Ministries , Departments And Agencies Research Articles

The Influence of Treasury Single Account Implementation on Public Sector Performance: A Case Study of Selected Parastatals in South East Nigeria (2010-2019)

This study delved into the effect of Treasury Single Account (TSA) on public sector performance in selected parastatals in South East Nigeria (2010-2019). The broad objective of this study was to ascertain the effect of Treasury Single Account (TSA) on public sector performance in selected parastatals in South East Nigeria. Consequently, four research questions and four hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Survey design was adopted for the study. Area of the study is South East Nigeria, population of the study was 1,548 staff drawn from Boards of Internal Revenues (BIRs) of the five States in South East. Stratified random sampling was used to derive 713 respondents for the study. Instrument for data collection was self-structured questionnaire. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer research questions while ANOVA and Z-test statistic was used to analyze hypotheses. The result based on empirical analysis revealed that treasury single account had positive effect on fraud detection in Parastatals in South East Nigeria, treasury single account had positive effect on revenue mobilization in Parastatals in South East Nigeria, treasury single account had positive effect on blockage of financial leakages in Parastatals in South East Nigeria and treasury single account had positive effect on financial savings in Parastatals in South East Nigeria. Thus, the study concluded that fraud detection, revenue mobilization, financial leakages and financial savings have been affected in Parastatals in South East Nigeria as result of Treasury single account (TSA). Based on the findings, the following recommendations among others were proffered: Government should ensure timely release of operational funds to encourage MDAs to support the TSA Policy. This can be achieved through the use of treasury bills (T-bills) or other short-term borrowing instruments aimed at offsetting the impact of TSA implementation on government cash flows and there should be full implementation of TSA in all states ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Partial implementation in many states as was observed by the researcher during field work should be discouraged. The gains of TSA cannot be overemphasized. Keywords: Treasury Single Account, Accountability, Public Sector, Revenue, Savings, Parastatatal.

International Public Sector Accounting Standards and Deterrent of Corrupt Practices in the Public Sector of Ogun State Nigeria

International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) are expected to enhance transparency and accountability and deter corrupt practices in public sector. This study investigated the extent to which the implementation of the standards deters corrupt practices in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design using questionnaire for its primary data obtained from staff in selected Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Ogun state, Nigeria. The selected MDAs are: The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Federal College of Education, Osiele, Abeokuta; Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority, Abeokuta, and Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta. Ogun State was chosen because of ease of access and because the state combines the features of an industrial state with those of civil service state. The sample size is 600 accounting staffers and lecturers that cut across the MDAs. Results of regression equation revealed that the standards exert positive and significant effect on deterring corrupt practices with probability values of 0.000. This study observed that the adoption of the standards alone cannot totally curb corruption in Nigeria. Constant staff trainings, political will to bring corrupt officials to book and proper use of discretionary measures in the standards are therefore strongly recommended by this study.

Strategic Plan Implementation Challenges and Organisational Performance of Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority and Malawi Posts Corporation, 2016-2021

The objective of the article is to discuss strategic plan implementation challenges and performance of Malawi’s public organisations, with reference to Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) and Malawi Posts Corporation (MPC). Following the introduction of public sector reforms in Malawi, government instituted policy directives for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to develop strategic plans. The philosophy behind the directive was that by introducing strategic plans in public organisations there will be efficient and effective service delivery and that consumers will get public value from improved services. Evidence suggests that public organisations continue to register dismal performance even with strategic plans due to a variety of challenges. The article adopts principal-agent and public value theories as well as PESTEL methods to identify strategic plan implementation challenges and to analyse performance of MACRA and MPC during 2016-2021. It finds that these Malawian public organisations performed dismally despite having strategic plans, because of political, economic, sociological, technological, legal and environmental challenges. The article recommends that there should be both incentives and penalties for public organisations as well as a comprehensive legal enforcement mechanism for strategic plans in order to ensure that they perform efficiently and effectively to the satisfaction of their principal, government. Keywords: Public Sector Reforms, Strategic Plans, Organisational Performance, Service Delivery and Malawi

A systematic review of the linkages between corporate governance systems and procurement practices in public procurement entities

