Assessment of the UNDP’s humanitarian assistance programme on community development in Lagos State, Nigeria

Analysts frequently note that the UN was established in very different times, when interstate war dominated the international security agenda and the wave of decolonization had barely begun. The UN's membership was one-quarter the current size. Concepts such as human security, human development, governance, and peacebuilding, if they existed at all, were little used or understood, and it was the rights of and relationships between states (rather than individuals or groups) that enjoyed the spotlight. Some geopolitical fault lines were as pertinent then as now. The first ever General Assembly (GA) resolution called for the elimination of atomic and other weapons of mass destruction, (1) and in its first five years the Security Council was preoccupied by the Middle East, India-Pakistan, Indonesia, the Korean peninsula, and the Balkans. (2) But it is noticeable that Africa, which today represents over 50 percent of the docket of the Council, barely featured in the early days. The structure of the UN still largely reflects its birth. On the intergovernmental side, there was a clear distinction from the outset between the arenas for development issues-the GA and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)--and the forum for peace and security, the Security Council. The same distinction was evident within the UN Secretariat and its agencies, funds, and programs. As a result, two quite different communities-the development community and the conflict management (3) community--evolved, with separate procedures, financial arrangements and decisionmaking forums. Over time, however, and specifically with the end of the Cold War, the international community began to focus on the linkages between peace and development. This necessitated an enormous and ongoing institutional adaptation within the UN, whereby the development and conflict management communities began to work closely together, bridging the gaps created by their separate approaches. In this article I describe that adaptation, with a specific look at its application in Afghanistan. While I take into account both the intergovernmental (the UN as an arena) and the international civil service (the UN as an actor) sides of the UN, (4) my focus is mostly on the latter. On the other hand, major institutional innovations within the UN rarely occur without the explicit sanction of an intergovernmental body--the executive board in the case of an agency such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Security Council and GA political and budget committees in the case of Secretariat departments--and for that reason, I also describe the debates in those bodies. The UN and Development Cooperation The assumption by the UN of development functions was foreseen in the charter and early GA resolutions, (5) but development did not acquire real prominence on the UN agenda until the 1960s. Before then, development assistance was almost exclusively bilateral, but perceptions that multilateral channels were less political and more efficient led to an expansion in multilateral assistance, particularly after the Pearson Report of 1969. Already by the late 1940s, however, assistance to underdeveloped countries was being discussed, and in 1948 the GA approved a budget line for technical assistance (advisory social welfare services) amounting to U.S.$750,000. In 1950, the UN Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance (EPTA)--the first multilateral development program financed from voluntary contributions--was established. (6) In 1966, EPTA merged with the Special Fund for Economic Development to create the main UN agency for development, UNDP. (7) UNDP was primarily intended as a funding agency, providing funds for and assisting governments with the planning and management of national development programs. Programs were frequently executed by UN specialized agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), or by UNDP's own Office for Project Services (spun off in 1995). …

Management Models of Sustainable Conservation for the Socio-economic Development of Local Communities : a case study of the fortifications of Famagusta, Cyprus and other fortified cities in the Eastern Mediterranean

Women are half of the worlds total population. Their condition around the globe is drastic. Womens empowerment is much underscore issue of the 21st century. The West, which got phenomenal prosperity, is a direct result of empowering their women. It is a proven fact that without empowering the half of the population, a country cannot achieve prosperity in any field. Several governmental and non-governmental organizations are working intensively on womens empowerment issue, but the United Nations (UN) contributions are above all, as its charter ensures the basic rights of women. During the last two decades, the UN has held many conferences, seminars and workshops on women rights to launch a global strive. A number of the UN agencies are working on this issue, but most effective work on womens empowerment has been carried out by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). It works throughout the world by advocacy, partnerships, and provides technical support and financial aid to government and non-governmental organizations. In Pakistan, women are 51.73 percent of the total population. The condition of female population specifically in rural areas is adverse. Women are deprived of their basic human rights, and the literacy ratio among women is also alarmingly low. Being a developing state, Pakistan depends upon financial aid and technical support from international agencies. After the 18th amendment to the Constitution, provinces receive all sorts of aid directly from the donor agencies. The UNDP operates throughout the country known as the UNDP Pakistan. Because of dire situation in rural areas, the UNDP is working for rural uplift. This study has highlighted the socio-economic impacts of UNDP initial program on women in detail.

