The project attempted to study Assessment of the Acquisition of Government Documents for Effective Utilization in Federal University of Technology Library, Minna. It aims is to identify the channels of acquiring government document. To identify the type of government documents available and relevant to the needs of the library and its users. The researcher used the survey method. The population of the study was 50 since it is impossible for one to study the whole size of the study. The data collection instruments was questionnaire and 50 questions were returned. Thus, the study shows clearly the publication law of 1964 has no binding effect on the government printers, ministries and departments seem not to know about the existence of the law since on one has been held for not depositing its publications. While trying in acquiring the government documents, many of them are considered secret documents and therefore not to be given out or sold out to the libraries or public. Recommendations were made on the finding that A handbook on the functions of the various department. They should be made available to the libraries to help them help them know from which department to obtain a particular publication when in doubts. Adequate funds should be made available for the acquisition of library materials including government documents because of their importance in the areas of meeting research needs of the users. Although some of the recommendations may require some feasibility study before implementation, but such recommendation as the mandatory preparation of official list of government documents can be tackled at once without any serious implication on the NLA and National libraries. Finally, effort should be exerted to see to these problems being addressed because of the important role of government information sources to researcher.
The study was conducted to investigate the effects of government funding schemes on development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. To meet the objectives of the study, survey research method was applied and a sample of 70 Questionnaires were administered to staff of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), 65 were filled and returned and only 50 were found useful for this analysis. Data collection was done through questionnaire administration and the data collected were statistically analyzed with the aid of SPSS software, version 17. It was found that government funding schemes significantly affects SMEs growth and development in Nigeria. However, only few entrepreneurs have access to the loans. Therefore, the study recommends that entrepreneurs need to be educated about the procedures and processes required to secure loans from the financial schemes available to SMEs.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) occupy a place of pride in virtually every country or state. Because of their (SMEs) significant roles in the development and growth of various economies, they (SMEs) have aptly been referred to as “the engine of growth” and “catalysts for socio-economic transformation of any country” (Onugu, 2005). Several studies (Sanusi, 2003; Onugu, 2005; Osuagwu, 2006; Ehinomen and Adeleke, 2012) have revealed that funding has been one of the major challenges facing the growth and development of SMEs in developing countries. Hence, the significance of government funding schemes towards the development of SMEs sector cannot be over emphasis.
Governments at various levels (Local, State and Federal levels) had in one way or the other focused on the Small and Medium Enterprises. While some governments had formulated policies aimed at facilitating and empowering the growth and development and performance of the SMEs, others had focused on assisting the SMEs to grow through soft loans and other fiscal incentives.
According to Onugu (2005), various special measures and programmes have been designed and policies enunciated and executed by government to encourage SMEs development and make them more vibrant in Nigeria. The highlights of these measures include; Fiscal incentives and protective fiscal policies, Specialized financial institutions and funding schemes for the SMEs, Favourable tariff structure, Small and Medium Industries Equity Investments Scheme (SMIEIS), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and Guaranty Trust Bank (GT BANK).
The various SMEs financing schemes have been in operation for close to three decades and it is expected that the scheme should have contributed immensely to SMEs growth and development in Nigeria. It is against this background that this study shall be conducted to examine the effect of government funding on development of Kaduna South Local Government Area.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
For the past 30 years, the Federal Government’s policy interventions for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector of the economy have not produced the desired results as the sector currently contributes one per cent to the GDP (Alli, 2012). It is a common knowledge that SMES in Nigeria find it relatively difficult to obtain institutional credits from financial houses. The need to address these problems comprehensively for a sustainable source of long term financing necessitated the introduction of the Small and Medium Industries Equity Investment Scheme (SMIEIS) by Bankers’ Committee at the initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria. (SMIEIS Report, 1999).
The scheme as at the end of 2009 had attracted a total of N42.03 billion with N28.87 equity investment in 336 projects (Alli, 2012). However, it is unclear how beneficiaries in Kaduna South Local Government Area access loan from the SMIEIS in order to develop their SMEs. Therefore, the problem of this study is to investigate the mode of operation of SMIEIS, impact of its financial advisory services, challenges facing SMEs operators to access loan from the scheme and find out the extent to which the, SMIEIS have contributed to SMEs development.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The main objective of the study is to examine effects of government funding schemes on development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. However, the specific objectives are:
To examine the effect of Small and Medium Industries Equity Investments Scheme (SMIEIS) on provision of loans to small business entrepreneurs.
