ASFI Research Journal

Knowledge and attitudes towards cervical cancer screening among immigrant Nigerian women in the UK

Kelechi C. Sam-Ohaegbulem — 2026-08-26

Background: Numerous studies have highlighted a decrease in the uptake of cervical cancer (CC) screening among immigrant population most especially Black ethnic minority groups relative to other members of the society.

Objective: This study examined knowledge of CC screening among immigrant Nigerian women in the UK, attitudes and factors associated with attitudes towards screening. The study also assessed willingness to undergo screening, and awareness of cancer services.

Methods: Utilising a cross-sectional online survey, primary data was collected from adult immigrant Nigerian women in the UK. ANOVA, t-test, multiple (linear) regression and logistic regression were used to explore relationships between variables.

Results: Of the 129 respondents, 43.4% were aged 37 – 47 years and 41.9% aged 26 – 36 years. Majority (93.0%) have heard about CC but 7.0% had not. Majority (72.1%) had undergone CC screening while 27.9% had not. Attitude towards CC screening was assessed using attitude scale and the mean attitude score was 100.13, denoting a positive attitude. After adjusting for the effects of multiple factors, having previously undergone cervical screening was the strongest predictor of attitude to screening in both multiple regression (beta=0.312, p<0.001) and in logistic regression (OR=8.93, 95% confidence interval: 1.76 – 45.31, p=0.008). Other factors independently associated with attitude were 18-36 age group, marital status, knowledge that early detection through screening prevents deaths, and geopolitical zone of origin in Nigeria. Majority (94.6%) would consider seeking support/treatment if concerned about CC, but some would not (3.9%) or were unsure (1.6%). Awareness of cancer services available in the UK was high, especially NHS CC screening services (79.8%), and local GP (71.3%).

Conclusion: Some women had not heard of or undergone CC screening and would not seek support/treatment if concerned about CC. Interventions would be needed to achieve the public health goals of early detection and improved health outcomes.

Breaking barriers and building bridges: Exploring the resilience, success and mitigation factors aiding African women in science

Oluwafunmilayo O. Aminu — 2026-08-26

Contemporary African women in science are dismantling the barriers that have long existed and coming up with new approaches. The chronology of African women in scientific careers is marked by numerous acts of courage and notable achievements. It demonstrates how they are eradicating barriers and creating bridges within their communities, with regard to education, mentorship, and support. There is still a long way to more equal representation, but there has been some progress. The article examines motivational factors driving success among African women scientists, mitigation factors enhancing African women’s career resilience in science, and the barriers limiting the career progression of African women in science. African women scientists are confronted with multifaceted barriers such as gender bias, cultural norms, economic constraints, insufficient institutional support and resource constraints. The article elucidates the importance of education and mentorship in amplifying African women’s voices in the science space. There is a need to foster environments that encourage women within organizations, institutions and communities, in pursuit of scientific careers. The support for opportunities in mentorship, education, and policies that include support for women, gender equity, diversity, flexibility, and a supportive community that ensures scientific success for all is paramount. While the world today looks towards science and technology to address many of the social, economic, and environmental issues affecting the globe, the focus on diversity and inclusion in science and technology will be the cornerstone in ‘Building a world for everyone.’

Training and capacity building for academic supervisors in Africa: Nature, situational analysis, effectiveness, and way forward

Sherein O. S. Elfaki — 2026-08-26

Training and capacity building for academic supervisors in Africa are essential for improving the quality of postgraduate education and research. This critical narrative review examines postgraduate academic supervision in African higher education contexts, a process central to strengthening sustainable research capacity. The paper highlights persistent challenges that hinder effective supervision, including the lack of standardized training, inadequate funding, and reliance on supervisors’ personal experience rather than formal preparation. The review identifies three major models currently shaping supervisory practices: formal training models, membership-based professional networks, and digital supervision platforms. While each model contributes valuable support, they often operate in isolation, resulting in uneven supervision quality and fragmented support systems across institutions. The paper argues that a more strategic and systemic approach is needed to professionalize academic supervision and address longstanding challenges such as high student-to-supervisor ratios, weak institutional frameworks, and limited infrastructure. The review also highlights both shared constraints and important regional differences across Southern, East, West, Francophone, and North African higher education systems. Drawing on evidence from multiple initiatives and studies, the paper proposes a way forward that repositions supervision from a routine academic responsibility to a valued strategic function. Key recommendations include embedding mandatory supervision training within academic career pathways, strengthening communities of practice to support peer learning, and leveraging digital technologies to expand access to training resources. By adopting integrated and context-responsive approaches, African universities can strengthen research ecosystems, improve postgraduate outcomes, and support the development of a new generation of scholars capable of addressing the continent’s pressing challenges.

Unravelling the impact of cultural norms and gender roles on Africa women’s success in science using structural equation modeling

Samson W. Wanyonyi — 2026-08-26

Background: Gender disparity in science has remained a concern among organisations worldwide due to some cultural norms that have existed for a long time, anticipated gender roles, and societal pressures. These issues impact women's choices to engage in, maintain, and advance scientific careers.