Purpose – Corporate governance and procurement corruption has long been recognized as a social problem, but the subject has received scant academic attention in prevailing literature on the management of procurement in Ghana. A systematic review conducted explores how the relationship between corporate governance and procurement could contribute to the effective management of public resources to maximize social welfare and augment Ghana’s economy. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing extensively on existing literature as a secondary data source, this research adopts an interpretivist philosophical stance and inductive reasoning to explore corporate governance and procurement corruption. The approach underpinning this overarching epistemology, adopts a three-step sample selection strategy to identify the range and scope of publications on the phenomena under investigation. Scientific papers were searched manually from Scopus and carefully screened for analysis. Findings –Analysis suggests that corporate governance and procurement require a degree of coordinated change across governmental departments, such as planning, legal and procurement to implement a robust policy and related support systems. Furthermore, it was observed that a portfolio approach to inter-organizational collaboration with different partners (such as the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as State Owned Enterprises and Corporations) was not coordinated sufficiently to effectively generate public interest. Albeit each partner has individual own objectives, they ultimately complement one another. A portfolio of different, inter-organizational arrangements enables several complementary instruments and various logics to be used in achieving overall organisational goals and objectives. Originality/value – Novel insight presented provides an invaluable opportunity to: further expand future research into corporate governance and procurement in Ghana; and consequently, provide the premise upon which to build meaningful empirical analysis such as comparing the extent of corruption practices in various sectors of the Ghanaian economy.

Social Factors as Predictors of Career Advancement of Female Civil Servants in Southwest, Nigeria

The study examined social factors as predictors of female advancement of women in civil service in Southwest, Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was used in this study. The population consisted of all 46,889 women in Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Southwest, Nigeria. The sample for this study consisted of 1183 adult women from 40 Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies in Southwest, Nigeria. The sample was selected through multi stage sampling procedure. A self-constructed questionnaire tagged “Social Factors and Career Advancement Questionnaire (SFCAQ)” was used to collect relevant data for the study. The instrument consists of three sections namely Section A, B and C. The instrument was subjected to face and content validity. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive analysis was used to perform item analysis of the items of the questionnaire while the hypotheses were tested using inferential statistics at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that there was significant relationship between educational factor and career advancement of female civil servants. The study also revealed that there was significant relationship between marital factor and career advancement of female civil servants, likewise economic factor and career advancement of female civil servants. It was concluded that social factors like education factor, marital factor, and economic factor contributed to career advancement of female civil servants. The study recommended that women should be encouraged to involve more in career advancement in the civil service.

An evaluation of Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS) effectiveness and implementation in Gombe State

This study was carried out to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS) in Gombe State. It aimed at examining the effectiveness of the implementation IPPIS in ensuring safety and integrity of civil servants’ personal information, reducing payroll fraud and helping government in planning and budgeting. A survey research design was used in conducting the study. The population of the study is made up of all the 40 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the State. However, five (5) MDAs were selected base on judgemental sampling and their peculiarity to the objective of the study. Primary source of data collection was employed to obtain information. A total of 65 copies of questionnaire were administered for the purpose of this study. However, 60 copies were correctly completed and returned. Inferential statistics of chi-square (X2) was used in testing the stated hypothesis of the study. Data obtained were analysed using inferential statistics and it was found that the implementation of IPPIS helps in reducing payroll fraud and corruption, ensuring safety and integrity of civil servant and helps government in planning and budgeting thereby bringing efficiency and transparency in management of personnel costs of Gombe State government . Based on the findings, the study concludes that the implementation Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) ensured civil servants personal information safety and integrity. It reduced payroll fraud and also helps the government in planning and budgeting. The study recommends that Gombe State government should ensure stringent controls and frequent checks that can reduce the risk of payroll fraud, regular audit of payroll and intermittent staff verification exercises at least once a year.

Achieving Gender Equality and Empowering Women and Girls through Gender Responsive Budgeting in Ghana

Gender inequality extracts enormous economic and human development costs, shifting fiscal policy to close the gaps and gains across societies. Gender responsive budgeting (GRB) is one of the approaches used by governments, international organizations, and civil society groups to promote and influence gender equality. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) highlights in its 2020 report, that budgets in most countries are gender biased in their conceptualization, formulation, and implementation. In most African countries, and Ghana is no exception, unpaid care and gender differences in roles and responsibilities in household and the workplace are not considered in policy formulation and implementation. This research intends to answer the following questions; how have MDAs complied with GRB? What are the outcomes of implementing GRB in Ghana and what have been the key challenges to effective implementation? Using the qualitative approach with secondary data obtained from documents in some ministries in the Ghanaian public sector, this research attempted to answer the following questions; how have Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) complied with gender responsive budgeting (GRB)? What are the outcomes of implementing GRB in Ghana and what have been the key challenges to effective implementation? It was observed that Ghana’s constitution supported a strong enabling environment, with an explicit commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. The budget through which important national issues are anchored made specific allocations to address issues of women and girls for the years between 2008 to 2020, in the medium-term expenditure framework. This study contributes to academic literature, specifically on the issue of gender equality in the workplace. This study’s results and findings could be used as the reference for other studies and further research on gender equality and women’s rights.