To examine the conditions for accessing SMIEIS loan and its effect on growth of SMEs in Kaduna South Local Government Area.
To examine the effect of financial advisory services by SMIEIS administrators on application of loan.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions guide the study;
What are the effects of Small and Medium Industries Equity Investments Scheme (SMIEIS) on provision of loans to SMEs?
Does SMIEIS loan have effect on the growth of SMEs in Kaduna South Local Government Area?
How does the financial advisory service by SMIEIS administrators affect application of loans by SMEs in Kaduna South Local Government Area?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The research tests the following hypotheses;
H0: Small and Medium Industries Equity Investments Scheme (SMIEIS) does not have significant effect on SMEs operations in Kaduna South Local Government Area.
Hi: Small and Medium Industries Equity Investments Scheme (SMIEIS) has significant effect on SMEs operations in Kaduna South Local Government Area.
H0: SMIEIS does not enhance the growth of SMEs in Kaduna South Local Government Area.
Hi: SMIEIS enhances the growth of SMEs in Kaduna South Local Government Area.
H0: Financial advisory service by SMIEIS administrators does not have significant effect on application of loans.
Hi: Financial advisory service by SMIEIS administrators has significant effect on application of loans.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The study contribute to knowledge in the area of SMEs development in Nigeria. The study will examine the Small and Medium Industries Equity Investment Scheme (SMIEIS) and how SMEs have benefited from the scheme.
The study shall unravel the factors that hinder SMEs access to loan from government financial schemes in the country and proffer solutions to any problem identified in the course of the study.
The findings of the study will assist SMEs operators and policy makers in finding a better way of improving SMEs performance in Nigeria, in terms operational efficiency, such as service quality, cost savings, process flexibility and customer satisfaction.
Also, the study will be relevant to students who may conduct similar study in the future.
1.7 Scope and Limitations of the Study
The study covers government funding schemes in support of SMEs growth and development in Kaduna South Local Government Area. Focus will be on the mode of operation, challenges of the scheme and its contribution towards providing financial assistance to SMEs in Kaduna South Local Government Area. The study shall be limited to Small and Medium Industries Equity Investment Scheme (SMIEIS) implementation in Kaduna South Local Government Area.
The study will further be limited by availability and access to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on SMIEIS fund disbursement in Kaduna South Local Government Area. However, time and financial constraints are expected to be a major limitation of the study. Also, getting beneficiaries (respondents) to comment on how they secure and implement funds from SMIEIS is another limitation to the study.
1.8 Definition of Terms
The courses of the study, some basic concepts were used. Theseconcepts are defined below;
Funding: is the act of providing resources, usually in form of money (financing), or other values such as effort or time (sweat equity), for a project, a person, a business, or any other private or public institutions.
Government Funding: Refers to financial support from government to SMEs in Nigeria.
Small Enterprise: An enterprise whose total cost including working capital but excluding cost of land is between ten million naira (N10,000,000) and one hundred million naira (N100,000,000) and/or a workforce between eleven (11) and seventy (70) full-timestaff and/or with a turnover of not more than ten million naira (N10,000,000) in a year.
Medium Enterprise: A company with total cost including working capital but excluding cost of land of more than one hundred million naira (N100,000,000) but less than three hundred million naira (N300,000,000) and/or a staff strength of between seventy-one (71) and two hundred (200) full-time workers and/or with an annual turnover of not more than twenty million naira (N20,000,000) only.
Large Enterprise: Any enterprise whose total cost including working capital but excluding cost of land is above three hundred million naira (N300,000,000) and/or a labour force of over two hundred (200) workers and/or an annual turnover of more than twenty million naira (N20,000,000) only.
Small and Medium Industries Equity Investments Scheme (SMIEIS): Refers to the funding scheme by which the government directive from the CBN that commercial banks should set aside 10% of the profit after tax to provide loan for SMEs in Nigeria.
Local government has and will continue to be of the prime mort of development in different parts of the world and their importance and impact on the daily activities of citizens cannot be over emphasized.
The terms local government refers to a political authority set up by a nation as a subordinate authority for the purpose of dispensing or decentralizing (political) power in the English souse, it means local self government.
Local government is a political sub-division of a national government or in federal system, a sub-division of regional government in fact local government administration so intentioned with community development that any discussion on one out of necessity involves in essence was created solidly to bring development to the community at the grass-roots.
