Search results

Trade war among the nations dates back mainly to the nineteenth century. Some of the trade wars may be cited as (i) The First and Second Opium War Empire between 1839 and 1842; (ii) The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, 1930 signed by US President Herbert Hoover; (iii) Chicken wars in the early 1960s; (iv) The US–Japan automobile trade war in the 1980s; (v) 1985 Pasta War between America under the Regan Administration of United States and Europe; (vi) The Banana wars. However, trade becomes more intense in the present century with the increase of the economic trade instruments. Under the Obama Administration, currency war and tariff war both became strong between the United States and China with intense effect over the globe. After the Obama regime, came Donald John Trump with a number of controversial (aggressive) trade protectionism plans saying thereby “China’s accession to the World Trade Organization has enabled the greatest jobs theft in history” and “Trillions of our dollars and millions of our jobs flowed overseas as a result.” Even during the COVID-19 period in the 2020s, threats and counter-threats have been on the ascend. It is in this backdrop the present chapter mainly traces the history of trade wars in the twenty-first century, touching upon the nineteenth and twentieth century trade battles.

The international situation of charges for library and information services and of free access to information is reviewed. A survey is reported of librarians, faculty staff and students from two universities and two polytechnics in Nigeria to find their views on the charging of fees for some library services. Results show a willingness by librarians to charge and users to pay fees for some services.

Introduces the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA), a determined effort to modernise financial regulation which creates the Financial Services Authority (FSA) as a monolithic regulator and the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal as an appellate channel. Shows how the Act represents a shift from self‐regulation to statutory regulation, remedying the shortcomings of the 1986 Financial Services Act. Outlines the FSA’s powers, and how they might conflict with the European Convention on Human Rights. Compares the FSMA with the Canadian approach to the questions of balancing regulation and public confidence in the market on one side, with protection of individual rights on the other; these concerns are embodied respectively in the Securities Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Abandonment poses a range of effects detrimental to the development of a country such as Nigeria. Restoring such infrastructure in a sustainable manner is a challenge identified in the literature. The aim of this study is to evaluate a novel approach – the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) to identify the sustainability criteria for the redevelopment of abandoned infrastructure in Nigeria. The literature evidences use of TOPSIS in various development contexts, but not in the context of redevelopment of abandoned infrastructure.

This study explores the potential of TOPSIS in the sustainable redevelopment of abandoned infrastructure in Nigeria through a combination of a quantitative method of data collection – questionnaire – and a case study. The case study focuses on the abandoned Federal Government Secretariat in Lagos. One hundred and sixty-one (161) participants responded to the questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using TOPSIS analytical technique.

Refurbishment is considered as the most sustainable alternative for the redevelopment of abandoned infrastructure. For criteria consideration, structural integrity and foundation categorized under the technological attributes ranked highest for refurbishment and conversion alternatives. Waste generation and prevention and profitability top the list for demolition and procurement respectively.

The social benefit of this study is to bring building considered to be an eyesore back into use.

The findings from the analysis orchestrates the importance of the built environment research concentrating on innovative frameworks for sustainable redevelopment of abandoned structures in the construction industry.

This monograph presents a thorough examination of the phenomena of “threshold” levels of advertising activity and the “wearout’ of advertisements and/or campaigns. These are seen as corresponding to the management questions “How little can we spend/How infrequently can we advertise?” and “How much is too much/How infrequently is too little?” In the first section the relevant literature on, or related to, the two issues is reviewed. Section 2 describes a survey aimed at establishing current beliefs in the existence of the phenomena, the practices resulting from these beliefs, and the data which support them. Finally, Section 3 offers an overview on the managerial issues involved in decisions concerning threshold or wearout risks in advertising. It is suggested that wasted expenditure may be occurring in advertising because the believed levels of threshold and wearout are both too high.

The purpose of this paper is to present research assessing the level of qualitative adequacy of newly constructed public housing in urban centres in Ogun State, Nigeria.

The study followed a quantitative research strategy. A survey of 517 housing units constructed through four different strategies and selected based on quota of their existence in nine public housing estates was conducted with a questionnaire as the key data collection instrument. A five‐point Likert scale was used in measuring the level of qualitative adequacy of four key housing sub‐components. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

Residents found the overall housing to be inadequate; they indicated that housing unit attributes were the most adequate and thus contributed most, while neighbourhood facilities were the least inadequate and contributed the least to qualitative housing adequacy.

The sample population comprised mainly house heads in public housing constructed between 2003 and 2009 therefore, the findings may not be considered to be applicable to all the public housing in the study area. However, the findings can form the basis for judging the performance of public housing in the current democratic dispensation in the study area.

The findings imply that giving adequate attention to the provision of infrastructural facilities and maintenance of existing ones can enhance the qualitative adequacy of public housing.

This paper is a pioneering effort at evaluating the qualitative adequacy of most recently constructed public housing in the study area.

The general aim of this research is to investigate residents' perception of the quality of public housing and factors influencing this in Ogun State Southwest Nigeria. This is in view of a paucity of published works on this subject matter and the need to upgrade the quality of public housing in urban areas in Nigeria.

Data for the study were collected through a cross sectional survey of proportionately selected 517 household heads in newly constructed public housing estates, and 90 staff members of four key public housing agencies in urban areas of Ogun State, Nigeria. Structured questionnaires were used in the collection of primary data. Descriptive statistics and categorical regression analysis were used in data analysis.

