The decision to enact laws which enforce the restriction of commercial motorcycle operation to the back streets of Lagos metropolis in 2012 has been greeted with mixed feeling. Motorcycle appearance within Nigeria's urban transport scene is fraught with many safety challenges which include use of drugs, over-speeding, overloading, non observance of traffic laws, non use of rear mirror and receiving calls while riding were identified as the major causes of accidents among operators. The costs associated with these accidents culminated in a wave of outright ban in several states in the country, however the Lagos State Government opted for restriction of their operations within the metropolis, the impact of the approach on security and safety has been hugely debated. This study made use of primary and secondary data in a survey of 120 commercial motorcyclists operating within Ikeja Local Government Area, the capital of Lagos State. Primary data was presented using descriptive method while the secondary data was analyzed using quadratic regression model from a scatter plot of 5 year monthly accident admission cases from a federal orthopedic hospital in Lagos. Results from the survey indicate a significant improvement in the security challenge posed by commercial motorcycle operations while the downward trend in the observed cases of motorcycle hospitalization from analysis is consistent with introduction of the law restricting their operations. Forecast using trend-cycle of the seasonal decomposed series indicates motorcycle accident admission cases will end within first 5 months of 2015. The study concludes enforcement of the law has made a huge positive impact and therefore should be sustained.

This study examines the effect of Osun State Youth empowerment Scheme (OYES) on job creation and youth empowerment in the state and appraised its impact on capacity building of the youth. It also identified challenges in its implementation in the state. These were with a view to identifying gap between its expected outcomes and its achievements. Data for this study were generated through primary and secondary sources of data collection. The primary source of data includes a structured questionnaire and interview conducted among unemployed beneficiaries and OYES coordinators/inspectors. The secondary source of data includes books, journals, newspapers, periodicals, and internet materials. Quantitative data were analysed using univariate and bivariate analysis (chi-square test), while content analysis was employed for qualitative data. The results showed that 84% of the respondents were of the view that OYES was just a palliative measure that has helped to create few jobs and empowered youths in the state. It was also indicated by 57% of the respondents that the capacity building of youths was not improved because OYES scheme was more focused on unskilled menial jobs. In addition, 85% of the respondents were of the view that the implementation of OYES was faulty with challenges. The study concluded that there was gap between expected outcomes of OYES and its achievements so far in the Osun State.

This paper assesses the impact of local government on social service delivery in south-western Nigeria in tandem with their full constitutional responsibility particularly on primary education and road constructions. The related concepts were review. The study utilized both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected through questionnaire administration and in-depth interviews. The study revealed that local government has a significant impact on social service delivery in Southwestern Nigeria (r = 0.438, p < 0.05). The paper highlighted some recommendations and concluded that local government had performed considerably well in delivery of social service to the populace in their concurrent responsibility with the state government, but relatively low in their mandatory functions.

Capitalism as a concept that is alien to Africa traditions have been regarded as a philosophy that engendered inequality and conflict between and among Africans. Scholars like Karl Marx, Kwame Nkrumah, Walter Rodney, Jomo Kenyatta and other Marxism’s subscribers have always stressed the ills and the contradictions that are inherent in the capitalist system and attributing underdevelopment as a by-product of a capitalist system. However, the unprecedented nature of Information Technology (IT) in this 21st century has reformed and cause a paradigm shift in the practices and the interaction of political economy of emerging economy especially the operations of capitalism. While thousands of literature have laid emphasized on Adam Smith’s concepts of the market system and paying little attention to the dynamics of New Technology in the global system vis-à-vis capitalism. Hence, the paper examines new technologies as a means of mitigating underdevelopment and ills of capitalism in Africa and further made salient suggestions how New Technologies can be use to mitigate the ills of capitalist system in emergent economy in Africa. Consequently, in achieving this objective, the paper relies on secondary data such as textbooks, internet materials, etc.