Community development is with a new ideology. It is defined as a process by which the efforts of the people themselves are lives with those of government authorities to improve the economic social and cultural conditions of the communities to integrate into the life of active and to enable them to fully contribute to the national progress.
Also the role of local government at the local level is clearly recognized as one of the underlying basis of the 1976 local government reformed which emphasizes that none of the principle objective of local government is to mobilize human and material resources through the involvement of members of the public in the promotion of local government many communities had built schools constructed roads bridges and organized higher education, scholarship schemes for linear children etc.
Community development as we recognize today is based on and has grown out of experience of the past.
What is new is that these principles are now becoming more widely recognized than ever before the principles of community development are not new, but it is the emphasis which makes almost a revolutionary. The concept of community development is based on the faith in the ability of people to learn to help them attain improved standard of living building better communities taking one one step at a time. Rural development has thus remained one of the priority items of the programmes of one administration. In draining up the blue print for rural development government of Abia State aims primarily at sensitizing and mobilizing the people at the grass-root level and deliberately and actively involving them in effective community development encouraging integrated and multi-dimension approach community development for the government to achieve the grass-roots development it must get closer to the people community development groups and local government should work very closely because for instance a service project such as maternity dispensary or school which is built without the relevant main tenancy expense of such service are usually too heavy to be borne unaided to such.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Statement of the problem should help you clearly identify the purpose of the project you will propose. Often, the statement problem will also serve as the basis for the introductory section of your final proposal directing your reader attention quickly to the issues that your proposed project will address and providing the reader with a concise statement of the proposed project itself.
A statement problem need not be long and windy. One page is more than enough for a good statement of problem.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The broad objective of the study is to find out the roles of local government in community development in bende local government.
The following are the specific objective of this study.
To determine the impact of finding on community development.
To determine the impact of corruption on rural development in Nigeria.
To establish the use of trained and professional workers in community development.
To ascertain the impact of local government authority on rural development in Nigeria.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION
The following research questions, will guide the study.
What impact dose finding have on the development of rural areas in Nigeria.
To what extent dose corruption affect rural development in bende government.
How dose lack of trained and professional personal affect the standardization of project in community development.
What impact will local government authority have on rural development in Nigeria.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Somehow, most communities in bende seem to be legging behind in community development because of the above mentioned problems. As such, his study will be of benefit, it many people.
This work is expected to assist our policy makes who have taken it upon themselves to sensitize the rural dwellers in bende local government. This is because through the finding of this work, they would then appreciate the importance of identifying the needs of communities before embarking on any project in a community.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
It is obvious that Nigeria is a country that has 774 local government in the country this assignment was narrowed down to one local government area, which is bende local government area in easy accessibility and the emphasis therefore is the role of local government.
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
As a result of the numerous local government area that is bende local government in Abia state the emphasis therefore should be the role of local government in community development. Lots of constraints were encountered in the financial constraints, scarcity of material and ignorance on the part of the respondents. But by the grace of God, I was able to assemble to the best of my ability the key information that will form a picture of what the study demands and hope that their constraints will pave away in subsequent to make for enlacement where necessary.
The study aimed at examining the contributions of izzi local government towards rural development in rural areas. Asserting the extent to which Izzi local government has contributed towards human capital development and the extent the local government has reduced the level of poverty in the area. Structural functional theory propounded by Gabriel Hammod and James coleman in 1960 was adopted to guide the study. A descriptive survey design was also adopted to study the population 234, 074 which was reduced to a sample size of 399 using Taro Yameni’s statistical formular and stratified sampling and random sampling techniques was used. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources, structured questionnaire instrument were used for data collected and frequency distribution table with simple percentage method were also used to analyze the data collection whereas statistical chi-square (X2) was applied in the empirical testing of the hypothese that guided the study. The study revealed the following findings: that the contributions of Izzi local government area towards rural development is significantly high considering their strides in the provision of social amenities, education etc. and another findings is that Izzi local government has contributed in reducing the level of poverty and as well as help towards human capital development. Finally the researcher recommends that the federal government should improve on statutory allocation to local government to assist them undertake capital project that will enhance rural development, and the statutory allocation of the local government should be paid directly into the local government account rather than state joint local account in order to reduce excessive control of the state government.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Local Government Administration is seen as veritable instrument for the development and management of affairs of the local populace for grassroot development through its nearness to the local areas. Local government Administration dates back to the colonial period when the British government introduced the indirect rule system of administration. However, it was the famous 1976 local government reforms that ushered in the modern local government system in Nigeria. Local government reform of 1976 remains a watershed in the existence, structure, composition and status of local government in Nigeria. The guidelines for this reform define local government as the “Government at the local level exercised through a representative council established by law to exercise specific powers within a defined area”. Local Government Administration facilitates the devolution or decentralization of the powers, functions, and resources of the central government to the sub-national level government units (Ademolokun, 1990).
