OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development
Open access peer-reviewed journal
The important role of springs in South Africa’s rural water supply: The case study of two rural communities in South Africa
Z. Nkuna a, E. Mamakoa b, M. Mothetha c
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – Built Environment,
P.O Box 395 Pretoria 0001 South Africa
Volume 07, Issue 12, Pg.11-21, 2014.
Abstract: Groundwater is one of the most important natural resources globally. In Africa, particularly, groundwater has been the most reliable water supply option for meeting the daily water needs of rural communities. This is mainly due to the fact that most rural communities are geographically located in hard to reach areas due to their dispersed nature and bad terrain. In South Africa, these conditions have made it particularly expensive and difficult for water service providers to effect services to rural communities. It is estimated that there is still about two million people, mostly residing in rural communities, in South Africa without access to basic water services. Such communities have no option but to rely on hand-dug wells and springs for their daily water needs. It is further estimated that about 80% of South Africa’s rural communities depend on groundwater sources for survival. Rural communities regard springs as a sustainable and reliable means of obtaining water compared to formal water supply from the relevant service providers. However, the challenge is that water service providers disregard springs and consider them insufficient for water service delivery. This situation often leaves communities to have to struggle to maintain these sources by themselves with no support from relevant authorities. Furthermore information on the use of springs is not documented; hence no data is available on the quantities of water being abstracted on a daily basis. In a water scarce country such as South Africa this is a serious concern which contributes to unmanaged and uncontrolled abstraction and/or dewatering of the aquifers. Consequently, boreholes, wetlands and springs are drying up, new sites are explored and the cycle continues. This lack of data means that incorrect data sets are being used and incorrect assumptions are being made about groundwater use and sustainability. In addressing this issue, South Africa’s Groundwater strategy puts emphasis on measures to improve awareness and knowledge of the importance of and potential of groundwater resources. Increasing research and documenting case studies demonstrating the use and importance of groundwater in rural communities is therefore critical objective of this strategy. In addition to showcasing the use of springs, the study advocates for springs to be formally recognized and recorded as a formal water supply alternative especially for communities where springs are considered a significant resource. In this way spring water sources can be incorporated in the planning of water services such that formal support can be allocated to communities relying on springs. This will ensure that communities still consume water of acceptable quality which will help improve on health, reduce poverty rates and address water service backlogs. This study uses two rural communities in South Africa as case studies to document the use of springs; through mapping spring water sources, understanding the extent of the use as well as the importance of such sources. The study will also show that conducting regular mapping of water points, irrespective of the source can provide valuable source of information to water service providers in achieving the important goal of scaling-up water services and ensuring sustainability and ultimately improving water service backlogs. Such information will further improve the planning and design of rural water supply schemes in the rural areas especially where springs are a significant resource.
Keywords: Groundwater, rural communities, springs, water services, municipalities
Financing Small And Business Enterprises For Economic Development In Nigeria As A Motivation
Ambreen Zeb Khaskhelly a, Albeena Mirza b, Sobho Khan Jamali c,
Lawal Mohammed Anka d
a,b,c Department of Economics, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan
d Zamfara Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, Post Office Box 422, Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria.
Volume 07, Issue 12, Pg. 22-34, 2014.
Abstract: The main objectives of this paper were to review the government policies for SMEs in Nigeria. Examine source of finance and incentives for SMEs to present an analysis of Nigerian firms and access to credit for SMEs and finally recommend strategies for the promotion of SMEs in Nigeria. The major conclusions drawn from this paper were available data and records indicate that the performance of SMEs in Nigeria has not justified the establishment of Micro Credit Institutions. Analysis on Nigerian firms shows that about 52% of Micro Firms have access to external finance, while 82% of small and 89% of medium scale firms have access also. While large firms have almost 100% access to external finance. The analysis further revealed that almost 50% of Micro, 39% and 37% of small and medium scale firms sampled report being credit constrained as opposed to 25% of the very large firms. This shows that small and medium scale firms are discriminated against credit market. About 25.2% of the small business and 23.2% of medium scale business sampled complained of high interest charges and claimed that because of this, they could not secure loans. It is recommended that specialised SMEs banking and support programmes need to be set up. The small loan scheme needs to be reviewed and mobile banking services need to be organised to make credit accessible to SMEs. A clear policy commitment needs to be made to improve access to credit to rural areas. Finally, government should create an enabling environment that will discourage corruption and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Keywords: Micro-credit Financing, Government policies, Firms, Industrial Development
ON NIGERIAN CLAIMS TO JEWISH AND JUDAIC TRADITIONS: A REPLY TO FATAI AYISA OLASUPO
Shai Afsai
Volume 07, Issue 12, Pg. 33-38, 2014.
