Exploring temporal patterns and determinants of accidents involving heavy-duty
vehicles in the Southwestern part of Nigeria between 2011-2021
Olabisi Michael Olapoju, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Bulletin | Page 01 to 20
Abstract
Increasing road traffic crashes involving heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) have become a critical concern in many regions of the world. This study was carried out to examine patterns and determinants of HDVs crashes in selected routes in Southwestern part of Nigeria. The study employed field survey to obtain information relating to crash occurrence and factors of occurrence from 200 HDV drivers selected from 1,998 drivers across 16 parks in the study area. Optimised Hotspot Analysis (OHA), inverse distance weighting (IDW) and Nearest Neighbor Analysis were also used to identify spatial cluster of HDVs’ crash data. Secondary information on HDVs’ crashes and locations during the study period was obtained from the archives of the statistics of operations of Federal Road Safety Corps between 2011 and 2021. Results indicated high clustering patterns of HDVs in the study area which was especially defined by the busyness and the road characteristics of the locations. Further, the study revealed roadway characteristics, brake defects, poor road signs, drivers, behavioural characteristic and weather conditions as part of the key determinants of HDVs crashes in the study location. It is concluded that understanding specificity of route characteristics would be needed to provide strategic route specific solution to incidence of HDVs in the study area.
Keywords: Heavy duty vehicles, road traffic crashes, Nigeria, road safety, road transport
EFFICACY OF LEARNING THE LAW IN A DIGITALISED WORLD EMPLOYING NIGERIAN NUC-CCMAS METHODOLOGY: A LEGAL EVALUATION
ESTHER INKO ABILI, PhD (Hons.), BL. The author is a Lecturer domiciled in the Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, Rivers State University, and a specialist in Aviation Law. She is also in private legal practice and a Notary Public Nigeria.
International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Bulletin | Page 01 to 11
Abstract
This paper examined the efficacy of learning the law in a digitalised world employing the Nigerian NUCCCMAS methodology. The emergence of digital technologies has impacted significantly on global socioeconomic development. The fact that the world is described as a ‘global village’ underscores the importance of countries in the spectrum to step up to the surging demand for digitalisation. The paper employed the doctrinal research approach in examining the relevant legal framework for digitalisation, to wit, National Information Technology Development Agency Act 2007, National Universities Commission Act 1974, and Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act 1985. The paper found that the regulatory agency, NITDA, in keeping with its powers to create a National Digital Literacy Framework, recorded success and further embarked on a project of achieving 95% of digital literacy by 2030. Whether or not this vision is achievable remains to be seen. The paper also highlighted the mandate of the NUC—to ensure proper quality control of all academic programmes within the Nigerian University System, which it implemented through different working instruments, the extant being the CCMAS document. Regrettably, tertiary institutions in Nigeria have been moving at snail speed in meeting up with the labour market’s increasing demands for digitalisation. The paper recommended that the Federal and State Governments provide well-organised support grants to students in tertiary institutions for acquisition of electronic learning devices. Universities’ Management should likewise ensure a transition to digital learning through constant power supply and the provision of projectors in all lecture halls.
Keywords: Law, Digital Law, Digital Citizenship, Information Technology (IT), Digital Literacy, Digital Competence/IT Skills
Colonial Discourse as [non]full Accounts of History1: A Conceptual Inquiry into Fredrick Lugard’s “the Story of the Uganda Protectorate”
Ashiraf Mugalula, Research Fellow, Makerere University |Al-Mustafa Islamic College.
International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Bulletin | Page 01 to 23
Abstract
This conceptual inquiry examines colonial discourse as a fundamentally incomplete historical record, using Frederick Lugard’s The Story of the Uganda Protectorate as a primary case study. By interrogating the tension between “full” and “[non]full” accounts of history, the study explores how colonial narratives function as instruments of power that simultaneously document and distort the socio-political realities of the African Great Lakes region.
The analysis focuses on three critical dimensions:
- The Architecture of Erasure: How Lugard’s narrative prioritizes the “civilizing mission” framework while marginalizing indigenous political structures and agency.
- Subjective Legitimacy: The use of personal memoir and administrative reports to construct a self-serving historical “truth” that justifies British imperial expansion.
- Epistemic Violence: The way in which colonial discourse suppresses alternative historiographies, effectively creating a “[non]full” account that masquerades as a definitive history.
Ultimately, the article argues that Lugard’s work serves less as a factual chronicle and more as a discursive tool designed to facilitate colonial hegemony. By deconstructing these texts, the inquiry highlights the necessity of “reading against the grain” to recover the silenced narratives essential for a comprehensive understanding of Ugandan history.
Keywords: Colonial Discourse, Frederick Lugard, Epistemic Violence, Historiography, Uganda Protectorate.