However, development is seen as the qualitative improvement in the living standard of members of the society and for development to be measured some indicators are used. Development indicators includes literacy level, rate of employment, good roads, regular supply of electricity, decent housing, medical facilities, education among others. According to Udoh (2005:54) the effectiveness of Local Government Administration is judged through this measures i.e development measures they generate and to the extent that it has catered satisfactorily for the happiness and general well being of the communities it has been established to serve. The principal aims of local government are to facilitate development at the rural area by providing development indicators for rural dwellers. Understanding the emphasis on local government as an instrument for rural development is based on the premise that small units of government stimulate grass root participation in development activities.
Rural development is defined as the process of improving standard of living of the mass of the low income population residing in rural areas and making the process of their development self sustaining (Uma, 1975). Such enormous task no doubt requires a permanent institution structure now legal power to initiate and implement programmes with developmental consequences.
Development programmes are often initiated, co-ordinate and most a times implemented by the political system via the government in a political system, this action may emanate from either the center or the grassroots or both depending on the political values of those in position of authority.
Successive governments in Nigeria have experimented with one programme or the other in the pursuit of rural development. For instance, the creation of institutions and agencies such as Nigerian Agriculture and Cooperative Bank (NACB) now Bank of Agriculture (BDA), Peoples Bank, Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP), River Basin Authorities, Operation Feed the Nation, Rural Banking, Universal Basic Education (UBE), Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI), National Directorate of Employment (NBE), National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and other similar agencies (Nwakamma, 2015).
In spite of the above efforts, the issue of development especially at the grassroot level, appears not to have been addressed. States and local governments are still left with dilapidated infrastructure and near absence of social amenities. Ebonyi state was created in 1996 with Izzi local government as one of the local governments of the state. The local government is expected to make the people feel the impact of social and infrastructure development such as human capital development, provision of basic education and other related services, provision of quality road network, enhanced health care facilities, poverty reduction, provision of pipe borne water, take care of the widows and other social welfare services among others. Inspite of state and local governments efforts in this regard, it seems not much has been realized. It is against this backdrop that this study “became imperative.
Local government as an institutional framework for socio-economic and political transformation of the grassroots in Nigeria has its own historical background. Its emergence as a bureaucratic establishment is regarded as a Western innovation, therefore alien. Though, the various political communities prior to the formation of an entity called Nigeria had their own native administrative system which eventually became labeled by the colonial administrators as traditional political system. This posture is viewed as discriminatory of the culture of the various ethnic groups.
The importance attached to this third tier system of governance has warranted its unrivalled reforms to make it more effective and result-oriented in terms of meeting the objectives for which it was established.
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Local government in Nigeria is generally regarded as an effective instrument for the development of the communities within its domain and for provision of social services for the local population. The essential function of local government is regarded as provision of services (Chadwick, 1990: 65). Its closeness to the local population makes it to be in a better position to provide essential services for more efficiency than other levels of government. This closeness to the people at the grassroots as well as its pivotal role in national development has made local government the focus of every successive government in Nigeria and has warranted its unrivalled reforms as far as institutional reforms is concerned.
The practice of local government administration is to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of the local government level under representative officials, since it has been generally agreed that no central government can satisfactorily conduct administration wholly from the capital through the civil servants based at the headquarters. It logically follows, therefore, that there is need for a form of decentralization such that it will enable the government to reach out to the people at the grassroots level.
It is important to assert that before now, different forms of local administration and organization in Nigeria existed. But one important fact is that the first attempt of bringing about a unified form of local government reforms which brought about the first democratically elected local government councils nation-wide and granted them financial autonomy and a statutory recognition as the third tier of government. In fact, the year 1976, is historic and pivotal in the evolution and development administration and finances in Nigeria.