Dans un pays en voie de developpement comme l'Inde, la fracture numerique menace d'accentuer les inegalites entre riches et pauvres. L'acces aux connaissances constitue pourtant la fondation du developpement de ces pays. L'efficacite du role des ONG (Organisations Non-Gouvernementales) repose sur l'utilisation de l'internet et la mise en reseau de leurs informations. Le projet indev doit permettre de resorber la fracture numerique au sein des ONG et de repondre a leurs besoins en matiere d'information du developpement, de technologie, de logiciel et de formation.

Women constitute more than half of the entire population of the world, who are socially, economically, and politically marginalized. The economic burden placed on women requires alternative source of income for them to gain financial freedom and contribute immensely to socio-economic development of their society. Hence, the need for women empowerment and entrepreneurial programmes for development of communities in Nigeria.This study examines women empowerment and entrepreneurial programmes as predictors of community development in Nigeria. Five research questions were raised to guide the study. A self-structured questionnaire was the instrument used to elicit information from the respondents. One hundred and twenty (120) respondents were randomly sampled. The data collected were analyzed using frequency counts, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Finding of the study revealed that agro-business, catering services, mobile phones repairs and sales, food processing, frozen food and cooking gas are types of entrepreneurial programmes that exist in the studied area. It was revealed that women actively participate in empowerment and entrepreneurial programmes. The study revealed that lack of awareness, poor funding, poverty, illiteracy and care-free attitude undermine empowerment and entrepreneurial programmes among women. The study therefore recommended that government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should support women participating in empowerment and entrepreneurial programmes with provision of basic amenities and adequate funding to enhance women’s socio economic development. The study concluded that women empowerment and entrepreneurial programmes is an indispensable tools of gaining financial freedom for actualizing women and community development in Nigeria.

We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals. We know now it is bad business. --Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1937) Lundin Petroleum's First Steps in Corporate Social Responsibility The introduction of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a company is often linked to a crisis. The Exxon Valdez oil spill in US waters and the proposed sinking of the Brent Spar platform in the North Sea represented seminal events leading to a higher awareness of environmental issues within the sector. The recent Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico will no doubt have a similar impact. Likewise, allegations of complicity in human rights violations in Burma, Nigeria, and Sudan brought sociopolitical issues onto oil companies' agendas. In each case, traditional business models that focused on technical and financial parameters proved inadequate to deal with the crises and criticisms regarding the companies' possible role in them. The conflict in Sudan led Lundin Petroleum to review its business model and integrate CSR in its business strategy. (1) In 1997, it had acquired a license to explore for and produce oil and gas in South Sudan (Block 5A). Although the government of Sudan was embroiled in a civil war and not perceived well internationally, there were no legal impediments (sanctions) to the company doing business there. Peace prevailed in the concession area and the prospects of finding oil seemed significant. A couple of years after the company acquired its license, however, certain tribal factions, who claimed the government was violating the local peace agreement, started to join the rebels engaged in the civil war. Concerned about the security of its staff and operations and about mounting allegations of human rights violations in an adjacent oil field, the company hired a consultant to review the sociopolitical implications of its presence in the area and advise on steps to be taken. If at the time the company was not linked to the problems on the ground, management felt that ties with the local communities should be reinforced to preserve the company's social license to operate. Community development projects were thus initiated locally. (2) This first step, albeit necessary and beneficial to the recipients, proved to be insufficient to make up for the deteriorating relationship between local tribal leaders and the government. The working environment became unsafe, as rebels declared oil fields and staff legitimate military targets, and certain nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) began to criticize the company for its alleged role in that conflict. The company ceased all field operations, except for its community development projects, and hired a corporate responsibility (CR) manager to develop its CSR framework. The adoption of the CSR framework represented a strategic shift in the way the company operated. Until then, the company had considered geology and its commercial prospectivity as the overriding business drivers, but the situation in Sudan led it to review its business model and integrate sociopolitical considerations to preserve its legal and social license to operate, and to ensure the sustainability of the company and its operations. Lundin Petroleum's values and business principles were rendered explicit in a Code of Conduct, which was adopted further to discussions with management and the board of directors. The CR manager also elaborated health, safety, environment (HSE) and community relations policies; developed a Human Rights Primer; launched a community development and humanitarian assistance program; and initiated a process of stakeholder consultations. There were multiple stakeholders with divergent views about the situation in Sudan. If all the stakeholders wanted to see a sustainable peace, they each envisioned a different way of reaching this outcome; certain NGOs and media contended that oil was the cause of the conflict and that oil activities should be suspended until a peace agreement was reached. …