Abstract: For those with an interest in Nigerian claims to Jewish and Judaic traditions, Professor Fatai Ayisa Olasupo’s “Black African Jews, the Nigerian Question and the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel: A Comparison of Igbo and Yoruba Claims to Jewish and Judaic Traditions” (Vol. 7, No. 4, 2014, pp. 49-62) is intriguing. As it is possible scholars attentive to the topic of Yoruba, Igbo, and smaller Nigerian ethnic groups tracing their roots or origins to the people of Israel may make use of Professor Olasupo’s article, it is useful here to address three errors and misconceptions contained therein, as well as offer some additional comments particularly related to Igbo Jewry. The first of these misconceptions has to do with the relevance of the Queen of Sheba/Bilikisu Sungbo to Nigerian Jewish identity. It would be a grave misconstruction to interpret the state of Israel’s lack of interest in her supposed burial places as a “bias against blacks.” It is simply that she and the myth of Ethiopia’s Solomonic dynasty are largely outside the purview of Judaism and Jewish national identity. In fact, when the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, Ovadia Yosef, declared in 1973 that the Jews of Ethiopia (Beta Israel/House of Israel) should be brought to the state of Israel — thus paving the way for the community’s mass immigration to the Jewish state — he did so without any reference to King Solomon or the Queen of Sheba. Rather, the Chief Rabbi affirmed that the Beta Israel were “from the Tribe of Dan.” A second error surrounds Professor Olasupo’s claim that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin sent a team to Nigeria to search for the “Lost Tribes” in 1995, but that the outcome of the search has not been made public. In fact, no past or present Israeli governments have undertaken a search for the “Lost Tribes” in Nigeria and there is no search outcome to be made public by Israel’s government. A third misconception in Professor Olasupo’s article concerns literature produced by Igbo Jews, which actually extends far beyond only one book on Igbo Jewish identity.
Keywords: Ethnic Studies/International Studies; Igbo; Israel; Jews; Judaism; Lost Tribes; Nigeria
Analyzing the Prospective Opportunities of Entrepreneurship Development for Youths Empowerment
Aliyu Ndalile Idris
Directorate of General Studies, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria.
Volume 07, Issue 12, Pg. 39-46, 2014.
Abstract: Unemployment among youths, most especially graduates has reached an alarming rate in most of the developing countries including Nigeria. This is aside the fact that world economy is witnessing a downward trend in terms of job creation. It is for this reason that this paper addresses the issue of youth empowerment by examining the prospects of entrepreneurship development towards youth’s empowerment as a way of exposing Nigerian youths towards identifying entrepreneurial opportunities available to them most especially after completing University education. It is not an hidden fact that the available job opportunity is not enough for the continuously growing number of graduates from our tertiary institutions, hence the need to emphasise entrepreneurial skills serves as a better alternative forgone to get a sustainable job instead of chasing the shadow of applying for non-existing jobs. The paper therefore x-rayed the key elements that are crucial towards entrepreneurship drive for sustainable development especially in areas of youth empowerment. Doing this, the paper offers two way flow of exploring the prospective opportunities in Entrepreneurial opportunity discovery and creation as well as providing a model on how these entrepreneurial opportunities could be effectively and efficiently utilize for youth empowerment.
Keywords: Economy, Entrepreneurship development, Opportunities, Unemployment, Youth, Youth empowerment
Building the creative industries for sustainable economic development in south africa
Oluwayemisi Adebola Oyekunle
Business School, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa.
Volume 07, Issue 12, Pg. 47-76, 2014.
Abstract: The creative industries have long been ignored in conventional trade and industry policy in South Africa, despite the fact that it is perceived as an important contributor to the economy of developed countries, for example, Australia and the UK. In its elaborated concept, the creative economy in OECD countries grows annually at a rate that was more than twice of the services industries and more than four times of manufacturing. The creative industry has become an increasing driving force in the international marketplace; hence, it is crucial to measure their effect not only on the society at large but also to the sustainability of economic.
The creative industries are amongst the main dynamic sectors of world trade. According to the Creative Economy Report 2010, world exports of creative goods and services are growing quickly and attained $592 billion in 2008 with an annual growth rate of 14 per cent during the 2002-2008 periods. In the UK, Gross Value Added of the Creative Industries were £71.4 billion in 2012 and accounted for 5.2 per cent of the UK Economy, with a growth of 15.6 per cent since 2008, creating 1.68 million jobs in 2012, 5.6 per cent of the total number of jobs in the UK (United Kingdom, 2014). South Africa reported 3.7% annual growth for creative goods during 2005-2012, which generates revenues from the industry of about US $9.2 billion in 2012 (Zambia. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2012). However, enough data are not available for the creative services. Services are of essentially significant for most economies in Africa. Therefore, two main sectors are briefly examined, the art and craft and the tourism sectors, because of their close linkages with the rural creative economy.
