https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi <p>IGIRIGI: A Multi-Disciplinary Journal of African Studies</p> en-US IGIRIGI: A Multi-Disciplinary Journal of African Studies https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi/article/view/198 IGIRIGI: A Journal of African Studies VOL. 5. NO. 4, 2025 Full Gallery Click on the PDF link to download it IGIRIGI: A Journal of African Studies VOL. 5. NO. 4, 2025 Copyright (c) 2025 2025-10-01 2025-10-01 5 4 i 122 https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi/article/view/188 In Nigeria, English is an essential language for any pedagogical engagement. Reading comprehension is a vital aspect of the examination conducted by West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) for final year students of secondary schools in Nigeria. Therefore, the study aims to investigate how senior secondary school (SS2) students’ reading comprehension performance will improve through instruction in semantic mapping and context clues. Semantic mapping is where meaning is derived from the surrounding environment of a word as they seek for association or relationship with other words and Context clues are the words, phrases, and sentences that surround an unfamiliar word that can help and explain or give clues to its meaning. A sample of 160 (one hundred and sixty) students were drawn from two schools in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. The two groups were drawn from the same population of 1,878, one of which was the experimental group and the other, the control group. While the experimental group was exposed to the treatment, the control group was not. The quasi- experimental research design was adopted in this study since scheduling and implementation of experimental treatment conditions or randomization and grouping of subjects was not possible. The data for the study were collected using the Adapted Structured Test (AST) which was based on a reading prose passage adopted from the New Oxford Secondary English Course for SSS2. New Edition (NOSEC). The reading passage was used for both the pre-test and the post-test. The achievement of the students was based on their ability to use semantic maps and context clues to replace given words or phrases with other words or phrases which mean the same as used in the comprehension passage. The findings showed a better performance of students’ achievement in the post-test than that of the pre-test. It also revealed that the students’ performance in reading comprehension after instruction in semantic mapping and context clues is improved. Following the findings, it is recommended that teachers of English Language devote part of their instructional time to teach ways students can identify and use semantic maps and context clues during reading sessions. SALOME TALATU DAUDA Copyright (c) 2025 2025-09-30 2025-09-30 5 4 1 13 https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi/article/view/189 Classroom communication patterns are crucial in all activities in the classrooms at all levels. Without appropriate classroom communication patterns, it would be impossible for the learners to comprehend the teachers’ lessons. This study investigates a comparative discourse analysis of classroom communication patterns in selected secondary schools and technical and vocational centres in Lagos State, Nigeria. The research explores how classroom discourses differ across two educational settings, focusing on teacher-student interactions, turn-taking, questioning techniques, and the use of instructional language to classroom interactions. Using a qualitative research design, data were gathered through classroom participant observations and audio recordings from teachers and students in selected secondary schools and technical/vocational schools in Lagos State. Four (4) schools, two secondary schools (one private and one public: Childbest Schools and Ikorodu Senior Secondary school), one technical schools (Ikorodu Technical College and one vocational centre (Ikorodu Skill Acquisition Centre) were selected. A total of 6104 participants, 4 teachers and 6100 students constitutes our sample. The discourse analysis framework adopted in this study is John Austin’s (1962) The Speech Art Theory. One of the major findings reveals that there are differences in communication styles, with secondary schools demonstrating overloaded patterns and teacher-centred discourse, while technical and vocational schools exhibit unstructured discourse patterns with student-centered communication patterns. The research highlights the implications of these patterns in pedagogical effectiveness, students’ engagements, and curriculum delivery. The study therefore recommends a more student-centred communicative strategies to be utilized in secondary schools so that interactive goals of these educational institutions can be achieved. Anana Mariam Copyright (c) 2025 2025-09-30 2025-09-30 5 4 14 28 https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi/article/view/190 This study is an analysis of intra-feminist resistance in a post-gender equality struggle period. Feminist resistance is well documented in pre-colonial literature of Africa. The performers of Urhobo narratives even go further than just portraying the feminist resistance to male domination to providing futuristic models