Monday, January 27, 2020

Impact of Foreign Aid on Nigeria Development

Impact of Foreign Aid on Nigeria Development CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 5.1 Summary This study examined the extent to which Foreign aid; particularly the debt relief initiative has contributed to human development in Nigeria. It particularly sought to examine the relationship between Foreign aid and development considering the underlying political-economic conditions and the effectiveness of aid on human development. This work also sought to analyze how the World Bank’s Debt Relief initiative has enabled human development in form of better living standards and access to essential facilities in Nigeria. Finally, this research sought to evaluate the political-economic conditions particularly underlying the effectiveness of the World Bank’s Debt Relief initiative to Nigeria. Chapter one introduced the study introducing a general background to the study; the statement of problem; the research questions; objectives of the study; research proposition; significance of the study; scope and limitations of the study. Chapter two focused on the review of scholarly literature on the subject matter. The chapter illustrated the historical background to Foreign aid in the International system and its contributions to development in general. The chapter also included a theoretical framework examining the theory used for study review as well as the current trends regarding the subject. Chapter three in the other hand was devoted to the historical perspective of foreign aid in Nigeria. Chapter four attempts a critical discourse of the subject matter of debt relief and human development. The chapter reviewed and evaluated the debates on the effectiveness of the Debt Relief Initiative to Nigeria. It particularly sought to examine the impact and effect of the debt relief initiative on Human development in Nigeria. It started off examining the debt relief initiative, followed by the debates on its effectiveness and management in recipient states and concluded with a critical analysis of the effectiveness of the debt relief initiative on human development in Nigeria so as to determine if foreign aid in form of debt relief has contributed to human development in Nigeria. This chapter being the fifth summarizes the research and all findings carried out. It also includes recommendations and suggestions for further studies. 5.2 Recommendations One of the significant conclusions of the aid-effectiveness literature has been that aid is more effective when the recipient country’s policy and institutional environment satisfies some minimal criteria, and that aid should thus be allocated selectively on the basis of the quality (established policies and initiatives) of prospective recipients’ economic and social policies (World Bank, 1998). To buttress this assertion, Thomas (2001) points out that some Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) had no policy responses to poverty, HIV/Aids or corruption until they were required to do so as conditions for debt relief under the HIPC Initiative. He concluded by suggesting that unless debt relief is effectively conditioned on the proper use of funds and the pursuit of structural reforms, it is unlikely to help the poor. This has been the Aid efficiency-conditionality debate –surrounding the subject matter. It is rather quite unfortunate that the afore mentioned assertion or debate was somewhat verified in Nigeria with the establishment of the Debt Management Office and the Virtual Poverty Fund – initiatives that were as a result of a desperate need for a debt relief. What is more reliving though is that the DMO is actually still in place and very much efficient in managing the Nation’s external and internal debt, and have shown certain level of accountability and transparency. This is seen with the up-to-the-minute information available on the Debt Management Office (DMO) website for Nigerians to familiarize themselves with the office and all that has been done to get a debt relief and all that there is to managing further debt both on the state level and the federal level. This research further recommends that revenues from oil be utilized appropriately to make resources available to finance investment that would in turn lead to growth. No doubt, there is the individual approach to office administration and policy initiation. But because the nature of Public administration allows for continuity even after the presiding officer or chair steps down, it is therefore appropriate to recommend that the established Debt Management Office and the Virtual Trust Fund (VPF) that was internationally commendable suggest that the Nigerian Government is competent enough to initiate functional approaches to challenges in the state and manage such initiatives effectively. It would be worthwhile therefore, to have our leaders put that same zeal and drive to initiating solutions to several other challenges facing the state and run it efficiently as the DMO was viciously run to get debt relief. Apart from debt relief being a form of aid; in Nigeria, the aid fund goes directly to the ministries, department or agency (MDA) that uses the fund. This is contrary to what happened in other Sub Sahara African Countries such as Kenya and Ghana in which foreign aid is treated as part of the budget. The Senate in Nigeria has warned against the disbursement of foreign aid coming into the country without National Assemblys