Psychological Factors Influencing Perceived Entrepreneurial Success Among Nigerian Women in Small-Scale Businesses

This paper considered self-concept, perceived managerial competence, work stress and business commitment as important psychological variables for perceived entrepreneurial success among female entrepreneurs. A study was conducted to examine these factors, using 213 female entrepreneurs. The results showed that although all the predictor variables jointly accounted for perceived entrepreneurial success only business commitment contributed significantly. But in the independent prediction of the variables, only self-concept and business commitment were significant. Additionally, number of children significantly influenced perceived success with females having 5 children and more, and those having 1-2 children reporting better success than those without children or having 3-4 children. However, marital status did not significantly influence perceived entrepreneurial success. The study concludes that success for female entrepreneurs relies on a high self-concept regarding their role in business, commitment to business and reduction of a conflict between home responsibilities and business. The authors also encourage women to attend training programs on business management

Effects of exchange rate movements on economic growth in Nigeria

This study investigates the effect of exchange rate movements on real output growth in Nigeria. Based on quarterly series for the period 1986 to 2010, the paper examines the possible direct and indirect relationship between exchange rates and GDP growth. The relationship is derived in two ways using a simultaneous equations model within a fully specified (but small) macroeconomic model. A Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) technique was explored. The estimation results suggest that there is no evidence of a strong direct relationship between changes in exchange rate and output growth. Rather, Nigeria's economic growth has been directly affected by monetary variables. These factors have tended to sustain a pattern of real exchange rate, which has been unfavourable for growth. The conclusion is that improvements in exchange rate management are necessary but not adequate to revive the Nigerian economy. A broad program of economic reform is required to complement the exchange rate policy adopted

The Cost of Boko Haram Activities in Nigeria

Since its terror campaign began, Boko Haram’s targets had been security formations and churches in several parts of the North. Now, they have also turned their radar on other institutions, the media and universities. From being an obscure movement confined to north-eastern Nigeria, the Boko Haram has emerged as the most palpable threat to the polity’s continued peace and development. Not only do the persistent attacks of the sect create widespread insecurity and fear, the prevalent dread of the militant sect has stifled normal processes of trade and investments as well as the performance of routine security functions. For example, in Kaduna State, the 33rd Kaduna International Trade Fair witnessed what is perhaps its worst outing. This is because booths and stands that supposed to be occupied by exhibitors lay empty as businesses decided to keep away for fear that they could be victims of the bombing that have continued to plague Nigerian cities. Ironically, the fair had been previously postponed, due to security concerns. This paper examines these issues and concludes by positing that for the terror to be won, the citizenry must see it as their fight. For this to happen, government has to demonstrate competence and sincerity of purpose

Word-reading and word-spelling styles of french beginners : Do all children learn to read and to spell in the same way?

This article explores the styles of word reading and word spelling used by beginning readers in the French language. The aim of the study was to find out whether “sub-lexical” and “lexical” styles of reliance, which has been observed in children learning to read and spell in English, exists in French, a language with a more transparent orthography. A sample of 159 subjects were assessed on their reading and spelling of regular words, irregular words and nonwords. Cluster analyses on reading/spelling performances led us to identify various profiles, among which sub-lexical and lexical styles could be discerned. These profiles were then compared across a set of linguistic tasks in order to look for factors that might be related to individual differences in reading/spelling styles. Overall, our findings suggest that quantitative level differences explain most individual variation in literacy. These results are discussed in relation to developmental models of reading and spelling in different orthographic systems

What do we know about pro-poor growth and regional poverty in Nigeria?

This study investigates the pro-poorness of income growth in Nigeria. Using nationally representative data for 1996 and 2004, overall income growth in Nigeria was found not to be pro-poor. The richer segments of the population appropriate greater share of benefits from economic growth. Household size was a critical determinant of poverty levels. Sector of employment also impacts on the probability of a household being poor; with those in agriculture being relatively worse off. The need for smaller family size has to be an integral part of policy aimed at poverty reduction in Nigeria. The support of the government in creating value in critical sectors (like agriculture and industry) that employ a large proportion of Nigerians in order to make growth pro-poor is critical. There is also a need for region-specific policies addressing the peculiarities of poverty in the different parts of the country. One size does not fit all. Deliberate effort of the government in redistributing income is also required to ensure pro-poorness of growth in Nigeria

Knowledge and perception of Prevention of Mother to Child services amongst pregnant women accessing antenatal clinic in a Primary Health Care centre in Nigeria

