Perspectives On National Economic Management And Administration In Nigeria

Nigeria's political economy has straddled the ideological divide between socialism and capitalism. The country produces oil, and at some point in its existence, it embarked on robust state involvement in the economy. This was marked by the acquisition, or establishment, of numerous state enterprises. Over the years, the performance of these enterprises was found to be dismal, and as part of the overall reform of the economy, Nigeria has joined the global trend toward reduction in direct state ownership of enterprises. Indeed, it has embarked on massive divestment of state interests in once publicly owned firms. Besides the universal rationale of efficiency, one of the objectives of the privatization exercise in Nigeria is the attraction and retention of foreign investments. This work examines the direct and indirect linkage between the government's divestiture of its interests in firms, on the one hand, and foreign investments in the country, on the other hand. The book is divided into seven chapters. Chapter 1 reviews the political and economic history of Nigeria, to set the background and context that necessitated the introduction of the reform package of which privatization is just an aspect. Chapter 2 is a discussion of various natures of state involvement in an economy. This ranges from mere regulation to active participation. The chapter discusses the competing conceptual and ideological theories and tries to situate the Nigerian experience within the broader conceptual dichotomies of capitalism, socialism and the via media of mixed economy. Chapter 3 is an examination of the meaning and rationales for privatization of state owned enterprises generally and the Nigerian attempts in particular. Nigeria's privatization program is an ongoing exercise. Yet two distinct attempts are identifiable: one which started in 1988 and the reinvigoration of the exercise, albeit with new constitutive frameworks, in 1999. Thus, Chapters 4 and 5 review the legal and institutional frameworks for these two exercises. Chapter 6 deals with foreign investments in Nigeria. The discussion encapsulates the pros and cons of foreign investments, especially in Nigeria. Chapter 7 explores the direct and indirect linkages between the privatization program in Nigeria and foreign investments in the country. This is particularly apposite because one of the touted objectives of the privatization exercise is the attraction of foreign investments. A conclusion follows. The work finds that although foreign investments appear to have been indirectly boosted by the privatization exercise, foreign investors initially did not show interest in direct acquisition of the shares and other interests being relinquished by the government, but that that attitude has been changing gradually.

This book examines the problem of accountability in two African political systems, South Africa and Nigeria. Despite the principle of separation of powers and the doctrine of checks and balances among the institutions of governance, a burgeoning governance crisis stifles the potential of accountability and good governance. Legislative oversight in the two countries remains largely ineffective while citizens are left to face the consequences of the mismanagement of public resources by political elites. This book critically assesses how the legislative institutions in South Africa and Nigeria have been unable to harness the requisite constitutional powers to ensure accountability in government and explores the feasibility of their effectiveness. The book begins with a comparative analysis of the principles, tradition, and powers associated with legislative capability in South Africa and Nigeria. The chapters explore constitutional provisions and analyze the capacity of each legislature to function within its respective political environment. The book also examines the process and challenges associated with the various measures and mechanisms available for legislatures to ensure accountability in the two countries. Researchers, scholars and students of African politics will find this book useful in their understanding of the problems associated with the simmering governance crisis in South Africa and Nigeria.

Consider Africa—not with pre-established mindsets, unexamined assumptions, and bland generalizations—but for what Africa actually is: a setting in which marketers can gather new ideas and test old ones and perhaps emerge with a more varied, certain sense of what the marketing enterprise itself, is all about. Nwankwo, Aiyeku, and their contributing authors, all specialists with a remarkably wide range of experience and viewpoints, uncover the unexpected factors that they are certain will determine the success of selling just about any product or service to established or developing African nations. Original, eclectic, and agenda-setting, their book provides a startling insight into the dynamics of marketing in this fascinating region of the world as it continues to initiate the new macroeconomic and political reforms that are transforming the African continent into an important player on the international business scene. Nwankwo and Aiyeku see their book as a welcome attempt to identify and explore the institutional processes in which not only the study but also the practice of marketing is embedded. They work with three main themes: the processual issues, including theory development and the reconceptualization of conventional paradigms; the nature of the interrelationships that shape the dynamics of marketing overall; and the context-specific dimensions of marketing generally, its marketing operations. As the volume editors state: By and large, African nations present new contexts and new strategic challenges. As they become focused, certain general approaches as to how various characteristics influence marketing behaviors have to be established. This book, through addressing these contextual issues, provides a better focus for creating a relevant set of marketing activities in African situations.

These essays are taken from the many symposiums diagnosing Nigeria's prolonged stagnation. The book is designed as a companion to the author's previous book Managing Uncertainty: Competition and Strategy in Emerging Economies which won the Boshorun M.K.O. Abiola prize as the best academic book published in Nigeria in 1998. The five parts of the book are Strategy and the Nigerian Environment; The Environment of Banking and Finance; Political Economy Issues and the Macro-economy; Challenge to Business; Budget Reviews and Policy Advocacy; Values and Management Effectiveness; and Case Studies.