The purpose of this study is to make an evaluation of the current position of creative industries in South Africa with a perspective to identify key issues to help the government to form a strategic plan of action aiming at building a strong premise for building its creative economy for employment, trade and development gains.
The study provides a broad introduction to South Africa’s economic, political and social environment. Throughout each of the sections of the study, solid action steps are proposed with the aim to promote and build the creative industries in South Africa. It gives an outline of macroeconomic issues and crosscutting factors that have an effect on the advancement of the creative industries.
Collection of data for the creative industries continues to be very important for a clear picture of the country situation and for policy formulation. UNESCO has dependably been at the cutting edge of addressing the cultural and economic nature of creative goods and services, exploiting both the theory and its practice. The analysis in this study is the result of research based on primary and secondary material.
A broad collection of economic indicators provides evidence on the possibility of the creative industries to promote comprehensive and sustainable development. On the premise of the UNCTAD global database, the country profile was presented, highlighting the trade performance of the South African creative industries, as an instrument to formulate a strategy to building creative capacity and trade opportunities in the future. Conclusions and policy actions are integrated into the analysis.
Keywords: Creative Industries, Economy, Development, employment, Sustainable Development.
An Estimation of the Critical Levels of External Debt Accumulation: The Nigerian Experience
Obi Callistar Kidochukwu
Department of Economics, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria
Volume 07, Issue 12, Pg. 73-84, 2014.
Abstract: There are inexhaustible literatures on the dichotomy between the support for and against borrowing as a means of driving the economy. While some were of the opinion that debt acquisition is good for growth others are of the opinion that debt retards growth. The implication of this is that there is no clear policy understanding on the impact of debt on growth. Consequently, the current study attempts to unify this dichotomy on debt and growth by empirically examining the critical levels of external debt accumulation for Nigeria’s sustainable economic growth, that is, at what point will debt accumulation become growth augmenting or growth backtracking, and at what point will debt accumulation ensures a stable and sustainable growth that will help Nigeria to achieve its growth objective.The study used a quadratic hill-climbing technique, which allows us to obtain analytically, the critical levels of external borrowing that will either augment or retard economic growth in Nigeria. The study used two variant optimization algorithms namely Gauss-Newton/BHHH, and Marquardt algorithms, respectively, estimated with three variant estimators- Generalized Linear Method (GLM), Least Square (LS) and Maximum Linear-Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscadaticity (ML-ARCH). The Gauss, Berndt, Hall, Hall and Hausman commonly referred to as the Gauss-Newton/BHHH is specifically designed for maximum likelihood problems, while Marquardt algorithm modifies the Gauss-Newton algorithm by adding a correction matrix (or ridge factor) to the Hessian approximation. The ridge correction handles numerical problems when the outer product is near singular and may improve the convergence rate. Data ranges from 1965 to 2013 (48 years). The research findings showed that the maximum critical level of Nigeria’s external debt threshold that ensures a steady state growth converges around 14% to 15%. The estimated growth-augmenting threshold showed that at the early stage of debt acquisition, its contribution to output growth is rising, but at a decreasing rate, hence the alternating signs between the linear (positive) and non-linear (negative) debt coefficients. That is, as time progresses a negative non-linear impact of debt stock on growth is experienced showing that there is a poor application of loan such that the earlier benefit derived is gradually eroded. At that point, the maximum attainable growth rate stagnated at 6.3% after which the attainable growth is not Pareto optimal because additional or reduction in debt becomes growth-backtracking – it is also observable that at debt-driven steady state, growth deficit is zero. Based on these findings the study therefore, concluded that both debt accumulation and non-debt acquisition are detrimental to the economy, hence debt is a necessary evil that should be guided. Therefore, the following policy recommendations were made: the country’s external borrowing space is capable of generating higher output growth. Consequent upon this, the external loan contracted by Nigerian government can be increased to reduce or fill the growth gap, if the government will continue to channel the contracted loan into infrastructural development or/and productive activities which is strictly the purpose of venturing into external debt obligations. In order to achieve its growth objectives and at the same time service its debt obligations, the government should diversify its economy; create an enabling environment for domestic and foreign private investors so that income generated can be channeled into achieving the country’s objectives. Efforts should be made by Nigerian Government in ensuring a reliable and vibrant capital market as income generated from the capital market can be used to augment funds from external borrowing to achieve its growth objectives.
