| 1 |
Author(s):
Ja’afar A.A. Zankan, Hassan A. Abdul, Hussain A. Abdul, Gabriel M. Rieni, Muhammad Y. Abubakar.
Page No : 1-16
|
Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Transportation in Southern Kaduna State of Nigeria
Abstract
This paper examined the impact of Covid-19 on transportation and other livelihood sources that depend on transportation in Southern Kaduna State of Nigeria, with a view to providing information for sustainable level of transportation even in the presence of any pandemic in the world. Data for this study was collected through questionnaire survey, in-depth interview and direct field observation. The result indicates that Covid-19 has led to increase in the cost of transport, restriction on movement, loss of jobs, extortion of money from the masses by the security personnel, and also loss of revenue by the government, loss of income and increase poverty to people, loss of farm produce, increased the cost of managing livestock, increased the level of insecurity and reduction in road traffic crashes in Southern Kaduna. It is recommended that workers salary should be increase to avoid the extortion of money from the masses by the security personnel, provision of nose masks at affordable prices and making it compulsory for all persons to used when travelling, encourage the use of personal vehicles, bicycle and motor cycle to decongest commercial bus stations, and finally, reduction in number of passengers for commercial vehicles to observe social distancing.
| 2 |
Author(s):
Raymond Minini, Ibyingibo Selem-Amachree.
Page No : 17-31
|
National Defence Expenditure and Its Implications on Economic Development in Nigeria
Abstract
The issue of security is presently a critical challenge for the Nigeria State: biggest democracy in Africa as reports of killings are plastered on a daily basis on both print and social media. This is unpalatable for a developing country like Nigeria that has its eyes set on improving the lot of its citizens and becoming a force to reckon with in the global economy. It is on this backdrop that this study set sail to examine the association between national defence expenditure and economic development in Nigeria. The study adopted Ex-post facto research design as the variables- Misery Index, CDEX and RDEX: cannot be manipulated as they are annual time series data sourced from the World Development Indicator and the Central Bank of Nigeria annual report from a period of 38 years covering from 1981 to 2018, which were in turn analyzed using the error correction model (ECM) method of estimation. The result of the Johansen cointegration test revealed that government capital spending on defence, recurrent spending on defence, foreign direct investment and misery index have common trends in the long run. The outcome of the normalized cointegration disclosed a negative and significant relationship between government capital spending on defence and misery index, while a positive and significant long run relationship exists between government recurrent spending on defence and misery index. The short run analysis pointed to a positive and significant relationship between previous year’s misery index and current year’s misery index. The study thus recommended that government defence spending be reassessed to make it development oriented and proper monitoring of defence spending be carried out.
| 3 |
Author(s):
Raymond Minini, Ekponaanuadum Nwinee.
Page No : 32-44
|
Human Capital Development and Economic Development in Nigeria
Abstract
This paper set out to investigate the impact of human capital development on the drive to achieving economic development in Nigerian. It adopted the Ex-post facto research design as the variables-Misery Index, GEH and GEE cannot be manipulated as they have previously occurred. The study span for a period of 38 years which covered from 1981 – 2018. Secondary data sourced from the statistical bulletin of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the world development index of the World Bank was utilized for this study. The study employed the ordinary least square (OLS) method and the Error Correction Model estimation technique to examine the long run relationship and short run dynamics of the variables. The result of the Johansen co-integration test established the presence of long run relationship between misery index, pupil teacher ratio, government spending on education and health. The result of the ordinary least square revealed a negative and significant relationship between misery index and pupil teacher ratio in the long run. The results of the short run analysis revealed that current level of pupil teacher ratio impact on the misery index in Nigeria negatively and significantly. Informed by the discoveries, the study proposed the recruitment of more teachers to improve the current pupil teacher ratio in the country and also increase the budgetary allocation to the education sector.
| 4 |
Author(s):
Samuel Orekoya, Peter Oluleke.
Page No : 45-62
|
Energy Consumption, Trade Openness and Economic Development of Some Major Oil-Producing Countries in Africa
Abstract
To investigate the nexus between energy consumption, trade openness and economic development for seven oil-producing countries in Africa, this study employs the panel Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) techniques on data from 1971 to 2017. The Levin-Lin-Chiu, Pesaran-Shin and Breitung tests were used to ascertain the stationarity of the variables. The Hausman test showed that the mean group heterogeneous ARDL is the best technique to estimate the short and long-run relationship of the model. The result revealed that trade openness and the nature of energy consumed have significant impacts on economic development in the selected oil-producing countries. A percentage increase in trade openness decreases economic development by about seven percent in the short run but boosts development by twenty-eight percent in the long run. From the findings, it is recommended that policies be channelled to favour enabling environment, African free trade zone, economic freedom, private financial growth, ease of doing business, energy efficiency, renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, private property rights and security in Africa.
| 5 |
Author(s):
Sylvester Umbugadu Aku, Danjuma Naisla Hassan.
Page No : 63-80
|
Sustainable Development Strategies for Rural Areas in Nasarawa State, Nigeria
Abstract
Sustainable development is a new concept in development economics that needs not to be limited to towns and cities in developing economies like Nigeria. This study therefore examined the strategies for promoting sustainable development in Nasarawa State. The study was guided by cross-section survey design. A sample size of 400 respondents was selected from three rural areas in the State using simple random sampling techniques. A structured questionnaire designed by the researchers was used as instrument for data collection. The instrument was validated by experts and its reliability was ascertained using the Cronbach Alpha Coefficient technique. Descriptive statistics, principally, simple percentages, mean and standard deviation were used for data analysis.The findings revealed that agricultural development and social services provisions have been the major rural development strategies adopted in the State that have been implemented in the State. The results also showed that less attention has been given to human capital development, political inclusion, infrastructural development and industrial growth. It was found that radio and television, farmers and traders association and collaboration with traditional councils are ways of creating awareness on sustainable rural development. However, exclusion of rural dwellers at the planning stage and absence of rural needs assessment were found to be the major challenges to sustainable rural development. The study revealed that employing contractors of projects from communities where projects are sited and the need to plan based rural realities can enhance rural dwellers involvement in sustainable rural development decisions. The study concluded that strategies for sustainable rural development in Nasarawa State have not been effectively designed and implemented because the emphasis has always been on agriculture. The study recommended that Government should always embark on rural development needs assessment, sustainable rural development should emphasis the bottom-top approach, greater investment in human capital and rural entrepreneurial initiatives.
| 6 |
Author(s):
Raymond Minini.
Page No : 81-87
|
The Role of Contemporary Religious Practice in the Development/Under-Development of Nigeria
Abstract
This paper examines the role of contemporary religious practices in the development/underdevelopment of Nigeria. And it was revealed that despite some factors inhibiting the role of religion in the development of Nigeria, it has to a large extent contributed significantly to the economic development directly or indirectly especially in the development of manpower and human resources through the establishment of educational and health facilities. Based on these revelations, it was recommended among others to integrate religion into the development agenda of Nigeria to overcome the ignorance responsible for the disconnection some often make between their faith and their civic duties. Honestly embrace peace and mutual co-existence by understanding and tolerating one another’s religious beliefs.
