Efforts towards Development Planning, Issues and Challenges: An Overview of Nigeria Experience

Abubakar S Yushau Alfakoro^*
*Correspondence: Dr. Abubakar S Yushau Alfakoro, Department of Public Administration, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria, Tel: +2347062493237, Email:

Keywords

National development • Nation • Economic • Planning • Leadership

Introduction

It’s difficult if not possible for any government to attain development without having a framework or blueprint of action (plans). Likewise it’s the legacy and mandate of any form of government practicing any of these economic system be it socialist, mixed economy and capitalism to achieve maximum development in order to improve the socio economic wellbeing and condition of its citizens if at least it a responsible government. For any government to attain development, there must be some pre-conditions to be put to place such as cultural factors, economic factors, socio political factors, weather conditions, education and both human and material resources.

There has been an efforts by the third world nations which Nigeria is not excluded, in the race to catch up with the so called first world nations. Since its independence in 1960, many indigenous and foreign observant are of the view that Nigeria will soon join the top developed countries of the world, and has committed itself to the formulation of series of national development plans and substantial part of its resources towards achieving its developmental plans. Despite these national development plans, other development policies and programmes, in spite of her abundant resources, population size and natural endowment committed towards development objectives, success as not been recorded only effort have been achieved while result has been achieved in other countries of the world. For examples countries who got independence with Nigeria in the same period like Brazil and Indian have recorded much success than Nigeria. However, there has being four major development plans in the history of Nigeria apart from the pre independence plan this plans include: first national development plan 1962-1967, the second national development plan 1970-1974, the third national development plan 1975-1980, the fourth national development 1981-1985. Other development plans includes the Structural Adjustment Program(SAP) ,three year rolling plan from 1990-1992 under General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and in 2007, President Umar Musa Yar’adua embark on lunching the 7 point agenda, other policies includes vision 20:20, National Economic Empowerment Development Strategies (NEEDS), State Economic Empowerment Development Strategies (SEEDS) etc. Despite all these efforts towards development, factors such has problems of relevant data for forecasting and decisions making are not accurate and viable, corruption has been a bane to development through siphoning of public funds, lack of continuity of project of the predecessors by the incumbent administration, wrong appropriation and miss-calculation of priorities , political factors , lack of consultation, financial constraint, mono- economic financial base and lack of implementation of policies has serves as barriers to the success of these plans. The main aim of this paper is to re-visit and to over view the previous development plans in order to know the effort of Nigerians towards development planning and identify the major hindrance against the success of these national development plans and offer possible solution if at least Nigeria want to be developed and see the light of its development plans, since it’s been said that “there is light at the end of the tunnel”.

Literature Review

The concept development planning is the nexus between two independent but also interdependent concepts, which are development and planning. In order to have a complete understanding of the subject matter under study, each concept has to be clarified separately before relating the concepts.

Development has a concept is very complex, in the sense that it means different things to different peoples and also to the countries of the world. To some countries it implies increase in standard of living, while two others it implies increase in military hardware and military strength, to others it means increase in infrastructural facilities and reduction in level of poverty. Because of its complexity, it makes it ambiguous to conceptualize the concept development. However, many scholars have tried to conceptualize the concept development. Development is a multi-dimensional process involving changes in structure, attitude and institution as well as the acceleration of the economy, the reduction of inequality and eradication of absolute poverty [1]. It is important to stress that poverty cannot be completely eradicated but reduced. Development is the movement from poor condition of living to a better state of life. Sees development as an idea that encompasses the effort to improve conditions of human existence in all ramifications [2]. He stress out that development is holistic in nature that is it covers all sectors of the economy in such a way that it is sustainable that is today’s consumption does not have a spillover effect on the future generation. Asserted that development can be termed as the movement of economic indicators such as increases in GNP, GDP, and per capital income to non-economic indices such as democratic imperative of political governance and social indicator; however we can conclude that development means a positive impact on the life of the people [3].

