Strengthening African Union for African Integration: An African Scholars Perspective

The transformation of the Organization of African Unity to African Union is a historical landmark of African Leaders’ intention towards integration, project her continental interest in the international state system and seek for African initiative in solving African problems. This paper seeks to  strengthen the operations of the African Union by examining the efforts of African Leaders towards African integration, obstacles confronting or  militating against the integration, and seeking ways to strengthen the  integration of the Union. The paper is aimed at protecting the continental interest of Africa in the International State System as well as seeks for  ways on how to achieve African integration. Creating a philosophy that will drive the African integration concept, involve the private sectors and  non-governmental organizations in the integration process, and create  peace within the continent institute dispute settlement mechanisms.  Internal insurgencies group need to be settled/arrested, and transparent democratic, electoral and leadership need to be strengthened. There  should be a collective effort to combat terrorism, ensure stability in the political system; and use a collective effort to combat pervasive corruption among African Countries. Corruption kills economic growth and demeans political legitimacy. These factors inhibit investment process hence, trading among African countries is very low.Key words: Strengthening, African Union and African Integratio

Nigeria’s Federalism: an Exploration of Its Dilemma

Nigeria’s federalism has been distorted from its original vision and structure. This situation presents the concept of federalism as a weak form of government that needs to be transformed for effective performance. The British colonial masters, and our foremost patriotic nationalists, adopted federalism as the best form of government for a country that is glaringly diversified in geographic, ethnic, language and religious constitution.  At its initial practice in Nigeria, the regions were autonomous in governance, finance and duties. The military incursion into governance and politics, distorted the practice of decentralization for centralization. Noting that Federalism has propelled countries like USA, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Australia, etc.  to an enviable political administration and economy, there is need for Nigeria to re appraise her practice of federalism in order for her to transform the practice of democracy and her economy and impact positively on her national development and foreign policy. This paper attempts to examine Nigeria’s federalism, sieve the strength in the philosophy of federalism, determine where Nigeria’s dilemma in the practice is anchored and suggest ways forward. The purpose of this paper is to expose the strength in the philosophy of federalism and to strengthen its practice in Nigeria. Key Words: Federalism, Exploration, Dilemm

Federalism and Good Governance in Nigeria: The Nexus

The paper contends that the Nigerian State can exploit the virtues of federalism to promote good governance within her territory. Nigeria being a heterogeneous, linguistic, religious and ethnically diversified country adopted federalism as a system of government with regional autonomy in 1954 in order to give every component unit of the federation a sense of belonging. Sequel to this, the paper looked at the concept of federalism and good governance, the virtues of federalism, and how these virtues can be exploited to achieve good governance in Nigeria. In its recommendations, the paper suggested a constitutional amendment procedure that will not only guarantee the autonomy of the federating units, but will also deepen the current democratic culture and sustain the fight against corruption. It also suggested a restructuring of the revenue sharing formula in the country so that the federating units can own land and mineral resources within their territorial jurisdiction thus encouraging interstate commerce and economic cooperation.

Emerging Issues in Micro Finance Banks in Nigeria

Microfinance is an economic development strategy intended to provide financial services such as credit, savings, micro insurance micro leasing and payment services to the poor and low income client.  This paper shall be dealing with emerging issues in microfinance banks in Nigeria. This paper is divided into eleven sections.  Introduction, microfinance concept and needs, characteristics and ownership of microfinance banks microfinance banking in Nigeria will be discussed. The paper also discusses functions and number of licensed MFB’s, forms of lending and microfinancing challenges.  This paper concludes by recommending measures for improvement of microfinancing services in Nigeria

Security Challenges as Threats to National Unity in Nigeria: Causes, Prevention and Treatment

Every country on earth is faced with the problem of security challenges in her process of national development; it is not peculiar to Nigeria. But the security challenges confronting Nigeria is capable of disintegrating the Country and even metamorphose to civil war. The experiences of Nigerians during her civil war from 1966 to 1970 called for caution and academic intervention in other not to cause disaffection, disunity and human suffering. This paper seeks to probe into the etiology of security challenges in Nigeria, draw a nexus between security challenges and national unity and seek for prevention of these causes of security challenges in Nigeria. This paper is aimed at enhancing national unity, good governance and sensitizing Nigeria as a regional power. Key words: Security Challenges and National Unit

Organizational Learning: Core Issues for Mustering Growth in Learning Organization.

This article focus on how learning serves as a means of transforming organization`s fortune and exploring factors influencing learning and the role of human resource development practitioners in creating opportunities for, and supporting, lifelong learning. This article examines one aspect of that project – factors inhibiting and enhancing learning in work, specifically in large, learning-oriented organizations. These factors are categorised at organizational – human resource, board of directors, time and time pressure, simultaneity and window of opportunity and event occurring within and outside.  Functional – focuses on the history, culture and learning style and pattern of inculcating ideas; Group and Followers levels.  Experiential learning theory offers a dynamic theory based on a learning cycle driven by the resolution of the dual dialectics of action/reflection and experience/abstraction. These two dimensions define a holistic learning space wherein learning transactions take place between individuals and the environment. This approach is adopted by reviewing current research on individual learning styles and managerial problem solving/decision making, the process of team learning and organizational learning. This work describes how this approach can serve as a useful framework to design and implement management education (learning) programmes in work setting, management training and development

Leaving no-one behind? Informal economies, economic inclusion, and Islamic extremism in Nigeria

This article examines how the Post-2015 commitment to economic inclusion affects informal economic actors in developing countries. It highlights the selective dynamics of inclusive market models which generate new processes of exclusion in which the most vulnerable continue to be left behind. The case of Nigeria reveals how inclusive market initiatives reinforce parallel processes of informalization, poverty and Islamic extremism in the north of the country. Fieldwork in northern Nigeria shows that inclusive initiatives are intensifying competitive struggles within the informal economy in which stronger actors are crowding out poorer, less educated and migrant actors, exacerbating disaffection and vulnerability to radicalization