This study is aimed at ascertaining the factors which inform the buying of fashion, beauty as well as personal care products on or through social media platforms, by consumers domiciled in the United Kingdom and Nigeria. Interviews, guided by a semi-structured interview guide, was used for the collection of data. The purposive sampling technique was employed in identifying prospective participants that have the characteristics and information needed, while the thematic analysis method was adopted for data analysis. The study found that for the UK and Nigeria, the nature of products and the sales medium, influence the decision of consumers to purchase fashion, beauty and personal care products through or on social media. UK consumers showed a preference for buying products through company websites linked through the social media platforms they use, instead of buying directly from social media vendors or retailers, while the Nigerian consumers showed a preference for buying directly from vendors on social media, with Instagram and Whatsapp being the most popular purchasing platforms. It also found that the decision to purchase fashion, beauty as well as personal care products through social media platforms in the UK, is largely driven by convenience, though brand reputation, product price and quality also influence their purchasing behavior. However, product price, quality, brand reputation and even availability of incentives in form of discounts matter more to Nigerian consumers. Factors like social media reviews, influencer promotions and sustainability concerns were found to significantly influence the social media purchasing behavior of consumers in the UK. Amongst other recommendations, this study suggested that companies in the sector under review should commit resources towards carrying out long-term research on how the social media business space in developing countries like Nigeria function, in order to ascertain the best strategy for capturing the markets.

This study evaluates the management practices, performance, and challenges of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Enugu State, Nigeria, with a view to identifying the extent to which managerial structures and practices contribute to their growth and sustainability. The research is anchored on both empirical and theoretical frameworks including the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Managerial Competency Theory, which posit that efficient managerial practices and firm-level resources determine enterprise competitiveness. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design, using a structured questionnaire administered to 200 SME owners and managers selected across Enugu metropolis, Nsukka, Oji River, and Awgu Local Government Areas. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Likert scaling, and correlation techniques to examine the relationship between management practices and SME performance indicators such as sales growth, profitability, and employment generation. Findings revealed that while a large proportion of SMEs operate with informal or weak management structures, those with formalized bookkeeping, planning, and human resource practices recorded higher business performance. However, infrastructural inadequacies, limited access to finance, low managerial capacity, and weak institutional support remain major constraints. The study concludes that building managerial competence, promoting digital tools, and improving access to affordable credit are key to enhancing SME competitiveness in Enugu State. It recommends targeted management training, improved power supply, regulatory simplification, and stronger collaboration between the Enugu SME Centre, Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), and business associations to provide sustainable support frameworks for SMEs.

This study investigated financial contagion between emerging and developed stock markets using the DCC-GARCH model over the period January 2010 to December 2024. Daily logarithmic return data from eight markets, namely, four emerging (India, Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia) and four developed (USA, UK, Germany, Japan) were analyzed across pre-crisis, COVID-19 crisis, and post-crisis periods. Descriptive statistics revealed non-normality and volatility clustering, justifying GARCH modeling. The ADF test confirmed stationarity at first differences. Univariate GARCH (1,1) estimates showed high volatility persistence. DCC-GARCH results revealed significant time-varying correlations, with crisis-period surges indicating contagion. Correlations remained elevated post-crisis, suggesting structural interdependence. Time-varying correlations peaked during the COVID-19 crisis, with Brazil–Germany and India–USA exhibiting the highest increases. Wavelet coherence analysis further confirmed contagion with high short- and medium-term co-movement, particularly between Indonesia–Japan and Brazil–Germany. Findings underscored that contagion was dynamic and scale-dependent, driven by trade ties, market openness, and global shocks. The study concluded that during crises, diversification benefits across these markets diminished significantly due to synchronized volatility and persistent financial linkages.