Ikechukwu Anthony, Kanu

This book marks a significant milestone in the life and journey of the Association for the Promotion of African Studies (APAS). Founded in 2016 by Professor Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu, OSA, APAS emerged from a compelling vision: to create a formidable intellectual platform dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and advancement of African thought, culture, and identity. Guided by its enduring motto, Coalition for African Pride, the Association has, within a decade, grown from an idea into a vibrant scholarly movement with far-reaching influence across Africa and the diaspora. This book in your hand is both a celebration and a reflection. It celebrates ten years of committed scholarship, institutional resilience, and intellectual camaraderie. At the same time, it reflects critically on the trajectories that have defined APAS: its origins, philosophical foundations, scholarly interventions, and future prospects. The contributions assembled in this book, written by distinguished members of the Association, offer a rich tapestry of perspectives that underscore the dynamism and interdisciplinarity that characterize APAS discourse.

The Arewa symbol is much more than an emblem or a decorative pattern for the people of Northern Nigeria. It is an embodiment of their rich religious, cultural and philosophical heritage. While several works have been written on the Arewa symbol, this paper distinguishes itself by its focus on the interaction of philosophy, culture, and theological ideals in the Arewa symbol. The symbol is, therefore, a metaphorical expression of the philosophical, theological and cultural principles of the Northern region’s heritage. For the purpose of achieving the aim and objectives of this paper, the historical, hermeneutic and analytical methods of inquiry will be used. The paper discovered that the Arewa symbol captures the very essence of Hausa identity and the enduring legacy of Northern Nigeria’s rich tapestry of beliefs, traditions, and wisdom.

This study looks to the biblical parable in Matthew 9:17 about “new wine and new wineskins” as a symbolic lens for understanding Africa’s need to embrace progressive values and philosophies so as to break free from its developmental shackles. Employing an expository approach, the paper first analyses the meaning and symbolism of the new wine/wineskins metaphor, which warns against trying to contain new, transformative ideas within outdated, inflexible structures. It then surveys specific socio-political and economic obstacles hindering development across Africa. The paper submits that the future of Africa lies in a profound reorientation toward openness to change and a willingness to continually renew its social, political, and economic “wineskins.”

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has brought about significant positive changes across various sectors. However, it has also created new opportunities for cybercrime. Nigeria, in particular, has witnessed a surge in cybercriminal activities, which have had severe economic and social consequences. The paper explored the relationship between AI, cybercrime, and the underground business economy in Nigeria, focusing on the rise of fraud, identity theft, and hacking. It discussed the ethical implications of AI, cybercrime, and the underground business economy, highlighting potential risks to privacy, security, and social trust, while emphasizing the ethical responsibilities of AI developers, policymakers, and stakeholders in mitigating these risks and promoting responsible AI use. The Igwebuike ethical theoretical framework was employed for the evaluation of cybercrime, and the thematic and analytical methods of inquiry were used. The paper submits that there is need for an ethical response to the challenges posed by cybercrime in Nigeria.

Since independence, governance in Nigeria has faced several roadblocks at all levels of government. There are issues of corruption, of government institutions, and officeholders lacking the capacity to fulfil their mandates and hardly engage with citizens. This paper focuses on the issue of virtue and the business of governance in Nigeria. It distinguishes itself by its introduction of ethics—virtue in the discourse on governance to search for solutions to the challenges of governance in Nigeria. The paper adopts the philosophical theoretical frameworks of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle on virtue, and employs the thematic and analytical methods of inquiry. In the end, it discovers that imbibing virtue by those in governance can deal with the challenges of governance in Nigeria.