of the post-male domination resistance time when women would have achieved equality with men in political, economic and social spheres of human existence. In the analysis of the two models chosen for this study –The Favoured and Unfavoured Wives and The Virtuous Wife stories, the paper argues that in the eventuality of the attainment of power by women, there is still feminist resistance; this time it is intra-feminist resistance. Adopting cultural studies as a framework, the paper discovers that through the motifs of inequality, incompatibility, struggle, division and revolution, the intra-feminist resistance in the post-male dominance period still lead to either peaceful or violent change in leadership. As the narrators grapple with these themes, they objectified their models with the techniques of parallelism, mask, magic realism and symbolism to show that in the reign of women, the major antagonists are also women. The study concludes that women are the major challenge to the successful attainment of the reign of the woman and that feminist resistance will be a continuous struggle. UNUAJOHWOFIA, HENRY OBAKORE (PhD) AKPORHERHE, FRIDAY (PhD) Copyright (c) 2025 2025-09-30 2025-09-30 5 4 29 38 https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi/article/view/191 In traditional Igbo society, the practice of Ídū Ụlọ the ceremonial gifting of household items, foodstuffs, and domestic animals by the bride’s family to their daughter at marriage, is more than a cultural formality. It functions as an indigenous economic strategy designed to ensure the stability of the new home and mitigate economic tensions that may lead to conflict. This research explores Ídū Ụlọ not merely as a customary rite, but as a deliberate economic assemblage that fosters resilience, encourages wealth redistribution, and promotes peace between kinship networks. In the 21st century, where economic instability has become a major source of family disintegration and marital disputes, this rite offers a localized model of pre-emptive conflict management rooted in cultural values. Drawing from oral interviews, ethnographic fieldwork, and indigenous knowledge frameworks, the study will investigate the evolution of this rite in both rural and urban Igbo contexts. It aims to uncover how this practice has adapted to modern realities and how it continues to serve as a tool for economic empowerment, gendered support systems, and inter-family cohesion. By critically reinterpreting Ídū Ụlọ rite through the lens of indigenous conflict resolution and economic anthropology, this project offers new insights into the sustainability of traditional institutions in the contemporary African societies. Ultimately, the research advocates for a deeper recognition of some of the Igbo cultural practices as viable models for economic security and social harmony in family life today. ANTHONIA CHINYERE EPHRAIM-CHUKWU, PhD IFEYINWA CORDELIA ISIDIENU, PhD Copyright (c) 2025 2025-09-30 2025-09-30 5 4 39 46 https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi/article/view/192 This study explores the phenomenon of Christian martyrdom, witness, and insecurity challenges in Kaduna State through a qualitative research approach drawing on library materials, scholarly journals, internet sources, and books. Kaduna State has remained one of the most affected regions in Nigeria where religious conflicts and insecurity continue to shape the lived realities of Christians. The research investigates how martyrdom, understood as the ultimate sacrifice for faith, influences Christian witness in the face of threats, persecution, and violence. The narratives of victims and the resilience of Christian communities demonstrate that martyrdom strengthens faith, inspires commitment to evangelism, and reinforces the identity of the church, even under duress. However, insecurity has also resulted in displacement, loss of lives, and hindered church growth in the affected areas. Findings reveal that insecurity in Kaduna is not only driven by ethno-religious tensions but also by political manipulation, poverty, and weak security structures, all of which have heightened hostility toward Christians. The study concludes that Christian witness in Kaduna is both challenged and deepened by experiences of martyrdom, highlighting the paradox of faith under persecution. It recommends intentional dialogue between Christians and Muslims, effective security interventions, government policies that promote justice and equity, and the church’s continued emphasis on forgiveness, resilience, and peacebuilding as pathways to sustainable coexistence. APOSTLE MOSES YARO SHOK CECILIA DONATUS, PhD Shagaya Salisu Copyright (c) 2025 2025-09-30 2025-09-30 5 4 47 56 https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi/article/view/193 Forgiveness is a fundamental concept in Christian theology, emphasized throughout the Bible as a crucial aspect of the Christian faith. In Christianity of present time, forgiveness is preached, but not practiced. This has become a menace in the body of Christ, it has gendered segregation and proliferation of Christian denominations. Deficiency of forgiveness in the body of Christ has created uncountable crises both spiritually and physically. Therefore, this study explores the biblical teachings on forgiveness, examining its