Objective: The study explores the effects of cultural values and gender stereotypes on women scientists' career expectations, self-confidence, and professional success in Kenya.

Methods: A mixed-methods design, which included quantitative and qualitative data collection, was used. An online survey was conducted on 435 Kenyan women scientists aged between 20 and 40 in five regions to collect quantitative data. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) tests the hypothesized relationships of latent constructs. Complementary in-depth interviews with 25 participants explored the cultural and social influences on women's scientific careers.

Results: SEM analysis showed that culturally-based gender roles were associated with cultural norms, which had a strong relationship with traditional gender roles (𝛽 = 0.72, 𝑝 < 0.001), and consequently lessened the desire to pursue science careers (𝛽 = − 0.51, 𝑝 < 0.001). Aspirations markedly indicated career results (𝛽 = 0.64, 𝑝 < 0.001), whereas self-efficacy raised aspirations (b = 0.49, p < 0.001). The indirect impact was that cultural values negatively influenced career achievements (𝛽 = −0.25, 𝑝 < 0.01). Qualitative findings verified that cultural ideologies and family demand limited ambitions, though self-belief and agency helped some women to defy those demands.

Conclusion: Culturally sensitive policies are needed to empower women to develop careers in science. Achieving gender equity requires societal transformation and institutional reforms encouraging women's participation and advancement in STEM fields.

ASFIRJ Thanks 2025 reviewers!

Bright Nwaru — 2026-08-26

No abstract.

Rethinking postcolonial feminism in Mariama bÂ’s So Long a Letter: Critical scaling of women’s voices through digital platforms

Alfred Ndi — 2026-08-26

This paper reevaluates the application of postcolonial feminism in analyzing Mariama Bâ’s So Long a Letter (1981), a key text in African women’s literature. While postcolonial feminist theory effectively examines gendered oppression in post-colonial contexts, its use in interpreting Bâ’s novel often reveals elitist, essentialist, and secular biases. The protagonist, Ramatoulaye—an educated, urban, Francophone Muslim woman—is frequently framed as emblematic of “African womanhood,” sidelining diverse perspectives from rural, working-class, or faith-based communities. Such interpretations risk perpetuating the universalist tendencies postcolonial feminism initially aimed to critique. To address these limitations, the study integrates alternative feminist frameworks, including Obioma Nnaemeka’s nego-feminism, Oyèrónk ẹ́ Oyěwùmí’s decolonial gender theory, Ifi Amadiume’s matriarchal complementarity, and Chandra Talpade Mohanty’s critique of Western feminism. These approaches emphasize negotiation, relational agency, and indigenous knowledge systems, offering a more inclusive lens for analyzing Bâ’s work. Through close reading, the paper reinterprets So Long a Letter to highlight spiritual, communal, and plural feminist perspectives, moving beyond liberal, secular frameworks. The study also advocates for digital platforms—such as websites, AI-driven storytelling, multimedia archives, and reader-curated annotations—to amplify African women’s voices and resist epistemic erasure. These tools can democratize feminist scholarship and foster participatory, transnational networks. By bridging literary analysis with digital feminist praxis, the paper proposes a pluriversal, decolonized approach to gender and knowledge production, emphasizing the digital archiving and reinterpretation of texts like Bâ’s to preserve and revitalize African women’s intellectual legacies.

Abstracts presented at the 3^rd annual multidisciplinary conference of the African science frontiers initiatives, 25^th-27^th November 2025

Bright Nwaru — 2026-08-26

No abstract.

E-learning in times of conflict: An overview of the African context

Toga K. Mohamed — 2026-08-26

E-learning has emerged as a crucial tool for sustaining education in Africa during conflict, disasters, and crises. Its flexibility and accessibility position it as a lifeline for learners facing instability, yet its implementation across the continent has been constrained by a multitude of factors involving weak infrastructure, limited resources, and under-financing among others. By drawing upon evidence from diverse case studies and published literature, this review explores the current state of E-learning in African conflict settings by providing insights into its implementation, scalability and outcomes. The findings reveal that while numerous initiatives have been attempted, most remain confined to pilot projects without scalability or longterm integration into educational systems. A critical gap also exists in the documentation of outcomes, with little evidence on the effectiveness, reach, or sustainability of these interventions. The review identifies the importance of contextspecific and conflict-sensitive approaches, stronger engagement of governments, NGOs, and international partners, and investments in resilient digital infrastructure. Furthermore, capacity building of educators in digital pedagogy, utilization of open educational resources, and robust monitoring frameworks are identified as key priorities. Despite significant potential, E-learning in conflict-affected African regions remains underdeveloped, emphasizing the urgent need for coordinated strategies that move beyond short-term responses to systemic, scalable, and inclusive solutions.

Mpox misinformation and disinformation in Africa, 2022–2025: A scoping review

Isabelle Munyangaju — 2026-08-26

Background: The resurgence of mpox in 2022 and its subsequent outbreaks in Africa were accompanied by widespread misinformation and disinformation, undermining outbreak response and public trust.

