SIASAT

Heritage-Informed Instrumentation: A Comparative Assessment of Astronomical Methods and Infrastructure in the Islamic World

2026-10-16T08:01:05+00:00

The astronomical tradition of the Islamic world represents a continuous enterprise of instrumental innovation spanning twelve centuries, yet the relationship between its classical achievements and contemporary infrastructure remains underexamined. This expert review synthesises historical, archaeological, and contemporary sources to assess astronomical methods and instrumentation across three phases: the classical period (8th–15th centuries), the present revival (21st century), and prospective future directions. The review examines the functional taxonomy of classical instruments; astrolabes, quadrants, armillary spheres, and mural quadrants and evaluates their observational precision, including the 40-metre mural quadrant at Marāgha and the 36–40 metre sextant at Samarkand, which achieved tropical year measurement within 58 seconds of modern values. Contemporary infrastructure is assessed through facilities including the Kottamia Observatory in Egypt, the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology, and the AlUla Manara project in Saudi Arabia, which will house a four-metre telescope with median nighttime seeing of 1.5 arcsec and clear-sky fraction exceeding 79%. A comparative analytical framework identifies institutional continuities between Marāgha and AlUla Manara, including state patronage, integrated research and education, international collaboration, and sustainable funding. The review proposes a five-domain research agenda: regional observatory networks, computational reconstruction of historical instruments, heritage-science protocols, integrated education, and space-based astronomy. It argues that Islamic astronomy's heritage constitutes an active epistemological resource capable of informing contemporary practice, positioning the Islamic world as a bridge between scientific traditions and a contributor to global astronomical knowledge.

Use of Social Media Campaigns against Substance Abuse among Chemistry Undergraduate Students of the University of Lagos

2026-11-05T09:32:27+00:00

This study examines the effectiveness of social media campaigns against substance abuse among Chemistry undergraduate students at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). Substance abuse remains a significant threat to the academic performance, mental health, and long-term social outcomes of Nigerian undergraduates, and social media has emerged simultaneously as a risk chasnnel and a prevention tool. Guided by four objectives, the study adopted a descriptive survey design with a quantitative approach. The population comprised undergraduate students of the Department of Chemistry, UNILAG (2024/2025 session, estimated at 600 students). The Taro Yamane (1967) formula was used to determine a sample size of 240, and a stratified proportionate random sampling technique was applied across the four academic levels. A structured questionnaire measuring exposure, awareness, attitudes, perceived campaign effectiveness, and limiting factors was administered; 200 of 242 distributed copies were retrieved and analysed (response rate = 82.6%) using SPSS descriptive statistics. The theoretical framework integrated the Health Belief Model (HBM), Social Learning Theory (SLT), and the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT). Findings revealed high exposure to anti-drug campaigns (̄x = 3.74) and strong awareness of substance abuse risks (̄x = 3.96) among respondents. Campaign exposure positively shaped attitudes toward drug-free living (̄x = 3.83) and was perceived as generally effective (̄x = 3.77), yet active engagement with campaign content remained comparatively lower than passive exposure. Peer influence, exposure to pro-drug content, and insufficiently engaging campaign formats emerged as the leading barriers to effectiveness. The study concludes that social media is a high-visibility, high-awareness channel for anti-drug communication among science undergraduates, but translating exposure into sustained behavioural change requires more interactive, peer-led, and platform-optimised strategies. Recommendations include integrating digital literacy into curricula, empowering peer leaders, and deploying targeted, gender-responsive content on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, alongside longitudinal and experimental research to evaluate long-term impact.

Role of Public Relations in Promoting Gender Based Violence among Women in Ikorodu, Lagos State

2026-11-06T14:18:16+00:00

Strategic communication has been used extensively in the global and national campaigns against gender-based violence (GBV), but this scourge is one of the worst human rights and public health emergencies in Nigeria today. GBV, which takes place on the physical, psychological, and economic forms, continuously jeopardizes the safety and human rights of women. In the case of Lagos State, the gravity of this emergency is shown by the fact that more than 24,000 GBV cases have been recorded in the period from 2019 to 2023 in the Ikorodu Local Government Area (LGA). Although public relations (PR) campaigns have extensively been used by both governmental and non-governmental bodies in addressing the issue, there is tremendous challenge when it comes to structural efficiency of these strategies in tackling violence in semi-urban, culturally conservative communities. In places such as Ikorodu, deeply seated patriarchal structures and gender power relations make violence an accepted practice that becomes a personal household issue rather than a criminal one. The basic issue that the study aims to address is the significant gap that exists between public awareness created through anti-GBV PR campaigns and reporting actions. From empirical findings in the Ikorodu community, the 'reporting gap' exists in that although about sixty percent of women in the community have knowledge about anti-GBV campaigns and above seventy percent witness and experience GBV, less than twenty-three percent of the women report these acts to the relevant authorities. The 'reporting gap' is sustained by socio-cultural inhibitors that include the fear of social stigma, religious and cultural pressures to maintain family pride, and lack of trust for state law enforcement authorities. Traditional, digitized, English-speaking, and alien PR practices are not effective tools for destroying barriers since they do not incorporate into the grass-root systems which regulate the lives of the people in Ikorodu. Concerning the issue of breaking down the communication barrier, the present research will be guided by the strong theoretical foundation including Gendered Power Relations Theory, which help to reveal the causes for silencing the women and the types of communication needed to liberate them.