Oremeyi Akpata - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Oremeyi Akpata

Faculty of Social Science Journal, Kogi State University Anyigba., 2020

Gender equality is universally recognized as key to development in society. Development of women ... more Gender equality is universally recognized as key to development in society. Development of women could therefore depend on how men and women relate in society. This study examined gender relations and its implications for health and development of women in Doma, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The study assessed how gender relations can affect socioeconomic development of women and also explored influence of gender relations on the health of women. The study is anchored on liberal feminism. The study adopted survey research methods based on a sample of 399 currently married women selected through multistage sampling method. Questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) guides were used to generate data for the study. The data generated were analyzed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 23.0) computer software and manual content analysis respectively. Findings revealed that gender relations negatively affect women in Doma by limiting their access to education, career choices and businesses and restricting their mobility for business purposes. The study also revealed that gender relations negatively (55.6%) influence the health of women. The study recommends that the government should ensure effective implementation and enforcement of gender-based polices in Nigeria that were already developed and should also develop and implement new policies that can at least give women equal opportunity in decision makings in areas concerning their health and issues bordering on their socioeconomic development.

American Journal of Sociological Research, 2017

Family size preferences stand as a “silent norm” guiding married couples on the number of childre... more Family size preferences stand as a “silent norm” guiding married couples on the number of children they are
expected to bear. Thus, this trend influences the decisions of couples to the extent of having more children than they generally
can cater for. This is not without its consequences like decrease in the standard of living, childhood nutritional deficiency,
lack of education, increasing crime rate, overcrowding, burglary, prostitution among others. This can grossly add to the
excessive population growth in the community with the attendant negative consequences. Against this background, the study
investigated the influence of the socio-economic factors on family size preference among the married couples in Kogi State
University community, Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria. This study employed a cross-sectional descriptive survey design to
investigate 240 married couples using Taro Yamane (1970) and the proportionality formulae to determine the sample size.
The semi-structured questionnaire served as the instrument of data collection. The data presentations were made using tables,
simple percentages and frequency counts. The hypotheses were tested with the aid of chi-square statistical test at a
predetermined 0.05 level of significance as the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17 was used to aid the
analysis. Findings showed that religious orientations and beliefs, the current monthly income and educational attainment of
the respondents had impact factors on the family size preference. In other words, socio-economic factors of the married
couples acting independently or jointly with other variables in the university community could predispose them to opt for a
particular family size. The study, therefore, recommended that the university-based religious associations and the various
fellowship leaders should enlighten their members and followers on the need to maintain moderate, standard and manageable
family size. To this end, incentives including but not limited to affordable school fees and subsidised healthcare services
through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) should be granted to the couples with moderate family size. This
could be reinforced by the government in conjunction with the university management organising enlightenment
programmes and knowledge-based theatrical shows on the campus in order to promote the culture of standard family size
maintenance in consonance with the government policy of a four-child family.

Research on Humanities and Social Sciences., 2016

The joy of ownership of children in Africa either as an "Agro-based" labour pool, social symbol o... more The joy of ownership of children in Africa either as an "Agro-based" labour pool, social symbol or for physical and security purposes cannot be overemphasized. As important as children are in Nigeria, their lives are almost always threatened by several problems such as nutritional deficiencies and illnesses, especially malaria, diarrhoea diseases, Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs), Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) and absolute poverty, which accounted significantly for the severe morbidity and mortality rates among children less than age five years. The study, therefore, investigated utilization of herbal medicine among mothers of under-five children in Lokoja, Kogi state, North-central Nigeria. The descriptive cross-sectional research design was used to study 300 mothers of paediatric patients. The questionnaire was designed to elicit the data from the respondents through the systematic and purposive sampling techniques. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 18.0. was used to analyse the data collected while the hypotheses were tested using the spearman rank correlation. The study findings revealed among others that, the respondents considered herbal remedies safe for the treatment of their sick children and so expressed satisfaction with the products used. Similarly, the perception of disease aetiology among the respondents had a significant positive correlation with the utilization of herbal medicine, while religious affiliations and orientations positively influenced the use of the medicine in the study area. The study, therefore, concluded that herbal medicine is an integral aspect of the overall healthcare delivery system and should be promoted for remedial intervention at the outset of diseases. Perception of disease aetiology and religious affiliations are predictors of the respondents' health seeking behaviour. "Cross-system" referral is recommended for herbal as well as orthodox medical practitioners if the jeopardizing health of the under-five children is to be addressed holistically.

