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Digital skills are increasingly important for the effective adoption and use of technology within higher education institutions. However, differences in staff competencies, access to digital resources, institutional support, training opportunities and organisational readiness continue to affect technology adoption across West African higher education. This review examines the major factors influencing digital skills development and technology adoption among academic and administrative staff in higher education institutions across the region. The study reviews existing literature on digital literacy, professional development, technology acceptance, institutional support and digital infrastructure. The review identifies limited digital skills, inadequate training, uneven infrastructure, insufficient institutional support and resistance to technological change as recurring challenges. It also highlights the importance of continuous professional development, institutional policies, accessible digital infrastructure and supportive organisational environments. The review concludes that strengthening staff digital competencies requires coordinated institutional strategies that combine training, infrastructure investment, leadership support and continuous evaluation.

The rapid proliferation of edge computing nodes and distributed Internet of Things (IoT) mesh networks in critical national infrastructure, such as smart electrical grids, autonomous transport corridors, and municipal water treatment facilities, has expanded the operational attack surface exponentially. Compounding this vulnerability is the impending threat posed by quantum computing architectures capable of breaking traditional asymmetric encryption algorithms (RSA and ECC) through Algorithm. This paper proposes a lightweight, post-quantum Zero-Trust Architecture (PQ-ZTA) tailored specifically for resource-constrained edge computing environments. Integrating lattice-based cryptographic algorithms (CRYSTALS-Dilithium and Falcon) with continuous micro-segmentation and continuous identity attestation, our hybrid security scheme mitigates lateral adversary movement and zero-day perimeter breaches. Empirical benchmarks executed on ARM-based micro-edge clusters demonstrate that our post-quantum zero-trust protocol incurs only an 8.4% latency overhead while achieving a 99.8% threat mitigation success rate against simulated quantum-enabled harvest-now-decrypt-later attacks.

The informal retail sector serves as the primary employment engine and domestic trade backbone across Sub-Saharan Africa. However, micro-enterprises in this sector face systemic constraints, including restricted credit access, supply chain volatility, and cash-flow fragility. This study examines the structural impact of digital financial inclusion—specifically mobile money integration, digital credit scoring, and merchant point-of-sale (PoS) adoption—on micro-enterprise operational agility and revenue resilience. Drawing on a multi-stage stratified survey of 1,250 urban and peri-urban micro-retailers across major commercial hubs (Lagos, Kano, and Ibadan) and structural equation modeling (SEM), we quantify how digital payment architecture influences firm performance. The empirical findings reveal that high levels of digital financial integration increase enterprise revenue growth by 28.4% ($p < .001$) and improve inventory turnover by 34% during macroeconomic downturns. We propose a practical policy framework for central banks and fintech developers to maximize inclusive growth.

The structural undervaluation of care labor remains a primary engine of persistent gender inequality across global labor markets. This article analyzes how comparative social policy regimes either reproduce or alleviate the gendered distribution of unpaid domestic and care work. Utilizing time-use survey data harmonized across ten industrialized welfare states representing Liberal, Corporatist, and Social Democratic policy models, we assess the impact of parental leave architecture, public childcare provision, and tax policies on women's economic security. The empirical analysis demonstrates that generous, universal public childcare combined with non-transferable paternal leave quotas significantly increases female labor force participation while promoting equitable division of household labor.

The transformation of major river basins represents one of the most prominent markers of the Anthropocene across the Global South. This article provides a comparative environmental history of anthropogenic river engineering projects along the Niger and Volta river basins from the late nineteenth century through the late twentieth century. Drawing on archival British and French colonial government records, survey cartography, and paleo-environmental proxy data, the study explores how centralized state authorities systematically reshaped fluvial hydrology to facilitate imperial expansion, cash-crop agricultural intensification, and industrial energy extraction. We trace the shift from localized, adaptive indigenous water management networks to top-down mega-hydraulic engineering projects characterized by large dams, river channelization, and wetland drainage. The ecological consequences—including altered sedimentation dynamics, soil salinization, and the catastrophic collapse of endemic fisheries—demonstrate a recurring historical pattern where short-term economic objectives severely compromised long-term ecosystem stability.

Rapid peri-urban growth around Kano has increased reliance on privately drilled shallow boreholes, many sited close to informal industry and waste ground. This study assessed heavy-metal contamination of shallow borehole water across the city's peri-urban fringe during the 2024 dry season. Water samples were collected from 96 boreholes and analysed for lead, cadmium, arsenic and chromium by atomic absorption spectrometry. Lead exceeded the national drinking-water limit at 38 per cent of sites, with the highest concentrations clustered near a tannery district and an informal battery-recycling area. Cadmium and arsenic exceedances were less frequent but spatially co-located with lead. Contamination was strongly associated with proximity to industrial activity and with borehole depth of less than 30 metres. The findings indicate a significant and unevenly distributed exposure risk and support targeted monitoring of shallow boreholes near industrial land

Digital transformation is increasingly shaping the delivery, administration, teaching, research and management of higher education. However, institutions across West Africa continue to face challenges that affect their readiness to adopt and sustain digital technologies. This review examines the major factors influencing digital transformation readiness in West African higher education institutions, with particular attention to digital infrastructure, staff digital skills, institutional governance, technology adoption and organisational capacity. The review synthesises existing scholarly discussions on digital transformation in higher education and identifies recurring barriers and enabling conditions within the West African context. The findings indicate that limited infrastructure, inadequate digital skills, financial constraints, fragmented institutional policies and resistance to organisational change can restrict effective digital transformation. At the same time, institutional leadership, continuous capacity development, appropriate technology investment, supportive governance frameworks and collaboration among higher education and technology stakeholders can strengthen digital readiness. The review highlights the need for institutions to adopt context-sensitive digital transformation strategies that address both technological and organisational requirements. It concludes that sustainable digital transformation in West African higher education requires coordinated investment in infrastructure, human capacity, institutional governance and long-term implementation planning.

Digital transformation is increasingly shaping the delivery of teaching, research, administration, and student services across higher education institutions in West Africa. However, the adoption of digital technologies remains uneven due to differences in institutional infrastructure, staff capacity, funding, connectivity, and organisational readiness. This study examines the state of digital transformation in selected higher education institutions in West Africa, with particular attention to technology adoption, institutional readiness, and implementation challenges. A descriptive research approach was adopted, using structured questionnaires and institutional-level observations to examine the experiences of academic and administrative personnel involved in digital technology implementation. The findings indicate that digital platforms have improved access to academic resources, administrative processes, communication, and research collaboration, but significant challenges remain in infrastructure availability, technical support, digital skills, funding, and institutional coordination. The study further identifies institutional leadership, staff training, reliable connectivity, and sustainable technology investment as important factors influencing successful digital transformation. The study recommends the development of institution-wide digital transformation strategies, continuous capacity building, improved infrastructure investment, and stronger collaboration among higher education institutions and technology stakeholders. These measures can support more sustainable and inclusive digital transformation across the West African higher education sector.