significance, nature, and implications for Christian living. Through a comprehensive analysis of relevant biblical passages, this research demonstrates that forgiveness is not merely a human virtue but a divine imperative, rooted in God's character and redemptive plan. The study investigates the various dimensions of forgiveness, including God's forgiveness of humanity, interpersonal forgiveness among believers, and the forgiveness of self. This research also examines the biblical prerequisites for forgiveness, such as repentance, confession, and restitution, as well as the consequences of unforgiveness. Furthermore, it discusses the challenges and complexities of forgiveness in real-life situations, offering practical insights and guidance for Christians seeking to embody the forgiveness of God. Ultimately, this study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the Christian imperative of forgiveness, and recommending believers to cultivate a culture of forgiveness in their personal lives, relationships, and communities. The researcher adopted analytical research method to communicate his thoughts on the research topic. Dr. Christian Maduabuchi Umeanwe Copyright (c) 2025 2025-09-30 2025-09-30 5 4 57 63 https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi/article/view/194 Man is constructed to be strong, macho, emotionless and strong. The notion that a man does not cry, stems from his social construction which is a function of the definition of what it means to be a man in his social milieu. Masculinity is constructed across different strata of life and these include class, race, ethnicity, age and profession. It bothers on the roles assigned to the boy child in a particular social environment and the status he assumes as he grows to become a man according to the dictates of the societal norms. Every member of the society, mothers inclusive, understands these roles and statuses as the minimum standard for which a man is understood to be a man indeed. He is therefore expected to act socially, economically and emotionally even when he lacks the capacity to do so. The construction gambit, however, becomes fractured in the face of realities of existence and challenges to those things that define him as a man. Using constructionist model, this study therefore investigates the fracturing of man’s social construction and the challenges of coping with the redefinition of manhood. The study employed qualitative approach which involves literary text analysis of Soyinka’s The Trial of Brother Jero to reveal subordinated masculinities, social castration and the helplessness of the male characters devoid of economic power and emotional stability to act as real men. Finding reveals that man becomes vulnerable when his construction is contrary to the actual performance as a provider and head of the family. It was therefore suggested that parents, especially mothers, should raise boys and girls the same way as they grow to become adult members of the society. JEGEDE, Francis Olabisi (Ph.D) Copyright (c) 2025 2025-09-30 2025-09-30 5 4 64 74 https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi/article/view/195 This paper examines the deployment of Marxist aesthetics and ideology in Nigerian drama through a critical study of Olu Obafemi’s Suicide Syndrome and Ola Rotimi's IF... A Tragedy of the Ruled. It examines how both playwrights employ Marxist aesthetics to expose class contradictions, systemic oppression, and the failures of postcolonial leadership. Obafemi’s Suicide Syndrome presents a trenchant commentary on intellectual disillusionment and the socio-political betrayal of the masses, while IF...dramatizes the complicity of traditional institutions in perpetuating neo-colonial oppression. The study reveals that both plays, though stylistically distinct, embody a deliberate Marxist aesthetics that foregrounds the agency of the oppressed and call for socio-political transformation. Ultimately, the paper underscores the role of drama as a tool for ideological resistance and a medium for articulating revolutionary consciousness within Nigerian society. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to knowledge on how Nigerian dramatists adapt and localize Marxist aesthetics to reflect indigenous socio-political realities. The study recommends that Nigerian playwrights and artists should continue to create socially committed works that expose contradictions within society and amplify the voices of the marginalized. Augustine Obiajulu EZIECHINE, Ph.D Copyright (c) 2025 2025-09-30 2025-09-30 5 4 75 84 https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi/article/view/196 This paper investigates the psychological correlates of Agape love, as conceptualized in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, with well-being among Nigerians. This study is informed by glaring and increasing theoretical understanding of love without contextualising it in people’s mind. Drawing upon an interdisciplinary approach, this study synthesises exegetical analysis of the biblical text with psychological theories of well-being and an examination of the socio-cultural context of Nigeria. The research explores how the characteristics of Agape love such as patience, kindness, selflessness, and enduring hope, can foster positive psychological states, enhance social