Millennium Development Goals In Nigeria Research Articles

Challenges of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria: Lessons for the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This study examines the challenges of implementing the MDGs in Nigeria. Nevertheless, the secondary method of data collection and evaluative method was employed in this research work especially data from the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the president on MDGs (OSSAP), the National Bureau of statistics (NBS), National poverty Eradication programme (NAPEP), text books, internet etc. while content analysis was used to analyse the data collected. This study revealed that poor infrastructural development, poverty, bad governance, corruption, inadequacy and misapplication of Fund, leading to lack of value for money and many more have impeded the implementation of MDGSs in Nigeria. Although, Nigeria has made appreciable progress on Goals 2 and 8, as well as some partial progress on Goals 3 and 6, but faces serious challenges on Goals 4, 5 and 7 and some indictors of Goals 6. Therefore, there is the need to consolidate on areas where progress has been made in the SDGs project while concrete effort is required to get the country back on track in the areas where it faces serious challenges during the implementation of the MDGs. This underscores the need to address implementation bottlenecks and defects in current SDGs implementation policies. Finally, government should provide opportunities for greater involvement of the private sector, civil society organizations and development partners in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of SDGs – related projects.

The European Union and UN Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria: A Study of the Micro Projects Programmes (MPPs) in the Niger Delta Region

The present Cotonou Accord was signed by the EU, 77, African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries towards halving poverty as prescribed by the UN Declaration by 2015. The EU's interventionin the rural communities of the oil producing states of Nigeria (Niger Delta) clearly shows her commitment towards the above stated global drive for the eradication of poverty especially in the Third World. Bringing about the establishment of the Micro ProjectProgrammes (MPP3, MPP6 and MPP9) for the nine states of the region between 1999 and 2012 and expended over €210 million on the programmes. Four years after theimplementation of the programmes, arising questions include: to what extent did the EU-MPPs achieve the set goals of poverty reduction in the region? And how sustainable are the achievements of the programmes? Using ex post facto research design, it was found out that amidst numerous challenges the MPPs actually reduced the level of poverty in the region through the provision of over 20,000 micro projects to more than 4000 rural communities in the nine states it covered. It therefore recommended that similar programmes be initiated by all other international development agencies as to speed up the reduction of poverty in the UN targeted areas though behind the originally target period of 2015. The study contends that an effective administrative institutional framework of the EU- MPPs should serve as model to other development agencies not only in Nigeria but across the developing economies of the world.

Political Science as Prospect for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria

With the continued manifestation and intensification of poverty, child and maternal mortality, unemployment, HIV/AIDS and other economic problems in Nigeria after the expiration of the deadline set for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, the preoccupation of the existing scholarships have been channeled in interrogating the fundamental impediments to the actualization of these goals. Factors such as lack of human capacity, inadequate and unreliable data system, lack of finance, poor coordination of the policy framework, and among others, were identified by scholars as the bane of the MDGs framework in Nigeria. As the global community moves into the post-MDG era, the study examined the role and relevance of Political Science in advancing the objectives enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria. Employing the basic propositions emanating from the Marxist theory of the Post-Colonial State, the study, beyond the conventional positions of scholars, argued that the non-adherence to the dictates of politics was implicated in the failure of Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria. Also, the study utilized the secondary method of data collection largely drawn from official publication, journal articles and books while we analyzed the data using the content analysis. In the light of the foregoing, we suggested for more inclusion of political scientists in the formulation and implementation of policy frameworks relating to SDG initiatives, on one hand, and the application of basic principles of good governance which remains the core of Political Science, on another hand, in order to address the development challenges that confronting the Nigerian state. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n5p319

Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria; Issues and Prospects: an Historical Paradox

