Madonna University, Nigeria - Open Access Journal System
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PARADOX OF FOREIGN AID AND STATE FAILURE IN NIGERIA
No full textForeign aid is a multifaceted channel to state capacity building in developing countries. It is assumed to catalyse economic and infrastructural developments as well as rebuilding socio-political trust among countries. This assumption has taken deep root in the development discourse of countries. Despite decades of substantial foreign assistance aimed at fostering development, strengthening institutions, and alleviating poverty, Nigeria continues to exhibit core symptoms of state failure. This paper interrogates the paradox of foreign aid in the context of persistent state failure in Nigeria. The paper is a descriptive research study that adopts a qualitative method of data collection. The data collected from secondary sources were analysed using content analysis. The paper is guided by one research question: a) Are there local factors that undermined the goal of foreign aid in the development of Nigeria? The paper adopts dependency theory as its theoretical framework of analysis. The theory argues that foreign aid enthrone state failure by enabling the elite to undermine the principle of accountability, thereby instituting a culture of external reliance. The paper revealed that corruption, insecurity, and poor governance, along with ethnic cleavages, undermine the goals of foreign aid in Nigeria's development. The paper concludes that foreign intervention robs the Nigerian state of the capacity to address its internal problems and uphold the principle of state sovereignty. The paper recommended that there should be horizontal and vertical monitoring of international interventions on specific projects and programs in Nigeria
STATE, POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT AND PROTESTS: INTERROGATING ENDSARS PROTEST OF 2020 AND FACTORS THAT UNDERMINED ITS SUCCESS IN NIGERIA
No full textLike the Arab Spring that brought radical and fundamental changes in the Middle East and North African States (MENA), the End SARS Protest came with great hope and aspiration for a renewed and better Nigeria. The protest was a product of many years of indignation and discontentment with police brutalities in Nigeria. It started in 2017 but transcended national and international boundaries on 3rd October 2020, consequent upon the merciless killing of a young Nigerian by suspected SARS Officers along Wetlands Hotel, Ughelli Delta State, and the failure of Federal Government to swiftly respond. The Protest doubles as a metaphor or an undercover for a vociferous attack on bad governance and human rights abuse in Nigeria. The study interrogates the nexus between the character of State, political environment and protest with a specific emphasis on the EndSARS protest of 2020. The study used Post- Colonial States theory as a framework of analysis and documentary data. Amongst others, the study finds that the character of Nigerian State and the attendant political environment, undermined the success of the EndSARS protest. Overall, the study recommends rule of law, entrenchment of democratic values and holistic reform of the police institutions, specifically on ethics and professionalism
MACROECONOMIC EFFECTS OF BUDGET DEFICIT ON NIGERIA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH
No full textThis study became necessary because Nigeria has been bankrolling budget deficit for decades in the past, characterized by a high level of external and internal debts. This study therefore seeks to investigate whether or not budget deficit spending plays extraordinary and growing role in achieving full employment, sustainable economic growth, and price stability and poverty reduction in Nigeria. It also seeks to investigate whether or not causal relationship exists between budget deficit and economic growth in Nigeria by adopting the ADF unit root test and ARDL model, Granger Causality test and the short-run diagnostics and stability using annual time series data covering 37 years from 1981 to 2022.The research findings admits that, budget deficit have positive and significant impact on economic growth in Nigeria. Therefore, the government budget deficit has no crowding out effect on investment. The study also discloses that budget deficit has negative and insignificant impact on private investment in Nigeria. Again, additional investigation reals that budget deficit have positive and significant impact on public investment in Nigeria. Furthermore, the research stresses that there is unidirectional causality running from budget deficit to economic growth, private investment and public investment. As a result of the outcome the findings, we recommend that the Government should endeavor to maintain robust fiscal discipline by allocating budget spending to the appropriate sectors of the economy. Again, budget deficit financing should be concentrated on the productive sectors of the economy, so as to ensure sound monitoring of economic policies which are essential to accomplish economic growth
The Cultural Context of Emeka Nwabueze’s Echoes of Madness and When the Arrow Rebounds
No full textNigerian dramatic literature has often responded to the issue of culture especially the contact between European culture and African culture. The European culture is always standing in dominance over the African culture, while the African writer is always trying to reawaking the consciousness of who we are and where we came from. Emeka Nwabueze in Echoes of Madness and When the Arrow Rebounds present through the action of the characters the culture, the belief system, customs, rituals, proverbs and contacts that stand these works out. The plays will be discussed simultaneously to reveal the tentacles of culture, its components and how the characters in these works function within a cultural milieu. Also here, we will examine how cultural activities become a catalyst that brings about changes in the society. This paper adopts a socio- cultural approach to literature as its theoretical framework and the descriptive research method as its methodology
Aspect of Corruption in Ngozi Chuma-Udeh’s Teachers on Strike
No full textWriters have become the voice of truth from whose mouth and inspirations the society strives towards peace, harmony, peaceful co-existence and above all decorum. Corruption is an inherent foible that formed the backdrop to most Nigerian post independence literature. It is imperative that the researcher here did an impressive study of corruption as explored in Ngozi Chuma-Udeh Teachers on Strike to reveal the pathological effects of corruption in a nation. The novelist examined corruption and its practices in all forms making the readers comprehend how corruption has brought nothing but economic degradation and social unrest. Indeed, the writer created awareness and drew attention to social issues of the time. The novelist is also against the deplorable human conditions, against the gulf between the proletariats and the bourgeoisie class, hence the novel is a clear example of literary works exposing the evils of capitalism, corruption, tyranny and oppression. The theoretical framework is Marxism which refers to the social, economic and political doctrines of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and their disciples. Data for the study was from primary and secondary sources of data. The researcher did a thorough analysis of the work under study and identified insincere and corrupt leadership as the major challenge in our contemporary societies as portrayed in the novel
Passivization in Academic Writing: Active and Passive Voice
No full textThis study x-rays the use of active voice and passive voice in academic writing. The aim of the study is to identify the differences between the active and passive voice, to show how students used them in their writing and to show the possible ways they should be used. The problem is that a lot of students don’t know how to use them in interdisciplinary writing. The study verifies these through an analytical work of students’ production of long essay (project research writing). That is, the textual data, project research reports, were collected from Imo State University, Owerri, Imo State and used for the study. The data for the analysis were drawn more from the: abstracts, introductions, methodologies, discussions ad findings and less from literature reviews and others. The target population comprises graduate project research reports written in the English Language in the South Eastern Nigeria. For the purpose of the study, a deliberate selection of four (4) project research reports was made. They were two (2) from Arts and Humanities and two (2) from Science and Technology English (STE). That is a sample of four students were selected, two from Arts and Humanities and two from sciences respectively. Major finding showed that Arts and Humanities use more of the active voice than the passive and Sciences use more of the passive voice than the active in their in their scholarly writings. Students in Arts and Humanities and STEM are advised to use active and passive properly in their writing
INVESTMENT SPIKES AND VALUATION OF THE CONSUMER GOODS FIRMS IN NIGERIA
No full textThis study investigated the effect of investment spikes on the value of consumer goods firms in Nigeria. Using Keynes’ accelerator theory of investment, the study specifically examined the extent to which the incidence and size of investment spikes drive the improvement in the value of consumer goods firms quoted on the Nigeria exchange group within 11 years spanning 2011 to 2021. The incidence of investment spike was captured as a dummy of 1 for the occurrence of spike and 0 for non-occurrence of spike. In contrast, the size of the investment spike was the lumpiness of annual investment as a ratio of capital stock. The data were collected from the Annual Report and Statement of Account of quoted consumer goods firms in Nigeria. The panel regression based on the Random Effect Model (REM) was used for the analysis. The results showed that investment spikes have a positive and significant effect on the value of consumer goods firms in Nigeria. The study posits that investment spike is a determinant of firm value in Nigeria such that the prospects for firm value as a strategic performance evaluation indicator are significantly hinged on sound investment spike management. The outcome further provided evidence that heterogeneity and time variants influence the activities of the firms in the consumer goods sector of Nigeria
AFRICA'S DEBT CRISIS: A CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF SELECTED AFRICAN COUNTRIES
No full textAfrican debt has risen in the past few decades, driven by persistent budget deficits, excessive dependence on foreign borrowing, and susceptibility to external economic shocks. The growth of the debt burden has exposed fiscal sustainability to increasing pressures and eroded economic growth in the continent. Therefore, empirically, this study analyzed Africa’s debt crisis by examining five selected African countries, one from each region: Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Zimbabwe and the Congo Republic, spanning from 1986 to 2023. Data were sourced from the World Development Indicators, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin. The model employed was a fixed effects model based on the significance of Hausman’s test. Analysis revealed that government spending and exchange rate were statistically significant with a positive influence on public debt, while inflation contributed positively but insignificantly. GDP growth was discovered to negatively correlate with the public debt, although it was not statistically significant, implying that economic growth did not significantly lower the debt burden. The study concluded that the external imbalances, inefficiencies in the structure of the economy, and inappropriate management of the funds were the underlying causes for the long-run public debt crisis in the continent. The study based on the findings suggested the need for immediate comprehensive fiscal discipline, exchange rate stabilization, and structural reforms to reverse and stem Africa’s increasing debt trajectory in a sustainable way. Keywords: Public Debt, Government Expenditure, Exchange rate, Economic Growth, Africa Introduction
Rethinking Administrative Frameworks for Tackling Poverty, Inequality, and Exclusion in Pursuit of Inclusive Development
No full textThis conceptual paper critically examines the intricate and reinforcing relationships between poverty, inequality, and social exclusion, arguing that these pervasive challenges collectively impede genuine human development and societal progress. Moving beyond mere definitions, this analysis posits that these phenomena are not isolated issues but rather symptomatic of deeper structural and systemic inequities. Drawing on established theoretical frameworks and a critical review of global development discourse, the paper explores how persistent disparities and exclusionary practices perpetuate cycles of disadvantage, particularly affecting marginalized populations. It offers a conceptual critique of conventional approaches to development, advocating for a holistic, rights-based, and inclusive development paradigm. The paper concludes by proposing a framework for understanding and addressing these interwoven challenges, aiming to stimulate further discourse and inspire more integrated policy responses
POVERTY AND PUBLIC DEBT: THE NIGERIA EXPERIENCE
No full textThis study examined the effect of public debt on poverty level in Nigeria from 1998 to 2022. A single equation model was developed for the study. The variables, whose data came from various secondary sources, include Gross Government Debt (GD) as a percentage of GDP, Debt Service (DS) as a percentage of GDP, Gross Saving (GS) as a percentage of GDP, and Poverty, proxied by final consumption expenditure of households and profit institutions serving households (PFC). Using the Phillips Perron unit root test procedure, no variable was found to be stationary at a level beyond the first difference. This recommended the use of the Auto regressive distributed lag model (ARDL) method for the analysis. The result showed that public debt as well as inflation rate had escalatory and significant impacts on poverty in Nigeria. It was recommended that since countries, especially poor ones, can hardly grow and develop without borrowing, the nation should not be discouraged from borrowing. However, an effective system which entails public disclosure should be put in place to block possible wastages which may arise in the course of implementation and use of such funds