Polit Journal Scientific Journal of Politics

From Climate Diplomacy to Strategic Rivalry: The Reshaping of Arctic Governance amidst Great-Power Competition (2023–2026)

2026-08-23T07:25:29+00:00

The period 2023–2026 represents a critical juncture in Arctic governance, marking the transformation from a regime characterized by "exceptionalism", the insulation of regional cooperation from broader geopolitical tensions, to one shaped by strategic competition, yet retaining sufficient institutional resilience to address functional challenges through adaptive mechanisms. This study examines how the Russian invasion of Ukraine, NATO's northern expansion with the accession of Finland and Sweden, and the recalibration of great-power strategies by the United States, Russia, and China have fundamentally altered the Arctic's institutional architecture and security dynamics. Drawing on regime theory, geopolitical realism, and the concept of Arctic exceptionalism, the analysis reveals three interlocking transformations: the Arctic Council's survival in a diminished capacity, the emergence of a governance gap created by Russia's exclusion, and the fragmentation of governance through sub-regional, bilateral, and middle-power initiatives. While functional cooperation on climate change, scientific research, and Indigenous issues persists, the space for such cooperation has narrowed considerably as re-securitization reshapes the region's strategic landscape. The study advances a reconceptualization of Arctic exceptionalism, arguing that the region remains empirically distinct but no longer insulated from geopolitical volatility. Policy implications for Arctic states, non-Arctic actors, and international institutions are examined, alongside three future scenarios: continued fragmentation, institutional adaptation, or escalation and crisis. The Arctic's capacity to avoid a new Cold War depends on whether strategic rivalry can be managed without destroying the cooperative frameworks painstakingly built over three decades.

The Nile as a Sacred Cord: Interrogating the Egypt-Ethiopia-Israel Triangle through Biblical Narrative, Stellar Hydrology, and Geopolitical Ontology

2026-09-03T02:58:11+00:00

The historical and geopolitical entanglement of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Israel presents a persistent puzzle in interdisciplinary scholarship. While these nations have been studied independently within Egyptology, Ethiopian Studies, and Biblical Archaeology, their ontological unity has remained underexamined. The Nile River, flowing from the Ethiopian Highlands through Egypt, serves as a literal and metaphorical "sacred cord" binding these three nations together. This paper proposes a new hermeneutical framework; the "Sacred Cord" paradigm for understanding the Egypt-Ethiopia-Israel triangle through biblical narrative, stellar hydrology, and geopolitical ontology. The study employs an interdisciplinary methodology integrating biblical exegesis, historical geography, archaeoastronomy, and political theology. Primary sources include the Masoretic Text, Septuagint, Ethiopian Orthodox traditions (Kebra Nagast), and contemporary geopolitical analyses. The biblical narratives of Moses' Cushite marriage, Solomon's Egyptian alliance, and the Holy Family's flight to Lake Tana constitute a coherent theological-hydrographical ontology. This ontology finds empirical validation in the annual rising of Sirius over Ethiopia and the subsequent flooding of the Nile, and modern political urgency in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute. The triangle reflects God's inclusive, Trinitarian, and covenantal character, challenging ethnic pride and offering a theology of mutual dependency. The Nile is not a resource to be monopolized but a "living covenant" between nations. The "Sacred Cord" model offers a theological foundation for equitable water sharing, suggesting that a "Nile Compact" inspired by biblical visions of mutual blessing could facilitate cooperation over conflict among riparian states.

Social Media and Political Misinformation among Nigerian Youths during the 2023 General Election: A Systematic Review

2026-09-27T03:07:30+00:00

The proliferation of social media has transformed political communication in Nigeria, particularly among youths who increasingly depend on digital platforms for electoral information. However, this transformation has intensified concerns about political misinformation and its implications for informed political participation and electoral credibility. This study systematically reviews the relationship between social media and political misinformation among Nigerian youths during the 2023 general election. The study integrates the Information Disorder Framework, Selective Exposure and Confirmation Bias perspectives, and the Elaboration Likelihood Model to explain the production, circulation, exposure, processing, and acceptance of political misinformation. A systematic review approach guided by PRISMA principles was adopted. Relevant peer-reviewed studies and credible scholarly materials published between 2023 and 2026 were identified, screened, and synthesised thematically, with emphasis on Nigerian evidence complemented by relevant international literature. Findings reveal that social media platforms significantly facilitated the rapid circulation of misleading political claims, manipulated content, partisan narratives, and emotionally charged information during the election. Youth vulnerability was influenced by algorithmic amplification, partisan identity, selective exposure, confirmation bias, low verification practices, source familiarity, peer sharing, and reliance on peripheral information cues. Nevertheless, exposure to misinformation did not automatically produce belief or behavioural effects, as outcomes varied according to political predispositions, digital literacy, source credibility, and information-processing patterns. The study contributes an integrated explanatory framework demonstrating that political misinformation operates through interconnected technological, psychological, social, and political mechanisms. It recommends strengthened digital and media literacy, institutional fact-checking, platform accountability, transparent political communication, and youth-focused verification initiatives to mitigate misinformation and strengthen Nigeria’s democratic communication environment.