THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMPERIALISM AND FOOD INSECURITY IN AFRICA WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON NIGERIA

Many African states have recently, hurriedly put together a number of measures aimed at cushioning the effects of the global food crisis. Most of these programs have been implemented in different forms since the era of independence and have had no significant impact on food and agricultural development. In this paper we used the historical materialism approach to critically evaluate Africa’s food crisis genesis. Our thesis, using the Nigerian, experiences is that Africa’s contact with metropolitan capital set the continent on the path to dependent economic and political development. The state structures in Africa emphasize economic programs which respond to Europe’s economic needs to the detriment of internal agricultural capacity building. To redress the situation, we have recommended an end to imperialism and capacity building among African peasants.Capital, Development, Poverty and Political

Globalisation and the challenges of unemployment, income inequality and poverty in Africa

There is an urgent need to re-investigate the functional relationship between globalisation, unemployment, income inequality and poverty in Africa. Unemployment accelerates the level of income inequality and poverty within a given society. In spite of the beautiful slogans associated with it, the current globalisation seems to have aggravated the problem of unemployment, the corollary of which is endemic income inequality and mass poverty in Africa. In fact, the trickle down economy pattern has consistently failed Africa. What is good for Wall Street may not necessarily be good for Africa. Viewed from any angle, the African continent seems to have been marginalised and left behind by globalisation. Capitalist globalisation undeniably, created wealth but also intensified inequality and poverty, particularly in Africa. High growth rate of Gross domestic product (GDP) may be a good statistics to parade at international conferences and seminars. However, for the hungry jobless youths in the streets, these are meaningless numbers since they do not translate into job creation or cure their hunger. Therefore, it is high time that African nations look beyond the official statistics of the so called high GDP growth rate and get down to the hard business of creating real jobs that take out the hungry, angry and jobless youths from the streets into workplaces. African countries need to develop comprehensive strategies to create jobs locally. In this paper, the current author posits that there is a strong linkage between globalisation, unemployment, income inequality and poverty in Africa. Some mechanisms were proffered to overcome these bottlenecks

Stakeholder relations management as a public relations tool for socio-economic development in Nigeria

No proper organization can function independent of its environment. Each is made up of an internal structure, and exists within a framework of interrelated system of relationships with key stakeholders such as competitors, donors, consumers, regulators, the media, and so on. Therefore, there is the need to depart from the traditional approach of influencing public opinion to a more modern and strategic approach of guarding public moods, disposition and judgement before even attempting to satisfy expectations. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether Stakeholder Relations Management can be used as a Public Relations tool for socio-economic development in Nigeria. The aim was to establish the veracity of the statement that stakeholder relations management is a public relations tool and if it could be used for socio-economic development of Nigeria. Data was collected from available literature on stakeholder relations management and public relations. Also the professional observations of the authors were also used. Good stakeholder relationship management which is one of the tools of modern public relations that foster a sense of joint ownership, prevents undue bureaucracy or industrial disputes, makes resources available, keeps information/knowledge and feedback flowing and enhances cooperation to achieve the desired outcome of socio-economic development. The study proposed that organizations have to evaluate the possibility of adapting and/or integrating the benefit of the emerging stakeholder management trends into their institutional framework. The management of organizations must realize that for their organizations to be competitive in the global economy, they have to leverage on these collaborative relationships with both internal and external systems in their networks to achieve results

The effectiveness and consistency of disciplinary actions and procedures within a South African organisation

Disciplinary procedures are used to correct behaviour which contradicts organisational goals and brings about labour peace in the workplace. However, if incorrectly applied, its consequences can be felt throughout the organisation. The objective of this paper was to examine how employees perceive the application of disciplinary action in the organisation and whether they felt that leaders were following correct procedures in this regard. A closed-ended questionnaire was distributed to a sample group of employees, where after focus group interviews were held to elaborate on answers given. The results revealed that employees felt disciplinary procedures were inconsistently applied, and that not all employees received the same treatment for similar actions. It is suggested that leaders within the investigated organisation receive guidance and appropriate training to correct this perception, which will lead to the consistent application of discipline and appropriate treatment of all employees, resulting in improved employee morale, motivation and a healthier work environment

