GPH-International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research

Manpower Development Strategies and Firm Productivity in the Hospitality Industry Yenagoa Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Tariere Lovelyn Alibe — 2026-09-18

This study examined the effect of manpower development strategies on firm productivity in the hospitality industry in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated the effects of training and development, talent retention, and diversity and inclusion on firm productivity. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 327 staff of selected hospitality firms, from which a sample size of 180 respondents was determined using Yamane’s formula. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire. The validity of the instrument was established through face and content validity. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of SPSS version 25. The study focused on examining the relationship between manpower development strategies and firm productivity in the hospitality industry. The study concluded that effective manpower development strategies are important for improving firm productivity and process efficiency in the hospitality industry. It recommended that management should invest in continuous training and development programmes that equip employees with the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to improve productivity.

BRIDGING THE TRADE FINANCE GAP FOR SMEs IN AFRICA: THE ROLE OF AFREXIMBANK, COMMERCIAL BANKS AND GOVERNMENT

Nwosu, Sheldon Tochukwu — 2026-09-21

This study examined the reported relationship between three major sources of finance such as Afreximbank financing, commercial-bank financing and government-supported finance and the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across African regional economic communities. The study was motivated by persistent evidence that inadequate trade finance constrains working-capital availability, export participation and productive investment, particularly among smaller firms. A country-level panel framework was specified for 45 African countries over 2000-2026, with SME productivity, employment, export share, GDP contribution and value added treated as alternative performance outcomes. The reported analysis comprised descriptive statistics, pairwise correlations, panel unit-root tests, Hausman model selection, fixed-effects panel estimation and robustness checks. The reported estimates showed positive associations between each financing source and all five SME performance measures. Commercial-bank financing recorded the largest coefficient in each baseline specification, followed by Afreximbank financing and government financing. Inflation was reported to be negatively associated with SME performance, whereas GDP and trade openness were generally positively associated with performance. Regional estimates indicated the strongest reported financing-performance associations for SADC, followed by COMESA, EAC, ECOWAS and UMA. The study interpreted these results as evidence in favour of a complementary financing architecture in which commercial banks provide scale and proximity, Afreximbank provides regional trade-finance and risk-sharing capacity, and governments address market failures through guarantees, credit infrastructure and targeted interventions. Because the underlying data are observational and several financing variables are highly correlated, the findings were interpreted as conditional associations rather than definitive causal effects. The study recommended stronger credit-information systems, regional guarantee mechanisms, digital trade-finance infrastructure, improved institutional coordination and greater macroeconomic stability.

CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION IN AFRICA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ECOWAS AND THE AFRICAN CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA (AfCFTA)

Okoro, Peter Tochukwu — 2026-09-23

The paper examined African regional integration through a comparison of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Guided by Bela Balassa’s stages of economic integration, the study used a qualitative comparative design based on institutional documents, trade data and relevant secondary literature. It examined tariff liberalization, free movement, customs arrangements, non-tariff barriers and emerging continental trade rules. The findings show that ECOWAS has developed a more established institutional framework, reflected in free movement and sub-regional trade, but deeper integration is still constrained by infrastructure deficits, policy differences, weak compliance and delays in monetary integration. AfCFTA, on the other hand, has a broader continental reach and has moved from negotiation towards implementation through initiatives such as the Guided Trade Initiative and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System. However, differences in infrastructure, productive capacity, customs systems and national implementation are significant limitations to the extent to which its opportunities are realized. It was concluded that institutionally, ECOWAS and AfCFTA should be regarded as complementary levels of African integration rather than competing frameworks. Among others, the study recommended greater use of interoperable payment systems to facilitate cross-border transactions and aid regional trade.

Financial Integration and the Growth of Selected Nations in ECOWAS

Munyale Dauda — 2026-09-24

This study investigated the impact of financial integration on the growth of selected nations in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) between 2001 to 2024. The specific objectives of the study are to examine the effect of financial soundness, exchange rate and tariff on economic growth in ECOWAS. The study collected panel data from the World Bank, WTO and UNCTAD and used the fixed effect model to analysed the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable. Based on the fixed effect model, the findings showed that, export financial soundness was found to have positive and significantly effect on economic growth in ECOWAS. Also, exchange rate has positive and significant effect across ECOWAS member states. Nevertheless, tariff has negative and insignificant effect on economic growth in ECOWAS. In line with the results, the study concludes that, financial integration exerts a meaningful influence on economic growth in ECOWAS. Based on the findings, it was recommended that, there should be diversification of ECOWAS economy in terms of exports. Thus, financial integration should lead to better diversification of risks and makes a positive contribution to financial stability by improving the capacity of economies to absorb shocks.

PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP (PPP) AND SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN LAGOS STATE: A STUDY OF FIRST METRO INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED 2022-2025

NDUKWE, IBE NDUKWE — 2026-09-25

Infrastructure development continues to be a key factor in socio-economic development in developing economies especially in the rapidly urbanizing region of Lagos State, Nigeria. While infrastructure is a key enabler of sustainable development, weak political will and poor government project delivery processes have prevented progress to be maintained consistently. This has necessitated the Lagos State Government to adopt Public–Private Partnership (PPP) model to fill the infrastructure gaps and enhance public service delivery. This study investigates the role of PPPs in the promotion of social infrastructural development in Lagos State with especial emphasis on the Lagos State Government/First Metro Infrastructure Limited (FMIL) partnership in the development of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Red Line project. The theory of the New Public Management (NPM) was used as a foundation for the research, which focuses on the efficiency, innovation and performance of public sector management using the principles of the private sector. The findings show that PPPs has had a great impact on the development of social infrastructure in Lagos State through better service delivery and project financing and efficiency. The First Metro partnership for the Lagos Red Line project has helped to improve urban mobility, alleviate traffic congestion and boost economic productivity. Yet, the study demonstrates that properly designed PPPs can be a powerful tool for the sustainable development of urban infrastructure, provided that they are underpinned by good governance and accountability. The study finds that PPPs continue to be essential for the achievement of the Lagos State's infrastructural and developmental goals. It calls for building institutional capacity, harmonizing the policies, and involving stakeholders in the mechanisms of consultation so that the PPP projects will bring maximum social and economic benefits. The study makes a contribution to knowledge through empirical findings on the dynamics of operation of PPP in the urban context of Nigeria and its practical application of the NPM approach to the governance of infrastructures in sub-Saharan Africa.

Preserving the Traditional Culture of Ethnic Minorities in Association with Sustainable Community-Based Tourism Development in Vietnam

Hoai An Thi Nguyen, (Ph.D.) — 2026-09-28

The preservation of traditional culture among ethnic minorities and the development of community-based tourism are two independent fields that share a closely interdependent relationship, ensuring sustainability for economic, cultural, and social development. Culture plays a role as both the driving force and the goal of development; however, limitations or inappropriate preservation methods can become barriers to the overall development process. Sustainable community-based tourism development in ethnic minority areas generates positive impacts on the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values. Conversely, negative impacts arising from uncontrolled socio-economic development will affect the sustainable tourism development of both local communities and the nation. This article analyzes the relationship between the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage and community-based tourism development, while evaluating the status of these efforts in recent times. On that basis, the author proposes several solutions to enhance the effectiveness of preserving and promoting traditional cultural identity associated with sustainable community-based tourism development for ethnic minorities in Vietnam.

Trauma, the Fragmented Psyche, and the Cycle of Repetition in Narratives of Maya Angelou

Elli May Ella — 2026-10-01

This paper examines trauma as a psychological wound that can affect memory, identity, behaviour, relationships, and the individual's sense of safety. It focuses particularly on childhood trauma, maternal abandonment, dissociation, repression, traumatic memory, repetition, sexual violence, and the struggle to return to a sense of wholeness. Drawing on the ideas of Revital Goodman, Sigmund Freud, Susan L. Bloom, Cathy Caruth, George Hartman, Sándor Ferenczi, Jay B. Frankel, and Kali Tal, the paper considers how traumatic experiences can remain active long after the original event has ended. It argues that childhood trauma is especially significant because it can shape the developing sense of self and influence how individuals respond to later experiences. Maternal care is considered an important source of security, while parental failure and abandonment can leave the child vulnerable to further trauma. The paper also examines dissociation as a protective response to overwhelming experiences and explores how repressed memories may return through repetition, flashbacks, behaviour, and storytelling. The idea of a Sisyphean cycle is used to describe the repeated struggle of the trauma survivor to escape the past while continually returning to it. Particular attention is given to sexual violence and the experiences of women, especially African American women, whose psychological wounds may be intensified by racial and social oppression. The paper concludes that trauma may fragment the psyche, but remembering, narrating, and confronting painful experiences can also become part of the movement towards healing and psychological reintegration.

Keywords: trauma, childhood trauma, maternal abandonment, dissociation, fragmented psyche, memory, repression, repetition, sexual violence, African American women, healing