Determinants of Conformance to Requirements in Procurement by Nigerian Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Post-Procurement Reform Periods in Nigeria

The quality of goods, works and Services procured by Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in post-reform periods in Nigeria has been a topic of concern since the implementation of procurement reforms. This study examined the impact of quality compliance on procurement outcomes, including the factors affecting quality procurement, the challenges of enforcing compliance, the level of awareness and compliance, and the effectiveness of eProcurement. Data was collected using a 5-point Likert scale, and ANOVA was performed to identify any relationships between the variables. The results revealed that the factors affecting quality procurement had a significant impact, with a high F-ratio and probability, indicating that they play a crucial role in determining procurement outcomes. The challenges of enforcing quality compliance had a lower F-ratio and probability, suggesting that enforcement did not significantly impact compliance. The level of awareness and compliance had a moderate F-ratio and probability, indicating the need for further collaboration between different stakeholders to enhance compliance. The effectiveness of eProcurement also had a moderate F-ratio and probability, which suggests that more attention should be given to the optimization of eProcurement systems to improve procurement outcomes. The impact of quality compliance as an independent variable showed that it significantly affects the procurement of goods, services, and works, indicating the importance of prioritizing compliance in procurement reforms. Overall, these findings highlight the need for continuous monitoring and improvement of procurement processes in Nigeria’s MDAs to ensure quality outcomes and compliance.

Telecommuting in the covid-19 period in Nigeria: Implications on public service delivery in Ogun State judicial service commission

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the need for telecommuting has enhanced the opportunities available to workers to perform their duties right from different locations outside their offices. Hence, the main objective of this study is to determine the extent to which telecommuting has enhanced public service delivery in Nigeria in the Covid-19 and Post Covid 19 era with specific reference to Judicial Service Commission in Ogun State. The article is anchored on both Technological, Organizational and Environmental (TOE) and Digital Era Governance Theory. The study adopted a descriptive-survey research design. A mixed method approach which comprises both qualitative and quantitative techniques was used. Data were sourced from Ogun State Judicial Service Commission through a structured questionnaire and interview while descriptive statistics such as frequency and tables were used in presenting the data, relevant hypotheses were tested using Chi-Square nonparametric technique of hypothesis testing. Qualitative data were content analysed. Secondary data were sourced from journals, articles, internet materials and among others. The finding of the study reveals that telecommuting enhanced public service delivery at the Judicial Service Commission since the outbreak of Covid-19 Pandemic and in the Post-Covid 19 era. Telecommuting contributed significantly in reducing the spread of Covid-19 virus in the Ogun State public service and the Judicial Service Commission in particular. The study also reveals that telecommuting system does not enhance the efficiency of workers in the public service with reference to Ogun State Judicial Service Commission. On the basis of the findings of the study, it concludes that telecommuting has been found to be an effective strategy that Government at all levels in Nigeria can employ in public service to prevent a disruption in socio economic activities whenever there is an outbreak of epidemic like Covid 19 pandemic in the country. The study recommends that there should be deliberate policy by the government at all levels to encourage Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to be technological compliant and to promote the use of telecommuting so as to engender efficient public service delivery.

