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Traditional and Alternative Medicine or Traditional African Medicine (TAM) is an indigenous form of healing modality that is commonly practiced all over Africa [1]. This therapeutic system has no connection with conventional medicine and is generally used as an alternative to mainstream medicine. Various approaches that are adopted in TAM to heal a patient includes botanical medicine; minerals, exercises, manual techniques, spiritual therapy, etc. TAM practitioners use all these approaches either singularly or in combination for the treatment of patients. A substantial focus is given to the early diagnosis of illness, its prevention, and overall maintenance of well-being. Published research studies have indicated that TAM is very popular in Nigeria [2]. Many patients suffering from various chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, epilepsy, asthma, sickle cell disease, etc., are found to be dependent on TAM.     Unlike conventional medicine, TAM is not taught in medical school and the accumulated knowledge and experience of the practitioners is passed from one generation to another by word-of-mouth. Because of this TAM is not well standardized like conventional medicine and is poorly regulated. As a result, the acceptance is not good among the scientific community. To many, it is simple quackery but to others living in marginalized conditions, TAM is a lifeline. Conventional medicine is good but it is out of reach for many living in economically challenging conditions. Despite TAM may not be the first choice but there is very less option available to people living in the developing world where the medical facilities are not adequate. Moreover, many are happy with TAM as it suits their cultural milieu and some still fear visiting a clinic.   Looking at the fact that an unprecedented number of people in Nigeria are trying TAM, the Federal government through the Ministry of Health has taken many steps to promote the practice of traditional medicine in the country [3]. National Policy on Traditional Medicine, Laws and Regulations was developed in 2004. In 2020, the Ministry of Health approved the establishment of a Council for Traditional, Alternative, and Complementary Medicine Practice in Nigeria. However, many issues have to be solved to promote TAM. There is no distinct legal framework created by the Federal government to monitor or control the practice of traditional medicine in Nigeria. Quality control of herbal medicine is very important as batch-to-batch variation is not very uncommon. Sometimes herbal medicine can also contain harmful substances because Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) were not followed. To promote TAM, it has to be properly researched and institutionalized. So far no university in Nigeria offers full-fledged courses on TAM or ‘Herbal Medicine.’  National University Commission still doesn’t have any courses on TAM enlisted in their course curriculum. To encourage the spread and reliability of TAM proper research and clinical studies must be done, only then the confidence of the public will be stronger. Like it had happened with Ayurveda in India and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in China. Global acceptance and popularity of both these alternative healing practices have skyrocketed in recent years. The same can happen with TAM provided it is properly taught, researched, and documented.         References: Chitindingu E, George G, Gow J. A review of the integration of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine into the curriculum of South African medical schools. BMC Med Educ 2014; 28; 14:40. Li S, Odedina S, Agwai I, Ojengbede O, Huo D, Olopade OI. Traditional medicine usage among adult women in Ibadan, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study. BMC Complement Med Ther 2020; 20(1): 93. Awodele O, Amagon KI, Wannang NW, Aguiyi JC. Traditional medicine policy and regulation in Nigeria: an index of herbal medicine safety. Curr Drug Safety 2014, 9(1): 16-22.   Dr. Sanjoy Kumar Pal is a Professor of Biology in Skyline University Nigeria. He has a PhD. in Animal Genetics from Indian Veterinary Research Institute, India. You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria

If you are looking to improve your language proficiency, it is important to do your best to remove any accents that might exist in your native language. Accents are difficult for listeners to understand and can significantly detract from the quality of your conversation, whether you are speaking with business colleagues or just practicing with a friend. When it comes to language, an accent is a native speaker’s idiosyncratic pronunciation of a certain language. It is usually defined as either a socially or geographically determined variation in speech, although linguists are increasingly aware that accents may be determined by other, non-social factors such as level of education or proficiency with a language (Miley and Farmer, 2017). When talking about someone’s accent, it is important to remember that no two people speak alike; even people who grew up next door to each other will end up with different accents! The first step to good pronunciation is knowing how each sound is supposed to sound in a word. The idea behind mastering individual sounds is that once you know how these sounds are supposed to sound, you will be able to recognize them in spoken English. With enough practice, you will have learned what proper pronunciation feels like. Getting rid of your foreign intonation patterns is very important. When an American comes to Nigeria and does not change their accent or habits when speaking, it can cause confusion on behalf of listeners. It makes them unsure if they understood what was said correctly. Also, some words simply sound better with different accents than others but it does make a difference in how your message is interpreted. Moreover, most American English speech is spoken in a fairly neutral tone, intonation patterns in American English do have regional differences (Kim and Butler 2017). The differences may be hard to pick up for those with different accents, but if one is trying to learn how to speak better, here are a few things that you need to keep in mind. Any language is difficult to pronounce in its entirety. Luckily, there are several factors that contribute to difficulty when pronouncing a foreign language. Here are some tips that can help with improving pronunciation at all levels. Learn common spelling