Keywords: Critical levels; External- debt; Growth –augmenting; Growth –backtracking; Sustainable- growth. ]
Achievement motivation across Gender and academic level of students at Islamic Institute of Education in China
Di Xuan a, Wail Muin Ismail b, Muhammad Azhar Zailaini c, Zaharah Hussin d
a, b, c, d Department of Education, University of Malaya, , 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Volume 07, Issue 12, Pg. 83-96, 2014.
Abstract: The issue of achievement motivation plays a major role among language learners. It is usually defined as the learner’s orientation with regard to the goal of learning a second language. As a basic ingredient of L2 acquisition, achievement motivation has been considered significant since a long time. This paper aims at examining differences in achievement motivation among educational level and gender of students at Institute of Education in China, which provide Arabic language as the second language learning. They provide a three years education for diploma degree. Their aim is to create practical special talents who are competent for jobs in foreign affairs, foreign trade, international cultural communication, management of enterprises, press, publication, foreign language teaching and studies of foreign problems etc. The researchers have modified the achievement motivation questionnaire, which consists of 38 items divided into five domains: Perseverance, Competition, Self-confidence, Recognize the importance of time, the desire to master the work and enjoy it. The researcher has been selected a random sample of (229) Chinese students who are studying Arabic language in Islamic institutions in China. The results explain that Chinese students achieved a degree in Medium of achievement motivation. Male and female students differed significantly on achievement motivation. Female is better than male in achievement motivation in areas of perseverance, self-confidence, Recognize the importance of time, the desire to master the work and enjoy it. It shows also that there is significant difference among educational level on achievement motivation. Level 4 students are much better than other level of students in achievement motivation in areas of perseverance, Competition, self-confidence, the desire to master the work and enjoy it. This shows the development of the student’s achievement motivation thorough studies.
Keywords: Achievement motivation, Gender, and academic level
The Politics of Sustainable Development in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: An Appraisal of the Role of the State and Multinational Corporations, 1993 – 2008
Kenneth Nweke
Department of Political Science, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni,
Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Volume 07, Issue 12, Pg. 95-111, 2014.
Abstract: The study examined the Politics of Sustainable Development in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: An Appraisal of the Role of the State and Multinational Corporations, 1993-2008. Three (3) research questions and three (3) hypotheses guided the study. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Both primary and secondary data were collected and utilized in the study. A sample size of 800 subjects in the four core States of the Niger Delta – Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers was selected and composed. Purposive, simple random and non-proportional stratified random sampling techniques were adopted in selecting the four states, 16 Local Government Areas as well as 32 communities and 800 subjects respectively. We adopted four-point modified Likert scale in the design of our instrument which contained 33 questionnaire items. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical tool with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0 was used to test the three null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. We adopted test-retest method in determining the reliability of our instrument, using Pearson Moment Product Correlation Coefficient which gave us 0.70, indicating that it was highly reliable. We adopted dependency theory, an extrapolation of Marxian political economy, as our theoretical framework of analysis. The major findings of this study revealed that the Nigerian state and Multinational Corporations have not significantly contributed to socio-economic development in the Niger Delta contrary to their claims for high budgetary provisions for development activities in the region. Two, that the Nigerian state and Multinational Corporations have not significantly addressed the pervasive environmental degradation in the Niger Delta contrary to their claims to high budgetary spending on environmental management and protection in the region. It was also the finding of this study that the structure of the Nigerian state and the modus operandi of Multinational Corporations, to a large extent, have hindered sustainable development in the Niger Delta region. Based on the findings, it was recommended that there is an urgent need for the Nigerian state and Multinational Corporations to step up efforts at living up to the current global drive towards sustainable development by showing strong political will in adopting far-reaching programmes in content and design that would translate the region into visible improvement in job/wealth creation, poverty reduction, health care delivery, quality education, physical and social infrastructure as well as high environmental standards and practices in their areas of operation. The study further recommended that, for Niger Delta region to begin to experience sustainable development, the Nigerian state needs to be restructured with a view to delinking from international capitalism so that it would be able to change the modus operandi of multinational corporations as it affects development process in the region.
Keywords: Multinational Corporations, Niger Delta, Politics, State and Sustainable Development
An Examination of the Success Factors of Co-operative-run Agricultural Schemes: A Case Study of Intlantsi Agricultural Secondary Co-operative Limited
Okem Andrew Emmanuel a, Nene Moses Nhlanhla b
a School of Social Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban 4041, Republic of South Africa
b Department of Entrepreneurial Studies & Management,
Durban University of Technology, Durban, 4001, South Africa
Volume 07, Issue 12, Pg. 111-120, 2014.