The paper seeks to explore the recognition of importance of education to the development of a nation, as a means of poverty eradication which is regarded as the most important goal of human development. Ironically, in the time past in Nigeria, education delivery has suffered major setbacks ranging from inadequate frameworks policy, project duplication, gross inefficiency and corruption. In view of this and many others, the United Nations, comprising of Nigeria and other 188 members, in year 2000, in a meeting widely referred to as Millennium Summit in the United States of America, came up with the idea of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) especially for developing countries, for the purpose of poverty eradication, hunger reduction and education promotion for all (Mohammed, (2006). It is a shocking paradox that a significant proportion of Nigeria population is poor despite its enormous wealth as Adejuwon and Tijani (2012) argued. Therefore, this paper, through historical exploration, examines those issues that arose since the commencement of MDGs as it concerns Nigeria as well as prospects of achieving a remarkable impact within time-frame. The paper concludes that governments at all levels need to be sincere in the implementation of MDGs if the of illiteracy, poverty and hunger are to be eradicated by year 2015 as the year set out to achieve goals of the Millennium Development.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurship (CSRE): antidotes to poverty, insecurity and underdevelopment in Nigeria

Purpose– This paper aims to examine the prospect of utilising corporate social responsibility and entrepreneurship (CSRE) as antidotes for mitigating the incidences of poverty, insecurity and underdevelopment in Nigeria. The paper derives its theoretical foundation from the stakeholder, instrumental and legitimacy theories, which all justify the use of CSRE for actualisation of Triple Bottom Line (i.e. the social, economic and environmental concerns of business organisations).Design/methodology/approach– The study used the quantitative research method relying on the use of secondary data published by institutional bodies. The quantitative method entail a systematic extraction of reliable data on corporate social responsibility (CSR), insecurity, poverty and development from the publications of Office of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria, CLEEN Foundation, National Bureau of Statistics and Central Bank of Nigeria, respectively. For missing years, the authors improvised using projections as well as proxies. The extracted data, which spanned a period of 13 years, were subjected to econometric tests using SPSS, on the basis of which informed conclusions were drawn.Findings– The first econometric result indicates a negative relationship between gross domestic product and poverty. The second result indicates that there is a positive significant relationship between gross domestic product and total crime rate. The third result indicates that there exists a positive relationship between gross domestic product and unemployment rate. The fourth result indicates that there is a negative relationship between gross domestic product and industrial growth rate. The last result indicates that there is a significant positive relationship between gross domestic product and CSR.Research limitations/implications– The results of this research have macro-level application, hence the outcomes cannot be narrowed to any particular sector of the economy. A micro-level analysis across diverse sectors of the economy is recommended in future studies. The implication of this empirical research is that policymakers in the Nigerian private sector need to reinvent their CSR programmes as mechanisms for poverty eradication, entrepreneurship development (CSRE), dousing tension of restive youth, empowerment/support for security agencies for better crime prevention and for impacting on sustainable development.Practical implications– In the face of dwindling financial resources in the treasury of governments, the reinvention of CSRE by private sector organisations as complementary mechanisms for combating social problems is becoming acceptable in both developed and developing nations. This paper therefore boldly recommends that policymakers reinvent CSRE as development mechanisms through a sound partnership between government, advocacy groups and business corporations in Nigeria.Social implications– The paper explicates that CSR can indeed be reinvented by corporations as part of their social concerns to their operating environment instead of leaving all social problems to governments.Originality/value– The research lends credence to stakeholder, instrumental and legitimacy theories of CSR. It also justifies the plausibility of CSRE, a novel concept being promoted in this research.

Socio-economic determinants of life expectancy in Nigeria (1980 - 2011).

Attainment of 70 years life expectancy by 2020 is one of the millennium development goals in Nigeria. This study examined the socio-economic determinants of life expectancy in Nigeria using data from 1980-2011. Judging from the endogeneity feature of the variables, A VAR and VECM frameworks were employed. Socio-economic features were proxy by secondary school enrolment, government expenditure on health, per capita income, unemployment rate and the Naira foreign exchange rate. It was found that, the conventional socio-economic variables such as per capita income, education and government expenditure on health considered to be highly effective in determining life expectancy of developing countries are not significant in the case of Nigeria. The study however suggests that, life expectancy in Nigeria could be improved if attention is given to quality of government health expenditure, unemployment and measures to halt the depreciation of the Nigerian Naira against major foreign currency.

