Vision 20: 2020 Realities and Challenges

Development planning is a pre- requisite for achieving national development in the world. However, the Nigeria experience in development planning has been a failure.A recent effort initiated by the government in realizing national developmental goal in Nigeria is the Vision20: 2020. Vision 2020 is expected to place Nigeria in the comity of one of the developed 20 economies in the world by the year 2020. It is just eleven years to the end of the time frame for realizing the vision. But the question is could this vision be realizable within this time frame? This question is imperative considering some of the developmental challenges in Nigeria. This paper examines some of these challenges and their implications in realizing Vision 20:2020. The paper identified the following challenges which could be an impediment to the realization of Vision 2020.They include: low development of science and technology, inadequate infrastructural facilities i.e. roads, power, low level of industrialization, lack of budget discipline, lack of virile and ineffective fiscal and monetary policy, lack of policy consistency and continuity, decay and ineffective educational sector, ineffective human resource development, high rate of corruption, high rate of poverty and unemployment and lack of good governance. The paper concludes that unless drastic and urgent measures are taken to overcome these challenges, the Vision20: 2020 will be a mere dream. The paper believes that the only way out is for the leaders to be more committed, honest, self disciplined, transparent and more accountable to the people. The present effort to bring about attitudinal change tagged, ‘Re-branding’ is appreciated. But the re-branding needs to start from the leadership.Keywords: Development, vison 20:2020, planning, challenges, corrruptio

Embedded confusion matrix in Fuzzy logic for system appraisal

Fuzzy logic methods give effective system appraisal solution to some classification problems as against some techniques on probability prediction of solution. This paper used fuzzy logic approach as a comparative method to visual encoding technique.Journal of the Nigerian Association of Mathematical Physics, Volume 15 (November, 2009), pp 355 - 36

Control derivative to optimal control analysis

Optimal control theory, generally, is to determine the control signals which will cause a process to satisfy the physical constraints and at the same time optimize some performance criterion. In this work, a numerical method for finding solution to linear optimal control problems with bounded state constraints is examined. The method applied is based on Legendre series by parameterization of both the state and the control variables involving a derivative.Journal of the Nigerian Association of Mathematical Physics, Volume 15 (November, 2009), pp 399 - 40

Exogenous determinants of entrepreneurial intuition and the mediatory role of psychological capital among potential youth entrepreneurs

Abstract Some scholars have argued that intuition should be given more importance in scholarly research but not many researchers have investigated intuition in entrepreneurial settings. This study therefore investigated the influence of career adaptability, ambiguity tolerance, achievement need and mentoring support on entrepreneurial intuition and the mediatory role of psychological capital. The quantitative study employed an ex-post facto research design via cross-sectional survey among 1626 youth corps members across selected National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps in Nigeria. Simple random sampling via a proportionate stratification technique was used to select youth corps members to participate in the study sample. Results showed that after controlling for the mediator (psychological capital), there was a decrease in the significant predictive value of career adaptability (β = .142; p < .05) and mentoring support (β = .063; p < .05) on entrepreneurial intuition; indicating partial mediation. However, the significant predictive value of need for achievement (β = .006; p > .05) on entrepreneurial intuition was nullified; indicating full mediation. In a bid to enhance the intuitive capacity of potential entrepreneurs, it was recommended that intensive and comprehensive entrepreneurship training (which would include modules of career adaptability, need for achievement and mentoring support) should be incorporated in all categories of tertiary institutions

Role of mentoring in career adaptability and ambiguity tolerance of potential Nigerian entrepreneurs: the moderating effect of age

Abstract This study examines age differentials in the predictive role of entrepreneurial mentoring on career adaptability and ambiguity tolerance among potential Nigerian entrepreneurs. A cross-sectional survey was adopted in obtaining relevant data for the study. The study participants were graduates who were participating in the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) in Nigeria. This population forms a catchment group for entrepreneurship programmes in Nigeria. Their ages ranged from 19 to 30 years old; with 780 being male and 846 being female. Results showed that the interaction term of age and mentoring produced significant effect (B = .174; p < .05) and accounted for a significant increase in career adaptability (∆R2 = 0.4%; p < .05). The results imply that the effects of entrepreneurial mentoring on career adaptability were significant among both younger and older graduates; with a stronger effect being observed among the former (B = .23, CI = .09 to .17) than the latter (B = .01, CI = .17 to .24). However, age did not moderate the effect of mentoring on ambiguity tolerance (B = .033; p > .05). These results buttress appeals for incorporating adaptive mentorship models that cater for contextual factors (such as age differences) in entrepreneurship education aimed at enhancing specific modules of career adaptability and other important entrepreneurial traits