Dr. Ohiro Oni-Eseleh
By Segun Fatuase
Introduction
The 2025 Triple S (Spirituality, Science & Society) Conference was a profound gathering of academics, professionals, spiritual leaders, policymakers and advocates. With the theme “Building Lives and Strengthening Communities Through Engagement,” the conference sought to explore how interdisciplinary and interfaith dialogue can be harnessed for individual and societal healing. Hosted by Dr. Ohiro Oni-Eseleh and moderated by Professor Martha Chidinma Egenti, the conference tackled complex societal themes through multiple lenses, engaging speakers from across disciplines.
Keynote Address by Professor A.D. Badaiki, SAN
Topic: The Importance of Community and Principles of Engagement
Prof. Badaiki emphasized that life is inherently communal. True development and well-being can only be achieved through intentional community-building. He introduced several perspectives of community:
- Systemic Perspective: Communities function as interconnected systems that must collaborate to solve complex issues.
- Social Perspective: Defined by political and social networks, involving individuals, organizations, and leadership.
- Virtual Perspective: Communities are no longer limited to geography; digital platforms now enable global engagement.
- Individual Perspective: Each person carries a unique sense of belonging that influences their engagement.
William James’ distinction between the “I” (how we see ourselves) and the “Me” (how others see us) was used to illustrate the complexity of identity in engagement processes. Badaiki cautioned against relying on superficial markers such as appearance or language to judge identity or values.
Principles of Engagement
1. Purpose-Driven Engagement: Define whether engagement is for data collection, idea generation, or direct action.
2. Inclusivity: Reach out proactively to silent or marginalized groups, not just the vocal majority.
3. Trust and Transparency: Build relationships through mutual respect, consistency, and listening.
4. Early Involvement: Communities should participate in the early planning phases of projects and policies.
5. Sustainability: Efforts must be designed to last beyond the initial push, with ongoing evaluation and support.
6. Legal and Societal Frameworks: Engagement should align with constitutional, political, economic, social, and spiritual norms.
7. Respect for Diversity: Engagement must be aware of differences in culture, language, education, economy, and access to technology.
8. Implementation & Feedback Loops: Strategies should include monitoring progress, mobilizing resources, and iterating based on community feedback.
Prof. Martha Egenti
On Nigeria’s Diversity
Badaiki highlighted the necessity of recognizing Nigeria’s ethnic complexity. He emphasized that acknowledging and respecting diversity—rather than pretending unity equals sameness—is key to effective engagement. Over 270 ethnic groups must be included intentionally in all national conversations.
Prof. A.D. Badaiki
Presenters: Prof. Chidozie & Prof. Charles
Topic: Positive Pro-social behavior Instruction- Framing as a process of increasing adolescent tendencies to express peaceful behavior
Professors Chidozie and Charles introduced a model rooted in developmental systems theory, targeting adolescents who are often the primary agents in conflict due to their energy, risk tolerance, and susceptibility to indoctrination.
Methodology
- Control Group: Received no moral framing.
- Experimental Group: Received religious citations promoting kindness and social responsibility.
Both groups were asked to express willingness to perform peaceful acts toward friends, strangers, and enemies across ten behavioral scenarios. The experimental group showed statistically higher readiness for pro-social actions.
Core Concepts
- Almighty Pro-Social Behavior: A moral framework present across religions where doing good invites divine favor.
- Contextual Classicity: All belief systems evolve with time and social conditions. Framing can change behaviors.
- BBC (Behavior by Best Circumstance): Individuals develop behaviors influenced by where and how they were raised.
Recommendations
- Government and religious institutions must promote peace-centric messages.
- Social media influencers and bloggers can help promote pro-social behaviors
- Formal education should embed pro-social behavior in religious and civic curricula.
Implications
– Behavior can be molded through persistent positive framing.
– Youth can be transformed into peace ambassadors through intentional socialization
Presenter: Dr. Younus Mohiuddin Mohammed
Topic: Unveiling the Connection Between Meditation, Sleep, and Healthcare Affordability
Dr. Mohammed presented a complex study using NHIS survey data, exploring the psychological and economic implications of meditation and healthcare access.
Emotional Health Findings: A negative emotion score was created by combining self-reported emotions (sadness, nervousness, hopelessness, etc.).Practitioners of yoga/meditation scored lower in distress than non-practitioners.
Sleep Quality Analysis: Sleep score predictors: Perceived health, marital status, financial worries.62% of respondents had healthy sleep (7–9 hours), 14% unhealthy (<6 or >10 hours).