Effect of Treasury Single Account on Liquidity of Banks in Nigeria

This study, effect of treasury single account (TSA) on liquidity of banks in Nigeria, was conducted in Nigeria. The adoption of TSA in Nigeria raised concern about its effect on bank’s liquidity because, before 2015, deposits of the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government contributed a significant proportion of banks’ liquidity. The specific objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of TSA on the cash ratio, absolute liquidity ratio, liquidity coverage ratio and net working capital ratio of banks in Nigeria. The study adopted an ex-post facto design. Data were generated from the audited financial reports of the selected domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs) in Nigeria from 2008-2014 (pre-TSA period) and 2015–2022 (post-TSA) period. Paired sample t-test was employed to analyze the data using Stata 14.2. The study found that TSA has a significant negative effect on absolute liquidity ratio; a non-significant negative effect on cash ratio and net working capital ratio; and statistically non-significant positive effect on the liquidity coverage ratio. These findings imply that Nigerian banks have not yet adjusted their liquidity management policies and strategies to cushion the negative economic externality effects of TSA adoption by the government on the banks. Therefore the study recommends efficiency in liquidity management, particularly investment of short-term assets and transferable assets to cushion the adverse effect of future liquidity distress.

The Role of Legislators and Budget Process in Nigeria

This study examined the role of the legislators and budget process in Nigeria. For the objective of the study to be achieved, the study embraces the library research which involves a review of extant literature and this forms the basis for drawing up the conclusion. Flowing from the review, the study shows that argument has been raised by several analysts that legislative oversight committees have found not to be very effective in stimulating Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for budget outcomes attainment. The argument is that oversight activities are used by some legislative committees to intimidate rather than encouraging (MDAs) to perform at the optimum levels especially in the areas of budget implementation. The study therefore recommends that the legislators in the Nigeria budget process should ensure that the MDAs make proper use of the funds allocated to them efficiently and effectively with a view to preventing careless spending, diversion as well as the misappropriation of public funds. The oversight activities of the legislative committees should be used to encourage MDAs to perform at the optimum levels especially in the areas of budget implementation and not to intimidate.

Not for us, without us: examining horizontal coordination between the Ministry of Health and other sectors to advance health goals in Uganda.

The Ministry or Department of Health (M/DoH) is the mandated government agency for health in all countries. However, achieving good health and wellbeing requires the health sector to coordinate with other sectors such as the environment, agriculture and education. Little is known about the coordination relationship between MoH and other sectors to advance health and development goals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Our study examined the coordination relationship between MoH and other government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) at the national level in Uganda. This was an embedded case study nested in a study on intragovernmental coordination at the central government in Uganda. A qualitative approach used document review and key informant interviews with government officials and non-state actors. Data were analysed thematically using a multitheoretical framework. The coordination relationship was characterized by interdependencies generally framed lopsidedly in terms of health sector goals and not vice versa. Actor opportunism and asymmetrical interests interacted with structural-institutional factors contributing to variable influence on internal and external coordination within and beyond MOH. Supportive mechanisms include (a) diverse health sector legal-institutional frameworks, (b) their alignment to broader government efforts and (c) the MOH's agency to leverage government-wide efforts. Constraints arose from (a) gaps in the legal-institutional framework, (b) demands on resources due to the 'broad' MOH mandate and (c) the norms of the MOH's professional bureaucracy and the predominance of medical professionals. This study underlines critical actions needed to improve coordination between the health and non-health sectors. Introspection within the MOH is vital to inform efforts to modify MOH's internal functioning and positioning within the broader government to strategically advance MOH's (development) aspirations. The nature of MoH's role in multisectoral efforts should be contingent. Consideration of mutual sectoral interdependencies and interactions with and within broader government systems is critical.

Exploring the nexus between urban growth trend and wetland loss in port harcourt municipality

Although Wetlands naturally serve phenomenal roles as natural flood control basins, habitats and breeding grounds for species, ecotourism sites, and biodiversity they have, over time, been depleted to meet man’s increasing demand for land space. This study is a longitudinal survey that looked at the nexus between urban growth and wetland loss in Port Harcourt municipality. Primary and secondary data were used. Primary data were obtained from field observations and ground-trotting. Satellite imageries for four epochs: 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020 were acquired using Google Earth imageries. Data were analysed using the Geographic Information System (GIS) ArcGis10.4.1 software. The shape file of the study area boundary was generated using ArcGIS 10.4.1 and was used to clip the geo-referenced Google earth images for each year (1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020). The reclassified images were converted to polygons and edited. The area of each classification (land uses) was calculated in square meters using the Spatial Query Module in ArcGIS 10.4.1. Data presentation was done using maps, tables, and charts. Results of analysis revealed that there exists spatio-temporal variation in wetland loss in the study area between the years under review with wetland decreasing form 34633511.38m2 in 1990 to 30945235.9m2 in 2000, and to 23297313.11m2 in 2010 to 18688909.45m2 in year 2020. A very high positive correlation coefficient (Rs) of 0.99 obtained expresses the strong relationship between urban growth and wetland loss in the study area. The study recommends that government and its relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) should embark on wetland creation, development, and conservation to ensure the continuity in the services, functions, and value of wetland ecosystems in the study area.

