The Nexus between the Leadership Question and the Poverty Trap in Africa
This paper examines the nexus between leadership question and the increasingly persistent poverty incidence in Africa, taking into consideration the effects of globalization. It argues that the dearth of an authentic knowledge leadership that is infused with patriotism, conscience, knowledge and transformational interest with Africa as centre of its foreign policies has been the bane of socio-economic development in Africa. The paper investigates this submission by examining the issues of how Africa got into the poverty trap, the leadership challenges in relation to globalization and poverty trap. It suggests how the challenges could effect a transformation out of this poverty trap. The development of knowledge leadership, Afro-centric foreign policies, diversification of the economy, industrial entrepreneurship revolution and internal generation of development funds are some of the recommendations out of this poverty trap.
The Nigerian University System and the Challenges of Capacity Building in a Globalized Economy
Abstract: The scaring effects of globalization and the global economic shift have affected world economic order to the extent that the weak economies are still trying to grapple with the production processes. The necessity of international discourse, alignment and reorganization generated by the new economic order has not provided the needed solution. Rather, the process has continued to erode and reorder the traditional economic activities of the weak economies to the extent that there is unprecedented unemployment. This gives the impression that the university academic system, with the courses and programmes taught, is not structured in a flexible manner to arrest the situation. This paper on the synergy between the Nigerian university academic system and the challenges of capacity building in a globalized economy investigates why, in spite of the numerous international discourses, economic restructuring, etc. unemployment, especially among the products of universities, continues to escalate, economy continues to dwindle, political structures and governance continue to deteriorate. The observation is that the Nigerian university system has failed to achieve, among the beneficiaries, the expected capacity building, intellectual capital and knowledge necessary to drive the economy in this dispensation. The paper recommends inter alia, an overhaul of the Nigerian university system to take care of the critical requirements of current production processes, flexibilization of labour and employment, ensuring that the knowledge and skills acquired are information and communication technology oriented and the development of the power and energy sector because of its regeneration and multiplier effects on job and wealth creation. Key words: Capacity Building; Flexibilization; Intellectual Capital; Nigerian University Academic System; Globalization
Did the metamorphosis from Export Processing Zones to Special Economic Zones improve the efficiency of trade enclaves in India?
In this paper, the efficiency of seven conventional Special Economic Zones in India is analyzed, by adopting a stochastic production frontier technique, for the period between 1986–1987 and 2007–2008.Results indicate that although the efficiency scores of these enclaves have improved over the years, specifically with the introduction of the SEZ policy (2000–2001), it is far below the threshold level as identified in the literature. Besides, one can also observe a discrepancy emerging between better export earning zones and efficient zones. On the determinants side, policy intervention and large geographical area, accompanied by clustering of units, are found to have impacted the efficiency scores of these enclaves positively.