College of Leadership and Development Studies
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Item Freeing the Future from the Past: Redefining Soft Power and Cultural Diplomacy in a World of “Unequals”(2022) Ayegbusi Clemson; Folarin Oluwafunke; Udoh Oluwakemi D.; Folarin Sheriff F.Soft power may be “soft” in appearance, but it is real power- and power is generally defined as the ability to compel obedience. Cultural diplomacy may thus be a means to that end: a dynamic of soft power, which tries to “beautify” the application of power by stronger states in their interaction with less powerful ones. To this end, cultural exchanges, educational and scientific aids, exchange of cultural attachés, creation of consular units, etc.,, may be ways by which nations are given false sense of equality and importance, whereas the real intentions are to push the limits of power by stronger states. This paper identifies and examines the hidden dynamics of soft power, focusing on the most effective of such cultural diplomacy. Identifying national interest as the motive behind the instrument of cultural diplomacy, the paper argues that cultural diplomacy is indeed effective in peaceful inter-state relations but the motive should not be to dominate other people or nations and that the old uses of cultural diplomacy by the superpowers for subtle domination, should give way to fostering of mutual trust, global peace and security.Item Navigating the Dark Side of Leadership: Insights from Nigeria's Public Sector(Routledge Tailor and Francis groupmn, 2025) Folarin Sheriff F.; Abasilim Ugochukwu D.; Jalal Mostafa M.Item Beijing Declaration and Women’s Property Rights in Nigeria(European Scientific Journal (ResearchGate), 2014) Folarin Sheriff F.; Udoh Oluwakemi D.In Nigeria, women have suffered various forms of discrimination and oppression during property sharing, especially in terms of land for economic purposes and other physical assets. The challenge has been that, in patriarchal societies, like Nigeria, women are regarded as subservient to men and are never considered in property sharing. Rather, the woman is often regarded as part of the property to be shared especially during the loss of her spouse. Most disturbing is that, though statutory law and international laws have affirmed women’s rights to land and other property, women are often denied access and ownership to property due to unfavorable customary practices. This paper examines women’s property rights in Nigeria. In doing so, it looks critically into Nigeria’s compliance with the 1995 Beijing Platform of Action. It also identifies some factors such as customary and statutory laws as responsible for the discrimination of women vis-à-vis their rights to property and inheritance. In addition to these, it concludes that, the 1995 Beijing Declaration is yet to be fully integrated and domesticated in the national legislations that protect women and their rights to property. In carrying out this research, secondary sources were consulted. Recommendations were made bordering on equality between men and women and gender-sensitivity in legal institutions.Item Navigating the Dark Side of Leadership: Insights from Nigeria's Public Sector(The Dark Side of Leadership: A Cross-Cultural Compendium (ImprintProductivity Press), 2025) Folarin Sheriff F.; Abasilim Ugochukwu D.; Jalal Mostafa M.It is established that dark leadership impairs organisational integrity, erodes public trust, and diminishes operational effectiveness. The chapter reviews the endemic problem of dark leadership in the public sector, its manifestations, consequences, and lessons for leaders. Identifiable practices of public institutions are leveraged to discuss the negative implications of unethical attributions on organisational functioning. It identifies upholding ethical standards, fostering transparency, and ensuring robust accountability as mitigation measures against the risk of unethical behaviour. The chapter advocates a culture of integrity, continuous ethics and compliance training, protection for whistleblowers, and optimal internal controls are essential in sustaining ethical leadership. The insights provided are notable for a cross-section of leaders to achieve effective governance and resilient institutions.Item An Examination of the Oputa Panel as the Vehicle for Victim-centred Justice in Nigeria(African Renaissance Vol. 2022, No. si1, 2022-04-01) Ifaloye Oluwatosin R.; Folarin Sheriff F.; Duruji M. M.Truth Commissions seek to address issues of human rights violations that occurred during conflict or political violence. The Human Rights Investigation Commission (Oputa Panel) led the transitional justice process in Nigeria after it had transitioned from military rule to democratic rule in 1999. Like other Commissions of its kind, it expressed claims that the truth-seeking process would benefit the victims of human rights violations. This study examined the Commission and its contribution towards meeting the needs of those most affected by human rights violations during military rule. The study sought to evaluate the success or otherwise of this Commission's operations by focusing on the extent to which victims benefitted from the process. The case study research design was adopted, and in-depth semi-structured interviews were used to elicit responses from relevant stakeholders among the population of the study. The study is qualitative in nature and data gathered were analysed textually and arranged, using themes relevant to the subject matter. This study found that the Oputa Panel was not an effective instrument of victim-centred justice primarily because the reliefs victims received were largely limited. The participation of victims in the process did not translate into compensation or other forms of empowerment for victims. The study recommended that there must be a demonstration of the political will to implement the recommendations of truth commissions established in Africa. The victim-centred approach investigated here offers useful insights into the challenges faced by victims of human rights violations experienced in post-military regimes in Africa.