The results show that a majority of the respondents rated their current residential environment low on the quality scale. Whereas housing unit attributes were rated highest, neighbourhood facilities were rated very low on the housing quality scale. Housing delivery strategies, spatial deficiencies in housing units, organizational capacity of housing providers, age, income, education and tenure status of residents were found to be among the key factors influencing residents' perception of housing quality in the study area.

The survey was concentrated on newly constructed public housing by Ogun State government in selected urban areas. Other studies can examine housing constructed by the Federal Government of Nigeria in the study area.

Lack of access to housing services, infrastructure and neighborhood facilities accounts for poor quality of public housing in the study area. This can be improved through adequate provision of basic social amenities, organizational capacity building and adoption of appropriate housing delivery strategies by public housing providers.

A framework for studying the quality of public housing in Nigeria and other countries has been developed. The findings can assist public housing policy makers and programme managers to improve on the quality of public housing and services.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the appropriateness of faith‐based model (FBM) as a veritable policy response to the issue of poverty alleviation and actualisation of the millennium development goals (MDGs) in Nigeria.

The paper combined qualitative and quantitative date to validate the appropriateness of FBM, to tackling poverty issues in Nigeria. The first section presents a brief introduction on poverty issue in Nigeria. The second section outlines the theoretical and methological approaches adopted in the paper. The third section casts a cursory look at the conceptualisation of poverty in the literature. The fourth section explores poverty‐eradication efforts in Nigeria. The fifth section highlights the failure of previous poverty reduction strategies (PRS) in Nigeria. The sixth section presents a background to MDGs. The seventh section show‐cases application of Islamic economics models (faith‐based model and business system model (BSM)) to MDGs. The eighth section is devoted to data projections, analysis and interpretation. The final section concludes with policy prescriptions.

On the basis of projection which is hinged on Shari'ah assumptions (minimum zakatable wealth and 2.5 per cent Zakat rate), the paper shows that Zakat and Sadaqat collections from year 2009 to 2015 would amount to N357,038 billions and N31 billion, respectively. These funds would go a long way in helping to alleviate poverty and actualisation of MDGs in Nigeria.

The faith‐based poverty reduction strategy enriched by BSM as conceptualised in this study can be used to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (MDG 1), achieve universal primary education (MDG 2), promote gender equality and empower women (MDG 3), reduce child mortality (MDG 4), improve maternal health (MDG 5), combat, HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (MDGs 6), ensure environmental sustainability (MDG 7) and develop a global partnership for development (MDG 8).

The results of this paper support the Islamic economics view that Zakat and Sadaqat are viable fiscal mechanisms for poverty alleviation where adopted. The FBM as conceptualised in this paper would therefore complement and pose a positive challenge to contemporary PRS in use in many poverty‐ridden nations where economic indicators have justified prevalence of poverty, despite the various PRS put in place by policy makers.

Objective. To report on the patterns of substance use in newly admitted male and female South Australian prisoners using the WHO‐ASSIST screening tool (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test) and observe the feasibility of using the ASSIST and associated Brief Intervention in this population. Data sources. Results of the first 518 prisoners screened using ASSIST in South Australian reception prisons. Results. In the first 10 months of the implementation of the WHO ASSIST, 518 clients were assessed in the 3 metropolitan intake prisons in Adelaide, Australia. This represents 31% of all male and 35% of all female prisoners admitted over this period. Injecting drug use was reported in the previous 3 months by 55% of men and 51% of women. The six most common substances used at high and moderate risk levels, in order of prevalence (from high to low) in males were tobacco, cannabis, amphetamines, opiates, alcohol, and sedatives. In women the order was tobacco, amphetamines, cannabis, opiates and sedatives equal, and alcohol. Fifty percent of men and 33% of women were using four or more substances. Overall rates of substance use related risk amongst men coming into prison are slightly greater than for women. Accessing prisoners for screening within the first few days is difficult with 55% already being released or at court or other external appointments.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of Nigerian anti‐corruption provisions targeted at curbing corruption by public officers.

This paper examines relevant provisions of the code of conduct for public officers in the Constitution of Nigeria, and other statutes directed at curbing official corruption, and then undertakes an assessment of their impact in the fight against corruption. The assessment is drawn from the direct pronouncements and actions of the highest political figures in Nigeria since return to civilian rule in 1999, and the views of policy makers and implementers, development partners and academics on the anti‐corruption fight in Nigeria.

Since the advent of civilian rule in 1999, the Nigerian government has introduced several reforms through the enactment of new constitutional provisions and statutes directed at official corruption. The code of conduct provisions in the Constitution provides for and enforces an ethical guide for public officers; the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act (ICPC Act) prohibits corruption in the conduct of government business generally; the Public Procurement Act (PPA) introduced mandatory requirements of transparency, and prohibits nepotism, inflation of contract and other corrupt acts in the award of government contracts; while the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Act (NEITI Act) introduced mandatory requirements of transparency and disclosure in extractive industries. Although the government introduced these reforms with enthusiasm, it has shown a lack of will power to implement them to a logical conclusion. The result is that the reform measures introduced through these legal provisions have not had any substantial impact in curbing corruption in the respective sectors covered by them.

This paper is restricted to an examination of the impact of legal provisions directed against official corruption in Nigeria. It does not discuss legal provisions directed at economic and financial crimes in Nigeria.

This paper presents an assessment of the impact of the legal provisions directed at curbing official corruption in Nigeria since 1999. The assessment reflects the views and attitudes of the highest ranking public officers, technocrats in charge of implementation of the legal reforms, legislators, development partners and informed academics.