Uzochukwu Amakom - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Uzochukwu Amakom

Australian journal of business and management research, Apr 11, 2012

Funding provisions by policy makers are usually for two main purposes including poverty and inequ... more Funding provisions by policy makers are usually for two main purposes including poverty and inequality reduction as well as improvement of the situation for private sector growth. Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999 and has since been pursuing private sector-led growth and development and one of the sectors constituting the focus of the federal government is the energy sector especially the electricity sub-sector. This study analysed federal government spending on the energy sector with special emphasis on the electricity sub-sector to see how this spending has impacted on production, transmission and distribution of electricity using descriptive statistics. The study found that despite the significant reforms and increase in spending in the sector, the outcome in terms of its reflection on production, transmission and distribution of electricity is far from the realisation of the reform objectives. The country lags behind other countries like Libya, Kenya and Ghana in per capita power production and consumption and this lack of access to electric power, and modern energy in general has a negative effect on productivity and has limited the economic opportunities available to Nigeria. The study recommended going back to the NEEDS policy thrust and targets in the power sector and must pay attention to the environmental consequences of various options for enhancing the provision of energy services.

Social Science Research Network, 2007

Evidence has shown that changes in the quantity and quality of renewable natural resources (RNRs)... more Evidence has shown that changes in the quantity and quality of renewable natural resources (RNRs) have some effects on the quality of life people enjoy while poverty alleviation programmes towards improvement in female livelihood in most developing countries have been a positive factor towards the preservation of renewable natural resources which are not only necessary but sufficient condition for environment sustainability. This then raise the questions if female poverty has negative relationship with environmental sustainability. The study tackled this assertion through analyzing the effect of socio-economic, demographic, institutions [actors in RNRs] management/degradation especially women. The study also quantified and valuate the actual relationships of RNRs to economic growth, poverty reduction and female influence using secondary and primary data from Nigeria with the help of ordinary least square (OLS), rotational correlation analysis and stepwise regression using aggregate yield index for selected crop. Grain equivalent was developed and regressed against poverty, arable and per farming population, female literacy, fertilizer use [Kg/ha], agricultural labour, female share of agriculture population and annual rainfall 1986-2004. The study found that female influence contributes negatively to environmental sustainability and improvement in female literacy rate is an important factor towards environmental sustainability in Nigeria. The study concluded that strategic actions needed for sound environmental management require a holistic, multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral approach hence women's participation and leadership are essential to every aspect of that approach.

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, Apr 27, 2020

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, Aug 30, 2005

ABSTRACT In Nigeria gone are the days when public enterprises were the beacons of the economy due... more ABSTRACT In Nigeria gone are the days when public enterprises were the beacons of the economy due to the perennial low productivity, which is now a tag on them with its resultant ramshackle efficiency. In order to boost the economy a new wind is blowing amongst the developing countries of the world and the wind in question is privatization. Nigeria has indulged in this exercise for the past thirteen years and it is proper to take stock of the effect. Utilizing information and data collected on three of such enterprises involved in the first phase, a deep insight of the performance after privatization exercise were taken employing the services of some performance indicators such as profitability, operating efficiency, capital investment, leverage, employment and dividend payout. Data Envelopment Analysis was employed in determining whether productivity have improved after privatization exercise. The study revealed a significant improvement in productivity while efficiency is still at the back door. From the study also, other indicators were showing mixed effect depending on the firm in question.

Social Indicators Research, Jun 26, 2015

Government spending can be effective and have the desired effect on the level of socioeconomic de... more Government spending can be effective and have the desired effect on the level of socioeconomic development when there is consistency and compliance of government agencies with the development agenda a nation adopts. Social indicators (education and healthcare) in Nigeria over the past decade have not been on track with the distributive outcome targets set by the 2004 social sector reforms despite scaling up funding in the two key social sectors (education and healthcare). The study employs a welfare distribution analysis through concentration curves and conducting several dominance tests to ascertain who benefited from public spending in these sectors. Findings suggest that apart from public primary education and healthcare for urban residents, no other level of social service was absolutely progressive for all or by gender or by location. These results were not better than the results of 2003 before these reforms were introduced. The study therefore recommends that strengthening policies should be followed by institutional intensification and other several interrelated areas to attain effectiveness of public spending. Also budget drafting in the executive and legislature must be guided by relevant priority documentation while project costs should be realistic and not inflated as evidenced by several other similar studies and reviews to achieve its desired goals.

International journal of business and management, Jun 15, 2012

Journal of economic development, 2021

This study conducts an empirical analysis of an augmented Schumpeterian endogenous growth theory ... more This study conducts an empirical analysis of an augmented Schumpeterian endogenous growth theory using aggregate-level data from 1981 to 2017 for 31 OECD countries. Despite a considerable number of studies analysing endogenous growth, crosscountry analyses utilising estimators robust to endogeneity-bias and controlling for the macroeconomic effect of institutions are still rare. In this paper, we employ a relatively consistent estimator to analyse an augmented neoclassical production function that links output per worker to capital accumulation, technological progress, and institutions. Our results from the extended system of generalised method of momentS estimation align with the mainstream consensus that capital accumulation and technological progress or innovation, in the form of R&D activities, determine the level of output per worker in the long run. But in addition, we find that effective institutions underlie the innovation effect. On average, the impact of R&D activities on output per worker is higher in countries with more effective institutions.

