A reconsideration of the Afrocentric principle in Nigeria’s foreign policy framework

One of the principles guiding the conduct of Nigeria’s foreign policy is Afrocentrism. The concept of Nigeria’s Afrocentric policy embodies two intertwined ideas. First, it is designed to advance the interest and wellbeing of African countries through different intra and extra-African diplomatic channels. Second, the reason for embracing a representative function on behalf of Africa in global forums and the enormous sacrifices undertaken in the process is to enhance Nigeria’s status as Africa’s undisputed leader. The exploits and sacrifices in the pursuit of the policy notwithstanding, Nigeria has had to endure some disappointments and inconveniences. Going forward, this article contends that the philosophies underlying the policy must be reconsidered. In the uncertain world of diplomacy where empathy and benevolence are not always rewarded, Nigeria must embrace an ‘imperialistic’ agenda in its foreign policy calculations towards Africa.

     

Estimate of shallow groundwater recharge in the Hadejia–Nguru Wetlands, semi-arid northeastern Nigeria

 The Hadejia–Nguru Wetlands are annually inundated flood plains in semi-arid northeastern Nigeria. The area has a unique ecosystem that forms a natural barrier against the encroachment of the Sahara desert. Both the rich wetland vegetation and local farmers using shallow tube wells depend on a groundwater mound (with a water table less than 6 m below the surface) that is present in the unconfined aquifer under the flood-plain area. Using well records (1991–97) and a hydrogeologic profile based on piezometers that were monitored for two years, it is shown that recharge through the annually inundated flood plains is the source of the groundwater mound. Maintenance of the groundwater-recharge function of the flood plains depends on wet-season releases from two large upstream dams. On the basis of a water-budget method, the mean (1991–97) wet-season unconfined groundwater recharge in the flood-plain area between Hadejia and Nguru and in the immediate vicinity (1250 km²) is estimated to be 132 mm (range, 73–197 mm). Outflow from the unconfined flood-plain aquifer to the unconfined upland aquifer is approximately 10% of the wet-season flood-plain recharge. The unconfined groundwater outflow from the flood-plain area can provide a significant contribution to the present-day rural water supply in the surrounding uplands, but it does not offer much potential for additional groundwater abstraction. In addition to outflow to the upland aquifer (∼14 mm), the distribution of the annually recharged water volume of the shallow flood-plain aquifer is (1) domestic uses (3 mm), (2) small-scale irrigation (∼15 mm), and (3) evapotranspiration ( 1 100 mm). Along the hydrogeologic profile, the recharge in the upland (i.e., outflow from the unconfined flood-plain aquifer and possibly diffuse rain-fed recharge) is in balance with the water uses (i.e., domestic uses, groundwater outflow, and evapotranspiration). The absence of a seasonal water-level trend in the two piezometers in the upland indicates that no rain-fed recharge occurs through preferential path-way (macropore) flow. Received, June 1998 / Revised, November 1998, January 1999 / Accepted, January 1999     

Mineralization of pegmatites in parts of the Oban Massif, Southeastern Nigeria： A preliminary analysis

The Oban Basement Massif of southeastern Nigeria is composed of metamorphosed rocks including phyllites, schists, gneisses and amphibolites cut by pegmatitic dykes of varying length and thickness, which intruded the metamorphic rocks. Preliminary geochemical study and analysis of these pegmatites from western Oban Massif at Uyanga, Akwa Ibami, Iwuru I, Iwuru Ⅱ and Igbofia showed that the pegmatites are highly albitized. This is incon-sistent with earlier postulations that the pegmatites in this part of Nige...     

Trans-alkaline magmatism in the Serrinha–Pedro Velho Complex,Borborema Province,NE Brazil and its correlations with the magmatism in eastern Nigeria