An Assessment of Health-Related Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria

An Assessment of Health-Related Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria

Quality Education: A Harbinger for Attaining Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria

Provision of quality education, no doubt, is one of the most important investments that a country can make. Not only does it fulfill people’s right to knowledge, it is one of the most powerful ways of accelerating economic growth, reducing poverty, unemployment, child mortality and improves maternal health. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) are laudable and very worthy to be pursued so as to catalyze the needed growth and development we so crave for in Nigeria. It is obvious that the attainment of these goals can only materialize through giving the citizenry the appropriate sound quality education. The paper focuses on the components of quality framework, MDGS and Nigeria situation. To actualize the MDGS, the paper discussed some strategies for attaining the MDGS such as equal access to quality education, technology transfer, teachers’ training and development, better quality teaching materials etc. The paper recommended that teaching and learning right away from primary schools to university levels should enhance MDGS related skills, knowledge and behaviour. Also the federal government should harmonies policies and procedures already in existing towards realizing the UBE, EFA and Millennium Development Goals. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p861

MDGs in Nigeria, communication and the media

Abstract This article takes a look at the African perspective of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and examines Nigeria’s communication strategy for its implementation. Against the backdrop of endemic corruption in Nigeria and her news commercialization policy, the article examines the extent to which the media have been mobilized or motivated to be partners in the MDGs campaign. Also, it tries to bring to the fore how the citizens have been carried along in the campaign and what roles (if any) they have been made to play. Sources used for the data for this article include public communication and media advocacy literature, interviews with key informants with knowledge about Nigeria’s MDGs and a survey of Nigerian editors. Some information also came from the Conference on MDGs campaign organized at the University of Uyo in November 2011. It was found that, because government media dominate the Nigerian media environment, a paternalistic relationship seems to be the expectation of the MDGs’ implementers in their dealings with the media. That is, the MDGs’ implementers tend to expect the media to go after them rather than them looking for the media. Besides, the MDGs’ implementers expect the Federal Ministry of Information and the National Orientation Agency to handle the publicity of the programmes for them. The result is that the MDGs’ campaign roadmap, which promised a behavioural change communication, has not been implemented and the attempt at the campaign lacks design and strategies. Neither are new media used for the campaign nor are the editors and journalists impressed by the awareness level about MDGs among Nigerians.

The Millennium Development Goals and Rail Transport Development in Nigeria: A Critical Review

The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) is an embodiment of development issues adopted by member nations of the United Nations Organization to accelerate the rate of development in their countries. As adopted in Nigeria, it aims at the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; achievement of universal primary education or eradication of illiteracy; promotion of gender equality and empower women; reduction of child mortality; maternal health improvement; combating of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and the development of global partnership for development. These objectives are incorporated into the development agenda of the various member states. The achievement of these goals will among other things depend on the availability of necessary and sufficient infrastructural development in the countries, especially a developed transport system. This study examines the role transportation would play towards the realization of these MDGs in Nigeria. And each of these goals are examined in connection with their transportation factor requirements; and the consequences the lack (or inadequacy) of this factor can bear on fulfilling the Goals. The paper finds that the transport requirements for the achievement of these goals in Nigeria are lacking, especially in the rail transport sector. While appreciable progress is being made to develop the other transport sectors viz: air, road and water transport, the rail transport sector suffers neglect. The paper finds that the law establishing the railway makes the rail system an exclusive reserve of the Federal Government in Nigeria, and that this has prevented private participation in the sector and has led to the underdeveloped nature of rail transport system in the country and this inhibits the achievement of the millennium development goals in the country. The paper recommends the review of the act to allow for private participation in the sector to reposition the sector to provide the necessary transport services necessary for the realization of the millennium development goals in Nigeria. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n6p433

Prospects for Achieving Sustainable Development Through the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria.

In recent time, the concept of sustainable development cannot be overemphasized. Since the early 1980s, the term ‘sustainable development’ has been used widely and indiscriminately. The term began to gain popularity, when it became increasingly fashionable to use it as a way of responding to global environmental concerns, biophysical issues, fairness, equity and distribution. With this in mind, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were put up in recent times to address and include the issue of sustainability in development. In essence, this study is carried out with a view to enhance the understanding about the analytical content of sustainable development as well as sensitizing the Nigerian economy to key into the current wave of sustaining the global economy. In the light of some of the environmental as well as socio-economic challenges permeating the Nigerian economy, it is therefore required that the Nigerian government concentrates on key areas that can help boost and sustain its developmental objectives. Hence, this paper helps to understand the concept and need for sustainable development. Besides, key developmental areas that require sustainability in Nigeria are addressed. Key Words: “Sustainable”, “Globalization”, “Environment”, “Development”