On the other hand, the concept of planning is futuristic in nature and is as old as human existence meaning it from time immemorial. Human being (early men) have involve in planning to improve their condition of living. Asserted that planning is deciding what actions are to be taken in the future for the purpose of achieving organizational goals [4]. Planning is an action directed towards the future which involves series of process and actions to be followed in order to achieve an end result. Posit that planning is the way of projecting our intention that is a method of deciding what we want to accomplish. Since resources are scares and want are unlimited, the need for planning becomes cogent because we need to plan in other to be effective and efficient in allocating scares resources among the competing needs and in other to attain effectiveness and efficiency in recourses distributions. Development planning therefore refers to a systematic and programmed process in which a state commits the use of its resources in other to attain its developmental goals. According to, asserted that development planning refers to conscious governmental effort to influence, direct, and in some case even control changes in principal economic variables of a country over the course of time in order to achieve pre-determined set of objective [5]. From the above discuss, it is crystal clear that development cannot be achieved without planning to say the concept development and planning are inter woven and vice versa. That why Olayinka, asserted that development can never be accidental but calculated efforts towards the achievement of desired goal and agenda set by people for their existence [4].

National development plans in Nigeria

Nigeria as had series of numbers of national development plans. However, the attempt towards development plans was first carried out by the colonial masters, which is also known as preindependence plan and was formulated before independence. However many scholars did not take it to be an integrated development plan. It started in 1946 with a 10 years plan. However, it was criticized because it was formulated by non-Nigerians and also masterminded outside the country [6]. The only focus development in the areas which they seem important to them and that can boost their economy overseas. Attention was only paid to production of cash crops, communication and transportation in the areas which they can locate mineral resources so that they can easily transport their goods and communicate [7]. That is why several numbers of scholars fails to focus on the colonial or the preindependent development plan because they did not take it to be a development plan. However, the plan was expected to serve for 1946 to 1956 the plan was limited due to lack of expert, inadequate resources and lack of cooperation among the formulators and indigenes, lack of technical manpower and language barriers.

First national development plan: The first national development plan commenced two years after independent which started from 1962-1968. The plan was carried out in order to ameliorate the lapses that were not filled by the colonial plans. The objective of the plan is to increase the living standard of the masses, in term of education, health and employment, other objectives includes an increase in Gross Domestic Product at 4% and saving rate to be increase at 15% and investment rate at also 15% according to Ogwumku, he asserted that the plan was not successful because more than 50% of the resources needed to carry out the plan was to come from external source while only 14% was received [8]. Going further Obiekeze and Obi 2004 poised that the plan was expected to last for six years and envisage total investment expenditure of about 2,132 million. However, the civil war which started in 1967-1970 serves as a hindrance to the success of this plan. However, some important development was achieved such as the Jebba Bridge, Port Hacourt Refinery, Bacita Sugar Factory, Niger Dam, Kaingi Dam etc [9]. Also the plan does not have accurate data regarding to the variables that should be considered, data such as population size, expected revenue and cost of the project etc. this is why stoppler 1996 asserted that the 1962 plan is a plan without fact.

Second national development plan 1970-1974: The second national development plan was formulated immediately after the Nigeria civil war 1967-1970 which lasted for three years which is 30 months; it was during the period of oil boom. However it was formulated in order to bring back the country into a better state because many of the infrastructural facilities of the country were destroyed during the civil war. It was under the General Yakubu

Gowon administration, in order to bring the country back into stable position he introduced a program called 3 Rs: Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, and Reconciliation. This was aimed at repairing the battered areas destroyed by the civil war. According to, asserted that the plan total expenditure was 3.2 billion naira and also forecast a growth rate of 7% per annum Because of the oil boom [10]. The second national development plan was bigger in size than the first national development plan. However, the message learnt from the civil war also served as the principle for the development plan. The plan has other five objectives

1- A united strong and self-reliant economy

2- A great and dynamic economy

3- A just and egalitarian society

4- A land of bright and full opportunities for its citizens

5- A free and democratic society

Thi s is why, posited that the second national developments plan was truly national and fully integrated plan [11]. However the planning machinery was design to serve five regions, but with the creation of 12 states the machinery was inadequate to cover the newly created 12 states by Gen. Yakubu Gowon. However, during the period the Nigeria Currency “Naira” was introduced, the NYSC was also created and also nine federal Universities were also established with also the creation of unity schools.