The Solânea Complex (572 ± 8 Ma) comprises various intrusions that total 200 km². It cuts Palaeoproterozoic migmatized orthogneisses of the Serrinha–Pedro Velho Complex, which is part of the São José do Campestre Massif, North Tectonic Domain of the Borborema Province, NE Brazil. It is a post-collisional intrusion constituted of coarse-grained biotite–amphibole monzogranites, fine-grained leucogranites and diorites. Major, trace and rare earth elements data, used to constrain the origin and nature of these rocks, indicate that the monzogranites display chemical features of weakly peraluminous ferro-potassic trans-alkaline granitoids, similar to coeval occurrences described in eastern Nigerian. Sm–Nd data together with the whole rock geochemical data suggest that: (I) the monzogranites were generated by partial melting of tonalitic gneiss from the lower crust, leaving behind a granulitic residue; (II) the diorites originated by partial melting of an enriched lithospheric mantle; (III) the evolution of the Solânea Complex involved magma mixing between the monzogranites and diorites. K-feldspar and amphibole fractionation appear to have occurred during the evolution of the monzogranites.Leucogranites constituting an elliptical shaped intrusion (80 km²), the Dona Inês Pluton, are intruded to the north of the Solânea Complex. They also occur as small intrusions cross-cutting the border of the Solânea Complex. Geochemical and isotopic data suggest that the leucogranites were generated by melting of crustal Palaeoproterozoic rocks. Rb–Sr data gave an age of 544 ± 16 Ma.Trans-alkaline magmatism is associated with ductile–brittle deformation in the Serrinha–Pedro Velho Complex of the São José do Campestre Massif. This event follows the peak of an extensional-related high-temperature metamorphism (upper amphibolite to granulite facies), with estimated age of 578 to 574 Ma. If a pre-Gondwana reconstruction is considered, this event is seen to extend to the African side of Gondwana in eastern Nigeria.     

Petrology and geochemistry of sandstones in the southern Benue Trough of Nigeria： Implications for provenance and tectonic setting

Petrographic and geochemical analyses of three Cretaceous lithostratigraphic sandstone units were undertaken to constrain their provenance and tectonic setting. Petrographic analysis showed that there are differences in composition between the three sandstone bodies, which can be attributed to differences in provenance relief, transport distance and geology of the terrain. Composition of the three lithostratigraphic sandstone bodies fall within the craton interior field.
Framework mode and chemical features indicated their derivation from basaltic volcanics, source rocks during the early rifting stage, and felsic, intermediate and mafic igneous source rocks located at the southeast basement complex terrain, with minor sedimentary components from the uplifted and folded older Cretaceous strata.
The chemical composition of the sandstones is mainly related to source rocks, chemical weathering conditions and transport agents. The source rocks were derived mainly from the southeastern Precambrian basement of Nigeria. Through examination of the sandstones, the tectonic setting was modeled. The Benue Trough belongs to a continental sedimentary basin of the passive margin type.
The tectonic evolution from Albian to Maastrichtain of the trough is contributed to the difference in framework mode and chemical composition of the sandstones. The evolution of the basin was reconstructed in terms of sandstone petrology and geochemistry. The tectonic evolution can be subdivided into three stages from the petrology and geochemistry data. The first stage covers Albian; the second stage the Turonian-Coniacian, and the third stage the Campanian-Maastrichtain. These are the three mega discontinuities in the sandstone composition among these three stages. These three discontinuities signify the influence of tectonism.     

The role of weathering in the initiation and mobility of a rare complex avalanche at the Nigeria–Cameroon border,West Africa

A catastrophic rock debris avalanche on one of the highlands demarcating Cameroon and Nigeria, 3 days after a transient period of heavy rainfall in November 2010, killed two people and damaged economic trees, plants and farmlands. Detailed field investigation and sampling were undertaken by a team from the International Programme on Landslide to analyse the slope movement. The investigation was in two phases—5 days and then 7 months after the event to study the effect of alternating dry and rainy seasons on the geotechnical properties of the materials associated with the slope failures. It was also aimed at assessing the effect of time on the morphology of the slip plane as a new approach to understanding the development of potential failure planes and reactivated landslides. Available evidence showed that present failure planes form mini-deposition axes which may become future slip zones as they are still steep enough to accelerate instability. The research also traced the pattern of rock weathering and joints evolution in the area and found that the systematic weathering of feldspar in the basement aggravated slope instability by creating zones of weakness characterized by structures that aid fragmentation. Soils were thin (<1 m) in some slopes and deep (>2 m) in others and may represent the differential effect of weathering and erosion on the mountains which are important in analyzing the mechanism and mobility of the failed masses. Samples collected were subjected to various geotechnical laboratory tests such as unconsolidated undrained triaxial, consistency, particle size and permeability tests.     