The role of women in peacemaking, conflict and rehabilitation management in Elele, Ikwerre Local Government of Rivers State, Nigeria

The basic energies common to all human beings have been directed in such a way that men seek power and women protect men from the consequences of excessive power. At the close of every war, destroyed communities have been rebuilt, and much of the physical labour of rebuilding is often heaped on women. Another activity traditionally expected of women is conflict resolution, since it is troublesome to go to war all the time. The old practice of marrying the daughters of one village to the sons of the next was a war avoidable strategy

The use of posters in disseminating HIV/AIDS awareness information within higher education institutions

HIV/AIDS continues to destroy individuals and communities within Africa. The need to explore creative forms of awareness information dissemination remains necessary. Posters continue to present a cheap alternative to expensive mass media campaigns. However, the effectiveness of posters in disseminating HIV/AIDS awareness information is difficult to ascertain. Designers of posters aim for visual appeal, with the intention that the posters attract the attention of target audience. Studies on how often posters are being noticed at universities, has not been undertaken. Studies have been undertaken to determine the use of posters within waiting rooms and emergency centres however, these environments allow for time to peruse unlike university corridors. This paper examines the visibility of posters at a university in order to determine the effectiveness of the use of posters in disseminating HIV/AIDS awareness information

Innovation through global collaboration : a new source of competitive advantage (a study of Nigerian Breweries PLC)

Recent studies on innovation portray traditional approaches to innovation, wherein firms focus solely on their centralized Research and Development team in their pursuit and creation of innovation, as fast becoming outdated; bringing about the need to rethink the way firms managed innovation. This study was motivated by the need to understand the strategies and practices used by firms that have achieved greater success in their collaborative innovative efforts, and how this gave them a competitive advantage, using Nigerian Breweries Plc., as a case study. The research objectives are to: ascertain ways of measuring and developing innovation capabilities for business growth; provide an insight into the concept of global innovative collaboration and how it leads to organizational efficiency; and find out how an effective collaborative network can enhance innovativeness as a springboard for attaining competitive advantage. The research design adopted was the survey method. Primary data were collected using the questionnaire; our hypotheses were tested using the Chi-square, and our respondents comprise of the Management staff, and other category of workers at Nigerian Breweries Plc., which resulted in the following findings: that Nigerian Breweries Plc. was able to achieve efficiency and an immense growth in business by developing adequate collaborative innovative capabilities which have positive impact on the competitive advantage of the organisation. Therefore, the effective collaborative innovative network is the springboard of Nigerian Breweries Plc.’s attainment of competitive advantage; and a corporate collaborative innovation environment helps reinforce and amplify employee morale, build leadership and career opportunities by helping employees work better together. It was concluded that, collaborative innovation is an effective and efficient way to achieve competitive advantage. It is recommended that organisations should, critically assess their collaborative innovation strategies alongside those of other players in preparing for collaboration, tactfully address the issue of trust, focus on efficient use of firm’s resources, and continually foster an organisational climate that promotes the processes of collaborative innovation

Democracy and development in Rivers State of Nigeria

Democracy is popularly defined as the government of the people by the people for the people. In other words, it is a peoples’ government informed by the majority for the interest of the greatest number in society. Such a government must therefore aspire to improve the welfare of the greatest number in society to remain relevant. Nigerians clamoured for the return to democratic governance for a long time and that clamour was not without conflicts and injuries. However, since 1999, democracy has been in the country and currently is about 13 years old. The question is: are the expectations being realized? This work compares the pre-democratic and democratic dispensations in Rivers State using the unbalanced growth theory. The work observed that the cost of democracy in Nigeria at this time is relatively high compared to the military era. There is a need for more efficiency in governance in Nigeria now