involvement. The lawmakers are now insisting that such funds must henceforth be captured in the nation’s budget process for the purpose of tracking its flow and disbursement into Nigeria’s critical sectors (The Will, 2011). The idea is that by-passing budget will result in timely release of the aid to the critical sectors of the economy. Also, by-passing budget would ensure that aid money is not diverted to non-aided projects in the country. It is possible that there is the fear of embezzlement and mismanagement. And so I would recommend that the ministr ies, department or agency (MDA) that receive and utilize aid fund continue to do so but with a report to the National Assembly on a detailed account of aid fund. To effectively assess the effectiveness of the VPF or any aid fund for that matter, it is important for recorded projects to include the names or complete detail of projects so as to allow for complete evaluation. One may question if poor policy performance is a cause or a consequence of external debt or debt over hang for that matter. The debt overhang theory and the more general concerns of debt distorting incentives of the borrowing countries to reform imply that poor policy performance could be an outcome caused by external debt, at least in some of the HIPC countries, especially in the short run, as governments have much less incentive to absorb reform costs if they primarily produce income for foreign creditors. This should not be the case for Nigeria with the surplus revenue from oil does. It does not allow for the conclusion that poor policy performance could be an outcome caused by external debt. Rather, gross mismanagement of public fund, looting and perpetuated greed has caused poor policy performance. The civil society could have suppressed mismanagement to some extent but that is not really the case because what is seen is a state where there is minimal horizontal accountability and almost an invisible vertical accountability. In fact, the Nigerian citizens are negligent of the existence of the state and tend to survive with or without its input. This should not be the case. For Nigerian leaders to be accountable, citizens must actively participate in the politics of the state and make demands without fear. As many other reviews have recommended, this research would also recommend that Nigeria should diversify her economy to have multiple income streams. It is true that no state can be self-sufficient but the manner in which aid is given to Nigeria is very appalling and not needed. Least to say the food imported to Nigeria on a daily basis. If any state cannot feed itself and grow itself and its capacity, such state is bound to be underdeveloped of which Nigeria is not fit to be termed underdeveloped due to her vast riches in natural resources, man power, intellectual and industrial capacity, market and population. This research would therefore recommend a shift from a â€Å"Rentier mentality† to a self-reliant economy and state. 5.3 Conclusion In other research, the overall impact of debt relief continues to be unclear. Whereas there is little in the way of complete analysis or country case studies to compare the Nigeria case with. Chauvin and Kraay (2005) however, argue that debt relief has had no perceptible impact on the composition or effectiveness of public spending. Some skeptics, including Easterly (2002) and Jain (2007) have argued that debt relief, or the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries process can make public policy worse. On the other hand, Arslanalp and Henry (2005) argue â€Å"both borrowers and lenders can benefit from debt relief when the borrower suffers from debt overhang†, whilst World Bank (2006) paints a broadly positive tone as to the policy course of post completion point countries of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. Against this mixed picture, the Nigerian analysis as summarized in the preceding chapter, suggests a success story. More so, it is important to note that debt relief is only a drop in the ocean of reform that is needed in Nigeria. Besides, debt relief was labeled as ‘special money’ that had political support, high visibility, and accountability processes surrounding it especially so as to gain credit from international donors (at the initial stages). Every other money is wasted, mismanaged or syphoned, as it has been the norm within public administrations. And because debt fund alone cannot lead to development in a state (even if well accounted for), development challenges still persist coupled with lack of devoted leaders to change. Such attitude keeps a state in a continuous spin within the dependency circle. So yes, political conditions do have effects on the effectiveness of foreign aid and much more, on the development of a state. 5.4 Suggestion for Further Research The decay in social services such as the education sector was not only because of inadequate financial allocation but also as a result of corrupt practices. What this work couldn’t cover adequately was to find out how possible it is that relief funds were not diverted, yet, the NAPEP estimated impact on human development is not all that visible. This is because diversion in funds impedes development. Or could it be that the infinitesimal growth experienced from the debt relief fund was all that there was and funds were not diverted, mismanaged or wasted? In other words, why didn’t the debt relief plan aid NEPAP in eradicate poverty before 2010?

