Taiye Shola Adeola (2025)

Nigerian gospel music has evolved into a distinct genre within the Nigerian music scene, marked by a unique blend of African rhythmic elements, Western harmonic structures, and Christian theological themes. As a dynamic and expressive art form, it employs various musical forms and compositional devices to engage audiences, convey spiritual messages, evoke emotion, and inspire devotion. Although scholarly attention has been given to its historical, sociological, textual, and theological dimensions, its structural and compositional elements remain underexplored. This study applies musical semiotic theory, viewing music as a symbolic language, to identify and analyse musical forms, notate selected examples, and examine compositional techniques in Nigerian gospel music. Using a qualitative methodology, it employs cultural hermeneutics, content and discographical analysis, and musicological approaches. Findings reveal recurring formal structures and distinctive compositional devices employed by gospel musicians, shaped by performance context and socio-cultural realities. The study concludes that Nigerian gospel music continues to grow in influence and calls for greater scholarly attention to its structural and aesthetic dimensions.

Emmanuel Joel Ayu Nyarko (2025)

This study examined the absence of culturally appropriate films for maternal health education in Ghana, where maternal mortality remains a critical concern. Grounded in semiotics and the Persuasive Health Message (PHM) framework, this research employs studio-based and qualitative methods to develop a culturally relevant educational film. During pre-production, consultations with health officers and pregnant women helped define educational objectives, identify audience needs and preferences, and determine suitable styles and formats. Feedback was systematically integrated throughout the production to refine the film’s form and content. The final film, which blends fictional and nonfictional elements, aligns with the instructional approach commonly used in pregnancy schools. The final film’s syntagmatic structure conveys themes of threat, severity, susceptibility, efficacy, barriers, and rewards, while paradigmatic elements include relatable characters, colour schemes, lighting, sound effects, and compositing techniques that enhance cultural relevance and emotional engagement. The study concludes that the film serves as an educational resource on maternal education for maternal health officers in Ghana. Future research should assess its impact on knowledge acquisition, perceptions, and health behaviours among the target audience. This study gives insight and extends knowledge on the significance of integrating semiotics and PHM in film production practices for film-based health education production in Ghana.

Isaac Horsu, Ernest Kwasi Amponsah, Ahyia Amankwah (2025)

In African tradition and culture, myths and rituals are two inseparably pieces of social life. These two phenomena have been aspects or part of the society from generation to generation through oral literature as well as being practiced or performed at ceremonies. African literature, especially plays, feature these traditions to reflect the social life of the people. Based on Martin Owusu’s The Legend of Aku Sika, this study explores the employment of myths and rituals as aspects of human existence and human society albeit through the lens of ritual theory. The study is purposed to explore, myth, and ritual events exhibited by characters in the play. The evidences of myths and rituals in the play are identified and analysed with content analysis as an approach. The play exhibits the rich use of mythology in alignment with rituals right from its commencement to the end. Based on the discussions, it emerged that, there is serious interplay between mythology and rituals and they both have been able to create a unique phenomenon that has established a tradition that distinguishes the culture of the African people from other cultures. The beauty of the African tradition and culture, that of the Akan (Ghana) in particular, is seen to be espoused in the play The Legend of Aku Sika as identified by the study. It is summarily concluded that oral literature and culture that has provided a conducive environment within which myths and rituals have festered are core elements in the play The Legend of Aku Sika, proving that myths and rituals are integral part of the human existence especially the African.

Joseph Essuman, Festus Danso Gyamfi, Patrique deGraft-Yankson (2025)

The printing industry in Ghana plays a vital role in economic development but is increasingly scrutinised for its environmental and social impact. Despite global momentum toward sustainable enterprise models, limited research exists on how Ghanaian printing firms integrate economic, environmental, and social goals. This study addresses that gap by investigating the sustainability practices of printing enterprises in Accra using the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework. Grounded in Stakeholder Theory, it explores the perspectives of press owners as key actors influencing sustainable practices within the sector. A qualitative case study design was employed, involving semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis, and observation. Twelve experienced participants were purposively selected from three major printing hubs: Accra New Town (5), Kokomlemle (4), and Kotobabi (3). Findings show that economic priorities dominate operational decisions, while environmental efforts are limited due to financial and regulatory barriers. Social responsibility varies by enterprise size, with larger firms demonstrating more structured CSR engagement. Furthermore, inconsistent stakeholder involvement has led to gaps in policy implementation. The study concludes that embedding sustainability into operational strategies is essential for long-term sector resilience. It recommends strengthening stakeholder collaboration, implementing policy incentives to support green practices, and raising awareness of sustainable business models. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and sustainability advocates aiming to advance responsible business practices in Ghana’s printing sector.