Objective: This review aimed to map and categorize mpox-related misinformation circulating in Africa between 2022 and 2025.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Data were sourced from fact-checking networks, peer-reviewed publications, and institutional reports in English and French published between May 2022 and July 2025. Misinformation items were charted, coded thematically, and summarized descriptively.

Results: Out of 201 records screened, 37 unique misinformation or disinformation narratives met inclusion criteria. The most prevalent themes were origin and conspiracy theories (27%) and vaccine-related misinformation (22%). Narratives commonly alleged laboratory creation of mpox, vaccine-induced infection, and depopulation agendas. Dissemination occurred primarily via Facebook, X/Twitter, TikTok, and WhatsApp. Peer-reviewed studies identified misinformation as a barrier to outbreak management, citing low health literacy and distrust in authorities. The mpox infodemic in Africa reflected recycled conspiracy and vaccine skepticism narratives, amplified through social and traditional media.

Conclusion: Strengthening community trust, multilingual risk communication, and regional infodemic surveillance are essential to counter misinformation and enhance outbreak preparedness.

Female agency in eco-activism: A study of Imbolo Mbue’s how beautiful we were

Khan Nchifor — 2026-08-26

Climate change is increasingly a global crisis. The annual organisation of summits and conferences all over the world geared towards environmental sustainability; during which new measures are adopted and old ones strengthened, demonstrates the urgency for climate change mitigation. These summits and conferences are attended by government representatives, organisations, scholars, scientists and individuals because the fight against climate change necessitates collective efforts. However, in Africa, the African woman’s involvement in the struggle is stalled and her specific contributions overlooked by patriarchal power structures. In this paper, I explore the female response to ecocide resulting from oil exploration after the male approach flops. Employing the ecofeminists theory, the research utilises qualitative methods including thematic interpretation and character analysis to illustrate that by virtue of their physiology (life-givers), psychology (greater emotional capacities) and social roles (domestic caretaking), women play a vanguardist role in the struggle for environmental sustainability. Ultimately, I demonstrate that the African woman employs double efforts in the struggle for climate justice as she, first, subverts patriarchal power structures that deprive her of knowledge, limit free expression and manifestation of her potentials, and, then leverages her knowledge and potentials to the benefit of her community and the world at large. The analysis, thus, reveals the need for inclusivity at all levels of decision making to enable more African women participate in climate change advocacy, policy-making and negotiations both locally and internationally.

A case of severe hyperacusis with neuropsychiatric features: Diagnostic challenges in a low-resource setting

Zubairu Umar — 2026-08-26

Background: Differentiating primary psychosis from neuropsychiatric symptoms secondary to sensory-processing disorders is challenging, particularly in resource-limited settings where confirmatory investigations are often unavailable. Misdiagnosis may lead to inappropriate management.

Case Presentation: A 27-year-old male presented with a longstanding history of severe hyperacusis despite normal hearing, episodic formication, and recent brief, non-psychotic visual hallucinations. He also reported contamination obsessions with preserved insight. Symptoms began in adolescence, with progressive intolerance to everyday sounds causing significant distress and functional impairment. A family history of similar sensory symptoms was noted. ENT evaluation confirmed intact hearing, while MRI and EEG were unavailable. Based on clinical phenomenology, a working diagnosis of a primary sensory-processing disorder with secondary neuropsychiatric features was made.

Results: The patient was treated with low-dose risperidone (1 mg/day), resulting in partial improvement in visual hallucinations and associated distress. However, core hyperacusis symptoms remained unchanged, supporting a non-psychotic primary pathology.

Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of careful clinical assessment in distinguishing sensory-processing disorders from primary psychosis in low-resource settings. It underscores the risk of misdiagnosis when perceptual disturbances are interpreted without contextual evaluation. A multidisciplinary approach and improved access to neurodiagnostic tools are essential to enhance diagnostic accuracy and guide appropriate management.

Interventions to improve girls’ school attendance in Africa: An expert review of current evidence and future perspectives

Dumisani M. Hompashe — 2026-08-26

Gender disparities in education remain a significant challenge across Africa, particularly in sub-Saharan contexts, despite global commitments to educational equity. This expert review synthesises evidence on interventions to improve girls' school attendance, focusing on effectiveness, implementation challenges, and future directions. A structured literature search across four databases (ERIC, AJOL, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) identified 2,134 records, of which 33 studies met the inclusion criteria following screening and full-text review. The evidence indicates substantial contextual variation in attendance patterns, with reported absenteeism ranging from 74% in Mauritius to 16% in Botswana, reflecting differences in economic conditions, cultural norms, and educational infrastructure. Poverty consistently emerged as a primary constraint on attendance, alongside socio-cultural practices such as early marriage and gendered household responsibilities. Health-related barriers, particularly menstruation-related challenges, were also significant, with evidence from several settings indicating that many girls miss multiple school days per month due to inadequate menstrual hygiene management and sanitation facilities. The interventions reviewed include financial support mechanisms, policy reforms, school-based improvements, community engagement initiatives, and cross-sectoral health-education programmes. Multicomponent initiatives addressing multiple barriers simultaneously demonstrate greater and more sustained impact than single-focus strategies, although evidence on long-term sustainability and cost-effectiveness remains limited. The review highlights the need for context-sensitive, integrated approaches that engage households, communities, and schools to achieve sustained improvements in girls’ educational participation and outcomes across Africa.