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Causes And Solutions Of Juvenile Delinquency EDIT

I agree with this statement because if children are born in a family where they are not able to eat, or have to go to bed hungry, of course here is going to be some problems. When they are starving, they are going to be less focused on school. The growing rate of unemployment makes it difficult for parents to provide for their children. It also makes it easy for people to turn to a life of crime. One of these crimes is drug dealing and buying. When they live in an environment that has a supply of drugs and guns more than new textbook there is going be some problems.In a violent environment you are going to be more prone to be violent or a victim of violence. Whatever resources are more readily available in their neighborhood is the one they are more likely to pick up. So, if they have new guns and old textbooks, they might just pick up the new gun. When they are living in substandard housing, they might just feel substandard and depressed. They also are prone to have more environment al hazards in or near their neighborhood. All these previous things can have an effect on people's genetics or them personally.Psychological The author in this section wants his audience to know author problems can be passed on by parents and siblings through mental illness or behavior. There is a long list of people in jail right now that have some type of mental illness. It is probably over 50% of the jail population. The question that isn't asked in this article is: does the chicken come first or do the egg? In other words does the environment cause the mental illness or does the mental illness cause the environment. I think in a poor neighborhood it is a little bit of both.There are hazards and mental stress as well as trauma that come with living in a bad neighborhood. Believe that having to worry about safety and security can lead to mental stress, just as the article mentions. Bad neighborhoods also consist of many crimes, many of which are seen by nouns children. This causes trauma to innocent people and if trauma is left untreated, it can cause mental problems in the long run, although it may not be evident in the beginning. Furthermore, mental illness funding for the poor and general health funding for the poor has been on a steady cut over the last several decades.This leads to less and worst treatments for those that sometime need it the most. So, this becomes part of a contributing factor of the poor- having a higher crime rate across the board. This can lead to generations of mental illness that could have been prevented or at least Essen the problem. Social This part of the article talks about how you are treated in the family; whether a child is the first born, middle, or last child. This will all make a difference in how they are treated in the family and how they might be discriminate against.An example is that the oldest child usually has more responsibilities than their siblings. Therefore, they have more stress and may feel the need to do whatever they can to help the family- including turning to illegal work. The middle child is usually ignored, with most of the attention focused on the older and younger siblings. The younger sibling usually gets the most attention because they are the â€Å"baby' of the family. Parenting Styles Regardless of the social factors in a family, it can all come back to how parents raise their children.Some questions can determine aspects in a child's life such as: Does the child do what is asked of them with no reward or are they rewarded? Are actions (bad or good) explained by the parent when punishment is issued? Are parents holding their children accountable for their actions? Do parents take an active role in their children's lives, such as education? All this will make a difference in a child's behavior in the future. These very things can make a difference in whether a child becomes a juvenile delinquent or not.I believe that if parents are inconsistent with their children, punish them for minor issues, never give positive feedback, or do not take an active role in their children's lives, then they are negatively impacting their children and setting them up for failure. Personal: Sometimes, despite how great a child's family life is, there are still internal problems that a child can face. Though they may receive all the praise and eve from family, school, and friends, children can still become juvenile delinquents. One reason for this social problem is their personality.Everyone has a different set of personality and sometimes children are born naturally aggressive. Sometimes being easily angered or naturally irritable can cause problems in a child's life. No amount of tenderness or love from anyone can change this, in some cases. It is my opinion that natural aggression can cause violence and therefore make them commit crimes that other people who don't have the same similar problem would not do. Psychological The article states, â€Å"Statistics show tha t mental illnesses are one of the biggest reasons behind juvenile delinquency in America and other developed countries. To me, this is very believable because of how mental illnesses can affect a person. People with mental disabilities sometimes do not have the capacity to learn morals or empathy. An example is people who are psychopaths. This is not a learned disability. The English dictionary defines psychopath as: â€Å"a person with a psychopathic personality, which manifests as amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful arsenal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc. This means that when a person lacks the ability to love, then they also are not able to form personal relationships. As humans, we are born with the need for companionship- it is a vital part of everyone's lives. Also, the lack of empathy will cause people to do bad things without feeling bad. An example is stealing. It is morally wrong and when someone steals, they should feel guilt. But a mentally ill person without empathy will not feel guilt. Peer Groups: This type of influence can greatly affect a child.The article states that parents should make sure their children hang out with people who belong to their â€Å"class† because it prevents jealousy. Jealousy