Petrogenetic significance of rare-earth element behavior in the basement rocks of southern Obudu Plateau, Bamenda Massif, southeastern Nigeria

Rock samples representing various igneous and metamorphic rocks of southern Obudu Plateau were analyzed for rare-earth element ( REE ) behavior by ICP-MS. Results of the analyses indicate a range of REE abundances and distinctive patterns from highly fraetionated patterns with negative Eu anomalies in granitic rocks to relatively low abundances and less REE fractionated flat patterns with little Eu anomaly in some paragneisses, schists, enderbites and dolerites to unfractionated patterns with positive Eu anomalies in some paragneisses and charnockites. Over all, there are low to high ∑ REE contents with negative to positive Eu anomalies. The ratios of different parameters, especially La/Yb and Ce/Yb, show behaviors consistent with crustal to mantle derivation. The heterogeneity of REE abundances and REE patterns reflects mantle to crustal petrogenetic variations of different rock suites on the Plateau. The LREE content is higher than the HREE content in the highly differentiated rocks, as evidenced by their La/Yb,Ce/Yb and La/Sm ratios, which are normally higher in residual products than in primary melts. The dominantly intermediate nature of the source rock of the orthogneisses is suggested by the generally low ∑ REE. The granites enriched in LREE and depleted in HREE and some of the charnockites with negative Eu anomalies were probably formed by partial melting and crystallization.     

Deformation Structures of the Madao Gneiss in South Qinling: Structural Analysis, Geochronological Constraints, and Tectonic Implications

The tectonic evolution of South Qinling,which is a main part of the Qinling orogenic belt,is still in dispute and deformation history of South Qinling is poorly studied.In this paper,detailed structural,microstructural,quartz c-axis fabric analysis,and geochronology results for the Madao gneiss in South Qinling are presented to characterize the deformation history.Results show that rocks in the northern part(Tiefodian-Laozhanggou) experience general shearing and deform at relative low temperature.The shear sense generally is south to north.In contrast,rocks in the southern part(Laozhanggou-Panjiahe) are weakly sheared with pure shear features and evidence of hightemperature deformation.Based on the analyses,we conclude that there exist two distinct deformation geometries in the Madao gneiss and accordingly we can divide the deformation into two stages.The early stage is represented by regional shortening,while the late stage features northward thrust shearing and evidence shows that it was a progressive process between them.LA-ICP MS U-Pb dating of zircons from pre-deformational migmatite veins yields age of 198.5 ± 2.0 Ma.This result,in combination with the age of post-deformational granite,indicates that the northward thrust shearing of the Madao gneiss occurred in the Late Triassic.In view of these results and other reported data in South Qinling,we propose that deformation in Madao gneiss may result from the initial collision and subsequent northward accretion in Late Triassic.     

Spatial pattern of climate change and farmer–herder conflict vulnerabilities in Nigeria

GeoJournal - Climate change is recognised among the drivers of conflicts in developing regions but the growing studies on climate change–violent conflict nexus in Africa have paid little...     

Assessment of gold mineralisation in Osu–Amuta–Itagunmodi areas,Southwestern Nigeria

Tight conglomerate reservoirs have complex pore structure and strong heterogeneity which could bring great difficulties in the identification of oil and wa     

Strike-slip faults in the West Siberian basin: implications for petroleum exploration and development

Specific deformation patterns in sediments associated with small-amplitude strike-slip faults in the basement have been recognized over a large territory of the West Siberian basin due to 3D seismic exploration advance. These patterns represent shear structures which turn to be a phenomenon beyond the classical views of the regional basin architecture. Many densely faulted oil and gas fields of a complex geometry in reservoir rocks of a wide stratigraphic range fall in zones of shear structures. Prospecting, test drilling, and oil enhancement activities in these fields are risky without a solid mechanic and kinematic background based on simulation of sedimentary fracture patterns which are associated with basement-involved strike-slip faults and may govern hydrocarbon migration as structure controls, fluid channels, or screens.     

黑龙江东部中-新生代盆地演化

黑龙江省东部中-新生代盆地基底由佳木斯地块和完达山地体复合而成.佳木斯地块以加里东期变质岩及花岗岩为主,东缘发育晚古生代和早中生代大陆边缘沉积.完达山地体在中-晚侏罗世就位在佳木斯地块东缘,并在早白垩世早期逆冲到佳木斯地块之上,形成具有前陆盆地性质的大三江盆地.大三江盆地在早白垩世晚期遭受逆冲、走滑构造改造.敦密断裂以北的诸多盆地均属大三江盆地改造后的残余盆地.这些残余盆地和完达山地体之下可能存在隐伏的晚古生代和早中生代大陆边缘沉积.三江盆地东部是古近纪断陷的主要发育区,可能存在一与佳依地堑平行的深断陷.隐伏的大陆边缘沉积和断陷是值得重视的油气勘探领域.     