Health system resilience and policy adaptation following funding reductions in lowand middle-income countries

Oluwatobi O. Eluyera — 2026-08-26

The sustainability of health systems in lowand middle-income countries (LMICs) faces unprecedented challenges as major donors reduce funding. These cuts threaten critical health services, exacerbating existing gaps in disease surveillance, healthcare access, and workforce capacity. A narrative review informs this perspective of peer-reviewed literature, policy reports, and illustrates country studies. It synthesizes evidence and expert opinion to identify actionable strategies for building resilience in LMIC health systems. LMICs confront multiple interconnected challenges. Fragile health financing, marked by over-reliance on donor aid, has disrupted essential services. Severe workforce shortages limit training and retention of skilled health workers, while stark digital and inequity divides leave rural and marginalized populations behind. For instance, Kenya’s M -Tiba mobile health platform expanded access for millions, yet women remain 30% less likely to own smartphones. Climate change further strains systems, with rising malaria transmission in Kenya and deadly heatwaves in India. While initiatives such as Uganda’s DHIS2 and Rwanda’s Starlink partnerships illustrate progress in disease surveillance and digital access. LMICs must adopt multifaceted resilience strategies. Strengthening domestic resource mobilization and governance reforms is essential to reduce dependency on volatile aid. Equally, critical are investments in human resources, scaling of digital infrastructure, and institutionalizing multi-sectoral collaborations. Combating corruption and ensuring transparent governance remain nonnegotiable. Aligning these reforms with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa CDC’s new financing guidelines will be vital to safeguarding health systems against future shocks. The time for LMICs to build self-reliant, adaptive health systems is now.

Impact of family roles on research productivity of women scientists in food and nutrition in Nigeria

Balqis R. Kareem — 2026-08-26

Background: Scientific research is frequently expensive and time-consuming, particularly for women scientists in developing nations like Nigeria, where sociocultural conventions primarily assign caregiving responsibilities to women, creating conflicts between personal obligations and professional objectives.

Objective: This study examined the impact of familial responsibilities on the research productivity of women scientists employed in food and nutrition research organisations in Nigeria.

Methods: A mixed-methods cross-sectional study design was employed. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling from 12 food and nutrition research institutions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Inclusion criteria required current research involvement, full-time employment, minimum two years’ experience, and caregiving roles. The study comprised a quantitative survey (n=175) and qualitative data collection through semi-structured interviews (n=30) and focus group discussions (n=4 groups, 8-10 participants each). The Family Responsibility Index was used to assess caregiving responsibilities. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, multiple regression analysis, and thematic analysis using NVivo 12. Cochran’s formula with 95% confidence level and 5% margin of error determined sample size.

Results: Research productivity was negatively influenced by family responsibilities (1.6 vs 3.8 publications per year, p<0.001). Participants with high family responsibilities published 57.9% fewer articles annually. Time allocation revealed significantly more hours on family care (51.1±15.2 hours/week) than research (28.5±8.2 hours/week). Qualitative findings identified research interruptions (81.1%), limited travel capability (77.1%), and reduced networking opportunities (73.1%) as the most significant career impacts. Multiple regression identified hours of family care (β = - 0.326, p<0.001) and number of children (β = -0.284, p<0.001) as significant negative predictors, while institutional support (β = 0.245, p<0.001) was the strongest positive predictor.

Conclusion: Family responsibilities significantly reduce research productivity among women scientists in Nigerian food and nutrition research institutions. Targeted interventions including institutional support mechanisms, flexible work arrangements, and enhanced childcare facilities could mitigate these challenges and promote work-life balance.

The shadow curriculum in higher education: Exploitation and gender bias in African graduate supervision a narrative review

Fayza A. Rahamtalla — 2026-08-26

The supervision of graduate students is vital in shaping their academic and professional development paths. However, in many African universities, informal and unregulated practices collectively referred to as the shadow curriculum govern supervision through undocumented educational practices that operate parallel to formal systems. This paper aims to explore how the shadow curriculum perpetuates gender bias, exploitation, and unequal power dynamics in postgraduate supervision across selected higher education contexts in Africa, as well as ethically and culturally responsive supervision and mentorship practices. This paper adopts a narrative review and interpretive synthesis approach, examining literature published between 1990 and 2024 to capture evolving supervision practices and related gender dynamics. The findings indicate that weak regulations and patriarchal structures enable supervisors to exploit students through unpaid labor, limited academic independence, and the appropriation of research ideas, with female students particularly affected. Female students also face additional barriers, including discrimination, exclusion, and harassment. There are, therefore, opportunities to engage more effectively with accountability frameworks and gender-responsive supervision models based on equity, transparency, and academic autonomy. The review indicates that these approaches may support fairness in postgraduate education, strengthen research capacity, and promote sustainable development within higher education contexts represented in this review.