Abstract: Around the world, cooperatives have and are being used as instruments of socio-economic development. In South Africa, the cooperative model of development was adopted as one of the tools for advancing the country’s development following the transition to democracy. The adoption of cooperatives was hinged on the view that the cooperative model of development is an ideal tool suited for redressing injustices of the apartheid era through the empowerment of the previously disadvantaged. Over the years, the performance of the South African cooperative sector has remained largely unimpressive. The sector is characterised by high mortality, poor performance and extensive dependence on government for survival. In addition, existing cooperatives are often small and unable to produce expected outcomes such as income generation and employment opportunities. Using the case study of Intlantsi Agricultural Secondary Co-operative Limited (Intlantsi Agri), this paper examines the factors that could enhance the growth and sustainability of co-operative-run agricultural schemes in South African.
Key words: Agricultural Schemes; Co-operative; Sustainability; South Africa
Regional Power Sector Integration: Critical Success Factors In The Central American Electricity Market
Daniel del Barrio-Alvarez a, Shunsaku Komatsuzaki b, Hideyuki Horii c
Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Volume 07, Issue 12, Pg. 119-136, 2014.
Abstract: Greater integration of electricity markets between neighboring countries is a strategic option for mutual strengthening of national systems through economies-of-scale in investments and enhanced energy security. There are different possible levels of integration: (i) the development of cross-border interconnections, (ii) long term purchase agreements for development power plants (like Itaipu between Paraguay and Brazil or Nam Theun 2 between Lao PDR and Thailand) or (iii) the creation of regional electricity markets or power pools. The first two are not real integration but interconnection because, although the infrastructures are physically linked, the planning and operation are not. Moreover the level of integration of regional electricity markets can be divided into two whether the dispatch is coordinated or centralized. The deeper the integration larger the benefits are, in fact the World Bank (2011) describes the difference between interconnection and integration and that between trading goods and having a common economic market.
Obviously the process for integration requires a harmonization process and some level of decision-power cession from national governments. These are the biggest barriers and can only be overcome with large political will and support. Nevertheless, that it is very challenging to achieve because of sovereignty and security concerns. For that, although the benefits of the integration are commonly understood, few regions have been able to overcome all the difficulties and to create a regional electricity market. Central American countries are an interesting example because of the large number of countries involved (six), the political and technical initial differences (from vertically integrated public monopoly to fully unbundled competitive electricity markets) and the creation of independent supranational institutions with decision power over the regional market (regional regulator and operator).
The development of the Central American regional electricity market (MER) is a process led by the Central American state-own utilities with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) materialized through the SIEPAC project (System for the Electric Interconnection of the Central American countries). In this process they have sign an international treaty (Marco Treaty) to ensure the political support, one company for the design, construction and maintenance of the infrastructure (EPR), constructed a regional transmission line through a “regionally owned” special-purpose company, created two independent regional institutions for the operation (EOR) and the regulation (CRIE) of the MER, and approved and enforced a regional regulation to which national systems must harmonize. During the implementation process extra-regional private and public companies have also become shareholders of the EPR, Endesa from Spain, ISA from Colombia and CFE from Mexico. Moreover the project is growing to interconnect the region with Mexico (already implemented) and Colombia (under development).
Central American countries have just started to achieve some of the benefits like the management of the energy crisis in Panama during 2013. Nevertheless it took 25 years from the initial studies in 1987 until the final enforcement of the regional regulation in 2013, what is representative of the difficulties of the regional integration process. The combination of challenges and successes make the SIEPAC project an attractive case for the understanding of the complexity of the regional cooperation processes in the power sector and for finding evidences that could be utilized for other regions.
The objective of this paper is to identify the critical success factors that have made possible to achieve the political support from the different Central American government even all the challenges faced during the implementation process. The causal analysis of the implementation process complemented from literature review and interview survey with stakeholders identified five critical success factors: (i) the concept of gradualism, which allowed to overcome the difficulties arose because of different national contexts; (ii) the involvement of the state-owned companies at the center of decision-making, critical for obtaining the required political support and to maintain the commitment of the countries during a long process with changes in the national political contexts; (iii) the incorporation of extra-regional partners, reducing the political interferences to the regional institutions and bringing the project to the national development agendas; (iv) the managerial and economic independence of the regional institutions, essential for creating a regional vision that move the project from inter-governmental to supra-national status and (v) the continuous support from the Inter-American Development Bank who played an important role as honest broker and main supporter of the project.
Keywords: Central America, energy, MER, regional cooperation, SIEPAC