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of success of community education through the “Tibu Bedok” Joint Business Group (KUB) women's empowerment program and to find out what factors influence the success of women's empowerment programs through the “Tibu Bedok” Joint Business Group (KUB). Cemare Hamlet, Sheet Village of West Lombok, 2015. The data analysis technique used in this study was to reduce data, then present the data and draw conclusions. The results of this study indicate that the success of community education through the women's empowerment program based on the “Tibu Bedok” Joint Business Group (KUB) in Cemare Hamlet, Sheet Village, West Lombok is quite successful, it can be seen from the ability of members to meet their daily needs, for shopping and saving for children. schools, for arisan deposits as well as for health purposes and the factors that influence the success of the women's empowerment program through the Joint Business Group (KUB) in Cemare Hamlet, Sheet Village, West Lombok are (a) Environmental factors, (b) Mutual respect between managers and members , (c) Mutual trust between managers and members, and (d) Community participation.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) introduced a micro credit scheme of N9milllion as one of the projects in the Integrated Community Development Programme (ICDP) in Delta state in 2000. UNDP appointed Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO) a Micro Finance Institution (MFI) in Nigeria which has developed a successful model of reaching credit to resource poor households that are generally bypassed by government financial institutions as consultants to implement the scheme in the state. This work sought to determine the return to the different economic activities funded with the loan by the beneficiaries, and ascertain the repayment/default rate of the credit programme. Analysis of data collected from 103 beneficiaries of the scheme spread across the three agricultural zones of the state suggests that the productivity of labour was higher than the estimated wage rate and the rate of return was higher than the interest charged on the loan. It is recommended that since the micro credit has been effective in improving the livelihood of the low income house-holds, the government should mobilize adequate donor support on behalf of the micro credit institutions.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the oldest dedicated development institution in the multilateral system, yet remains one of the smallest in terms of funding and resources. This belies its central role in contributing to rankings, benchmarks and ratings which have defined the process of development for states, nongovernment organisations and the private sector. The UNDP created the Human Development Index (HDI), coordinates the benchmarks of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and recently devised sovereign credit ratings in partnership with Standard and Poor’s. In this regard mobilising numbers in support of development strategies is not new, yet it will be argued that the UNDPs development policy has seen a significant shift from the qualitative analysis of the HDI to the quantitative nature of credit rating. This paper will adopt a governmentality approach in looking at sovereign credit rating and the way in which the power of numbers informs the rationality underpinning the partnership between the UNDP and the rating agency Standard and Poor’s. It concludes that while pursuing sovereign credit rating may be seen as ‘capacity development’ for the UNDP, it in fact represents a shift by the organisation toward quantitative practices that have particular consequences for the global governance of development.