Living a kairos-shaped Career: A concluding synthesis

Bright I. Nwaru — 2026-08-26

This article presents a synthesis of the Art of Career Time and Timing series, which presented a multi-part exploration of career kairos. Across the series, kairos is shown to emerge quietly, requiring cultivated recognition, decisive action, and sustained attentiveness. Drawing on personal my personal career experiences, the series identified four signals of recognition: the inner witness, inspiration to act, confirming testimony from others, and alignment between preparation and opportunity. Recognition alone is however insufficient; kairos demands courage and sacrifice, often requiring the relinquishment of comfort, approval, or security. Acting decisively converts insight into tangible outcomes. The rewards of kairos unfold cumulatively and holistically, encompassing professional stability, expanded networks and exposure, alignment between personal and professional life, credibility, and confidence. Equally instructive are the consequences of missed or delayed kairos, which generates lingering regret, loss of momentum, comfort-induced stagnation, and diminished self-trust. The series reframes kairos ecologically, emphasizing the conditions that prepare fertile ground: mentorship, networks, persistence, openness to ordinary events, attentiveness to personal needs, and institutional timing. These conditions enable repeated recognition and responsive action across a career, revealing kairos as cyclical rather than episodic. Synthesizing these insights, this final article proposes the A-C-G-R-I framework — Attentiveness, Courage, Gratitude, Reflection, and Intention — as a guide for cultivating a kairos-shaped career. This framework encourages vigilance to subtle signals, decisive and courageous action, reflective awareness of rewards and near-misses, and intentional cultivation of conditions that support future opportunities. Ultimately, living a kairos-shaped career is framed as a posture toward life: a rhythm of attentiveness, boldness, reflection, and preparation, in which career and character are co-shaped through engagement with the fragile, transformative moments that define destiny. The paper concludes that kairos is both a gift and a responsibility. While it cannot be manufactured, it can be prepared for. While it cannot be forced, it can be missed. To embrace kairos is to live beyond chronos and to step fully into the seasons of destiny that defines a career and a life.

Bridging the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics: A perspective on African women's participation and challenges

Huda M. M. Ahmed — 2026-08-26

Despite significant progress in education and the workforce, gender disparities persist in STEM fields, particularly in Africa. Societal norms, stereotypes, and institutional barriers continue to limit women’s participation and advancement in science and technology. This study explores the underlying factors contributing to the gender gap in STEM by drawing on multiple theoretical perspectives, with Social Role Theory and Gender Schema Theory providing the core framework for understanding how cultural expectations and cognitive schemas shape career choices. Building on this foundation, complementary perspectives including the Theories of Gendered Socialization, Peer Groups, and the Theory of Stereotypes, explained how gender norms are reinforced through upbringing, peer influence, cultural narratives, limited mentorship, workplace biases, and lack of access to resources. Yet, many African women have overcome these challenges, making remarkable contributions across STEM disciplines. Their success underscores the importance of mentorship, supportive policies, and initiatives including STEM clubs and media representation in encouraging more women to pursue careers in science and technology. Bridging the gender gap requires a multi-faceted approach that includes educational reforms, equitable workplace policies, government support, and digital learning opportunities. By fostering an inclusive environment, African women can thrive in STEM, drive innovation, and contribute to a more equitable society.

The continuity of kairos: When destinations are beginnings

Bright I. Nwaru — 2026-08-26

Many people may perceive the decisive breakthroughs in career trajectories, brought about by kairos, as singular events. This article argues, however, to the contrary that kairos is not a singular event marking arrival, but a recurring rhythm embedded in the life of a living career. Drawing on my own career journeys described in earlier articles of this series, this paper reframes kairos as a continuous ecology rather than an episodic milestone. Each apparent culmination in my career functioned simultaneously as a foundation, quietly preparing the conditions for subsequent transitions and expanded responsibility. The article advances four interrelated reasons why kairos never stops: careers are dynamic journeys rather than static monuments; growth continues across professional life cycles; influence expands relationally through networks and credibility; and chronological time itself remains fertile as institutional, disciplinary, and contextual conditions evolve. Together, these forces ensure that new convergences between readiness and opportunity continually emerge for those who remain engaged, learning, and responsive. Beyond diagnosis, the paper proposes a sustained posture for navigating the continuity of kairos. This posture is articulated as a triad — vigilance, discernment, and quietness — anchored by courage. Vigilance preserves attentiveness after success; discernment filters expanding options in alignment with calling rather than prestige; quietness protects the inner witness amid the noise of achievement; and courage translates recognition into decisive action. The article further distills five practical lessons for sustaining readiness: celebrating achievements without complacency, reframing milestones as thresholds, investing deeply in relationships, protecting silence as influence grows, and expecting kairos to persist across all career stages. By conceptualizing kairos as an ongoing rhythm rather than a terminal breakthrough, this paper contributes a temporal and ethical framework for career development. It invites scholars and professionals alike to move beyond destination-focused narratives toward a practice of enduring readiness, in which every arrival is understood as both fulfillment and beginning.