How a nation finances its health care delivery system could be a clear parameter in assessing the... more How a nation finances its health care delivery system could be a clear parameter in assessing the premium placed on its people's health. As a critical developmental component like food, shelter and clothing, the health sector requires adequate funding. However, the funding of health care system varies across different countries. In the case of Nigeria, the financing of the health care delivery system is majorly through tax revenue, out-of-pocket payment or user fees, donor funding and social health insurance. The federal government introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) because it considered funding health so demanding due to dwindling economy, perennial shortage of qualified and competent health personnel, shortage of drugs and other health infrastructures. More importantly, the introduction of the scheme was to guarantee good and qualitative access to efficient health care services such that it could reduce catastrophic household out-of-pocket health expenditure. Since its inception and resuscitation, several states across the country have keyed into it. However, actual implementation of the scheme by these states appeared not to have commenced fully. While this paper identified the various major sources of health care financing in Nigeria, its focal point was on the NHIS. Consequently, a framework for explaining the impact of the scheme within the context of Nigeria was designed through a triangulation of Structural Functionalist and Rational Choice Theories. The major findings about NHIS from the cross-sectionalized review of the empirical studies conducted across Nigeria revealed among others that the level of awareness of the scheme among the target population in some states was high while a couple of states recorded low-level knowledge of the scheme. In addition, the introduction of the scheme has tremendously scaled up the patronage and utilization of health facilities and reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure for health services rendered. This paper therefore recommended among others that the government in collaboration with relevant partners should intensify optimal awareness and education on the scheme to all Nigerians. It also suggested increased funding for the scheme through budgetary allocation to the health sector.

Family size preferences stand as a "silent norm" guiding married couples on the number of childre... more Family size preferences stand as a "silent norm" guiding married couples on the number of children they are expected to bear. Thus, this trend influences the decisions of couples to the extent of having more children than they generally can cater for. This is not without its consequences like decrease in the standard of living, childhood nutritional deficiency, lack of education, increasing crime rate, overcrowding, burglary, prostitution among others. This can grossly add to the excessive population growth in the community with the attendant negative consequences. Against this background, the study investigated the influence of the socioeconomic factors on family size preference among the married couples in Kogi State University community, Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria. This study employed a cross-sectional descriptive survey design to investigate 240 married couples using Taro Yamane (1970) and the proportionality formulae to determine the sample size. The semi-structured questionnaire served as the instrument of data collection. The data presentations were made using tables, simple percentages and frequency counts. The hypotheses were tested with the aid of chi-square statistical test at a predetermined 0.05 level of significance as the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17 was used to aid the analysis. Findings showed that religious orientations and beliefs, the current monthly income and educational attainment of the respondents had impact factors on the family size preference. In other words, socioeconomic factors of the married couples acting independently or jointly with other variables in the university community could predispose them to opt for a particular family size. The study, therefore, recommended that the university-based religious associations and the various fellowship leaders should enlighten their members and followers on the need to maintain moderate, standard and manageable family size. To this end, incentives including but not limited to affordable school fees and subsidised healthcare services through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) should be granted to the couples with moderate family size. This could be reinforced by the government in conjunction with the university management organising enlightenment programmes and knowledge-based theatrical shows on the campus in order to promote the culture of standard family size maintenance in consonance with the government policy of a four-child family.

Conference Presentations by Oremeyi Akpata

Faculty of Social Sciences, Kogi State University, 1 st Annual Conference. 11 th -13 th March 2020. Kogi State University, Anyigba, Kogi State. CULTURAL VARIATIONS AND ITS EFFECT ON WOMEN IN OGBADIBO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE, NIGERIA, 2020

Over the years, cultural variations and its effect on women has been a major issue that has downg... more Over the years, cultural variations and its effect on women has been a major issue that has downgraded women in the sight of men especially among the people of Ogbadibo L.G.A. of Benue State. Women are being culturally maltreated by men in terms of sexual satisfaction, decision making in the home, total domination, burial rites, choices of job (where women are allowed to work in the first place), access to education, inheritance among others. the resultant effects of these harmful practices and behaviour on women have been psychological trauma, domestic violence, loosing self esteem, and even death. This work is aimed at examining the cultural variations and its effect on women in Ogbadibo L.G.A. Social survey method was used and were distributed randomly to women which constituted the target population. 170 questionnaires were distributed and 141 retrieved. The retrieved questionnaires were analysed using percentages and chi-square tests, descriptively presented and interpreted. Consequently, 61% believed that cultural variation and its effect on women in Ogbadibo L.G.A was high. This reiterates the fact that cultural variations exist and at a high rate going by the response of our respondents. The major variation identified was denying women their right to decision making. 59% of the women stated that they were denied rights to decision making. There is a high rate of divorce and domestic violence resulting to deaths and psychological trauma that can cause female depression and untimely death. Findings the study showed that majority of the women were dissatisfied about the restrictions that the cultural variations placed on them economically and socially. It was recommended that policies be put in place to overrule cultural variations that affect women negatively. Non-Governmental Organizations, Civil Society Organizations and Faith Based Organizations be involved in the advocacy for women rights.

Faculty of Social Science Journal, Kogi State University Anyigba., 2020

American Journal of Sociological Research, 2017

Research on Humanities and Social Sciences., 2016