Development Journalism and Press Coverage of Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria

Development journalism has a strong normative appeal based on the assumed powers and responsibility of the press to mobilize and educate the public for support and participation in formulating and implementing national development policies. Journalism in developing countries like Nigeria is often associated with this brand of journalism and if that is so, it is expected that journalists, through their reporting style should be able to demonstrate these norms. There are three basic research questions that propelled this paper; Do Nigerian journalists report development issues? If they do, what style of reporting is generally favoured? Are they committed to development journalism by normative standards? Using content analysis to describe the pattern of reporting the activities aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals in some selected newspapers in Nigeria, the conclusions are that the journalists pay attention by reporting the MDG activities but favoure more of straight news than interpretative/in-depth story style which tend to suggest that they give less priority to the norms of development news coverage. Also in terms of MDG goal attraction to the press, environmental sustainability and eradication of poverty scored higher more than gender equality and empowerment.

Approaches to Enhanced Political Will for Achieving Nutrition-Related Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria

Background: The year 2015 was set as the target to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),including those that are directly linked with nutrition in Nigeria. However, the chances of meeting this target appear very slim as 2015 is here. Efforts geared towards meeting these targets have recorded little success due to myriads of challenges of which weak political ownership takes a vantage position; coupled with lack of specificity in coordination of nutrition programmes. This has contributed to low level of nutrition development because all the government ministries/agencies where nutrition programmes have been domiciled have their specific goals and nutrition is usually considered as add-on Programme. Objective: To examine tested approaches to achieving nutrition-related MDGs in Nigeria. Method: Review of literature and relevant national documents using a desk-review guide, which was developed in line with the goal of this presentation. Results: International agencies including the World Bank are becoming more involved in nutrition programmes and are passionate of the pivotal role of nutrition in the scheme of national development. However, learning from the success story of nutrition programmes in some sub-Sahara African countries, it is certain that proper coordination of nutrition programmes by an agency solely created by the national government is the missing link in the equation for enhanced nutrition development. Conclusion: Establishment of a full-fledged National Nutrition Council under the Office of the President will be an impetus required to kick-start effective coordination and mainstreaming of nutrition into all developmental agenda. This is in line with the global practice of scaling-up nutrition programmes at the national level.

Successful Implementation of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria: What Roles the Financial Systems are Expected to Perform?

The nation Nigeria, was one of the 50 richest countries in the world in the early 1970s, but has retrogressed to become one of the 25 poorest countries at threshold of the twenty first century. It is ironic that Nigeria is the sixth largest exporter of oil and at the same time harbors the third largest number of poor people after china and India. What a paradox, but that indeed is the reality today. However, the United Nations Millennium Development agenda is comprehensively addressing the core problems of under-development and primitiveness that continues to set Nigeria back since independence. In September 2000, leaders from 189 nations ratified the Millennium Declaration. The declaration was an unprecedented global commitment and one of the most significant United Nations documents in recent times. It offers a common and integrated vision on how to tackle some of the major challenges facing the world of our time. The declaration has resulted in Eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) focused on reducing poverty, improving the quality of peoples’ lives, ensuring environmental sustainability, and building partnerships to ensure that globalization becomes a more positive force for all the world’s people. Also specific targets and indicators have been set and put in place for each of the goals, to be achieved by 2015. This study attempted to identify the key roles financial institutions particularly Micro Finance Banks can play in helping to achieve these MDGs objectives in target time in Nigeria. The study offered the following recommendations amongst others; the need for re-engagement in entrepreneurial development through integrated microfinance model and it also suggested that major efforts should be made to remove the critical material, institutional and policy obstacles that prevent the rural poor from seizing opportunities for improved livelihoods in ways that they themselves can sustain and improve upon.