Capacity building in the United States of America is defined by its own unique history and cultural circumstances. As such, it can be seen as distinct from the principles and practices of capacity building as they are often understood outside of the United States. While community capacity building in places other than the United States often focuses on the community itself (McGinty, 2002; Murphy and Thomas, 2005; Public Health Agency of Canada, 2008; United Nations Development Program, n.d.), the dominant use of the concept in the United States focuses on non-governmental organisations (US Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2009; Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, n.d.; Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance, 2008). And while community capacity building outside of the US is often quite broad, including interventions for everything from a financing infrastructure to a community culture and a professional support system for community development, in the United States community capacity building is highly technical and specialised. This chapter begins with a discussion of the history of capacity building within the United States and contrasts this with a non-US typology of capacity building. The chapter then discusses some of the problems that exist in the current practice of capacity building in the United States and explores an alternative model of capacity building that hold more promise.

Mid 2003, Gaz de France started drilling operations on the Exploration License of Touat located in the South West Algeria. Early 2006, Gaz de France launched an associated Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project. Primary contacts have been initiated with local authorities and with the well established United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in order to benefit from the social baseline information they had already gathered, and from some pilot actions they were carrying with local associations. From these contacts, Gaz de France has initiated a CSR project, referred to as the Touat Solidarity Program, which is articulated around a number of key structuring elements. First, the Touat Solidarity Program project favor long terms objectives. Secondly, it fits into the program of the UNDP who has pre-identified and evaluated the needs of the area of activities. Other E&P actors are supporting and taking part to this UNDP program. The Touat Solidarity Program is also developed in relation with the local authorities to favor its acceptability and benefit from the authorities financial support. Local actors are involved as much as possible, and training is provided to build up their autonomy. Codegaz, a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) close to Gaz de France, is involved in the implementation of the program. Being present in the field and manned by Gaz de France employees and ex-employees, the contribution of Codegaz emphasizes the visibility of Gaz de France on site. The organization ensures actions are fruitful for locals. The different entities of Gaz de France involved in the project are liaising as required in order to ensure the consistency of the project and be able to clearly communicate on the subject to the company stakeholders. The principles at the heart of the Touat solidarity program are in line with the main E&P industry recommendations who advise to privilege long-term over short-term actions, to engage with local authorities and NGOs, to collaborate with other E&P actors and to resort to social issues specialists.

Islamic Social finance is an emerging area of study and practice, different from commercial finance. It concerns about financing members of the community or country for socio-economic development. However, it faces the challenge of sustainability either due to legal or regulatory framework or due to lack of awareness among members of the society. The history of Islamic social finance in Nigeria connects back to the revivalism of Islam through Shehu Uthman Bin Fodio in 1804. Recently, with the establishment of Zakat and Endowment Committee in Sokoto in 2007, there was an increasing awareness and practice in the contemporary Islamic Social Finance, especially when the Government converts the Committee into Commission in 2016 which makes it independence to initiate and execute its policies. The objective of this paper is to examine two of its recently executed projects vis-à-vis Youth and Women Empowerment programs. The study uses qualitative technique for data collection and analysis. Two focus group sessions were conducted with the Youth and Women entrepreneurs who benefitted from the empowerment programs by the SZEC. The study finds that the Youth have been able to harness their potentials by expanding their businesses and upgrading the quality of their products and services such as shoe repair due the skills acquired in the training. Moreover, the women have improved their welfare and that of their children to an unprecedented level. They were able to maintain their chosen business as livelihood of income. However, they reveal that, marketing of their finished products is the major challenge they face.