Government and Accountability in Nigeria: The Theoretical Linkage

The study was conducted to indicate the theoretical linkage between the Government as the agent of the state and accountability, which is the outcome of governance. The illustration of the relationship is imperative because the operators of government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), often act as if they are not answerable to the citizens. It was conducted using the descriptive research design, wherein the observations of the MDAs were made over a period of time, inputs noted and outcomes investigated. The focus was on the federal MDAs with implications for sub-states MDAs. It was established that the Government by Social Contract is the agent of the citizens, to whom they surrendered some of the rights. Accountability is expected of the government in the areas of creating appropriate laws providing public services, undertaking development projects, protecting the citizens from attack, ensuring all achieve good-life in the state. The procedure revealed that the political heads of the MDAs were not accountable. It further exposed the fact citizens do not know that they have the right to demand answerability from the duty-bearers. Among the necessary steps suggested were sourcing about 30 per cent of the members of the board of governors of the MDAs from professional bodies and 70 percent on professional patronage. This is because they often influence the management of the various government organizations to settle them financially, leaving very little for the actual productive activities, hence consuming the resources for the generating positive outcomes from these agencies. It is expected that inputs from the professionals would be respected by the board members to enable the various MDAs to generate outcomes as accountability, which is ab-initio the essence of Government.

Accountability and Resource Management: Building Blocks towards National Prosperity

Nigeria is a country with an abundance of human and natural resources, yet over forty percent of the population of Nigeria live in poverty. The appalling, pathetic and depressing condition of high rate of poverty in Nigeria cannot be separated from the absence of accountability and on government’s ineptitude and lack of prudence in the expenditure and management of resources. The study examined the effect of accountability and resource management on national prosperity. The research work adopted the use of descriptive survey research design. Primary data sourced from administering questionnaires to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in South East Nigeria was collated. Descriptive statistics, regression analysis and one sampled t-test tool were utilized in analyzing the data. The study revealed that accountability and effective resource management has a positive impact on the prosperity of a nation. The study also posited that a transition from poverty to national prosperity has higher likelihood of actualization when there are bedrocks or building blocks in place for sustainable economic growth through having good accountability and resource management. Therefore, the study recommends a consolidation of existing financial controls for improved accountability in the public sector in Nigeria and that accounting records should be prepared in line with the IPSAS.

Effectiveness of Employees’ Performance Appraisal in the Nigerian Public Sector: An Empirical Study

The study identified types of Performance Appraisal (PA) systems in use in Nigerian public sector, investigated effectiveness of PA systems in the sector and examined factors affecting effectiveness of PA systems in the public sector. Purposive sampling technique was used in selecting top, middle and lower levels staff from the various administrative departments within the selected Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The result identified annual review, general performance appraisal, evaluation studies, inventory turnover, performance reviews, 4-block metric reviews, performance improvement plans, employee self-appraisal and 360-degree performance appraisal systems as being used in the Nigerian public sector. However, only annual review, inventory turnover, performance reviews, employee self-appraisal and 360-degree appraisal are fairly effective on paper but not in practice. The finding also identified lack of objectivity, halo error, leniency, central tendency error, recent behavior bias, personal bias (stereotyping), manipulating the evaluation, employee anxiety, shifting standards, overall ratings, horn error, strictness and politicisation of rating as factors hindering effectiveness of the appraisal system in Nigerian Public sector. The study concluded that there are employee appraisal systems in place in the Nigerian Public Sector but they are not effectively implemented.

