THE EFFECTS OF FOREIGN AIDS ON NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (A STUDY OF FOREIGN

HEALTH AIDS TO NIGERIA 1999-2003)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

        Imperialism has been the most powerful force in the world history. It means the process whereby the dominant politico-economic interest of a nation dominate the raw material and markets of another people. Imperialism can also be defined as a policy extending a country’s power and influence by establishing colonies. Foreign and has been said to be a situation whereby developing county gets money and other aids to solve their problems for the good of the masses or citizens. There is no developing county that is not in one way of the other colonial before independence, looking at the third world countries, most especially Africa and using Nigeria as a study, one will begin to wonder what the county has been doing with the different kinds of aids it has been receiving.

1.1     BACKGROUND OF STUDY 

This study is prompted by the poverty level in the county despite huge foreign aids over the year. According to the 2008 world fact book about Nigeria it says that the unemployed rate is 5.8% population below poverty line 60%. It is also recorded that a Nigerian lives below one dollar which is one hundred and fifty naira in Nigeria Currency.

They county (Nigeria received huge sum of money from different organization including the United States of America for improving health sector in the country yet the death rate has increased with children dying by malaria everyday).

1.2     STATEMENT IF THE STUDY

During the regime of President Olusegu Obasanjo 1999-2007. The issues of foreign aid was outstanding most especially on borrowing to move the country forward and also on gaining debt forgiveness from the Paris Club which Nigeria owes about thirty billion dollars. Some politicians and scholars believed that getting foreign aids in farm of loan was needed while some said no the idea because it will increase the nations debt profile and make the nation to apply the condition usually attached to such loans.

It appears that foreign aid when harnessed fully and effectively used by the developing nations will actually lead to development. Also, the leading nations and international agencies that give loans should reduce their interest rate and other strings they attach to aid; the main problem of this study.

Includes an attempt to see whether Nigeria should continue to depend on the foreign aid it has been receiving and whether it will lead to the country’s development and whether the politicians and others incharge of allocating resources will be judicious in the application of fund meant for projects.

1.3     PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This study is an attempt to investigate the effects of foreign aid on the economy of developing nations. In this study also we will look at the advantages and disadvantages of foreign aids. The main issue to be probed in this study are whether countries that offer foreign aid like USA, Britain, France etc attach strings or conduction to the aid given to the developing nations? Whether the receiving nation (developing nations use the foreign aid judiciously.

1.4     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of this research is to throw more light on the study that will generally give information to the members of the public, people in the public sectors, students specifically to the students of public administration department. Thus information will openly show us how foreign aids is been used in Nigeria, if the aid is selfishly embezzled or if the aid is judicially used.

Academically, thus study will help students and researches aid even financial manages as well as the people in the public sector to know what foreign aid is, how it is used and what is has impacted on the developing nations etc Nigeria.

1.5     RESEARCH QUESTION

1.          What is foreign aids?

2.          How can foreign aid be used judiciously?

3.          Has foreign aid done good or bad in the country?

4.          Has foreign aid been a part of development in the country?

5.          Do donor countries and international agencies attach strings to the foreign aids to developing nation?

6.          Are strings supposed to be attached on aid given to developing nations since its called (AIDS)?

7.          Should underdeveloped countries depend on foreign aid for development?

8.          What are the functions of world health organization (WHO)?

1.6     SCOPE/DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study is on the effects of foreign aids to national development with emphasis on foreign health aid to Nigeria between (1999-2003). This study will look into the way foreign aids helps nations to develop and if it actually does.

1.7     LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The research is affected by many problems, there was limited resources in terms of finances that is lack of fund to travel in search of data. Also no availability of current relevant text that will give adequate information was virtually unavailable. Furthermore, administrative bureaucracy, time constraint also did a lot in hindering perfect collection of necessary data for the project work.

Finally, another challenge faced by the researcher in this study is the attitude of some people in giving out the necessary data required.

1.8     DEFINITION OF TERMS

For the purpose if this study, the following definitions will be used.

1.          FOREIGN AID: This is the assistance given to nations to help them deal with different problems and also help them develop. It can also be in form of money, military help, food and health.

2.          FOREIGN HEALTH AID: Foreign health aid refers to aid assistance from one country to another to help combat diseases and other health related illness and as well as building of hospitals, providing of drugs and health machines such as cardiophasclolar machine etc. foreign health and could also be in form of sending doctors to helping treatment of people in the receiving nation.

3.          National Development: It is a federal government project designed to improve the economic, political, technology aspect of the nation.