The paper investigates the challenges bedeviling the strategies of an Islamic civil society organization known as Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a Wa’iqamtis-Sunnah [JIBWIS] popularly known as Izala in the democratization process of Katsina State-Nigeria with a view to proffering solutions. A lot of problems have been militating against the efforts of Izala Islamic civil society association towards improving the quality of the democratic order. As a case study qualitative research inquiry, the study was conducted through an in-depth semi-structured interview with 18 key informant’s personal experiences on the phenomenon. Analysis of data was done by using NVivo 12 which significantly aided in the coding, categorization and data management which produced the themes and sub-themes. System theory was used as a framework in the explanation of the phenomenon. The study found out that there are myriads of problematic issues related to the strategies used by the Izala organization; which negates their strategies in the democratization process. Furthermore, the study has identified the various ways in which such strategies could be strengthened for the Islamic organization to give a positive impact on the advancement of the democratization process in the State. Thus, the study presents a conceptually and empirically supported framework to describe the strategies of Islamic civic association in the democratization process of the state. In effect, therefore, the lingering Izala strategy’s crises in the democratization process was explored and analyzed. The study is particularly useful for religious civil societies, politicians, policy-makers, and researchers by identifying and proposing the ways in which the state, political parties, religious organizations, and other democratic stakeholders should conduct and relate in a nascent democratizing society. The analysis points toward the potential for change in the strategies of Izala Islamic civil society in the democratization process.

The study examined the correlation between school plant management and curriculum implementation in government aided secondary schools in Bungokho County, Mbale District. It was guided by three hypotheses; Ho1 there is no statistically significant correlation between management of study materials and curriculum implementation; Ho2 there is no statistically significant correlation between management of physical infrastructure and curriculum implementation and Ho3 there is no statistically significant correlation between school location and curriculum implementation. Correlational research design was used as empirical road map with a sample size of 110 respondents who participated in the study. A piloted self-constructed questionnaire tool was used to collect data. It was then analyzed using inferential statistical tool of Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient and also by descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages. The findings revealed that there was a strong positive correlation between school location management and curriculum implementation (r = .50, n =110, p<.05). The study found that there was a positive moderate correlation between study materials and curriculum implementation (r = .34, n = 110, p<.05). It was also discovered that there was a positive moderate correlation between physical infrastructure and curriculum implementation (r = .40, n =110, p<.05). The study recommended that; the school administrators should ensure that available school equipment is effectively used to facilitate content delivery for effective learning. There should be candid use of available physical infrastructure to enhance innovations and creativity among the teaching staff and students. The Boards of Governors managing secondary schools in Bungokho County and government stakeholders should ensure that any constructed secondary schools in the area should strategically and geographically be well located with ease of access.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is explicitly and directly linked to access to information and knowledge. This paper examines the roles of public libraries towards achieving sustainable development goals in Kaduna state. Three objectives were set out to be accomplished by the study. A survey research design was adopted using a questionnaire as a data collection instrument. A total of 2903 registered users of public libraries in the Kaduna State constituted the study population, while the study sample was collected using a stratified sampling technique. A sample of 2038 was drawn from the user population of 2903, where 30% out of the sample was drawn from the six (6) selected libraries, amounting to 611 for questionnaire administration. A total of 433 (71%) questionnaires were duly completed and returned. The findings arising from the study revealed that current awareness service, library instruction services, selective dissemination of information as well as indexing and abstracting were the services provided by the libraries covered by the study. The study also indicated that public libraries are active in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Kaduna State. For example, looking at the findings, Sustainable Development Goal 4: i.e. the provision of a safe and inclusive space for lifelong learning was identified as the leading role played by the public libraries covered by the study with 174 (40.2%) responses. SDGs 3: i.e. the provision of health information and literacy to the community on pregnancy, malaria, cholera and SDGs 8: i.e. the provision of training on the use of ICT as well as assistance on online job application processes, were also identified in the study as fundamental roles played by the libraries with the same response rate of 146 (33.7%). While looking at the challenges faced by the public libraries, the study reported lack of funds, lack of current materials, language barrier, lack of trained personnel and lack of Internet access were complained by the respondents as a hindrance to effective use of information resources. Given the above challenges, the study, therefore, recommended that issues relating to funding, staffing, information resources, innovative services, infrastructure all need to be addressed by taking proper measures. When these issues are resolved, it will go a long way towards achieving the (SDGs) in Nigeria and Africa at large.

The main thrust of this paper is centered around examining the historical challenges confronting women political participation in the democratization process of the Sub-Saharan African countries. In the past, indeed, women were never equal to men in the political sphere, because in the precolonial Africa, they were being allowed by men to ruled kingdoms, established cities, launched military conquests, and formed states. However, they unfortunately lost out in such arrangements and the social status with the coming and spread of Islam and Christianity and later colonization. Although women are key actors in the democratization process world over, they have now been politically, socially and economically marginalized especially in the Sub-Saharan African region. Marginalization has been a great challenge to the women of the region due to some socio-religious beliefs that came to the fore particularly with the emergence of Islam and Christianity. Likewise, in the contemporary African politics women are relegated to the background, hence sidelined, without tolerable and equal participation in the governance of their own social formations. The paper, therefore, adopts historical and descriptive approaches to argue that despite the increasing number of women in politics, the political landscape is still largely occupied by men. This is seen in the challenges facing the active political participation of women in the process such as cultural factors, lack of adequate representation and consultation in the political parties’ decision-making processes, gender discrimination, lack of fund and so on which the paper revealed. The paper concludes that the involvement of West African women in the democratization process would provide a new track in the developmental agendas of the entire region. And, a specific step to promote gender equality which would advance the status of women and young girls in the process of democratization in Sub-Saharan Africa is greatly needed.

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