between friends can cause several crimes in adolescents. This can be a good thing because if middle class children are hanging out with other middle class children, there is no one to be jealous of from a friend who has a richer family or a poor friend to be jealous of everyone else. However, this can also be a bad thing because if poor children are hanging out with other poor children, they may acquire bad habits those other poor children may have.One evident problem among families in the poverty line is the formations of gangs. These gangs can have negative effects in a child's life. They consist of negative and abusive behavior. Another peer group inf luence is peer rejection which can cause children to commit crimes because they feel they do not belong anywhere. I believe that a large part of an adolescence life is finding out who they are and where they belong. Society: Society affects what children see and also their environment. Social media is a powerful tool that society uses, and sometimes has negative impacts on teenagers. An example is bullying.Though bullying is extremely frowned upon, it still happens because many teenagers see more of this in the media than they do of people being kind and helping others. The news is always so quick to put out bad news than good news. Other things can spawn from something, like bullying, into labeling. An example of labeling is a child who is involved in bullying just by being there, though they actually never harmed anyone. This child may be labeled as criminal by circumstance and poor decision on who they hung out with. It will follow the child through the rest of heir lives and may even make them become an actual criminal.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Corporate Strategy Essay

In Corporate Strategy, Collis and Montgomery explain there are two kinds of diversification—linked and constrained. Companies using linked diversification enter new businesses when it relates in some way to another business they are already in (it is linked to it), but does not necessarily have any connection to their other businesses. If they are using constrained diversification, however, they only enter a new business if it is based on their core resources or competencies. Companies based on linked diversification have little coherence to their overall corporate strategy, while companies using constrained diversification tend to be more focused. Constrained diversification allows companies to maximize the effect of their resources because they are shared (100). Apple uses constrained diversification. Apple is, inherently, a personal computer company (hardware and software), and their businesses utilize their competencies in developing hardware and software. The Macintosh, iPad, iPhone, iPod and AppleTV are all computers, which allows Apple to share resources between businesses. For example, the Macintosh, iPad, iPhone and AppleTV all run OS X, Apple’s operating system. This creates economies of scope, which, Collis and Montgomery point out, create cost savings for the company because their resources are shared across multiple businesses (72). Rather than just have related businesses, though, each business is a focused platform with no extraneous products or product types. The Macintosh, for example, consists of two kinds—desktop and notebook. These separate product lines each share resources and complement each other. The iMac and MacBook Pro are both primarily constructed from aluminum and glass, so not only do they share the same materials (which reduces costs), but they resemble each other, creating unity between product lines. Each platform, too, complements the other. Apple’s Macintosh computers sync their media and personal data (calendar, contacts, email) seamlessly with the other platforms. Because they work so well together, owning products from each platform benefits users by creating an experience where their devices â€Å"just work.† The platform advantage does not apply just to Apple’s devices. Through iTunes, users can purchase music, movies and television shows that syncs across all of their devices, or even do so from their iPhone or iPad. The App Store allows users to download applications for their iPhones and iPads wherever they are, and now the iBook Store, released in April, will allow them to do the same with books. Because Apple has chosen what businesses to enter carefully, these platforms reinforce the others and make them more powerful. The sum is greater than the parts. This creates a complete package for consumers to choose, and it is difficult for competitors to match. Their platform strategy makes each individual business more valuable than it would be as a separate entity. Their strategy can be improved, however. Currently, MobileMe—a service Apple offers that keeps contacts, calendar, and email in sync across multiple devices over the air—is a premium service that costs $99 per year. This is the wrong approach. Rather than a premium service, MobileMe should be free and integrated into Apple’s platforms. MobileMe should act like the â€Å"glue† that integrates the platforms and as a draw for users. Apple’s goal should be to get as many MobileMe users as possible. Once someone is happily using MobileMe across their various devices, they are less likely to switch to a competitor’s product.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

The Tragedy Of The Holocaust - 1415 Words