connectedness and contribute to overall well-being. By analyzing existing academic literature, this paper aims to bridge the gap in understanding the empirical investigation of Agape love as a psychological correlate of well-being within the Nigerian population. The study concludes that the cultivation of Agape love can serve as a significant resource for promoting mental health, resilience, and flourishing in a society grappling with various socio-economic and cultural challenges. Recommendations for further research and practical applications within religious institutions, counselling, and community development initiatives in Nigeria are also provided. Okoh, Blessing Uenosen Simon Jeji Majimre Copyright (c) 2025 2025-09-30 2025-09-30 5 4 85 93 https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi/article/view/197 This study examines the Igbo concept of communal living which remains homo-eccentric and human centered ethical model with a holistic approach to both economic and social security engrafted in social structures. This social ethics is a revolutionary concept which the blind can see, the deaf can hear, and which the lame can identify, and appropriate. This human centered body politics which inspires and empowers Ndigbo to draw on moral osmosis to engage in social transformation, nation-building, and sustainable development is constitutive in the religious dimension of community in the traditional Igbo background. This study was prompted by the general decline in public morality which does not only remove interdependence, reciprocity, and equality, but also depreciate, degenerate, and degrade human dignity. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to investigate and unearth the primordial affirmation of the truth about our moral heritage with a new appreciation of its worth and role in the traditional Igbo society. This study using descriptive and sociological methods, betook itself to explore this concept that gives rise to the idea of collective responsibility, inter-dependence, and human living which among others promotes discipline, reduces crime, and humanizes relations. The findings reveals that the concept also inspires Ndigbo to look up to the future with hope and expectation for a good reward here and hereafter. The study emphasizes the effects of erosion of cultural values particularly in the bonds of inter-personal and inter-group relationships resulting in ungodly philosophies such as extreme individualism, materialism, secularism, consumerism, and the prioritization of wealth over persons which became its hallmark. Therefore, the study recommends the incorporation of Igbo spirituality and consciousness of human dignity to remove alienation, deprivation, and oppression now prevalent in contemporary society. Rt. Rev. Alozie Chukwunyere Iroanya PhD Copyright (c) 2025 2025-09-30 2025-09-30 5 4 94 104 https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi/article/view/200 This paper explores the theatricality and social functions in Erishi Festival of Ase in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Festivals are integral to the cultural life of a people; they establish identity and foster social cohesion. Although the Erishi Festival is largely unknown outside Delta State, it remains a unifying event that embodies both social functions and theatrical elements. Unfortunately, some scholars of African traditions have downplayed the potential of indigenous festivals due to the long-standing debate over Western notions of what constitutes drama. Consequently, there is little recognition of the value of such festivals beyond their entertainment aspects. This study adopts Richard Schechner’s Performance Theory and Aristotle’s Theory of Drama as its theoretical framework, employing literary and analytical methodologies. The findings reveal that the Erishi Festival embodies numerous social functions and theatrical elements. The paper recommends that scholars of African traditions should look beyond the entertainment dimension, since the festival encapsulates rich cultural values capable of fostering socio-cultural transformation within the African universe. Dr. Charles Agha Prof. E. C. Emasealu Copyright (c) 2025 2025-09-30 2025-09-30 5 4 105 112 https://www.enyojonal.com.ng/index.php/igirigi/article/view/201 The epic discourse is shrouded with myth, just as it becomes a favorite ground for the griots who indulge in using rhetorical skills of all kinds in its declamation; starting from metaphor up to repetition, via symbolism to name but few. This study aims at analyzing the stylistic device of symbolism and it uses in Zarma, the second largest ethnic group in terms of number of populations after the Hausa from Niger, epic (moolo in Zarma) narratives. In fact, in the Zarma culture the griots (gesere) considered as ‘speech masters’ celebrate the emblematic heroes of the milieu amazingly and amusingly using figures of style. The study is based on the epic poems of an old and famous griot of this community, Kulba Baaba Seebeeri. As theoretical framework, the paper adopts ‘the stylistics’ before concluding that Kulba Baaba is mainly inspired by some animate and inanimate sources symbolized respectively by animals and things around the heroes in his performance. ADAMOU IDE Oumarou Copyright (c) 2025 2025-09-30 2025-09-30 5 4 113 122