English

Nigeria as a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) declaration has been making concerted effort to actualize these human development goals. She has put some strategies in place to specifically address the issue of health-related MDGs, especially MDGs 4 and 5. This paper therefore, reviewed some of the strategies put in place in order to achieve the fourth and fifth MDGs in Nigeria.   Key words: Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Nigeria, health-related MDGs

Challenges and Prospects of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) in Nigeria

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is one significant break through in development policy. Nigeria’s quest for sustainable development and its subsequent endorsement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in September, 2000 indicates a concerted and pragmatic attempt on the part of government and international agencies, to align with a major development agenda. A critical examination of the number of years of implementing the MDGs goals and targets by various implementing agencies – the Federal, States and Local Governments and the attendant low level of progress (based on the available MDGs progress evaluation report) adds weight to this study. The study, which is purely descriptive, indepthly assesses and examines the prospects, challenges and implications of attaining the MDGs in Nigeria, even with very few years to the target year. The specific objective of this paper is to justify the status of sustainable development in Nigeria vis-a-vis MDGs related programmes and projects. The paper notes some inherent dysfunctions and constraints on Nigeria’s MDGs, and proffers useful recommendations on how some of these goals could be partially achieved – in terms of good governance, public private sector partnerships, pro-poor social policies and effective development cooperation between donor and partnering organizations and different tiers of government in the country. Keywords : UN Millennium Summit; Development Cooperation; Accountability and Transparency; Progress Reports, Human Development

ICTs and Indigenous Languages as Agents for the Actualization of Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria

This paper advocates for the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and indigenous languages for the actualization of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria because both tools are capable of transforming the rural and urban populace. It explores the MDGs so as to unravel the ways ICTs and indigenous languages can facilitate the speedy actualization of MDGs in Nigeria, a country with peculiar cultural heritage and with over 750 indigenous languages. It also analyzes some of the contending constraints confronting Nigeria from actualizing MDGs such as corruption, extreme poverty, lack of attention to indigenous languages, high cost of ICTs which are products of bad leadership. The effective use of Nigeria’s different indigenous languages and ICTs, it maintains, remains the most effective way towards educating Nigerians and achieving the MDGs in Nigeria come 2015.

The effects of public libraries on the attainment of health millennium development goals in the South-south of Nigeria

This study surveys the roles of public libraries in the attainment of health Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria. It also identifies the health-information needs of the community and information services rendered by the libraries. The role of public libraries in the attainment of health-MDGs has been a daunting task for public libraries as a result of government’s negligence. The methodology adopted for the study is the survey design in which questionnaire was used for obtaining data. The target population was public library staff/users in the South-south of Nigeria. The resultshowed that public libraries have played significant role in the attainment of health-MDGs and library users make significant demand for all categories of health information especially in the area of maternal and childcare. However, majority of the public libraries have no Internet services. The findings make it imperative for all other relevant agencies to key into the health-MDGs especially in assisting the public libraries. The study will bring to the awareness of users, the roles public libraries play in supporting local and international policies and the provision of information services for library users. Key words: Public libraries, health information resources, health Millennium Development Goals, information services, South-south of Nigeria, HIV/AIDS.

Public Relation as a Tool for Promoting Rural and Agricultural Development: Lessons from the National Fadama Development Project II in Nigeria

The current trend in the institutional support mechanisms for agriculture at state, national and international levels underscores its significance to the attainment of a number of millennium development goals in Nigeria. Extension institutions and technology transfer programmes exist in almost every developing country yet; coverage of farm families is still limited. The quality of developing countries’ extension programmes is seriously questioned, and the transfer of potentially beneficial new and underutilized technologies continues to lag. Many information units already exist is developing countries’ extension programmes- mass media, audiovisual aids, and printed materials are used extensively. However, the use of public relation skills and methodologies are poorly integrated into the total extension programme. Incorporating appropriate public relation tools and strategies into extension programmes can improve this situation. This paper presents highlights on Public Relation tools and how their potentials can be harnessed for effective public relation between key players in the Nigerian agricultural sector and its public. It also explains these tools can help accelerate progress towards attaining self–sufficiency in agricultural production while ensuring development of our rural populace. Also, insights were provided into the public relation strategies of the National Fadama Development Project II (NFDPII).

Implementation of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria through Non-Formal Education Curriculum

Nigeria is a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) declaration but till now she has not made any significant milestones in actualizing these human development goals. In spite of the coordinated efforts towards mobilizing those in the formal education system to partially address its implementation challenges, serious gaps still exit in the implementation drive through the non-formal education. Most adults whose position and daily activities are critical to the successful actualization of the MDGs are excluded from the implementation programmes. Against this backdrop, this paper explores the relevance of non-formal education curriculum to the actualization of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria within the 2015 time frame.