African Multidisciplinary Journal of Sciences and Artificial Intelligence

Political Leadership and Public Trust in Nigeria: Review of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic Lockdown and End SARS Protest

Iliyasu Biu M, Bala Galadima Joji, Rehila Jenis K, Yusuf Sani — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 06:17:45 +0800

Public trust is fundamental to good governance, particularly during national crises that require political legitimacy, institutional responsiveness, and public cooperation. This study examines political leadership and public crisis-management strategies during Nigeria’s 2020 COVID-19 lockdown and considers their relationship with the subsequent EndSARS mass protests. Grounded in Authentic Leadership Theory, the study investigates citizens’ perceptions of governmental trustworthiness by assessing the antecedents, statements, and practices of political leaders during the pandemic. It employs qualitative content analysis of selected speeches delivered by political leaders during the national lockdown and interprets them comparatively in relation to selected global experiences. The analysis suggests that deficiencies in political leadership and crisis communication contributed to declining public trust and intensified public dissatisfaction, which formed an important context for the EndSARS protests. The study therefore reinforces the proposition that the quality of leadership substantially determines the effectiveness of crisis governance and the public’s response to governmental actions. It concludes that strengthening public trust in Nigeria requires reforms addressing the institutional and political-cultural conditions surrounding leadership emergence, supported by constitutional amendments and genuine judicial independence. The study contributes to scholarship on authentic leadership, crisis governance, and political trust by connecting governmental responses during the COVID-19 pandemic with broader patterns of citizen mobilization and demands for accountable governance.

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Inverted Bilayered Opal Photoanodes for Dye Sensitised Solar Cells

E. A. Kamba, E. A. Yerima, E. B. AttahDaniel — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 08:22:00 +0800

Developing efficient photoanode materials remains a major challenge in improving the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This study aims to fabricate and evaluate a bilayer photoanode comprising potassium titanate (K₂Ti₄O₉) nanobelts coupled with a zinc oxide (ZnO) inverse-opal structure and to investigate the effects of electrolyte cation identity and concentration on DSSC performance. K₂Ti₄O₉ nanobelts were synthesized through a solid-state reaction between potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and subsequently integrated with the ZnO inverse-opal layer. Photocurrent–voltage measurements were conducted using a two-electrode DSSC configuration containing an I₃⁻/I⁻ redox electrolyte. The devices were illuminated using a 300 W xenon arc lamp equipped with an AM 1.5G filter at an intensity of 100 mW cm⁻². The findings show that the ZnO inverse-opal/K₂Ti₄O₉ bilayer system achieved a photoelectric conversion efficiency of 1.19%, exceeding the 1.04% efficiency obtained using the single K₂Ti₄O₉ system. This improvement indicates that the ZnO inverse-opal layer contributes substantially to device performance by functioning as a photonic-crystal underlayer. The study demonstrates the potential of integrating ZnO inverse-opal structures with K₂Ti₄O₉ nanobelts to enhance DSSC photoanode performance and provides a basis for developing bilayered photonic architectures for solar-energy conversion.

Assessment of Media Influence on Youth Participation in Self-Help Community Development Project in Jalingo Metropolis

Lazarus Siman, Agabison Shidobani Dorcas — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 08:44:15 +0800

Youth participation is essential to the sustainability of self-help community development initiatives, yet the extent to which media coverage facilitates such engagement remains insufficiently understood in Jalingo Metropolis, Taraba State, Nigeria. This study examines the influence of media coverage on youth awareness, motivation, and participation in grassroots community development projects. Anchored in Participatory Development Theory and Agenda-Setting Theory, the study employed a survey research design. A sample of 399 respondents was determined using the Taro Yamane formula, of whom 381 provided valid responses for analysis. The findings indicate that exposure to radio, television, newspapers, and social media significantly enhances youths’ awareness of, perceived relevance of, and motivation to participate in self-help community development initiatives. Social media emerged as the most influential platform because of its interactive features and youth-oriented content formats. The results further show that consistent media messaging and success narratives strengthen sustained youth engagement across different phases of community development projects. However, inconsistent messaging and limited development-focused programming constrain the capacity of the media to promote optimal participation. The study concludes that strategic and coordinated multi-platform media engagement is critical to strengthening youth involvement in community-driven development. It contributes to development communication scholarship by demonstrating how media exposure and message consistency shape grassroots participation and recommends stronger collaboration between media institutions and development stakeholders.