Poverty and Employment Impact of Trade Liberalization in Nigeria: Empirical Evidence and Policy Implications.
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Date
2012
Authors
Balogun, E. D
Dauda, R. O. S
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Abstract
This paper analyzes quarterly data which spans the period 1985 to 2010 to investigate the interrelationship between poverty, employment dynamics and trade liberalisation in Nigeria. An overview of macroeconomic trends and patterns during the period show that although the Nigerian economy experienced growth, it was accompanied by rapid rise in unemployment and poverty. The econometric analysis, estimated by systems equation model, related terms of trade, implicit producer price incentives, openness and macroeconomic policy outcomes on agricultural and industrial sector incomes per capita and total trade. The findings tended to show that the fortunes of these sectors deteriorated contrary to the assertion that a positive relationship exists between liberalization and poverty reduction via improved productivity of labor intensive smallholder farm and firms enterprises. While the apparent growth in total trade seemed to be buoyed by positive export supply shocks, deteriorating terms of trade and biased producer incentives structure penalized domestic manufactures and farming. This adverse consequence is attributable to the adoption of import substitution industrialization strategy which encouraged the influx of foreign firms that are appendages of multinationals. In concluding, the paper calls for a shift in policy approach to economic development from the pervasive import substitution trade strategies to an export led strategy guided by the doctrine of factor endowments.
Description
Conference Paper
Keywords
Poverty and Employment , Trade Liberalisation
Citation
Balogun, E. D and Dauda, R. O. S (2012) Poverty and Employment Impact of Trade Liberalization in Nigeria: Empirical Evidence and Policy Implications. Being a paper presented at the University of Lagos, Akoka.