The conditions of kairos: Contexts that shape career-defining moments

Bright I. Nwaru — 2026-08-26

Papers 1-5 of this series have situated kairos as an important phenomenon in a professional career, which must be recognized and seized, from which various rewards abound, as well as costs for missed or ignored kairos . This sixth paper discusses the conditions and contexts that enable the fertilization of kairos . It argues that kairos is neither random nor accidental. Instead, it emerges from an ecology of conditions and contexts that develop quietly over time. Kairos represents the convergence of preparation and opportunity, shaped by who one has become and what the moment demands. Understanding kairos as contextual rather than episodic shifts attention from chance to responsibility, foregrounding how careers are cultivated long before decisive moments appear. Still drawing on my personal experiences, this paper examines the conditions that make kairos visible, credible, and actionable in academic and professional careers. Particular attention is given to mentorship and guidance, networks and relationships, persistence in chronos , alignment with personal needs, openness to ordinary events, courage and risk, and institutional timing. Together, these conditions form an interdependent system — an ecology — in which kairos can travel, be recognized, and be acted upon. The analysis highlights that mentorship and networks position individuals near opportunity; persistence and preparation generate readiness; personal misalignment sharpens discernment; openness allows ordinary signals to acquire meaning; courage transforms recognition into action; and institutional timing determines whether opportunity can be received. The paper reinforces the often-unspoken costs embedded in kairos moments. Acting on kairos frequently entails material and immaterial sacrifices, including uncertainty, emotional strain, reputational risk, disrupted relationships, and the relinquishing of alternative futures. Ignoring kairos , however, also carries costs, such as stagnation, regret, and erosion of inner conviction. By resisting romanticized accounts of kairos as effortless destiny, this paper presents it as a demanding encounter between preparation and possibility. Ultimately, the paper argues that kairos is not something to be engineered or awaited passively, but something to be cultivated through how one works, relates, endures, and remains open. Career-defining moments arise when an ecology of readiness allows opportunity to recognize those prepared to meet it.

The costs of missed kairos: Lessons from opportunities ignored or delayed

Bright I. Nwaru — 2026-08-26

The last two papers of the series established the fact that kairos moments are appreciated through the lens of action and reward. The current paper, the fifth in the series, turns attention to the shadow side of career kairos: the costs incurred when kairos is missed, delayed, or resisted. As usual, drawing from my own career journeys, the paper argues that missed kairos is not simply the absence of progress but the presence of delay, hesitation, and misalignment. Unlike overt failure, missed kairos is rarely dramatic. Its effects accumulate quietly over time, reshaping career trajectories, identities, and capacities for future action. The paper distinguishes between fully missed kairos, near-missed kairos, and kairos eroded through delay. It identifies common mechanisms underlying these dimensions, including fear of failure or judgment, excessive rationalization, misplaced loyalty, and the seduction of comfort and stability. While the material costs of missed kairos — such as lost funding, delayed advancement, or foregone collaborations — are significant, the paper emphasizes the deeper immaterial consequences, including erosion of self-trust, diminished agency, weakened discernment, and the persistence of regret. Repeated inaction, the paper contends, gradually silences the “inner witness” that signals alignment, making subsequent kairos harder to recognize and seize. Through personal reflections on near-missed moments, the paper demonstrates the fragility of kairos and the disproportionate impact of timing. Even when action eventually follows, delay itself carries psychological and relational costs that can drain momentum and increase the price of change. Observations of colleagues’ trajectories further illustrate how missed kairos can ripple beyond individuals, constraining collective innovation and leadership within academic communities. Positioning missed kairos not purely as moral failure but as a human vulnerability embedded in career structures, this paper contributes a cautionary complement to accounts of kairos as opportunity. It concludes that vigilance against regret requires cultivating discernment, redefining loyalty, and recognizing that timely courage is a form of stewardship. Understanding what is lost when kairos is missed sharpens responsiveness to future moments that may not return in the same form.

The rewards of kairos: Living the benefits of recognizing and seizing career-defining moments

Bright I. Nwaru — 2026-08-26

Kairos moments—those career-defining opportunities where preparation meets timing—demand not only recognition, as outlined in paper two of this series, and courageous action, as outline in paper three , but also reveal profound rewards . The rewards of seizing kairos unfold over years, often reshaping both career and life in ways that steady effort alone cannot achieve. This fourth paper in the series, Art of Career Time and Timing of Prof. Nwaru’s Career Navigator , examines the tangible and intangible rewards of kairos through personal narratives and reflective analysis. The first reward is stability, exemplified by my early PhD funding success, which provided me with financial security and the freedom to focus deeply on research. The second reward is exposure , illustrated by my first postdoctoral move abroad, which introduced me to world-class networks, advanced methodologies, and collaborative opportunities that expanded intellectual horizons. A third reward is alignment , shown through a prestigious fellowship that reconciled my professional ambition with family life, restoring personal harmony and enhancing productivity. The fourth reward is credibility and legacy , achieved through a tenured position, which conferred recognition, leadership opportunities, and long-term influence within the field. Finally, kairos fosters confidence and courage, transforming hesitation into a sustained capacity to trust one’s judgment and embrace new challenges. Ultimately, the deepest reward of kairos is the transformation of identity . By seizing kairos , we do not simply gain positions or achievements; we become people who live with conviction, courage, and alignment. From these experiences, several lessons emerge: kairos rewards are cumulative , with each moment building upon the last; they are holistic , shaping both professional and personal life; they inspire others , offering testimony and guidance to peers and mentees; and they redefine success , shifting focus from pursuing many opportunities to embracing the right ones. On the other side of kairos lies more than career advancement—it offers a life enriched with stability, influence, fulfillment, and a lasting sense of coherence between purpose and action.