The third national development plan: The third National development plan 1975-1980 was launched after the second national development plan. It also started before the end of the oil boom. The total expenditure of the plan was 30 billion which a stupendous amount was more than the first and second national developments plans. The objective of the plan includes increase in per capital income, reduction in level of unemployment, even distribution of income, increase in supply of man- power, diversification of the economy, indigenization of economic activities. However, the plan expenditure was later increased to 43.3 billion Naira. Asserted that agriculture and social development schemes (housing, health, education, welfare etc) that have direct bearing or impact on the life and living conditions of the rural populace were allocate 5 percent and 11.5 percent respectively of the financial allocation envisage in the plan [12].

The fourth national development plan: The fourth national development plan was launched in 1981-1985, it was a five years development plan it was introduced after a break in the military rule by the civilian government under the leadership of Alh Sheau Shagari who was the first elected civilian President. A total amount of 8.2 billion naira was envisaged for the plan, the main thrust of these plan includes, even distribution of income, increase in income of average citizens, reduction of level of unemployment, diversification of the economy, development in technological knowhow. The plan faced some set back as a result of decrees in world price of crude oil so the plan was financed from external debt. Asserted that the fourth national development plan was characterized by huge debt servicing which result from various loans obtained in previous years [13]. The plan was also aim to improve the living standards of Nigerian. The plan was also national in nature why because it was divided into public and private sector the public sector was amounted for 70.5 billion naira and 11.5 billion naira was also allocated to private sector.

Discussion

Challenges to the national development plans

Despite all the numerous efforts towards development plans, policies and programmes initiated since independence and present administration that are aimed at attaining development the reverse is still the case. As a result of the following factors which hinders the various development plans, policies and programs which also serve as factors responsible for the underdevelopment of Nigeria.

Lack of relevant data: In Nigeria there is negligence to issues of data collection, genuine source of data collection and manipulation of data, because the total population of Nigerian in not even accurate and specific due to inflation of numbers for political and other reasons, then our will government make accurate plan. No specific number of unemployed citizens and does living in poverty. Many government owned organizations does not even know the exact number of their staffs on the pay role, the issue of ghost workers as become a common problem due to lack of data. So these as cause serious problem and as serve as deterrent to development plans. Asserted that absence of reliable source of data has made the use of social indicators difficult and inadequate for plan preparation, implementation and monitoring of national development plans [14]. Because without data, plans cannot be prepared, forecasted to yield development objectives.

Corruption: Corruption in Nigeria has become so rampart and cancerous that is now accepted as a way of life, it’s one of the major militating factors affecting the development of Nigerian. Several funds budgeted for development plans has been siphon into personnel account which as cause or make Nigerian to be retrogressing economically and political. Posited that despite the fact that corruptions pose a strong treat to economic development, political stability, good governance and state legitimacy corruption resulted into a multifaceted negative impact on the progress to nation buildings.

Lack of consultation and miss-calculation of priorities: The Nigeria government lacks the spirit of consultation the don’t communicate with the target group or citizen before embarking of development plans and programmers these as lead to misscalculation of priorities and wants because the failed to communicate with the citizens in other to know their immediate needs and problems so as to form major part of the development plans therefore, government sometimes embarks on nonreasonable plans. Asserted that some government policies are characterized to be over ambitions, sweeping and overly fundamental in nature [15].

Leadership and political instability: The political leadership and political system in Nigeria is not stable, there has been frequent change in government which make the political system instable. From independence till date there has been countless number in change of government even both under the military and civilian administration the political weather is fluctuating, leaders as also become rulers because the serve their interest and not that of the masses. Also, chaos and political unrest has also constituted the major causes of failure of these plans like election crisis, civil war, and ethnic and tribal crisis in the country. Also stressed the fact that leadership has become a bane to development in Nigeria [16]. That most of the so called leaders do not actually understand that leadership entails assuming responsibilities for certain important issues, the make policies and programmes that favor them and not the citizens.