Background: Few studies have assessed pregnant women’s perceptions regarding prevention of mother to child of HIV and the available services at the primary health care level in Nigeria.Objective: Assessment of knowledge and perception of antenatal clinic (ANC) attendees regarding Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV at primary health care facilities in south-west Nigeria.Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 400 antenatal attendees in a Primary Health Care centre in Ibadan, Nigeria.Results: Known methods of PMTCT were: use of anti-retroviral treatment (ART) during pregnancy (75.0%), ART at birth (65.8%) and not breastfeeding (61.8%). Previous HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) was reported by 71%, significantly higher proportions of thosewho were married, in the third trimester of pregnancy or engaged in professional and/or skilled occupations had been tested. Regarding the HCT services provided, 92.2% understood the HIV-related health education provided, 89.7.2% reported that the timing was appropriate, 92.6% assessed the nurses’ approach as acceptable but 34.0% felt the test was forced upon them. Majority (79.6%) were aware of non-breastfeeding options of infant feeding, but only 3.5% were aware of exclusive breastfeeding for a stipulated period as an infant feeding option. Nevertheless, the majority of the women found the non-breast feeding option culturally unacceptable.Conclusion: Women in this survey were knowledgeable about the methods of PMTCT, but had negative perceptions regarding certain aspects of the HCT services and the recommended non-breastfeeding infant feeding option. Health workers should provide client friendly services and infant feeding counselling that is based on current WHO recommendations and culturally acceptable

A distributional analysis of out-of-pocket healthcare financing in Nigeria using a new decomposable Gini index

This study applies a new method of decomposing total redistributive effect of taxation proposed by Duclos et al. (2003) to assess the redistributive effects of direct healthcare financing in Nigeria. This new framework makes it possible not only to introduce into the conventional Gini Index estimation framework a flexible ethical measure of aversion to inequality but also a novel concepts of horizontal inequity and re-ranking. The empirical results indicate that when the decision to utilize healthcare is always linked to the decision to pay for healthcare, as is the case in Nigeria, out-of-pocket payment, contrary to existing literature, may indeed be progressive with high levels of horizontal inequity and re-ranking effect. But the progressivity may underlie the lack of ability to pay by poorer households. All the components of the redistributive effect are also likely to vary with the level of the social aversion to inequit

Simple sequential procedure for modeling of item non-response in econometric analysis: Application to CV survey data

Item non-response occurs when respondents fail to provide answers to some or all of the questions posed during survey interviews. The standard procedure is to exclude such responses from the econometric analysis. This may be appropriate if the sample included does not differ significantly from those excluded in the analysis. If this is not the case, the econometric analyst faces a sample selection bias problem. The aim of this paper is to provide further evidence using a simple sequential procedure to deal with the problem when using non-randomly selected samples in social science research. The procedure entails different levels of estimation and diagnostic with the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Heckman's 2-step and Full Information Maximum Likelihood (FIML) estimators. In the application context, we found the FIML estimator to be more efficient in dealing with sample selection bias than the Heckman's 2-step approach

The Role of National Assembly in Conflict Resolution: A Case of Anti- Subsidy Strikes of 2012

The legislature has added the responsibility of conflict mediation and resolution to its numerous functions The legislature has established an enviable record of performance in this area For instance since 1999 the legislature has positively intervened and settled several government labour disputes be it over minimum wage ASUU demands for better conditions of service in the Universities or most recently the fuel subsidy strike The timing of the removal of subsidy from petroleum products by the Executive was most inauspicious It came at a time when majority of Nigerians were in their various villages and communities for the Christmas and New Year festivities They were trapped and stranded as they could not afford the huge escalation in fuel price which moved from N65 to N140 per litre of petrol in the average Nigerian community No one anticipated such sudden sharp increase as Nigerians had planned the budget for their trips based on existing cost parameters and indices People were thus thrown into unavoidable economic turmoil and even reduced to the level of destitution and beggary As the representatives of the people The National Assembly were inundated with barrage of calls and protestations from our constituents all over the country on their worsening economic situation occasioned by the subsidy removal Confronted with such a terrible situation the House of Representatives had to convene an emergency session on a Sunday 8th January 2012 the first of its kind in our legislative history This culminated in the decision of the House to set up the Hon Farouk Law an led Ad-Hoc Committee on the Investigation and Monitoring of the Fuel Subsidy regime To address the urgent matter of the impending strike the National Assembly set up the Patrick Ikhariale Committee to reach out to Labour and arrest the situation The findings of the Committee have since revealed that the huge funds being misapplied by a privileged few in our society in the name of