But the recent calls from some quarters for its scrapping from the Nigeria political system coupled with problems of inefficiency associated with it have been a course for concern which warranted the choice of the topic “Local Government as means for Socio-Economic Transformation of Nigeria using Lokoja Local government Area as a case study. Attempt will be made here to unveil how local government became an institution for the socio-economic transformation in Nigeria.
1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Discussions in respect of local government administration as an institution for the socio-economic development of Nigeria have drawn serious contributions from scholars. As a build-up into the research topic, attempt will be made at critically assessing the following purpose of the study:
To look at the local government as a means of job creation for the local populace.
To assess the contributions of local government in the area of providing social and economic services to the people.
Attempt will be made to ascertain the need for local government as the third tier level of governance.
1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is hinged on the following significance:-
-It serves as a means of identifying the importance of local government administration in the area of providing socio-economic services to the rural people.
-it equally serves as a means towards integrating the various ethnic, culture and differing value systems among different people.
-it is very strategic in identifying and training future political leaders in the earth of governance.
-it equally avail us the opportunity to know the feelings and believe of local people on the need and suitability of local government.
-it enhances grassroots mobilization for the nation’s development.
-it will equally avail us the opportunity to identify problems that hamper rural development.
-the discussion will further encourage other researchers in the chosen topic in the near future.
-it is a requirement for the award of higher national diploma in Public Administration.
1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
Due to time and financial constraints, the research work covers Lokoja Local Government area been my case study within the range of year 2000 – 2016 as my reference point.
1.5 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Local governments had over the years suffered from continuous whittling down of their powers. The state government had continued to encroach upon what should normally have been the exclusive preserves of the local government.
One other striking problem is instability in structure and form. Reflecting on this, dilemma, Dare (1988: 14-21) lamented that, “no Nigeria institution has been subjected to as much review, reform; reorganization or revitalization as the local government”.
Corruptions, either bureaucratic or political have been as well recognized as the bane of our development socially and economically. All these have tended to create friction and lack of confidence on the administrators of local government by the people resident in the locality. These are some of the basic research problems which the project topic will likely addressed.
1.6 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
Hypothesis is tentative statements about the relationship between two or more variables it can also be define as specific, testable prediction about what you expect to happen in your study.
The followings are the research hypothesis;
H1: Effective local government administration is a requisite for the socio-economic transformation of the nation. H0: Effective local government administration is not a requisite for the socio-economic transformation of the nation.
H1: Local governments as an institution impacted positively on the lives of rural people. H0: Local governments as an institution do not impacted positively on the lives of rural people.
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
To every research work, there are constraints, such constraints or limitations ranges from finance, time, inaccessibility of data especially from government ministries or institutions as well as inadequate materials for consultations.
However, some of these limitations will be overcome especially with the recent passage of freedom of information bill, inaccessibility of data will be removed. Also, these are presently a long list of authors who have written on local government administration which will serve as reference point to this discussions.
1.8 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
For the purpose of clarity and understanding, it is pertinent to explain some major concepts likely to be used in the discussion among which are:
Local government: Hobson (2008) defined local government as involving the conception of a territorial non-sovereign community possessing the legal right and the necessary organization to regulates its own affairs. Local government, according to the guidelines of the 1976 reforms and as further posited by Adamolekun (2013), is government at the local level, exercised through representative councils established by law to exercise specific powers within defined areas.
Administration: Generally speaking therefore, administration refers to the process by which various activities performed by several people are linked together, processed or coordinated accomplishment of previously determined objectives.
Transformation: As a social process, transformation is complex and multi-dimensional. It entails processes in the social economic cultural and other facts of life throughout history; people have sought to increase their ability to conquer the environment with a view to improving their standard of living. At the micro level, transformation entails qualitative and quantitative increase in the capacity skill, creativity and general materials of well-being of individuals.
Social services: This is usually provided by the local government to help people who have financial or family problem, as cited in oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Some important services that are not within the reach of an individual in the society are usually classified as social services.
Economy: According to Oxford Advanced learner’s Dictionary, an economy situates the relationship between production, trade and the supply of money in a particular economy, market economy etc. An economy is an area of the production, distribution, or trade, and consumption of goods and services by different agents in a given geographical location. Understood in its broadest sense, ‘The economic is defined as a social domain that emphasizes the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the production, use and management of resources’. Economic agents can be individuals, businesses, organizations, or governments. Economic transactions occur when two parties agree to the value or price of the transacted good or service, commonly expressed in a certain currency, but monetary transactions are only a small part of the economic domain.
