Ikengawo is living in Utopia, Since he has experienced western civilization, he sees everything from a very myopic perspective.

In third world countries, the government is like a God, it is omnipotent and omnipresence. They attempt to control everything. The so called private sector Ikengawo is always hammering about is a creation of the Government. You will find that the private sector did not evolve naturally is is done in the west. Most of the so called private sector are either former government officials or fronts for former of current government officials, the funds are usually stolen or diverted government money. Even a lot of the foreign companies are fronts for government officials.

This kinds of arrangement usually drive away genuine investments because the government backed "private sector" would have undue advantage and patronage by the government. This is what is happening in Nigeria, where you cannot just raise capital and decide to import sugar, cement, or flour. A free market system is supposed to be free entry and free exit. Imagine a private individual threatened the government that it would cripple the cement industry if the government should free up the cement market to everybody and the government backed down.

In Nigeria government officials (current and former) constitute a very potent force called - The Private Sector and they are either above the law, or make law that is skewed to their advantage.

You can not have a private sector driven free market economy, except you have genuine democracy and private control of resources.

Eziachi:

That is very true. In capitalistic world, though you hear the phrase “how much job created by a government” that do not mean direct physical job. It means that the government through it policies and actions has created a healthy and fertile environment for business to thrive for both big corporate and small businesses. The job given out by this businesses are then to be counted as govt created jobs.
But sadly Nigeria  rulers directly dish out jobs to people and many of these people just collect money monthly without actually knowing what they do. Some will show their presence and disappear to their other businesses, only to take salary every month.

Truth be told is that there is not enough focus on the costs to society of having a bloated civil service. We could have funds that should be set aside for public works being gulped by recurrent expenditure.
On the other hand a lot of these workers could be more productively employed in the private sector.

tensor777:

Truth be told is that there is not enough focus on the costs to society of having a bloated civil service. We could have funds that should be set aside for public works being gulped by recurrent expenditure.
On the other hand a lot of these workers could be more productively employed in the private sector.

i hate when people go round in circles avoiding the obvious.  most of the posters,  including you have stated the necessary things - good road network, well funded schools etc - for job creation. but you have just continued to beat around the bush.  Ask workers in the civil service and see the number that will prefer the private sector to the civil service.  It is an established fact all over the world that the private sector pays higher salaries than the civil service. and you see people moving from government employment to private sector not the other way round.

Ikengawo is living in Utopia, Since he has experienced western civilization, he sees everything from a very myopic perspective.

In third world countries, the government is like a God

yeah and this is why they're third world countries.

Let there be free markets, reduction of taxes on corporations and individuals, and there won't be a need for social programs because people will be able to take care of themselves.

wealth is not to have money, but to take your gift or resources and put it to use, it generates money, yes but money can easily run out, but resources won't.

to grow wealth, doesn't necessarily mean that I have to beat you out of business. If we are both farmers, I can grow corn and you can grow beans and we'll both be wealthy, and it will be healthy.

we should promote small businesses that way there will be more employers. If there are employers, there will be employees, and more people will be put to work, instead of left to scramble for one job in one major corporation.

the worst thing Nigeria can do is give the government too much power. The government's job is to protect the citizenry, by protecting the borders and protecting the streets, and a few more things. but the government's job is not to give handouts.

now as to what the government can do, to create jobs, the government can create an environment that will allow businesses to grow.

But people keep in mind that we are Africans and we don't have to copy the west. Some of us live in the west, and sometimes forget that what works for the west doesn't necessarily work for us. Their economy, society is crumbling, let's learn from them and not make the same mistakes by taking the same route.

But businesses keeps us going.

As for the U.S., um the governement is the major employer and that's the problem right now. The governement shouldn't do that much. If America doesn't learn and what they're actually doing now with their policies is leading them towards Greece. They're taking too much from Europe and we can see that Europe is falling apart.

Also having small businesses reduces inflation. There will be competition and the consumers will rule the market. As long as prices are down the cost of living will be manageable and people can survive and in the end, that's what matters.

It's simple logic, but then again Nigerian politicians don't seem to have that, and they seriously think it's too complicated. It's not.

Oh btw what America has now is not capitalism, it is corporatism, and that's why they're in the mess they're in. So let's learn about these things before we start taking from their playbook. I saw a comment on capitalism earlier on so just wanted to touch on that.

My favourite is Distributism though, but people don't want to listen to that, it's just too good and calls for people to be good, and that's just a bad thing, lol.

What we have today in Nigeria is a free market yet consumers do not RULE THE MARKET. We have more small businesses per capita than most developed countries can boast of.
Free market is NOT to be prescribed as a SOLUTION in most any situation. Government has a role to play even in that setting and in our case; our free market has been lacking reasonable government interference for way too long.

the role of the govenrmetn is the regulate industries while they're there, but not to create and mainain industry, any industry

What are governments for ?

security, maintaining order (part of security), providing structure and laws, regulation of country.


governments are only interested in economics and promoting business because it helps security.
all governments except african ones which semm to have the idea that the point of government is making everyone rich and totally ignore security concerns therefore letting neo colonists trample all over them and control them. (plus the corruption)

the US government built roads so that it can deploy troops to all parts of the country
western countries educate their citizens because it's better for security, stability and military growth.

electricity is a security concern because we can't run our defense facilities properly without it, but the government isn't competent enough to provide electricity for 120 million people for free.

no government is and no government does.