patterns of your target language. You should be able to recite words as you read them, understanding how each letter sounds in relation to others. This will make it easier for you to recognize words on paper or hear them spoken by another person. It will also make it easier for native speakers to understand what you are saying if they do not know what word you are trying to say. Pay attention while listening to native speakers speak their language. If possible, try recording conversations so that you can listen back later without distraction from other people or noises around you. Once you have time to reflect on what was said, write down any unfamiliar words or phrases and look up their meanings. Try practicing these new phrases until they become more familiar. Practice speaking out loud whenever possible. One may feel silly doing it in front of a mirror or talking to yourself, but practice makes perfect! The more an individual practices speaking out loud, whether it is reciting vocabulary lists aloud or simply having conversations with yourself, the better you will get at recognizing where mistakes occur and correcting them quickly. References Miley, Suzi Keller, and Aarek Farmer. “English Language Proficiency and Content Assessment Performance: A Comparison of English Learners and Native English Speakers Achievement.” English Language Teaching, vol. 10, no. 9, 2017, doi:10.5539/elt.v10n9p198. Wolf Mikyung Kim, and Yuko Goto Butler. English Language Proficiency Assessments for Young Learners. Routledge, 2017.   Mr. Adelokun Adetunji Oluwapelumi is a Lecturer II at the School of Art, Management and Social Science, Skyline University Nigeria. He has a Master of Arts Degree in English Literature from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria

Globalization and the advancements in ICT after the Second World War (WW II)  has  knitted and interconnected countries and rendered territorial boundaries void, thereby expanding the constitutive role of the United Nations (UN). Today, terrorism, climate change, cybercrime, drug trafficking, illegal migration, and trafficking in persons, among others, are global issues that a single state cannot solve, but must be resolved through the collective efforts of states. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic first broke out in Wuhan, China, but as of April 13, 2022, 14:13 GMT, Worldometer reported that 501,406,088 people were affected, with 6,210,759 deaths across the globe. Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye described the interconnection of the states as a complex dependency. In a world of complex interdependence, the policies, actions, and inactions of one state might have a profound effect on another or other states in the world. With the increased interdependence of states, many concepts and events in the world are experiencing a shift in meaning. For instance, there is a shift in understanding from absolute to relative sovereignty. Sovereignty refers to the right and authority of a state to exercise total control over its own affairs without any form of external interference. What states held tenaciously was absolute sovereignty, barring any form of external intervention of any sort. But the concept is shifting in meaning from absolutism to relativism. Simonovic (2002) argues that the traditional absolute sovereignty principle of noninterference in the “internal affairs of a state” is being challenged by the international community’s belief in its “responsibility to protect” the world’s citizens from persecution, large-scale human rights abuses, and other suffering. Today, no state can say that it has complete control over its own affairs without being influenced by outside forces in some way. There is also a shift in the conception of nationalism to internationalism. Nationalism is understood to be one’s love for his nation. But the notion has given way to internationalism. People now see themselves not only as citizens of a particular country, but as global citizens. Humanity is seen as general regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, and country of residence. In a complex, interdependent world, an injury to one country or society is regarded as an injury to all peoples of the world. The global outrage over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows how humanity is cared for, regardless of territorial boundary. Foreign policies used to be rather basic, largely limited to imports and exports. Agriculture, fiscal aid, terrorism, the environment, health, and education are all areas where today’s foreign policies have grown dramatically. Most institutions around the world aspire to engage in practices that are globally accepted and commonly referred to as “global best practices.” Interdependence has made educational institutions and their services reflect not only domestic need but also global exigency. Skyline University Nigeria was established in 2018 and is leaving to the reality of the 21st century where states are complexly interdependent, thereby preparing students to not just be productive citizens of their respective countries, but responsible global citizens. This stems from the fact that any meaningful education that a college, university, or any educational institution provides must be to prepare students to favorably compete with their peers across the globe and also prepare them for not just their national challenges, but global challenges. As the African proverb says, “When the rhythm of the music changes, the dance steps must change also.” Globalization and ICT have reduced the world to a global village, states are complexly interdepended, everyone must brace up to the new reality.   References Simonovic, I (2002). Relative sovereignty of the twenty first century. Hastings International and Comparative Law Review, 25(5). https://repository.uchastings.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1569&context=hastings_int   ernational_comparative_law_review Keohane, R. O. & Nye, J. S. (1977). Power and Interdependence: World politics in transition. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. Keohane, R. O. & Nye, J. S. (1987). Power and Interdependence Revisited. International   Organization, 41, 725-753.   Nyam Elisha YAKUBU is a lecturer II in the Department of International Relations of the School of Arts, Management and Social Science in Skyline University Nigeria. He holds an M.Sc. in International Relations and Strategic Studies, from the University of Jos. You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria