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Completed Research and Consultancy

The major research done, and consultancy projects carried out, include:

  1. Renewable Natural Resources and Sustainable Economic Growth in Nigeria. This study examines the contributions of renewable natural resources to growth, poverty reduction and estimates the costs of resource degradation to the economy. The findings are designed to inform and invigorate policy debate for promoting the sustainability of renewable natural resources and harnessing their growth and poverty-reducing potentials on a sustainable basis. According to the study, poor management and degradation of forests, land and rangelands inflicts an estimated annual cost up to 6% of GDP (using 2003 values).
  2. Study of Resource Mobilization for the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) . The project was aimed at developing options and critical analysis for strengthening the operations, activities, performance and impact of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) in development financing, resource mobilization and regional integration. The project developed proposals and ideas to contribute to the implementation of the policies and medium- and long-term financial plans in the medium.
  3. Technical Assistance to House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture : This project involved the provision of critical analysis, technical support and scientific advisory for evidence-based decision making by the House Committee on Agriculture. Topics covered include the Land Use Act 1978, Fertilizer and Inputs Policy, Agribusiness and Market Development, Laws and Bottlenecks affecting Private Sector Investments in Agriculture.
  4. Mission on Identification and Programming of Pipeline Projects in ECOWAS Anglophone Member States: This project was aimed at identifying, for the attention of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) Group, the strategic and priority projects for promoting regional integration, economic growth and private sector development in the ECOWAS sub-region. It involved the study of needs for investment and development at national and regional levels towards defining intervention strategies and operational framework for the EBID Group.
  5. Does Subsidy Removal Hurt the Poor? The study examined the effects of the removal of petroleum subsidies on poverty in Nigeria . It was undertaken under the auspices of USAID-supported Strategies and Analysis for Growth and Access (SAGA) research competition, administered by Secretariat for Institutional Support for Economic Research in Africa (SISERA) . The study utilized Computable General Equilibrium Micro-simulation Analysis to analyse and explore the effects of the subsidy removal on the poor.
  6. Management and Supervision of the SEEDS Benchmarking exercise in Nigeria . The project involved the facilitation, management and supervision of the fieldwork and analysis of data on assessment of states' performance within the context of the States' Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies (SEEDS). The four areas of benchmarking were: policy, budget and fiscal management, service delivery, and communication and transparency. The SEEDS benchmarking exercise was an unprecedented initiative to measure, analyse and monitor progress towards economic and institutional reforms, good governance and accountability at the state level. AIAE's pioneering role in the SEEDS benchmarking project constitutes a significant contribution to promoting economic reforms and good governance in Nigeria .
  7. Nigerian Manufacturing Enterprises Survey . AIAE collaborated with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), The Federal Ministry of Industry and the Center for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), University of Oxford , UK . The survey started in November 2004 but was completed in February 2005.
  8. Sub-Saharan African Foreign Direct Investors Perception Survey . The Institute participated in this survey, under the auspices of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Vienna , Austria . The Institute covered the South-East and South-South Geopolitical zone of Nigeria from June to September 2005.
  9. Study of the Incidence and Effect of Multiple Taxation in Nigeria . The Institute participated in the DFID- supported British Council project on incidence and effects of multiple taxation in Nigerian states. The project ascertains the forms and extent of multiple taxation in Nigeria by investigating Lagos , Kano and Abia States as case study. It evaluates the effect of multiple taxation on business start-ups, current businesses and growth prospects.
  10. Trade Policy, Gender and the Livelihoods of the Poor in Nigeria . This study provided background paper for the Nigeria Trade Network, with support from Oxfam GB and UNIFEM. It evaluates Government of Nigeria trade policy (and particularly the 2002 trade policy document) and the extent to which it facilitates or hinders poverty reduction in the country. It examines the state of poverty and the poor in the country and evaluates the provisions of the current trade policy document, their synergy and consistency with the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), some pro-poor programmes of the Central Government and Nigeria 's regional and international trade obligations. The study is an evaluation of the state of affairs in trade, a review of its theoretical and empirical relationship with poverty and gender imbalance in Nigeria .
  11. Impact of Common External Tariff and Economic Partnership Agreements on Agriculture in Nigeria . This study examines the potential impact of the proposed extension of the UEMOA common external tariff (CET) and negotiation of an Economic partnership agreement with the European Union on agriculture and rural livelihoods in Nigeria . It uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative assessment of the impacts of trade liberalization to estimate the possible impacts of the proposed RTA and EPA on agriculture and food production in the country. It focuses on three crops considered important from both the literature and interaction with stakeholders and assesses possible direction and size of changes in production in these crops arising from the implementation of a CET and/or EPA. The study was carried out on the auspices of Oxfam GB.
  12. Barriers to Tariff Harmonization in ECOWAS: Evidence from Nigeria and Republic of Benin . This study was undertaken as part of the West and Central African Partner Institutions Research Network (WECAPREN) of the Secretariat for Institutional Support for Economic Research in Africa (SISERA). The major aim of this research work is to evaluate the implications of differential costs of doing business at the ports in Nigeria and Benin Republic , particularly in light of the proposed ECOWAS Common External Tariff. The premise here is that efficiency variation in port services has the tendency to raise the costs associated with CET and increase the pressure on policymakers from port users and other stakeholders to slow down the rate of integration. In addition, trade facilitation especially port reforms is considered inevitable in ensuring increased capacity of economies to carry the costs of CET. Using structured questionnaire, the study examines different aspects of ports activities and reforms and their relative impacts on the implementation of CET.
  13. Budget Analyses and Reviews . The Institute's Associate Fellows carried out budget reviews and analyses on request. They include the s tudy on the Nigerian Federal Education Budget Performance 2000-2005 was carried out for the Commonwealth Education Fund, Abuja ; the a nalysis of Federal Government Budgets and Expenditure on HIV/AIDS done for Action Aid International Nigeria, Abuja . Others are: analysis of Nigeria Health Sector Budget Allocation and Expenditure (1999-2005), also on request by Action Aid International Nigeria, Abuja . Another review relates to tra cking progress toward the Abuja Target – examining whether African states are allocating 15% of their Annual Budgets to Health. This was a multi-country analysis done for the Action Aid HIV & AIDS Campaign and IDASA Aids Budget Unit South Africa .
  14. Evaluation of the Rice Alliance Project . This project was done via subcontract from USAID MARKETS Implementing Contractor – Chemonics International Inc. The project was aimed at examining the modalities, performance, strengths and weaknesses of the Rice Alliance project, in order to derive lessons and insights for the design and operations of USAID MARKETS.
  15. Opinion Survey of Regulatory Transparency and Effectiveness of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The objective of the project is to assess the regulatory transparency and effectiveness of the NCC from the viewpoints of the various stakeholders in the telecommunication industry. It is a nation-wide opinion survey on all telecommunication stakeholders – service providers, market participants and consumers.
  16. Business Environment and Competitiveness across States (BECANS). This project recorded remarkable progress during the year. Some significant developments include the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with key private sector and civil society organizations that are critical to effective implementation of the project. Progress was also recorded in the continued review and analysis of literature and information towards the development of sound methodology, instruments and operational modalities for the project.
  17. Research under the auspices of African Economic Research Consortium (AERC). During the year, Associate Fellows completed research under the African Economic Research Consortium. The papers include ECOWAS Common External Tariff: Competitiveness of Lagos and Cotonou Ports ; and Diversification, Product Mix and Risk Return Benefits of the Nigerian Banking System: A Portfolio Model Analysis.

 

 

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