IMPACT OF FOREIGN AIDS ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN NIGERIA

The aim of the study is to examine the impact of foreign aid on poverty alleviation in Nigeria over the period of 1990 to 2017. Data were collected from UNCTAD World Bank database and CBN Statistical Bulletin. Consequently, Cointegration, DOLS and Granger Causality techniques were utilized to address the objective of the study. The major findings are summarized as follow: Foreign aid has not led to poverty alleviation in Nigeria. Similarly, FDI has a negative impact on household consumption per capita and not significant at 10% level of significance. This implies that FDI does not reduce poverty in Nigeria. In addition, there is an existence of insignificant positive relationship between inflation rate and household consumption per capita in Nigeria. Furthermore, there is a unidirectional causality which runs from foreign aid to household consumption per capita. However, there is no feedback relationship between foreign aid and FDI, likewise FDI and household consumption per capita. Also, there is a unidirectional causal relationship flowing from inflation rate to household consumption per capita. Finally, due to the findings it is recommended that since foreign aid has no reducing impact on poverty in Nigeria, the policy makers should not depend on foreign aid as the only means of combating poverty in Nigeria. Therefore, a holistic approach for tackling the challenge of poverty in Nigeria is suggested and should be embraced

Panel Cointegration and Granger Causality Approach to Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in BRICS Countries.

In the recent time, empirical studies have failed to examine the long run relationship between FDI inflows, growth rate of economy and economic growth in BRICS countries. This paper employs Johansen Fisher Panel Cointegration and Pairwise Dumitrescu Hurlin Panel Causality Tests to address the objective of this study. The findings from this study show that all the variables have a long run equilibrium relationship. However, panel causality test indicates the existence of unidirectional causality which runs from FDI inflows to economic growth. This study upholds the propositions of Harrod-Domar and Solow growth models, which both submitted that investment is a necessary condition for economic growth in any economy. Similarly, there is one way causality that runs from growth rate of economy to FDI inflows. Therefore, the study recommends that all the policy makers in BRICS countries should embark on more foreign investment oriented policies that would boost further attraction of FDI inflows into all sectors of their economies. Also, policy should be geared towards the promotion of a stable political goodwill and macroeconomic variables that would ensure the sustainable growth rate of BRICS economies.  &nbsp

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

The role of agriculture in poverty reduction in Nigeria: an empirical perspective

Abstract In Nigeria, several advocacies have been raised in different fora over time that agriculture is capable of reducing poverty in the country. An attempt to empirically validate the above argument has generated a policy mix in the literature. Therefore, further empirical investigation about this subject matter becomes imperative. Consequently, the study utilized the DOLS and Granger Causality Approach to address the objective of this study. However, the principal findings that emerged in this study are as follows: in the long run, there is a significant positive relationship between the employment in agriculture and poverty level, inflation rate and poverty level have a negative relationship with each other. Meanwhile, agricultural output causes a significant reduction in the poverty level. Also, one-way feedback relationship runs from agricultural output to the poverty level in the country. Based on the findings that originated in this study, this paper makes the following recommendations for the policymakers, future researchers and all the stakeholders in the agricultural sector in Nigeria that agricultural output has the capacity to reduce poverty level in the country. This implies that when poverty reduction is the target of the policymakers in the country, manipulating agricultural output will induce the reduction in poverty level in the long run. Also the government should possess political goodwill to revamp agricultural sector