The impact of foreign direct investment on agricultural output of Nigeria

This study examines the impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Agricultural output in Nigeria from 1970-2012 using an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. Data were sourced from the National Bureau of statistic (NBS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the World Development Indicators. Results from the analysis reveal that Foreign Direct Investment, Government expenditure and Exchange rates in the period under study have significant positive effects on Agricultural output, whereas Interest rates and Inflation variables have negative effect on Agricultural output, although the Inflation rate is not significant. Increase in volume of Foreign Direct Investment is recommended, Government and other stakeholders should seek Foreign Direct Investment. It is also recommended to improve macroeconomic policies that will encourage agricultural sector productivity in Nigeri

Climate Change Strategy and Sustainable Power Technologies in China

Global warming is likely to be the greatest environmental challenge among various known climate changes that related with many aspects of land use and water management in the 21st century. In general, the phenomenon of global warming is almost proportionally related with the pace of industrialization, which has to be resolved with high priority. Fossil fuel production and consumption is primarily responsible for the emission of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2), into the environment, increasing the level of global warming. In this research, a policy mix as a kind of climate change strategy is proposed, imposing carbon tax in China. Based on available data, an eco-conscious socioeconomic framework model is built and several scenarios of energy use and CO2 emission are developed in order to evaluate comprehensively the effect of carbon tax on CO2 emission curtailment and introduce suitable alternative energy in China. Sustainable power technologies mean solar power technology and wind power technology in the research. The main target is to form a low carbon sustainable society in China, using a multi-sectoral macro-economical model including Input-Output (I-O) table. Then an optimum carbon tax rate is derived endogenously by running the simulation model under CO2 emission restrictions.

Assessing China’s Carbon Intensity Pledge for 2020: Stringency and Credibility Issues and their Implications

Just prior to the Copenhagen climate summit, China pledged to cut its carbon intensity by 40-45% by 2020 relative to its 2005 levels to help to reach an international climate change agreement at Copenhagen or beyond. This raises the issue of whether such a pledge is ambitious or just represents business as usual. To put China’s climate pledge into perspective, this paper examines whether this proposed carbon intensity goal for 2020 is as challenging as the energy-saving goals set in the current 11th five-year economic blueprint, to what extent it drives China’s emissions below its projected baseline levels, and whether China will fulfill its part of a coordinated global commitment to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere at the desirable level. Given that China’s pledge is in the form of carbon intensity, the paper shows that GDP figures are even more crucial to the impacts on the energy or carbon intensity than are energy consumption and emissions data by examining the revisions of China’s GDP figures and energy consumption in recent years. Moreover, the paper emphasizes that China’s proposed carbon intensity target not only needs to be seen as ambitious, but more importantly it needs to be credible. Finally, it is concluded with a suggestion that international climate change negotiations need to focus on 2030 as the targeted date to cap the greenhouse gas emissions of the world’s two largest emitters in a legally binding global agreement.Carbon Intensity, Post-Copenhagen Climate Change Negotiations, Climate Commitments, China

Copenhagen and Beyond: Reflections on China’s Stance and Responses

China had been singled out by Western politicians and media for dragging its feet on international climate negotiations at Copenhagen, the accusations previously always targeted on the U.S. To put such a criticism into perspective, this paper provides some reflections on China’s stance and reactions at Copenhagen. While China’s reactions are generally well rooted because of realities at home, some reactions could have been handled more effectively for a better image of China. The paper also addresses the reliability of China’s statistics on energy and GDP, the issue crucial to the reliability of China’s carbon intensity commitments. The paper discusses flaws in current international climate negotiations and closes with my suggestion that international climate negotiations need to focus on 2030 as the targeted date.Copenhagen Climate Negotiations, Emissions Reductions, Carbon Intensity Target, Binding Emissions Caps, Statistics on Energy and GDP, Coal and Energy Consumption, China, USA

Assessing China’s Energy Conservation and Carbon Intensity: How Will the Future Differ from the Past?