Seizing kairos: The courage to act on career-defining moments

Bright I. Nwaru — 2026-08-26

The second paper in the series, Art of Career Time and Timing, within Prof. Nwaru’s Career Navigator, explored career kairos recognition and discussed the four signs through which kairos can manifest and discerned. While recognizing kairos is an important step in navigating academic careers, recognition alone is insufficient. Without action, kairos remains suspended as unrealized possibility. In this third paper of the series, we shift focus from recognizing to seizing kairos, examining what it takes to act when timing is narrow, evidence is incomplete, and outcomes are uncertain. Drawing on reflective analysis grounded in my personal kairos stories presented in the second paper, the current paper explores the fragility and fluidity of kairos and the risks inherent in responding to it. Kairos moments disrupt linear career logic, often appearing “too early” or “out of order,” and are marked by an asymmetry between inner clarity and external validation. They involve high stakes, irreversible commitments, and relational risk, and demand sustained, embodied engagement rather than detached deliberation. Across these conditions, courage emerges as the central enabling force that converts recognized kairos into lived transformation. Courage is understood not as fearlessness or impulsivity, but as the capacity to commit and act under uncertainty, before confirmation arrives. The paper argues that academic trajectories are not reshaped by insight alone, but by courageous actions taken within narrow windows of opportunity, through which kairos is transformed from a fleeting moment into a lasting turning point. The paper concludes with practical frameworks for preparing to act on kairos: cultivating discernment, practicing smaller acts of courage, building supportive mentors, maintaining readiness, weighing sacrifices realistically, and acting swiftly once conviction is clear. Ultimately, the destiny of kairos is transformation. Seized with courage, it accelerates growth and reshapes identity. Missed through hesitation, it becomes a haunting “what if.” Acting on kairos is thus both the risk and the reward of a life lived fully in step with opportunity.

Recognizing kairos: How to discern the right career moment

Bright I. Nwaru — 2026-08-26

This is the second paper in the series exploring the role of time and timing in academic careers. The first paper set the context for the series and differentiated two types of time, as expounded by Greek philosophy: chronos (ordinary time) and kairos (opportune moments). The focus of the series is kairos . The current paper posits that career-defining moments are rarely accidental; rather, they are discernible through a set of recognizable signs that demand attentiveness, discernment, and wisdom. The paper identifies and elaborates four key signs of career kairos : the inner witness (a deep sense of conviction), the inspiration to act , the testimony of others , and the alignment of skills and opportunity . Drawing from philosophical, psychological, and professional perspectives, each sign is examined as both an internal and relational process that guides decision-making under uncertainty. To ground these reflections, the paper presents four personal stories spanning my experiences during doctoral training, postdoctoral opportunity abroad, a competitive fellowship that broguth me back home, and a tenured appointment. These stories illustrate how kairos moments often arrive quietly, disguised as ordinary opportunities, and how their recognition depends on preparedness cultivated during chronos time. Synthesizing theory and lived experience, the paper distills six lessons on the dynamics of career kairos , emphasizing that conviction often precedes evidence, energy signals alignment, preparation is indispensable, and courage is essential for translating insight into reality. Ultimately, the paper invites scholars to cultivate vigilance towards kairos , positioning it not as luck or impulse, but as a disciplined art of recognizing alignment and acting decisively when the moment arises. The greater challenge lies in responding with courage and clarity, which is the focus of the next article: seizing kairos .

Female producers and the structural transformation of Anglophone Cameroonian cinema

Pani N. Fominyen — 2026-08-26

This paper examined how female producers sustain and reshape Anglophone Cameroonian cinema. It argues that these women do not simply add to an existing industry but build feminist infrastructures that keep filmmaking going under conditions of institutional neglect, linguistic asymmetry, and gendered exclusion. Using feminist film theory, intersectionality, and Bourdieu’s notion of cultural production as lenses, the paper reads the work of producers such as Syndy Emade, Stephanie Tum, and Lilian Mbeng as infrastructural labour rather than isolated entrepreneurial success. The analysis drew on publicly available interviews, festival discussions, and sustained scholarly engagement with Collywood. It shows how women’s strategies of economic diversification, digital circulation, and informal training create opportunities for crews and audiences while exposing them to moralised scrutiny of funding, ambivalent reactions to Nollywood collaborations, and structural invisibility within Francophone-dominated cultural institutions. The paper concludes that supporting these feminist infrastructures through genderresponsive, regionally balanced cultural policy is crucial to the sustainability of Cameroonian cinema and calls for research that centres producers’ labour, tracks gendered access to capital, and examines how streaming platforms and digital circuits reshape opportunities in African minoritised cinemas.

