Oluyomi Ola-David Insights

It feels good to be through with a course of study, and be convinced that you have added significantly, however little, to the body of knowledge. This post is dedicated to sharing the synopsis of my doctoral thesis. Of course the search for answers to the myriad real world and research problems goes on.  I am grateful to my esteemed thesis supervisors and every other person who contributed to the success of the research process. In sum, the study advocates that domestic firm absorptive capacity (preparation) is necessary for the presence of foreign firms (opportunity) to be socially beneficial and productivity enhancing. By way of introduction, the manufacturing sector has been recognised as an engine of growth, industrial and technological advancement for developing countries. Amongst other things, foreign direct investment (FDI) is sought as a propeller of industrial productivity growth and technology spillovers. However, a rising trend of FDI flow to Nigeria and a con

Even though conventional wisdom upholds the notion that rapid economic growth would generate more jobs, the laudable growth rate of the Nigerian economy has been accompanied by a worsening in human development, poverty, inequality and unemployment. Furthermore, while economic policies are expected to impact positively on employment, Nigeria’s employment policies seem to have done little to fill the ever-widening employment gap.  Besides, a gendered analysis of Nigeria’s socio-economic landscape indicates that women tend to fare worse than men on many of the employment indicators; yet, no society’s prosperity story can ever be told without recourse to the contribution of women. These paradoxical scenarios call for inquiry. I n a recent discourse paper , I and Oyebanke of Columbia University provide an exposition on Nigeria’s employment situation vis-à-vis her trajectory of p olicy choices since independence. Stirred by the cliché ‘ development that is not engendered is en

It is not only of 7Up’s taste that we can say   ‘the difference is clear’ , we can also say same of the Nigerian police barracks in contrast with military/naval/air force (MNA) barracks.  Sometimes, irrespective of their location, the physical state of police residential buildings and adjoining environment is deplorable, with pockets of disorganized vendors and poor waste management systems.  On the better hand, MNA residential areas have relatively cleaner environments, better maintained buildings and organized trading areas. As a development economist, I am bothered that this ‘physical’ differential may be a signal to more serious social welfare issues. Having keenly observed this disturbing real world phenomenon over a few years, there are some intriguing questions which I hope research and policy can address in the days to come: What is the extent of income and welfare differentials among different categories of the Nigerian armed forces? What accounts for the di