Financial distress led to poorer sleep; perception of health influenced rest.
Healthcare Affordability
- Assessed via ability to pay for vision and dental care.
- Uninsured populations, especially post-job loss, were more vulnerable.
- Surprisingly, income level alone wasn’t predictive of affordability.
Technological Innovation
Conversational Bot: Created with Slack interface, Dialog Flow for NLP, Node server for application logic, and AWS S3 for response storage.
Noteworthy Anomaly- No correlation found between sleep and alcohol/smoking habits—contrary to expectations.
Speaker: Mercy Ifechukuwuamaka Nnatuanya
Topic: Promoting Mental Health and Reducing Stigma
Mercy passionately argued that mental health should be treated with equal urgency as physical health. She outlined the signs of mental distress and the harmful consequences of stigma.
Symptoms of Mental Illness: Mood swings, insomnia/hypersomnia, irritability, substance misuse, withdrawal, suicidal ideation.
Causes and Influencing Factors: Genetics, trauma, brain chemistry, environment, and lifestyle.
Strategies for Mental Health
- Adequate sleep
- balanced diet
- regular exercise
- professional therapy
- self-care practices.
Stigma’s Consequences: Shame, isolation, discrimination, increased suffering, and delayed healing.
Call to Action: Everyone—families, educators, governments—must normalize mental health discussions and advocate for care infrastructure.
Speaker: Rt. Hon. Maria Edeko, Esq.
Topic: Irregular Migration
Hon. Edeko dissected the crisis of irregular migration through the lens of human rights, systemic failure, and moral urgency.
Root Causes
- Economic mismanagement
- youth unemployment
- insecurity
- corruption.
Social illusions about prosperity abroad and governmental failure at home.
Human Rights Violations
- Irregular migrants face trafficking, sexual abuse, forced labor, detention without counsel, and extortion
- Libya highlighted as a major abuse corridor with over 30 detention centers.
Legal Protections
International Convention on The Protection of The Rights All Migrant Workers (ICRMW): Asserts that migrants, regardless of status, deserve rights to education, due process, emergency care, and labor protections.
ILO Conventions 97 & 143: Affirm migrants’ right to non-discrimination and safe working conditions.
Recommendations
- Migration reform must begin with economic empowerment and local security.
- Government budgets must be redirected to genuinely benefit citizens.
- International collaboration and ratification of protective conventions are necessary.
Topic: Gender Representations in Colonial Nigerian Fictions: A juxtaposition of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Ezeigbo’s The Last of the Strong Ones
Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
- Celebrated for portraying Igbo society with depth.
- Criticized for limited portrayal of women (submissive wives, domestic roles).
- Okonkwo is shaped by societal expectations and fear of weakness.
Ezeigbo’s The Last of The Strong Ones
- Presented four powerful female protagonists: Ejimnaka, Onyekozuru, Chieme and Chibuka.
- Themes of feminist resistance, personal agency, and leadership.
- Used oral tradition and eyewitness narration to chronicle colonial disruption.
Conclusion
- Modern literature must embrace empowered female characters.
- Both novels offer insight into colonial impact, identity, and gendered power.
Speaker: Izuchukwu Kizito Okoli
Topic: Metaphysics of syncretism- Blending Igbo traditional religion and Christianity
Kizito examined the metaphysical overlaps between Igbo Traditional Religion and Christianity, focusing on spiritual identity and coexistence.
Key Concepts
- Chi vs. Soul: Both represent divine-infused personal identity and destiny.
- Mmuo vs. Holy Spirit: Spirit presence is central in both traditions; not contradictory but complementary.
- Ancestral Veneration vs. Communion of Saints: Shared recognition of spiritual continuity beyond death.
Syncretism as Theology
- Syncretism doesn’t dilute belief but expands understanding.
- Encourages dialogue and respect rather than silencing.
- Colonialism disrupted spiritual dialogue, but modern theology must reconnect with indigenous metaphysics.
Responses to Challenges
- Education and mutual respect are keys to reducing resistance.
- Dialogue should emphasize shared humanity and interconnected values.
Closing Reflections
Mrs. Bridget Aijo Russel offered heartfelt final words, emphasizing the necessity of ongoing commitment to spiritual, scientific, and social integration.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 Triple S Conference was a landmark gathering that demonstrated how spirituality, science, and social consciousness can converge to solve modern crises. It urged participants to engage meaningfully, challenge assumptions, and build communities that are inclusive, resilient, and healing.