influence community well-being. However, challenges including limited financial resources, insecurity, and weak institutional collaboration restrict the full execution of these programmes. The study concludes that the Church plays an essential role in advancing sustainable development, especially in areas where government interventions are insufficient. It recommends stronger church-government partnerships, improved donor engagement, enhanced monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and the expansion of current programmes to reach more vulnerable populations, thereby increasing the developmental impact of ECWA Kaduna South DCC in Kaduna State. Nigeria

EFFECT OF CONTEXT CUES STRATEGY ON STUDENTS’ LITERAL COMPREHENSION AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KONTAGORA METROPOLIS, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Zubairu, Zainab Omoshola — 2026-01-18

This study examined the effect of context cues strategy on literal comprehension among Senior Secondary School Two (SS2) students in Kontagora Metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria. Employing a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test control group design, 160 students from two public schools were purposively sampled (80 males in the experimental group receiving explicit context cues instruction and 80 females in the control group exposed to conventional methods) over six weeks. Data were collected using a validated 20-item Reading Comprehension Achievement Test (RDRCAT) and analyzed via descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at a 0.05 significance level. Results revealed a statistically significant improvement in literal comprehension for the experimental group (mean gain = 1.73, F(1,157) = 101.05, p < .001, η² = .392), indicating a large effect size and superior performance over the control group (mean gain = 0.44). Grounded in Rumelhart's (1977) Interactive Reading Model, the findings underscore the strategy's efficacy in enhancing explicit text extraction through semantic, syntactic, graphophonic, and pragmatic cues. Recommendations include integrating context cues into the national English curriculum and mandating teacher training to address foundational literacy deficits in under-resourced northern Nigerian contexts.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF YORÙBÁ ROBOTIC INNOVATION AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AI-LIKE

SA’ADU Taofiq, Ph.D — 2026-01-19

This study undertakes a comparative analysis of Yoruba robotic innovation as AI-like systems and contemporary robotic artificial intelligence, arguing that the history of intelligent machines has been narrowly framed within Western epistemologies while marginalising indigenous technocultural traditions such as those of the Yorùbá. It foregrounds mythological and ritual constructs like Ọ̀sanyìn and Ère Ìbejì as culturally embedded “automata” that encode principles of automation, algorithmic reasoning, and adaptive response, thereby functioning as proto-robotic, AI-like entities within Yoruba knowledge systems. Methodologically, the study combines primary and secondary data: in-depth interviews with purposively selected Ifá and Ọ̀sanyìn priests explore the ontological and operational characteristics of these figures, while textual analysis of relevant books, academic articles, and curated digital materials deepens the examination of Yorùbá mythology in relation to modern AI discourse. Transcribed data are interpreted through the lens of transculturalism, drawing on Ortiz (1947) and Welsch (1999), to illuminate how Yoruba robotic imaginaries and contemporary AI co-constitute a fluid field of intercultural exchange rather than discrete, “pure” traditions. The analysis demonstrates that Yoruba robotic innovation, understood as the design and ritual programming of AI-like agents, offers conceptual resources for rethinking embodiment, agency, and ethics in modern robotic AI, particularly in the areas of human–machine interaction, creativity, and problem-solving. The study ultimately argues that recognising Yoruba mythological and ritual automata as foundational to AI-like thinking expands global AI historiography and underscores the value of indigenous knowledge systems for more culturally inclusive and socially responsive AI development.

HYMNODY IN THE CELESTIAL CHURCH OF CHRIST: THEOLOGICAL AND MUSICAL PERSPECTIVES

Olaoluwa Marvelous AYOKUNMI — 2026-01-19

Hymnody refers to the body and practice of hymns within a religious tradition, including their theological content, poetic expression, musical structure, and role in worship. Through hymns, religious beliefs are communicated, remembered, and embodied in congregational singing. In African Indigenous Churches, hymnody occupies a central place in worship and plays a significant role in shaping religious consciousness and communal identity, yet it remains insufficiently examined within multidisciplinary African Studies. This article explores the theological meanings and musical features of selected hymns of the Celestial Church of Christ, an African initiated Christian movement deeply embedded in Yoruba cultural traditions. The study adopts a qualitative approach, drawing on ethnographic observation, semi structured interviews with church leaders and choristers, and close textual and musical analysis of seven hymns commonly performed during Sunday worship services. The findings indicate that hymns in the Celestial Church of Christ extend beyond their liturgical function as songs of praise. They serve as important vehicles for theological teaching, spiritual formation, and the reinforcement of collective identity. The hymn texts engage key Christian themes such as repentance, thanksgiving, divine provision, joy in Christ, and hope in the life to come. Musically, the hymns display characteristics associated with Yoruba musical aesthetics, including rhythmic vitality, melodic simplicity, repetition, and participatory performance practices. The use of indigenous language, familiar imagery, and traditional percussion situates worship within a recognizable cultural sound world, allowing congregants to experience Christian faith through local expressive forms while affirming identity, belonging, and theological meaning within African Christianity contexts today.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND KNOWLEDGE REPRESENTATION THROUGH THE USE OF EMOJIS IN RELATION TO COMPUTATIONAL AND INTERNET SEMIOTICS

Lanre-Atoyebi, K.O. (PhD) — 2026-01-19

The proliferation of emojis in digital communication has sparked interest in their potential for knowledge representation in artificial intelligence (AI) systems. This study explores the role of emojis in conveying meaning and their implications for AI-driven communication. The aim is to examine how emojis can enhance knowledge representation in AI, with objectives to analyse emoji usage patterns, identify cross-cultural variations, and assess their semantic implications. Grounded in Ferdinand de Saussure's semiotic theory, this research views emojis as signifiers with culturally-dependent signified, allowing for an intensed understanding of their meaning and context. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analysed emoji usage data from diverse online platforms and cultures. Eight major emojis were identified and examined for cross-cultural variations in meaning. Findings reveal significant differences in emoji interpretation across cultures, highlighting the need for context-aware AI systems. The smiley face, for instance, conveys happiness in Western cultures but can signify embarrassment in Japan. The study's implications for linguistics include the need for more nuanced understandings of digital communication and the development of AI systems that account for cultural variations in emoji usage. Emojis offer a rich source of knowledge representation for AI, but their meaning is culturally-dependent. We recommend developing AI systems that incorporate emoji semantics and cultural context for more effective human-computer interaction.

GLOBALIZATION AND AFRICA'S ECONOMIC SOVEREIGNTY: POLICIES OF IMF AND WORLD BANK IN AFRICA REVISITED

Chinenye Blessing OBI — 2026-01-19

The study investigated the influence of globalization on Africa’s economic sovereignty, focusing on the policies of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in the context of the concern over the adverse influence of policies of the international economic organisations on Africa’s sovereignty. The objectives of the study are, therefore, to examine how agents of globalisation have entrenched a cycle of dependency and economic vulnerability in Africa through their various policies as well as the pathways for Africa to reclaim her economic sovereignty in an increasingly interconnected world. Utilizing the World-Systems Theory, it employed explanatory research design as well as documentary mechanism of data collection and content analysis technique for data evaluation. The study revealed that while globalization provided opportunities for growth, it also worsened Africa’s dependency on foreign economic actors, particularly through the imposition of structural adjustment programmes and pressure for privatization. It also found that despite increased regional cooperation, Africa’s sovereign states were sidelined in global decision-making processes dominated by Western powers while the international financial institutions often undermined local industries through lopsided policies. It therefore recommended the need for Africa to assert its economic sovereignty through economic diversification and regional integration in order to navigate the complexities of globalization while safeguarding their national developmental interests.