Анализ перспектив и проблем системы электронных платежей в Нигерии

E-payment is an electronic transfer of cash via online transaction for busi-ness-to-consumer (B2C), business-to-business (B2B), person-to-person (P2P), and most recently administration-to-consumer (A2C) purposes. Nigeria payment system has been predominately cash-based. However, the cost of cash to Nigeria's financial system is high and increasing. It is in this respect that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced the cashless policy with the objective of promoting the use of epayment channels instead of cash. The e-payment system apart from convenience and safety also has a significant number of benefits which include faster access to capital, reduced risk of cash-related crimes, access to credit, reduced cash handling costs, increased tax collections, reduced revenue leakage, greater financial inclusion, more service options, encouraged financial deepening and promoted savings, reduced risk in payments and settlements, increased economic development. However, the epayment system is faced with many challenges such as frequent power interruption, lack of adequate infrastructure, platform security, lack of a suitable legal and regulatory framework for e-payments, lack of a uniform platform by banks and ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), lack of seriousness by bank and resistance to changes in technology among customers. The analysis of prospect and challenges of the epayment system in Nigeria is the mainstream of this paper. Requisite recommendations were provided for policy makers in the light of the theoretical findings.

Data literacy integration into development agenda. A catalyst to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ (4IR) era characterized by ‘Information Communication Technology’ (ICT) based data literacy with respect to research data collection, documentation, preservation, intellectual protection / control and dissemination is a functional catalyst in enabling the realization of the SDGs of the United Nations (UN) global agenda on poverty reduction; hunger eradication; safe water accessibility, sustainable energy accessibility; ‘Sustainable Forest Management’ (SFM); climate change resilience; ‘Disaster Risk Reduction’ (DRR); biodiversity conservation and; social and gender equity by 2030. The study, employing a desk bound literature review research design, conceptualized that ‘ICT based digital data literacy’ (dependent variable) can ‘catalyze an enabling of the realization of the SDGs of the United Nations (UN) global agenda’ (independent variable), ‘inherent challenges’ (intervening variable) like poor internet infrastructure, digital data illiteracy and high-power costs among others notwithstanding. Global government ‘Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are managing voluminous (big) digital data to support strategic decision making, policy implementation and operational optimization (monitoring and evaluation) towards realizing the SDGs. This requires effective competence (literacy) in digital data analytics to facilitate SDGs based data processing thereby enabling global government MDAs to accurately utilize data for policy implementation and decision making towards effectively realizing the SDGs. The study findings recommend a scaling up of digital data literacy and internet infrastructure development as well as power accessibility in especially developing countries among others.

THE CAUSES AND IMPLICATION OF DELAYED PASSAGE OF 2018 BUDGET ON THE NIGERIAS ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND GROWTH PLAN

The study utilized descriptive techniques in the assessment of the impact of sectoral allocations of Nigerias 2018 annual budget on selected macroeconomic variables of GDP growth rate, Exchange rate, Inflation, Oil prices, Oil production, Debt servicing among others and the 2016 Nigerias Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP). We identified some gray areas in the budget, budget padding, constitutional lacuna, non-compliance with fiscal responsibility Act, late preparation and consideration of medium-term expenditure framework, political face-off between the National Assembly and the executive, lack of patriotism as the causes of the long delay in the consideration and passage of the 2018 budget by the national Assembly. The study therefore recommends amendment of the 1999 constitution, sanctioning of erring Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and deployment of ICT in budgeting tracking by civil society groups, communities and the general public.

Institutional Voids and Employment in Nigerian Agriculture

Governance has always been an issue in the economies of the Less Developed Countries (LDCs) of the world, and Nigeria is not an exception. The economy of Nigeria is managed through Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) delineated along sectoral lines. The agricultural sector is governed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development that is responsible for formulating government polices to stimulate agricultural finance, production, storage, processing, value chain development and marketing. These polices are, in turn, expected to stimulate new investments, job creation, and employment in the sector. Time series secondary data covering 1981 to 2014 on the rebased Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and sectoral Gross Value Added (GVA) at 2010 constant basic prices, employment, wage rate, inflation rate and interest rate were collected from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Central Bank of Nigeria on the agricultural sector. The variables were collated and summarised into a table of data. The unit root test was carried out to test for stationarity of variables. Sectoral employment elasticities of growth were measured using Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) regression. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and VECM at α 0.05. Agriculture sectoral elasticity of employment was -0.02, but it was not significant. Key informants in agricultural policy and agricultural value chains were then interviewed to determine why the job absorptive capacity of the agricultural sector was unexpectedly low, and the result , summarized with Khanna’s Five-Context Model, pointed to institutional voids in the sector that must be addressed before the full employment generating potentials of the agricultural sector may be realised. Keywords: Economic growth, Employment elasticity, Gross Value Added, Agricultural Sector, Institutional Voids. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/12-14-12 Publication date: July 31 st 2021