Mono-economy base economy: Nigeria is a mono-economy base country which relay deeply on crude oil as the major source of income to finance its development plans. Any fall in the world price of crude oil will affect the plans because there won’t be money to finance these plans, so these as cause a major set-back to development of Nigeria because of dependency on crude oil. It a pity that Nigeria in the early 60s agriculture constituted 90 percent of its revenue and were able to feed itself, but due to discovery of crude oil and is exploration in 70s everything was brought lowest to ebb.

Lack of continuity: Each government comes and goes, each with its programmers and policies. These as resulted in abandoning of many project because when there is change in government the project of the incumbent is also finished, so there is no continuity in project and programs of the predecessors the number of un-finished or abandon project are more than the newly signed project as the result of frequent change in government and lack of continuity in project and programmes by the incumbent so these as cause a serious limitations to the success of development plans. Government officials did not feel committed to the national plans of their predecessors and subsequently sought to change by introducing major projects not incorporated in the original plan or introducing new ones [17].

Lack of implementation: several development plans has been awarded but they have not be implemented, they are just in papers. Nigeria is been credited in terms of formulation of development plans but the problems lies in the implementation. Many development plans has been initiated but not implemented it may be due to administrative inefficiency, redtape, corruption and over ambitious development plans. As cited in Taiwo 2005 “implementation in these countries often turns out to be the graveyard of policy where the intentions of the designer of policies are often undermined by a constellation of powerful forces of politics and administration in cooperation with people” [10].

Financial constraint: the major problem of any development plans is funds needed to carry out the plans any development plan without fund is just a mental exercise and paper work. Nigeria lack major sources of fund to carry out their development plans, it has also failed to secure different means in which it can use to finance it development plans but always have hope in its (black gold) crude oil so these as make Nigeria to remain in these state.

Lack of monitoring and evaluation: many awarded contract are not been monitored and evaluated to determine the level of project completion, success and the type of material that was used for caring out the projects. Because, the take government work to be nobodies father work. The habit of nonchalant attitude to government works and decline in public service ethics has also serve as a barriers to the success of different development plans since attention and commitment are not been uphold on government works [18-20].many awarded contract are not been monitored and evaluated to determine the level of project completion, success and the type of material that was used for caring out the projects. Because, the take government work to be nobodies father work. The habit of nonchalant attitude to government works and decline in public service ethics has also serve as a barriers to the success of different development plans since attention and commitment are not been uphold on government works [18-20].

Conclusion

Development planning is an essential tool for attaining development. However, from the above discourse we can efforts of Nigeria towards achieving its development plans from the series of its development plans. Despite these efforts, result as not been achieved only effort as bee recorded despite several series of attempt and commitment to attain development and join the other developed countries of the world. As the result of these issues aforementioned above serving as the potholes to development plans.

Recommendations

1. Nigeria government should pay more attention and put more emphasis regarding to the issue of data collection. The bureau of statistic and national population commission should also be encourage to provide adequate and accurate data regarding issue of national and economic importance by recruiting well qualified staff and improving their condition of service so as to motivate them to work hard.

2. The menace of corruption is becoming so alarming those agencies saddle with the responsibility of curbing corruption like EFCC, ICPC, CCB should be encourage to perform the functions without interference of the any arms of government and those found wanted should be prosecuted and the principle of rule of law should be uphold because many fund meant for development have been siphon as the result of corruption.

3. The tenure of government in office should be increase in other to enjoy stability in government and also help continuity of project because of abandon project are as the result of lack of stability and continuity in government and also ammonization between the arms of government is important because no arm can leave in isolation it a collective responsibility.

4. Nigeria should diversify it economy and stop relaying on funds from crude oil (black gold) it should explore some other potentials through which it can source funds to finance it development plans and not a mono economy nation if it truly wants to develop.

5. More attention should be pay in the bidding and awarding of contract and consultation (Due process) should be emphasize upon in other to avoid miss- allocation of resources, also there should be monitoring and evaluation of project in other to know the level of performance and to judge the current state of the project the idea of nonchalant attitude to government work and property should be discarded and public service ethics should be seen in their daily life.

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