This study was carried out to examine the Commonwealth and its role in aiding sustainable development in Nigeria. The hypotheses for this research were that the Commonwealth has impacted on sustainable development in Nigeria, with specific sectors of the Nigerian economy being affected; and that Nigerian foreign policy is influenced by her relations with the Commonwealth. During the course of the study, it was discovered that the Commonwealth has actually aided sustainable development in Nigeria, helping in various areas such as manpower capacity building, as well as engaging in technical cooperation and assistance through the CFTC (Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation). However, with respect to the hypothesis that Nigerian foreign policy is influenced by her relations with the Commonwealth, it was discovered that during
the 1999-2009 period, the Commonwealth had little or no impact on Nigerian foreign policy, thus constituting a null hypothesis.
The research design employed for this work was the secondary data method, which involved extensive data resourcing from the internet, books, journals, newspapers, etc. this research design helped me acquire large amounts of data and information which proved to be very useful in conducting this research. This data covered a wide spectrum of issues which included the Nigerian economy, education, sports, technical cooperation and assistance, as well as corruption in the Nigerian state, providing relevant statistics and various development efforts by the Commonwealth. Also, the research design helped me in my quest to find answers to the various research questions, which have been discussed.
4.2 Recommendations
Having discussed the impact of the Commonwealth on sustainable development in Nigeria, the following recommendations are options which may be adopted by not just the Commonwealth, but also the Nigerian government and the general public, in order to foster development and create a lasting legacy for Nigerians. These
recommendations are a product of the findings and observations in the course of this research. Firstly, grassroot-oriented programmes should be of utmost priority to the government, as this will help ensure that development efforts are of benefit to all members of the society, irrespective of wealth, culture, race, class, or creed. These programmes should especially focus on healthcare, education, and the provision of other basic and essential social services.
Secondly, the Nigerian government should be more proactive in response to the needs of the people and the economy in order to discontinue the often unnecessary dependence on the Commonwealth and other international institutions or organizations for grants and other forms of assistance or aid. This can be done by coordinating the various organs and tiers of government in order to help create a system with an effective feedback mechanism.
Thirdly, the close ties between the Commonwealth and Nigeria should be exploited diplomatically in order to pursue the achievement of various national interests and also help other African member states gain the same benefits that Nigeria has been privileged to have access to as a result of her membership of the Commonwealth organization.
Fourthly, the Nigerian government should strengthen her ties with the Commonwealth in order to attract more benefits and cooperation in other areas as identified by the relevant government agencies. Also, the Nigerian government should express her commitment to the Commonwealth by increasing her annual contributions to the organization’s purse.
The Nigerian government should also put the necessary structures in place in order to ensure that areas that are now developed remain so, and do not degenerate due to a lack of maintenance or forms of violent conduct. These structures include a system of efficient and prompt passage of national budgets on a yearly basis, so as to allow for easy and quick allocation of funds to areas where they are most needed. Also, well-trained and motivated staff should be employed in order to ensure the sustenance of these completed projects.
Another major recommendation is that corruption at all levels of government should be discouraged with stiff penalties for offenders.
This would promote greater investments by the Commonwealth and other organizations, as well as help build Nigeria’s international reputation as a fertile ground for business opportunities. Also, it will
help build popular confidence in the government thereby acting as a catalyst for growth and development in the country.
The Nigerian government should also institute a merit and award programme that would annually recognize outstanding Nigerian youths in their various fields of endeavor. This would encourage our youths to engage in more profitable activities, instead of resorting to crime and other vices, and also help in the production of capable manpower. These awards will also have financial rewards for winners, with various categories such as arts, literature, science and technology, etc.
It would also be helpful for Nigeria to liaise with other international organizations and developed countries such as the United Nations, United States of America, European Union, etc in order to gain various benefits which can include and is not limited to, technical cooperation and manpower development, technical aid and support, various forms of exchange programmes, etc. This would ensure speedy development of Nigeria and her citizens in various sectors of the economy, in which there may be limited availability of skilled labour or manpower.
On a final note, the government should focus especially on capacity building for Nigerians, thereby creating a solid foundation for Nigeria’s future. Special focus should be given to the educational sector, which has been a victim of gross neglect for decades. A revamp of the educational sector by building the necessary infrastructure, revising and upgrading the educational curricula across all levels to meet global standards, and training teachers with excellent remuneration will ensure that Nigeria begins to produce world class intellectuals over a short period of time.
4.3 Conclusion
The study considered the Commonwealth and sustainable development in Nigeria with a particular focus on the 1999-2009 period. From this study, it is observed that the Commonwealth has had considerable impact on sustainable development in Nigeria by making invaluable contributions to the Nigerian economy, political landscape, sports, capacity building and manpower development, etc.
The most important contribution so far, can be said to be their pivotal role ensuring that Nigeria’s debt to the Paris club was written off. This singular act was hugely beneficial as a sizeable portion of Nigeria’s
GDP is usually spent servicing various debt to different institutions and countries. Besides, it has enabled the government to have access to more funds, which can be used for development purposes, thereby fostering national growth and development at a much faster pace.
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