Exploring the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) as a micro-Millennium Development Goals’ framework in Nigeria

This chapter examines the impact of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), a socio-economic framework for enabling sustainable human development in Nigeria, and how it incorporates the basic targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) into government policy at both the national and grassroots levels. The chapter draws on the results of a study that was conducted to assess the specific impacts of the NEEDS policy in the process of improving the condition of existence in Nigeria by promoting socio-economic inclusivity. It considers the achievements of the NEEDS, the impediments that have constrained its functioning, and the lessons that have been or could be learnt from related achievements and failures of past development policies in Nigeria. It also offers some recommendations to make the NEEDS more effective in addressing the challenges and threats posed by poverty and other social incongruence in Nigeria.

Women’s role in economic development: overcoming the constraints

This chapter explores the challenges faced by women and the possibilities for improving economic development frameworks for this gender-specific group. It explains why women play an important role in bringing about economic development and what limits their engagement in income-generating activities. After providing a brief context of the evolution of thinking around women and development, from ‘Women in Development’ to ‘Gender and Development’, the chapter considers how and why women have been integrated into processes of ‘development’. It then presents evidence on the importance of women to economic development and highlights constraints on realising the full potential of women in the process of economic development. It also identifies priority areas of intervention for promoting gender equality that in turn will also help bring economic growth.

The impact of the global financial crisis on Millennium Development Goal attainment in Africa

This chapter examines the challenges involved in attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis and highlights important lessons for future financing of global initiatives. The 2008 global financial crisis provided a very important caution: global initiatives are only as good as their global conditions. The crisis had very real consequences for the education sector, particularly through the reduction of adequate funding. The chapter first considers the consequences of the global financial crisis to education, taking into account the role of foreign aid, before discussing the cases of primary education in Ghana and Zimbabwe. It concludes by suggesting some best practices for learning from the failures to education from the 2008 agenda.

Fragile and conflict-affected situations and the post-2015 development agenda

This chapter examines the challenge of ending extreme poverty and attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in fragile and conflict-affected countries by 2030. It first describes the background context in which fragility and conflict exist before discussing the current state of lessons learned as well as policy agreement and divergence regarding international approaches to peace and security. It then considers the centrality of institutions both as constraints and as foundations to development. It also offers suggestions on what key elements are needed in laying institutional foundations for development in countries emerging from conflict, and how responsibilities for implementing the goals might be assigned in practice. The chapter concludes with an assessment of the impact of the MDGs in fragile and conflict-affected settings, along with the implications of current understandings of conflict and fragility for the objectives of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Introduction: meeting future challenges with past lessons

This book examines the progress, challenges and lessons of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs were adopted during the 2000 Millennium Summit of the United Nations to address the various dimensions of poverty such as hunger, disease, and exclusion while promoting gender equality, education and environmental sustainability. The book considers whether the MDGs were effective in transforming the narrative around poverty and its many dimensions through multilateral organisations, identifying what worked and what needs to change in the context of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. It also discusses the changing nature of poverty and inequality as well as the role of state and increasingly non-state actors, including civil society groups, in shaping the debate around accountability, progress and inclusiveness. This chapter provides an overview of the impact of globalisation on the MDGs, criticisms of the MDGs, and the Post-2015 Development Agenda. It also explains the purpose and plan for the book.

United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UN MDGs) and the Arab Spring: shedding light on the preludes?

This chapter examines whether the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) provided a concrete background to illuminate the preludes to the Arab Spring by focusing on the experiences of Egypt, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. It first considers the common features of the Arab Spring in Egypt, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen before discussing the implementation of the MDGs in those countries. It also assesses the effects of the Arab Spring on the MDG progress in each country with respect to indicators such as eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting general equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and ensuring environmental sustainability. The chapter proceeds by analysing the impact of the Arab Spring on Arab civil society and concludes with an overview of prospects for the Arab world in the post-2015 era.

North Africa and Middle East: economic performance and social progress

This chapter examines the economic and social outcomes of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in North Africa and the Middle East, also known as the NAME region. It first provides an overview of economic performance in the NAME region before comparing the performance of the countries in the region among each other. It then considers the extent to which the NAME countries have progressed in meeting the MDGs with respect to poverty and malnourishment, mortality and education. It also analyses the relation between the performances in the economic area and in achieving MDGs. The chapter argues that the economic performance in the NAME region was not strong enough by itself to influence decisions by households that would have improved social progress. In addition, governments did not implement the necessary programmes that would have made a greater social impact.

Between progress, stasis and reversals: an analysis of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria

This chapter examines important lessons for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria. It first provides a synoptic overview of MDG implementation in Nigeria before discussing the socio-economic and political challenges associated with achieving the MDGs in the country as well as the some of the efforts made by Nigerian governments at different levels to achieve the MDGs in the face of such challenges. It then outlines three major imperatives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria by 2030 and concludes with some recommendations for overcoming the current challenges in relation to future poverty reduction and development strategies in the country. The chapter argues that Nigeria made little progress with respect to the MDGs, which were characterised by considerable stasis and undeniable reversals in some parts of the country.

Marginalised minorities in conflict: women and Millennium Development Goals

This chapter explores the legal, political, economic and ideological problems not addressed in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that undermine women's empowerment and gender equality in conflict states. The MDGs sought to reduce inequalities by promoting gender equality, empowering women and expanding the role of women in society. Yet women's universal rights have yet to be fully realised. This is evident in conflict and post conflict states, where women's standings have deteriorated. The chapter first considers the sociological and legal conception of women as minority before discussing women's position in conflict. In particular, it examines sexual violence as a tool of terror and the current situation with regards to political representation and representation in peace negotiations. It also comments on legal discrimination that is aggravating conflict and post-conflict situations and concludes with an assessment of the post-2015 framework based on the limitations and problems of the MDGs.

Facing the global challenge of youth employment

This chapter considers the global challenge of youth employment, arguing that employment inadequacy among young people is a much broader phenomenon than youth unemployment as conventionally defined. It first provides an overview of the youth bulge phenomenon in developing countries before discussing current efforts to address it. In particular, it examines education and training programmes that prepare youth for the labour market as well as active labour market programmes (ALMPs) that help them make the transition into the world of work. It also looks at estimates and projections for youth unemployment and describes a measure called NEET (not in education, employment or training) used to study youth employment inadequacy. Finally, it evaluates potential solutions for addressing the youth employment challenge.