BECANS WORKING PAPER SERIES

The BECANS Working Paper Series publishes the technical outputs from research, survey and analysis of the business environment and competitiveness across Nigerian states. The Series disseminates results and findings of the BECANS project. It is intended to stimulate evidence-based dialogue between government and the private sector for improved investment climate across Nigeria . The Papers provide up-to-date literature, statistics and empirical analysis to situate and enlighten business environment reforms by the three tiers of government in Nigeria.

Below are the available working papers.

BECANS Framework Paper:Assessing and Benchmarking Business Environment across Nigerian States

This paper examines the key issues and challenges in assessing and benchmarking business environment and competitiveness across Nigerian States (BECANS). It reviews the meaning and dimensions of business environment and highlights the role and imperatives of business environment in Nigeria’s global and regional economic competitiveness, especially in relation to sustainable growth, poverty reduction and employment creation objectives of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS). It also tries to specify the goals, objectives and tasks of BECANS. as well as to describe the knowledge products that will emanate from BECANS.

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BECANS Working Paper 1: The Security Factor in Business Environment across Nigerian States

This paper examines security as an important element of business environment across Nigerian states. It describes the role of security in shaping national investment climate and cost of doing business. It also presents conceptual and theoretical perspectives on security. The study also reviews studies and analyses on security factor in business environment and examines the evidence about security situation in Nigeria.

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BECANS Working Paper 2: Economic Competitiveness across Nigerian States: The Challenge of Infrastructure and Utilities

This paper examines the main issues and challenges in benchmarking and assessment of infrastructure and utilities as a critical influence of business environment and economic competitiveness across Nigerian states. There are six sections. Section one is the introduction. Section two reviews the conceptual and theoretical issues on infrastructure and economic competitiveness. Section three discusses the situation of infrastructure and utilities in Nigeria, using data and statistics from studies and reports. Section four recapitulates state-level disaggregated indicators from recent national surveys of welfare indicators. Section five outlines the BECANS methodological perspective. Section six identifies policy reforms on infrastructure development. Section seven is the conclusion.

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BECANS Working Paper 3: Budget and Public Expenditure across Nigerian States

This paper examines budget and public expenditure across Nigerian states, from 2001-2005, describing the role of public expenditure in economic governance and macroeconomic stability. While outlining the principles and practice of Nigeria’s fiscal federalism and the structure of public finances among the levels of government, It reviews the assignment of development functions, tax jurisdictions and expenditure responsibilities across the tiers of government. It also presents and discusses evidence on budget and public spending at the state level and analyses the budget orientation and spending behaviour of state governments and its implications for economic governance and business environment at the state level.

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