The Political Economy of PartnershipAgreements: EU-ACP and Fisheries Exports Sector in Nigeria: 2000 – 2009.
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Date
2014
Authors
Oloruntoba, S.O
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Abstract
The research was informed by the need to address the problem of poverty and underdevelopment in Nigeria. These problems are fallouts of the monocultural nature of the economy of the country, which is essentially based on oil. The need to diversify the economy has become very compelling due to the limited impact of the oil sector on the nation’s economy as well as the huge potentials that the non-oil sector holds for the overall development of the economy. The failure of the member countries of the World Trade Organisation to conclude the Doha Development Round has accentuated the formation of Regional Trading Agreements, especially between the developed countries and developing countries. An example of such regional trade agreements is the proposed EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreements between the European Union and African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries, of which Nigeria is a member. This study argues that the notion of partnership between Europe and ACP countries is suspect. The study examines the likely effects of the Economic Partnership Agreements on the Nigeria’s fisheries exports sub-sector, especially within the context of the restrictive rule of origin regime on fisheries export in the Economic Partnership Agreements and the peculiarity of the Nigerian state. The study adopted an eclectic theoretical approach to interrogate the relationship between an advanced economic bloc like the European Union and African Caribbean and the Pacific. However, the global theory of capitalism was selected as the most appropriate theory. The study adopted qualitative method. Data were gathered from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were gathered through in-depth interviews with respondents that were purposively selected based on their knowledge of the Economic Partnership Agreements. Data gathered were subjected to historical, descriptive and content analyses. The study fills the gap in literature on the centrality of the nature and character of the Nigerian state involved in negotiating a regional trading agreement with the European Union. It found out that the notion of partnership in the agreement is suspect and that the national interest of Nigeria in achieving the goal of diversification through fisheries exports will be compromised if the country signs the Economic Partnership Agreement in its current form. The study recommends that Nigeria should not sign the Economic Partnership Agreements until such a time that the various noxious terms such as the restrictive rule of origin and time line for full liberalization are amended to reflect development needs of the country. Also, it recommends that given the various supply side constraints that Nigeria is faced with, the country’s fisheries exports sector cannot benefit from any regional trade agreements until the constraints are addressed through appropriate policies and institutional interventions.
Description
A Thesis Submitted to the School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Lagos.
Keywords
Poverty , Underdevelopment , The Political Economy , Exports Sector , Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Social sciences::Political science
Citation
Oloruntoba, S.O (2014), The Political Economy of PartnershipAgreements: EU-ACP and Fisheries Exports Sector in Nigeria: 2000 – 2009. A Thesis Submitted to University of Lagos School of Postgraduate Studies Phd Thesis and Dissertation, 290pp.