河南东濮凹陷构造样式分析

东濮凹陷古近系整体构造特征表现为复杂半地堑结构,具有"东西分带和南北分段"的特征。NNE向基底断裂发育,呈带状分布。大致沿白庙—南何家一带、毛岗—柳屯一带发育两条EW向的区域性构造变换带,将古近系伸展断陷分为南、中、北3个区段,不同区段横剖面上的构造样式、沉积格局、乃至油气聚集特征均有很大的差异。在复杂的构造发展过程中,东濮凹陷参与构造变形的岩石类型既有碎屑岩又有盐岩,构造应力场性质以张性为主,后期叠加了扭性应力。因此,在东濮凹陷不同构造部位形成了以伸展断裂构造、变换构造、伸展褶皱和盐构造为主的伸展构造样式,伴有走滑构造样式,盆地性质为裂谷盆地。     

中国大陆东部晚中生代构造活化及其演化过程

与中生代中期造山型构造活化不同．晚中生代期间,中国大陆东部的构造活化表现为规模宏大的断陷盆地系、变质核杂岩、花岗岩浆侵位、火山岩喷发以及沿大型走滑断层的转换伸展为特征的大陆裂陷作用。根据岩浆活动、盆地的充填记录,构造格架和盆地的沉降史分析,可以将裂陷作用划分为两个大的阶段,即由兴安岭群火山喷发为代表的第一阶段和以巴彦花群含煤、油碎屑岩系为代表的断陷盆地形成阶段。盆地沉降史回剥研究表明,裂陷作用第二阶段断陷盆地的发育受控于次一级的幕式构造作用过程。此外．对晚中生代裂陷作用的动力学背景的探讨需要阐明岩石圈的深部过程和构造应力场的反转这个两个重要的问题。     

郯庐断裂中段石场-中楼拉分盆地的确定

郯庐断裂中段石场-中楼一带,产出一长宽比近于2:1的菱型构造盆地。盆地内早白垩世莱阳群的沉积厚度大于6263.71m,沉积速率大于0.392mm/a,主体以火山岩及火山碎屑浊积岩为主,同沉积构造发育、沉积相变剧烈、沉积中心沿边界断层的走滑运动方向迁移,具形成拉分盆地的典型构造背景、构造格架及沉积特征。初步确定石场-中楼盆地为郯庐断裂早白垩世左旋走滑运动过程中形成的拉分盆地。     

Inverted basin analysis and geological modeling, Razzak Oil Field, Western Desert, Egypt

This paper deals with a geological modeling based on seismic and well data of the Razzak Oil Field, located in northwestern desert of Egypt aimed mainly at improving the knowledge on inversion tectonics in the sedimentary basin corresponding to the oil field. Contour maps of significant seismic horizons corresponding to the top of Meso-Cenozoic formations which represent the stratigraphic traps of the oil field (top Apollonia, top Abu Roash “G,” top Bahariya, and top Alamein) are presented. The final model consists of geological cross-sections showing the inversion basin in the Razzak Oil Field. From the seismic data interpretation and modeling, we have different results matching with regional tectonic and transcurrent motion model. There are two main fault trends: the first one was northeast–southwest matching the Jurassic rift where the Jurassic is characterized by normal faults that formed in conjunction with the opening of the Neo-Tethys, and the other fault trend is northwest–southeast matching with Cretaceous faults. This is followed by a period of compressive tectonism (Syrian Arc deformation) in which two of the Jurassic normal faulted blocks (one at the northern part and the other at the southern part of the Qattara–Alamein ridge in the Razzak field) are reactivated as reverse faulted by Eocene–Early Oligocene time.     

On the Kinematic Characteristics and Dynamic Process of Boundary faults of the Nansha Ultra-crust Layer-Block

The Nansha ultra-crust layer-block is confined by ultra-crustal boundary faults of distinctive features, bordering the Kangtai-Shuangzi-Xiongnan extensional faulted zone on the north, the Baxian-Baram-Yoca-Cuyo nappe faulted zone on the south, the Wan'an-Natuna strike-slip tensional faulted zone on the west and the Mondoro-Panay strike-slip compressive faulted zone on the east. These faults take the top of the Nansha asthenosphere as their common detachmental surface. The Cenozoic dynamic process of the ultra-crust layer-block can be divided into four stages: K2-E21, during which the northern boundary faults extended, this ultra-crust layer-block was separated from the South China-Indosinian continental margin, the Palaeo-South China Sea subducted southwards and the Sibu accretion wedge was formed; E22-E31, during which the Southwest sub-sea basin extended and orogeny was active due to the collision of the Sibu accretion wedge; E32-N11, during which the central sub-sea basin extended, the Miri accretion     

