Dutch Disease Syndrome: The Nigeria’s Resource Trap Sickness, Easy to Catch, Harmful to the System and Difficult to Cure

This study examines the economy of Dutch disease syndrome in Nigeria from 1970 – 1985. The paper argues that the discovery of oil in 1970 opened-up windows of opportunities for the country, as a result of high inflow of petrodollar surpluses. The paradoxical effect is this, after reaching its peak period, the surpluses decline steadily and the revenue it generated when prices were high tends to cause “Dutch Disease”. The result of this study establishes the existence of resource curse in the Nigeria’s economy system. Findings of this study shows that the non-support of tradable sector, corruption, mismanagement, lack of diversification of export base and the non-oil sectors like agriculture, industries and mining, affected the country’s economic base. Thus, it was easy for Nigerians to catch the high oil prices, the decline in the oil boom transformed into a harmful poverty disease and it has now become very difficult to cure despite so many efforts. This shows that, there is a paradox of scarcity amidst plenty. This paper adopts the historical research method which relies on qualitative approach of data analysis. The paper draws conclusion to the fact that, oil discovery in Nigeria is a curse rather than a blessing.

Remote Sensing in Oil Spill Handling in Offshore North West Java

During the blowout event, it is critical to track the oil spill to minimize environmental damage and optimize restoration cost. In this paper, we deliver our success story in handling oil spill from recent experiences. We utilize remote sensing technologies to establish our analysis and plan the remediation strategies. We also comprehensively discuss the techniques to analyze big data from the satellites, to utilize the downloaded data for forecasting, and to align the satellite information with restoration strategies. PHE relies on its principle to maintain minimum damage and ensures safety by dividing the steps into several aspects of monitoring, response (offshore and onshore), shoreline management and waste management. PHE utilizes latest development in survey by using satellite imaging, survey boat, chopper and UAV drone. Spill containment is done using several layers of oil boom to recover oil spill, complemented with skimmers and storage tanks. PHE encourages shoreline remediation using nets and manual recovery for capturing oil sludge. Using this combination of technologies, PHE is able to model and anticipate oil spill movement from the source up until the farthest shoreline. This enables real time monitoring and handling, therefore minimum environmental damage is ensured. PHE also employs prudent engineering design based on real time field condition in order to ensure the equipment are highly suited for the condition, as well as ensuring good supply chain of the material availability. This publication addresses the first offshore blowout mitigation and handling in Indonesia that uses novel technologies such as static oil boom, satellite imaging and integrated effort in handling shoreline damage. It is hoped that the experience can be replicated for other offshore operating contractors in Indonesia in designing blowout remediation.

Festac 77: A Black World’s Fair

From January 15 to February 12, 1977, Nigeria hosted an extravagant international festival celebrating Africa’s cultural achievements and legacies on the continent and throughout its diaspora communities. Named the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (or Festac 77), it was modeled on Léopold Senghor’s inaugural Festival Mondial des Arts Nègres (World Festival of Black Arts, or Fesman) held in Dakar in 1966 but expanded its Atlantic horizons of Africanity to include North Africa, India, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. Festac’s broader vision of the Black and African world was further bolstered by Nigeria’s oil boom, which generated windfall revenues that accrued to the state and underwrote a massive expansion of the public sector mirrored by the lavish scale of festival activities. Festac’s major venues and events included the National Stadium with its opening and closing ceremonies; the state-of-the-art National Theatre in Lagos, with exhibits and dance-dramas linking tradition to modernity; the Lagos Lagoon featuring the canoe regattas of the riverine delta societies; and the polo fields of Kaduna in the north, celebrating the equestrian culture of the northern emirates through their ceremonial durbars. If Festac 77 invoked the history of colonial exhibitions, pan-African congresses, Black nationalist movements, and the freedom struggles that were still unfolding on the continent, it also signaled Nigeria’s emergence as an oil-rich regional and global power. Festac’s significance lies less in its enduring impact than in what it reveals about the politics of festivals in postcolonial Africa.

Tax Awareness, Taxpayers’ Perceptions and Attitudes and Tax Evasion in Informal Sector of Ekiti State, Nigeria

Nigeria has been desperately seeking tax revenues since 2016 due to a persistent fall in oil price and production. However, many Nigerians are not tax compliant since there was little or no emphasis on tax revenue, particularly in the informal sector during the oil boom. This paper examined the effect of Tax awareness and Taxpayers' perception of government spending on Tax evasion in the informal sector of Ekiti state. Also, the moderating effect of Taxpayers' attitude was examined. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 150 respondents, but only 108 returned the completed questionnaire, and only 100 respondents’ data were useful. The findings show that Taxpayers' awareness considerably reduced tax evasion, but the effect of Taxpayers' perception lacks analytical support. The findings also reveal that taxpayers' attitude has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between taxpayers' awareness and tax evasion. However, the moderating effect of Taxpayers' attitude on the relationship between Taxpayers' perception about government spending and Tax evasion was not statistically significant.

Oil as Solution to the Problems of Oil

In North America, one factor shaping petromodernity is the idea that oil offers a solution to the very problems it causes. This article examines that paradox, focusing on the 1950s. It analyzes a set of pamphlets from the Petroleum Industry School Program that were distributed by the American Petroleum Institute (API), the trade organization that promotes the US oil industry. It first describes the evolution of support for and opposition to the oil industry as well as that of the ideas of freedom that the industry sought to mobilize to gain public support. Next it describes the content of the pamphlets, which employed a series of binary pairs, such as success/failure and risk/reward. API used these pairs to craft stories that acknowledged problems inherent in the oil industry, invoked their inverse, and showed how oil solved them. This article concludes by describing the real-world consequences of API’s efforts as they were manifest in processes of policy formation in North Dakota during its 1951–54 oil boom. Through its efforts to frame discussions about oil, API made it possible for political leaders to make decisions about technical issues from which the oil industry stood to benefit.