SAGE Open, Jul 1, 2021

Using aggregate data from 31 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countri... more Using aggregate data from 31 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries covering periods from 1982 to 2017, this study examines the notion that the level of product complexity is a good determinant of economic growth in the long run. We use the impulse-response function (IRF) computed from the consistent generalized method of moment panel vector autoregressive (GMM pVAR) model to estimate the response of the real output growth to a change in the economic complexity index. The IRF shows that the economic complexity index has a significant impact on economic growth; a 1 standard deviation shock to the economic complexity index at time 0 contributes around 2.34 percentage points to the average rate of growth of output within the first period. The point estimates are positive and significant up to the third period. The cumulative IRF shows that the aggregate impact on economic growth is about 4.4% in the long run. Compared to some widely used innovation proxies such as the gross expenditure on research and development and secondary school enrollment, the economic complexity index performs relatively better in our model in determining economic growth in the long run.

Public goods are of three kinds, namely, pure public goods, impure public goods and private goods... more Public goods are of three kinds, namely, pure public goods, impure public goods and private goods. Private (publicly provided) goods are consumed individually and its consumption is contingent upon payment. Impure public goods are those collectively consumed but its consumption is contingent upon payment. Pure public goods are collectively consumed but consumption is not contingent upon payment-characterized by non-exclusivity and non-rivalry (Musgrave and Musgrave, 1989). Level of Government Development functions (expenditure responsibilities) Defence Foreign affairs International trade including export marking Currency, banking, borrowing, exchange control Use of water resources Shipping, federal trunk roads Elections Aviation, railways, postal service Police and other security services Regulation of labour, interstate commerce, telecommunications immigration Mines and minerals, nuclear energy, citizenship and naturalization rights Social Security, insurance, national statistical system (Census births, death, etc) Guidelines and basis for minimum education Business registration Federal Only Price control Health, Social welfare Education (post primary/technology) Culture Antiquities Monuments, archives Statistics, stamp duties Commerce, industry Electricity (generation, transmission, distribution) Federal-State (Shared) Research surveys State only Residual power, i.e. subject neither assigned to federal nor local government level Economic planning and development Health services Land use Control and regulation of advertisements, pets, small businesses Markets, public conveniences Social welfare, sewage and refuse disposal, registration of births, death, Marriages Primary, adult and vocational education Local government

Research Papers in Economics, Apr 27, 2020

In Nigeria gone are the days when public enterprises were the beacons of the economy due to the p... more In Nigeria gone are the days when public enterprises were the beacons of the economy due to the perennial low productivity, which is now a tag on them with its resultant ramshackle efficiency. In order to boost the economy a new wind is blowing amongst the developing countries of the world and the wind in question is privatization. Nigeria has indulged in this exercise for the past thirteen years and it is proper to take stock of the effect. Utilizing information and data collected on three of such enterprises involved in the first phase, a deep insight of the performance after privatization exercise were taken employing the services of some performance indicators such as profitability, operating efficiency, capital investment, leverage, employment and dividend payout. Data Envelopment Analysis was employed in determining whether productivity have improved after privatization exercise. The study revealed a significant improvement in productivity while efficiency is still at the back...

Fiscal policy can be a powerful tool for stabilizing the economy and avoiding large cyclical swin... more Fiscal policy can be a powerful tool for stabilizing the economy and avoiding large cyclical swings in unemployment and inflation because of its effect on tax rates, interest rates and government spending. In Nigeria INTRODUCTION Fiscal policy refers to the way in which the government exerts influence on the economy through its overall budgetary and expenditure decisions. This policy can be a powerful tool for stabilizing the economy and avoiding large cyclical swings in unemployment and inflation because of its effect on tax rates, interest rates and government spending, in an effort to control the economy. The challenge of fiscal policy is to adopt actions that are right for the circumstances. The theory basically states that governments can influence macroeconomic productivity levels by increasing or decreasing tax levels and public spending. This influence, in turn, curbs inflation (generally considered to be healthy when at a level between 2-3%), increases employment and mainta...

Weakness of Nigeria agriculture which Nigeria should seek to alleviate through regional common ag... more Weakness of Nigeria agriculture which Nigeria should seek to alleviate through regional common agricultural policy .. Nigerian perspective on potential approaches and instruments for common agricultural policy framework .. Nigeria's domestic agricultural policies and approaches to ensure maximum benefits from common agricultural policy.. 5.2 Challenges, Options and Priorities for ECOWAS Common Agricultural Policy ..

SAGE Open, 2021

Using aggregate data from 31 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countr... more Using aggregate data from 31 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries covering periods from 1982 to 2017, this study examines the notion that the level of product complexity is a good determinant of economic growth in the long run. We use the impulse-response function (IRF) computed from the consistent generalized method of moment panel vector autoregressive (GMM pVAR) model to estimate the response of the real output growth to a change in the economic complexity index. The IRF shows that the economic complexity index has a significant impact on economic growth; a 1 standard deviation shock to the economic complexity index at time 0 contributes around 2.34 percentage points to the average rate of growth of output within the first period. The point estimates are positive and significant up to the third period. The cumulative IRF shows that the aggregate impact on economic growth is about 4.4% in the long run. Compared to some widely used innovation prox...