Agwu, Prince

2 Publications in AERD

Author Publications

Young people and perceived achievements on social media: The needfulness of social work services in Nigerian tertiary schools

By Agwu, Prince

Material and non-material achievements are replete on social media, and they are perceived differently by people. We sought to provide evidence on how young undergraduates relate with these perceived achievements, the prospects and problems associated with such perceptions, and the implications for psychosocial support services in higher institutions in Nigeria. Guided by phenomenology, 30 young undergraduates across two universities in Nigeria were interviewed. Elicited data were analysed in themes, and identity theory provided the conceptual framework. Despite the positives taken from the perceived achievements on social media, there were considerable negative influences, affecting the character and esteem of young people. The students expressed interest in seeking psychosocial services, which were unavailable. Our study buttresses the need to mainstream social work and other psychosocial services in Nigerian tertiary schools for the comprehensive development of students. © 2022 Whiting and Birch. All rights reserved.

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“Miracle Examination Centres” as hubs for malpractices in Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination in Nigeria: A systematic review

By Agwu, Prince

Certificates obtained after taking Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) are priority documents that qualify students to be admitted into tertiary level education and are also a minimum requirement to contest in some political elections in Nigeria. ‘Miracle’ Examination Centres (MECs) are rogue/corrupt business outfits that position as regular schools/examination centres, but in reality deploy deviant means to secure unmerited SSCE results/certificates, and hence undermine academic integrity and country-wide development. In these rogue centres, candidates can acquire unmerited desirable grades across subjects taken in SSCE, hence the ‘miracle’ commonly ascribed to such centres in Nigeria. This paper deploys a systematic review of Nigeria-focused exam malpractice literature to explore the drivers that facilitate the establishment and spread of MECs as well as interventions that can be used to eliminate them. Identified documents that met inclusion criteria (94: 48 non-traditional academic and 46 traditional academic publications) were retrieved and reviewed. Proximate drivers of MECs involve the actions and inactions of certain actors that are within immediate reach of influence and at grassroots, such as parents, community-based groups, and schools (school owners, principals, teachers, students, etc.). Remote drivers are the actions and inactions of the examination bodies and regulatory institutions that allow MECs to thrive. We consider the remote drivers to be away from immediate reach of influence as shown in our conceptual framework. Therefore, addressing the challenge of MECs by focusing on proximate drivers, appears to be feasible within the short and mid-terms, unlike the remote drivers. © 2021

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