African women in science: The research retreats perspective

Kezia H. Mkwizu — 2026-08-26

African women participate in science through various research activities in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The engagement of African women can continue to benefit the research community if they are given opportunities such as funding, scholarships and research retreats. However, African women still face challenges in HEIs including inadequate knowledge production through publications whereas research retreats have the ability to assist in the contribution of basic research or applied research. Therefore, in a bid to help African women in science, particularly in overcoming structural obstacles that prevent their transition from higher education to active research careers, the main objective of this paper was to explore African women in science, specifically to explore African women’s perspective on their participation in science and the underutilized potential opportunities of research retreats. This perspective paper deployed a qualitative approach based on integrative literature review as a research methodology. Content analysis was used to avail themes. The findings revealed that participation of African women in science particularly research needs to consider the underutilized potential opportunities of research retreats like collaboration, exchange of knowledge and skills. The outcome of this paper has a practical implication for HEIs which are entrusted with research activities to avail research retreats in order to enhance the contribution of African women in science for the development of the continent.

The art of timing: A Greek gift for modern careers

Bright I. Nwaru — 2026-08-26

This paper introduces Prof. Nwaru’s Career Navigator 2026, Series 1: The Art of Career Time and Timing, which explores the role of time and timing in shaping academic careers. This is the first of the 8-part series, which sets the contexts for the whole series. Drawing on classical Greek philosophy, the paper distinguishes between chronos — quantitative, sequential time — and kairos — qualitative, opportune moments that demand discernment and action. While chronos structures daily routines, training, and long-term preparation, kairos represents decisive moments when accumulated readiness aligns with opportunity to produce transformative career paths. The paper argues that career success is not determined solely by sustained efforts over time, but also by the ability to recognise and respond effectively to kairos moments. Through conceptual discussion and reflective narrative, the paper examines several situations in the academic career journey in which kairos operates, including timing to apply and leave positions, submit manuscripts, launch research ideas, apply for grants, pursue collaborations, transition between roles, and cross disciplinary boundaries. These moments often appear ordinary but carry disproportionate influence on long-term career direction and impact. Drawing on two decades of my personal academic experience, the paper introduces how kairos moments can shape key career turning points, concluding that kairos is neither luck nor coincidence, but discernment in action — requiring attentiveness, courage, and wisdom. The paper concludes by outlining the structure and focus of subsequent parts of the series. Ultimately, the series is designed to help scholars cultivate sensitivity to career kairos moments, develop a sustainable posture of readiness, and integrate preparation and timing into purposeful academic life.

Rethinking the impact of cultural norms and gender roles on African women’s success in science

Mbuh T. Mbuh — 2026-08-26

No abstract.

Women in science in contemporary Africa from historical and cultural perspectives

Ayu’Nwi N. Neba — 2026-08-26

No abstract.

ASFI Research Journal

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Unravelling the impact of cultural norms and gender roles on Africa women’s success in science using structural equation modeling

ASFIRJ Thanks 2025 reviewers!

Rethinking postcolonial feminism in Mariama bÂ’s So Long a Letter: Critical scaling of women’s voices through digital platforms

Abstracts presented at the 3rd annual multidisciplinary conference of the African science frontiers initiatives, 25th-27th November 2025

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Mpox misinformation and disinformation in Africa, 2022–2025: A scoping review

Female agency in eco-activism: A study of Imbolo Mbue’s how beautiful we were

A case of severe hyperacusis with neuropsychiatric features: Diagnostic challenges in a low-resource setting

Interventions to improve girls’ school attendance in Africa: An expert review of current evidence and future perspectives

Health system resilience and policy adaptation following funding reductions in lowand middle-income countries

Impact of family roles on research productivity of women scientists in food and nutrition in Nigeria

The shadow curriculum in higher education: Exploitation and gender bias in African graduate supervision a narrative review

Living a kairos-shaped Career: A concluding synthesis

Bridging the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics: A perspective on African women's participation and challenges

The continuity of kairos: When destinations are beginnings

The conditions of kairos: Contexts that shape career-defining moments

The costs of missed kairos: Lessons from opportunities ignored or delayed

The rewards of kairos: Living the benefits of recognizing and seizing career-defining moments

Seizing kairos: The courage to act on career-defining moments

Recognizing kairos: How to discern the right career moment

Female producers and the structural transformation of Anglophone Cameroonian cinema

African women in science: The research retreats perspective

The art of timing: A Greek gift for modern careers

Rethinking the impact of cultural norms and gender roles on African women’s success in science

Women in science in contemporary Africa from historical and cultural perspectives

Abstracts presented at the 3^rd annual multidisciplinary conference of the African science frontiers initiatives, 25^th-27^th November 2025