Prior to the holocaust, however, he exhibits none of these characteristics. He was kind, wealthy, and uncommonly resourceful, and his marriage to Anja was filled with compassion, intimacy, and love. Where now Vladek is now stubborn, irritable, and almost comically stingy with his money. His experiences in the Holocaust undoubtedly played a role in these dramatic personality changes. It wasn’t until the war started that Vladek got a little more precautious about a few things. Whenever a bad thing would happen, Vladek would remain hopeful and trusted that things would go well for him and his family in the long run. Even when Vladek had to fight in World War II and was put in a prisoner camp with the most terrible conditions he still seemed to keep faith. However, one can slowly notice how Vladek becomes cautious about food and any kind of valuable. It is natural because he couldn’t get much so he had to be very careful about wasting anything. At times, he was willing to share, but he quickly realized that he had to fight for himself to survive and that everyone was responsible for themselves. He became a little careful about who his real friends were. ---- need uote here Now Vladek has not been able to recover from the mental, emotions, and physical harms that his life at Auschwitz caused him. He became incapable of trusting anybody, during the Holocaust, as well as to the present day. He quickly thought himself to become closed and shut-off to anybody and everyone. After theShow MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of The Holocaust1708 Words   |  7 PagesThe Holocaust is, by definition, a tragedy. HaShoah, the Hebrew word for the Holocaust, translates to â€Å"the catastrophe.† The very notion of humor during the Holocaust may seem incongruous, appalling, and wildly inappropriate. Tragedy is seen as serious, while comedy is typically lighthearted in nature. However, there is precedence for ‘comic relief,’ the presence of humor in tragedy with the desired effect to relieve tension. Frequently, comic relief is used so that tragedy does not overshadow usRead MoreThe Tragedy Of The Holocaust945 Words   |  4 PagesSince the terrorist attack o n Paris, to the natural disasters in Haiti; there have been a variety of tragic events that have occurred throughout history across the world. Perhaps one main tragedy that leaves people feeling baffled is the Holocaust. Eric Lichtblau described the Holocaust in his article, The Holocaust Just Got More Shocking, as a genocide in which Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany and its associates killed approximately six million Jewish people because the Nazis believed that exterminatingRead MoreThe Tragedy Of The Holocaust1599 Words   |  7 Pagesassigned Adolf Hitler as their chancellor. Once Hitler had finally reached power he set out to complete one goal, create a Greater Germany free from the Jews (â€Å"The reasons for the Holocaust,† 2009). This tragedy is known today as, â€Å"The Holocaust,† that explains the terrors of our histories past. The face of the Holocaust, master of death, and leader of Germany; Adolf Hitler the most deceitful, powerful, well spoken, and i ntelligent person that acted as the key to this mass murder. According to a researchRead MoreThe Tragedy Of The Holocaust922 Words   |  4 PagesFrom the terrorist attack on Paris, to the natural disasters in Haiti; there have been a variety of tragic events that have occurred throughout history across the world. Perhaps one main tragedy that leaves people feeling baffled is the Holocaust. Eric Lichtblau described the Holocaust in his article, The Holocaust Just Got More Shocking, as a genocide in which Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany and its associates killed around six million Jewish people because the Nazis believed that exterminating the JewishRead MoreThe Tragedy Of The Holocaust1063 Words   |  5 Pagesreligious family and a tough culture surrounding him, the Holocaust effected his life to the extreme but along with all his suffering and the tragedies in his life the Holocaust did not take him. He stuck by his believes and made it out alive. Born in Vilna with pride, it gave an eminent name to the Jewish people. He has four sisters, Rachel, Sonia, Doba and _. Also his mother and father, nephews and nieces. All but Rachel and he died of the Holocaust. In Vilna the Jews lived on one side of the street andRead MoreThe Tragedy Of The Holocaust1540 Words   |  7 Pagesdiverse in the cause; it is the indifference and ruthlessness that an individual portrays. This sort of behavior accommodates society and encourages people to accept and follow its routine and principles, such as the events that took place during the Holocaust. During the time period of 1933 to 1945, Adolf Hitler, an Austrian World War I veteran, decided to partake in twisted behavior. Hitler believed that in order to do his nation justice, the nation needed an ethnic cleansing. This ethnic cleansingRead MoreThe Tragedy Of The Holocaust3499 Words   |  14 Pageshowever, the holocaust seems to be the huge adversity to overcome. The holocaust has taught the s ociety many things; although the world has not exactly learned from the experiences entirely. The holocaust is a learning experience still today, so that this generation will not repeat the same drastic measures. Many people today seem to think that the holocaust never happened; in spite of this, there are those that disagree. I have had the opportunity to listen to a firsthand account of the tragedy that happenedRead MoreThe Tragedy Of The Holocaust Essay1118 Words   |  5 PagesWithin the era of 1933 to 1945, races struggled through times of gloom, torment and hopelessness. The Holocaust was hard on numerous people, with little survivors and still influences individuals present lives today. The majority of the anguish was brought about as a result of one man’s conviction, that had the capacity to impact a whole nation. The holocaust was a genocide that was exclusively centered around hatred found in Germany. Propaganda was one of the main causes, which conditioned the peo pleRead MoreThe Tragedy Of The Holocaust1034 Words   |  5 PagesIn every moment, people make choices that impact society, continually shaping history. During the Holocaust, when the Nazi Party incarcerated millions of Jews, ordinary European citizens and their everyday decisions and shaped history through an amass of cause and effects. Their decisions were greatly influenced by their understanding of the universe of obligation, which sociologist Helen Fein defines as â€Å"the circle of individuals and groups ‘toward whom obligations are owed, to whom rules applyRead MoreThe Tragedy Of The Holocaust1970 Words   |  8 PagesThe Holocaust, 9/11, wars and assassinations are common events that come to mind when thinking about history. These events tend to make people think that mankind is evil and will always choose to be evil. However, when looking at the people behind the evil doings, are they really killing for a selfish reason? Mankind will always do good for their natio n, no matter the cost. While most powerful leaders end up hurting many people, they either have good intentions behind the mask of people suffering