I'm actually very shocked to hear fellow Nigerians saying Government is not meant to be the largest provider of jobs.

For goodness sakes we can't keep comparing ourselves with present day advanced countries, kidding ourselves with terms like democracy and capitalism. The government is getting it very wrong expecting privately owned companies to provide most of the employment.

In advanced countries, social development always began with agricultural revolution then industrial revolution. Before and after this revolutions where periods of increase in knowledge acquisition. That being said, it doesn't make much sense for the common man or private industries to venture into agriculture. The reason is right now we live in a global village where local products compete with international ones. The only way our local products can survive in international markets is if we can produce on a really large scale and make the final product of international quality and at a lesser price. Private companies and the common man don't have this kind of money we are talking about, they don't have access to oil money! Govt has the lands and the money.

A right thinking govt will realize that the fate of Nigeria lies in its hands because we are still at infancy stage. I say infancy because we haven't ever been able to transcend beyond the agricultural revolution. It doesn't make sense to export raw materials when one is in an information age. That is why it is expedient not to stop with mechanized agriculture. The oil boom truncated the first and only real time we tried to start growing as a nation. When we had the pyramids of groundnut and were exporting tons of cocoa, the govt was partly responsible and the standards of living was not this bad.



As we speak, the government is largely responsible for the revenues derived from crude oil. This is Nigeria's major source of income which private companies don't have access to.

Also having small businesses reduces inflation. There will be competition and the consumers will rule the market. As long as prices are down the cost of living will be manageable and people can survive and in the end, that's what matters.


Consumers will rule the market if and only we have a large number of producers and not re-sellers. As long as we keep reselling and re-reselling what we bought price will keep flying. Having a middle man is already bad enough for price. Re-reselling increases the havoc exponentially. What Nigeria needs is the government investing on the people. Setting up mass production companies across the nation where people will be engaged in making a product. A product of international quality. The average Nigerian or Privately owned company can't embark on such projects because they'd be competing with other international ones and they don't have access to oil money!

Two thirds of the budget is used on government overhead, they should be responsible for creating jobs!

~Lady~:

Also having small businesses reduces inflation. There will be competition and the consumers will rule the market. As long as prices are down the cost of living will be manageable and people can survive and in the end, that's what matters.

Consumers will rule the market if and only we have a large number of producers and not re-sellers. As long as we keep reselling and re-reselling what we bought price will keep flying. Having a middle man is already bad enough for price. Re-reselling increases the havoc exponentially. I live in an estate where every other house has a provision store, and price continues sky-rocketing! A lot of Nigerians are re-re-sellers because we don't produce anything in Nigeria.

The only real positive economic activity in Nigeria is exportation of crude oil. Most of the revenue from this goes to the government and expatriates. Govt. is meant to use a major part of this money to create industries powered by people so that we can be a producer nation. Advanced countries are producer nations.  

What Nigeria needs is the government investing on the people. Setting up mass production companies across the nation where people will be engaged in making a product. A product of international quality. The average Nigerian or Privately owned company can't embark on such projects because they'd be competing with other international ones and they don't have access to oil money!

Two thirds of the budget is used on government overhead, they should be responsible for creating jobs!

Interesting

Kobojunkie:
Goverment is NOT responsible for creating Jobs HOWEVER Government is responsible for fostering an environment that creates jobs in a society. If you have been following current situation in America you would see that the Government is NOT pushing to itself create the jobs but ENCOURAGE situations that help businesses create jobs.

Since the Nigerian government does not work hard at creating this environment for businesses, investors continue to go elsewhere and jobs do the same. This in turn means that the Government is to blame for the 1000's if not millions of lost opportunties to create jobs.

Which investors.... If china germany, usa are waiting for black investors to come nd invest in their land, I wonder where they will b now.

Its time for nigeria to sit down nd invest on themselves. We have many human, agric nd mineral to make us world producing country. But rather we cannot do that.
I bet you 60% of nigeria do not know what is stock trading or investors equity. An individual with a top business idea could be invested upon.

Beaf:


Why so many dimwitted articles from you? Firstly, how many non civilians can you name in the current govt or don't you know what "civilian" means?
This is the politics section, not some area where half or zero knowledge is allowed. It is basic political knowledge that govts the World over create job opportunities.
Please don't waste peoples time by posting anymore braindead topics (you're beginning to sound like Turai).

First of all i did not understand your short article....

70% of job in usa are being provided from individuals.
65% of internal revenue in usa are provided by individual companies through taxes.

All those who owes satchet water industry, recycling industries etc are men like you.

so go out there and do nigeria proud.

trueword:


Governments creates job directly and indirectly. Aren't the direct one called "government jobs" i.e. a government road and bridge maintenance agency that hires civil engineers etc to do work for state in infrastructure projects. Police jobs, etc. So I don't see where govt. Doesnt create jobs.

Government also creates jobs indirectly by putting in place policies and either reducing taxes or spending to stimulate economy to help certain industries grow.

ok go nd become a policemen then since govt created them.