As an important step towards building a “harmonious society” through “scientific development”, China has incorporated for the first time in its five-year economic plan an energy input indicator as a constraint. While it achieved a quadrupling of its GDP while cutting its energy intensity by about three quarters between 1980 and 2000, China has had limited success in achieving its own 20% energy-saving goal set for 2010 to date. Despite this great challenge at home, just prior to the Copenhagen climate summit, China pledged to cut its carbon intensity by 40-45% by 2020 relative its 2005 levels to help to reach an international climate change agreement at Copenhagen or beyond. This raises the issue of whether such a pledge is ambitious or just represents business as usual. To put China’s climate pledge into perspective, this paper examines whether this proposed carbon intensity goal for 2020 is as challenging as the energy-saving goals set in the current 11th five-year economic blueprint, to what extent it drives China’s emissions below its projected baseline levels, and whether China will fulfill its part of a coordinated global commitment to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere at the desirable level. Given that China’s pledge is in the form of carbon intensity, the paper shows that GDP figures are even more crucial to the impacts on the energy or carbon intensity than are energy consumption and emissions data by examining the revisions of China’s GDP figures and energy consumption in recent years. Moreover, the paper emphasizes that China’s proposed carbon intensity target not only needs to be seen as ambitious, but more importantly it needs to be credible. Given that China has shifted control over resources and decision making to local governments as the result of the economic reforms during the past three decades, the paper argues the need to carefully examine those objective and subjective factors that lead to the lack of local official’s cooperation on the environment, and concludes that their cooperation, and strict implementation and coordination of the policies and measures enacted are of paramount importance to meeting China’s existing energy-saving goal in 2010, its proposed carbon intensity target in 2020 and whatever climate commitments beyond 2020 that China may take.Energy Saving, Renewable Energy, Carbon Intensity, Post-Copenhagen Climate Negotiations, Climate Commitments, China

Is It Fair to Treat China as a Christmas Tree to Hang Everybody’s Complaints? Putting its Own Energy Saving into Perspective

China had been the world’s second largest carbon emitter for years. However, recent studies show that China had overtaken the U.S. as the world’s largest emitter in 2007. This has put China on the spotlight, just at a time when the world community starts negotiating a post-Kyoto climate regime under the Bali roadmap. China seems to become such a Christmas tree on which everybody can hang his/her complaints. This paper first discusses whether such a critics is fair by examining China’s own efforts towards energy saving, the widespread use of renewable energy and participation in clean development mechanism. Next, the paper puts carbon reductions of China’s unilateral actions into perspective by examining whether the estimated greenhouse gas emission reduction from meeting the country’s national energy saving goal is achieved from China’s unilateral actions or mainly with support from the clean development mechanism projects. Then the paper discusses how far developing country commitments can go in an immediate post-2012 climate regime, thus pointing out the direction and focus of future international climate negotiations. Finally, emphasizing that China needs to act as a large and responsible developing country and take due responsibilities and to set a good example to the majority of developing countries, the paper articulates what can be expected from China to illustrate that China can be a good partner in combating global climate change.Energy Saving, Renewable Energy, Post-Kyoto Climate Negotiations, Clean Development Mechanism, China, USA

An Evaluation of Poverty Reduction Programme in Maiduguri Metropolitan Area, Borno State, 2008-2012.

There is a global call to action on the issue of poverty, everyone was called upon to examine poverty and share ideas on how to deal with it or how it can be reduced or eliminated. This work is an attempt at Evaluating Poverty alleviation programme in Maiduguri; the effectiveness of the programme, the number of beneficiaries and the types of assistance they get from the government. Data for this study were generated through questionnaire and in-depth interview. One hundred beneficiaries were selected through proportionate sampling and administered with questionnaire. While five (5) officials from the Borno state ministry of poverty alleviation and Youth Empowerment were selected for an in-depth interview. In all one hundred and five respondents took part in the study. The study revealed that these beneficiaries received different materials as assistance in order to improve their living standard. It was discovered that most of these beneficiaries engaged in commercial tricycles (Keke NAPEP) for survival. It was suggested that government should increase the number of beneficiaries so that the poverty can be reduced. Government and non-governmental organizations are equally implored to establish small scale industries to give more loans and create more job opportunities so as to add value to the life of the people. Key words: Evaluation, Poverty reduction, Programm

Does Macroeconomic Indicators exert shock on the Nigerian Capital Market?

This study examines the long-run and short-run effect of macroeconomic variables on the Nigerian capital market between 1984 and 2007. The properties of the time series variables are examined using the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test and most of the variables have a unit root at level. The Augmented Engle-Granger Cointegration test revealed that macroeconomic variables exert significant long-run effect on stock market performance in Nigeria. Also, the employed Error Correction Model (ECM) showed that macroeconomic variables exert significant short-term shock on stock prices as a result of the stochastic error term mechanisms. However, the empirical analysis showed that the NSE all share index is more responsive to changes in exchange rate, inflation rate, money supply and real output. While, all the incorporated variables which serve as proxies for external shock and other macroeconomic indicators have simultaneous significant impact on the Nigerian capital market both in the short and long-run.Economic Shock; Macroeconomic Variables; Capital Market; Unit root and Cointegration.