青海共和盆地结构构造与能源资源潜力

共和盆地处于西秦岭、南祁连、东昆仑造山带结合部,其中发现了高温干热岩及多套烃源岩,但地热藏和油气藏的成因、资源潜力与分布规律尚不清楚,难以对其开展准确评价和有效勘探开发。本文在系统研究共和盆地及周缘地层发育、沉积充填、构造变形与盆地深部结构的基础上,深入探讨了盆地演化的动力学机制,分析了盆地地热藏和油气藏的成藏主控因素,预测了有利分布区带和勘探方向。多期活动的哇洪山—温泉、多禾茂、瓦里贡、塘格木右行走滑逆冲断裂与青海南山左行走滑逆冲断裂异向、同向相交(切),叠加地幔上涌作用,导致在中新生代共和盆地长期处于走滑-伸展的独特环境,并控制了盆地7个隆起、断陷构造单元的展布及属性。它经历了6期演化阶段：早中三叠世处于昆北弧前盆地及陆缘火山弧带,共和盆地基底主要岩石发育;晚三叠世阿尼玛卿洋闭合并发生碰撞造山,共和盆地褶皱基底形成;晚三叠纪末期发生碰撞后伸展,发育初始小型陆内裂谷盆地;在侏罗纪—白垩纪区域性伸展环境下形成局部断陷盆地;古近纪晚期—中新世发育拉分-断陷盆地;中新世末至今发育陆内前陆盆地。形成了3个大构造-沉积层序和8个亚层序,发育了深海陆棚相-碳酸盐岩台地相-火成岩相以及多旋回的冲积...     

Neotectonics and seismicity of Erzurum pull-apart basin,East Turkey

The study area is the Erzurum pull-apart basin located in the East Anatolian Tectonic Block (EATB), which is under the control of a strike-slip neotectonic regime since the beginning of Quaternary. The Quaternary Erzurum pull-apart basin is an about 1-30 km wide, 90 km long and actively growing strike-slip depression. It is bounded by the Erzurum-Dumlu sinistral strike-slip fault zone to the east-southeast, by the Askale sinistral strike-slip fault zone to the north-northwest, and by the Baskoy-Kandilli reverse fault zone and the N-S-trending Ilica oblique-slip normal fault set to the west. The Erzurum pull-apart basin was evolved by the deformation and subdivision of an E-W-trending older intermontane basin. The new basin has a 0.5 km thick, flat-lying (undeformed) and uconsolidated fill, which overlies, with an angular unconformitry, the deformed (folded and faulted) basement rocks of pre-Quaternary age. Basin fill consists of coarser-grained marginal facies (fault terrace, fan, fan-apron and superimposed fan deposits) and finer-grained depocentral facies represented by flood plain to organic material-rich marsh deposits. All gradations are seen among these lithofacies.The seismicity of the Erzurum pull-apart basin is quite high. The magnitude of the peak earthquake to be sourced from the active faults (e.g., the Erzurum fault) is about Mw = 7.0. This was proved by both the historical and recent earthquakes. Numerous settlements in the size of a large city (e.g., Erzurum), county, town and small villages with a total population of over 766,000 are located in and along the active fault-bounded margins of the Erzurum pull-apart basin. They are under the threat of destructive earthquakes to be sourced from the margin-boundary faults. Therefore, based on both the active fault parameters and the water-saturated basin fill, a large-scale earthquake hazard map has to be prepared. This map has to be used in both the earthquake hazard to risk analyses and the redesign of city planning and all type of constructions in Erzurum and other settlements in this region.     

郯庐断裂带早白垩世走滑运动中的构造、岩浆、沉积事件

郯庐断裂带内一系列走滑糜棱岩类的^40Ar/^39Ar测年表明，郯庐断裂早白垩世发生了左旋走滑运动。这一大规模的走滑运动，造成了两类走滑构造，一类为变质岩中低绿片岩相左旋韧性剪切带，另一类为中生代火成岩、沉积岩中的脆性、脆-韧性左行平移断层。这反映断裂带的走滑运动从早白垩世初期持续到早白垩世后期。断裂带的走滑运动诱发大规模的、以富钾、中酸性为主的岩浆活动。地球化学分析显示，这些岩浆岩既有壳源的信息，也有幔源的贡献，反映是断裂减压、壳-幔相互作用下形成的岩浆活动，也暗示断裂带在走滑期切入壳-幔边界。该断裂带走滑运动中，除了在莱阳盆地形成了拉分盆地外，还在合肥盆地东部造成了走滑挠曲盆地，控制下白垩统朱巷组的沉积，郯庐断裂带早白垩世走滑运动中的构造、岩浆、沉积事件，是西太平洋伊泽纳崎板块高速斜向俯冲的结果，属于滨太平洋构造。