The Nigerian Society is purely Patriarchy in Nature, and since this patriarchal nature is evident in traditionally social, cultural, economic, and religious realms or settings, there is a need for Women's Empowerment that directly influences these sectors. This Study assessed Women's Empowerment programs in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A descriptive Survey design was adopted. Sample size of 500 respondents were selected from 10 local government areas in the State. The Analysis was conducted using Statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 23. The set null hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The set null hypotheses for Psychological Empowerment (B = 0.399, t = 22.853; P< 0.05), Social Empowerment (B = 0.318, t = 15.160, P<0.05), Economic Empowerment (B = 0.305, t=`11.955 P<0.05) and Political Empowerment (B=0.732, t= 21.221, P<0.05). The findings revealed that Social, Economical, Political, and psychological empowerment has significant contributions to Women's Empowerment programs in Ekiti State. The study recommended that Social Empowerment, Economic Empowerment, Psychological Empowerment, and Political Empowerment are key contributors to Women's Empowerment.

This study examined the impact of employee satisfaction on the competitive advantage of selected virtual organisations in Lagos State, Nigeria. Specifically, it assessed the relationship between individual virtual competencies, motivation, organisational identity, autonomy, the nature of the work and the competitive advantage of virtual organisations in Lagos State, Nigeria. The survey research design was adopted for this study. The population of the study covered all staff in selected virtual organisations in Lagos State, Nigeria. A total of 400 copies of questionnaire were distributed and retrieved. Stratified random sampling procedure was used in administering the copies of questionnaire to selected virtual organisations in Lagos State, Nigeria. The data collected through questionnaire administration was analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, mean and standard deviation. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the null hypotheses and estimate the research model using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) technique through the use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 24. The study found out that there is a significant positive relationship between individual virtual competencies, motivation, organisational identity, the nature of the work and competitive advantage while revealing that there is a positive and non-significant relationship between autonomy and the competitive advantage of virtual organisations in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study recommended that virtual organisations employ individuals that have the required skills and competencies needed to perform the various organisational tasks, motivate their employees intrinsically and extrinsically, possess a strong brand image, allow employees experience freedom to do their tasks and duties at their own pace and take cognisance of employees that work in dispersed locations with peculiar difficulties in those varied locations so that they will contribute more to the competitive advantage of the virtual organisation.

The efficiency and effectiveness of management in Food and Beverage Manufacturing Firms (FBMF) can be gauged by their organizational performance. Studies have shown that manufacturing activities in Nigeria have resulted in significant negative environmental consequences, such as degradation of natural environments, depletion of ozone layers, and the release of harmful substances. These outcomes have had a detrimental impact on the performance of Food and Beverage Manufacturing Firms, leading to reduced profitability, declining market share, low productivity, and sluggish sales growth. These outcomes suggest a lack of adequate implementation of ecopreneurship practices, including environmental expenditure, corporate environmental responsibility, non-adherence to environmental regulations, eco-innovation, and pro-environmental orientation. Furthermore, based on the reviewed extant literature, it was found that, prior literature gave little consideration to the moderating role of firm size on ecopreneurship and organisational performance nexus. Therefore, this study examined the effects of ecopreneurship on organisational performance of FBMF moderated by the firm size. This study adopted a quantitative approach. Using a survey research design, data were collected from a sample of 415 employees of 10 selected FBMF in Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria. The respondents were selected using Simple random sampling technique. Hierarchical Multiple Linear Regression Analysis (HMLR) was used to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that, at 0.05 significance level, ecopreneurship had significant effect on organizational performance of selected food and beverage manufacturing firms in Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria (Adj.R2 = 0.86, F(5, 364) = 459.20, p < 0.05). And the effect of ecopreneurship on organisational performance was not significantly moderated by firm size (β = -0.00, ∆R 2 = 0.00, ∆F = 1.38, p > 0.05). By implication, the findings of this study emphasize the importance of ecopreneurship across all sizes of FBMF. Implementing ecopreneurship practices not only drives performance but also enhances sustainability efforts and provides a competitive advantage in the market. Based on the findings, it was recommended that management of selected FBMF in Lagos and Ogun States should continuously work on policies that can enhance their capacity to adopt environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, audit their existing ecopreneurship environment, identify vulnerable areas, and implement best practices.