This study probed the macroeconomic effects of budget deficit in Nigeria. Specifically, it seeks to probe the effect of budget deficit on private investment and public investment in Nigeria by adopting the ADF unit root test and ARDL model, Granger Causality test and the short-run diagnostics and stability using annual time series data covering 37 years from 1981 to 2019. The variables employed include – Growth rate of real gross domestic product, private investment (Gross Fixed Capital Formation) as a percentage of GDP, public investment measured as ratio government capital expenditure to GDP, budget deficit, money supply measured as ratio of GDP, inflation rate measured by annual year-on-year inflation rate, interest rate, labour force participation rate. The research findings admitted that, budget deficit have positive and significant impact on economic growth in Nigeria. Therefore, government budget deficit has no crowding out effect on investment. The study also reveals that budget deficit has negative and insignificant impact on private investment in Nigeria. In addition, further investigation shows budget deficit have positive and significant impact on public investment in Nigeria. Also, the study asserts that there is unidirectional causality running from budget deficit to economic growth, private investment and public investment. Based on the research findings of this study, Government must ensure and maintain strong fiscal discipline without compromising the wellbeing of the citizenry by allocating budget spending to sectors that can translate the deficit into high economic growth both in the short and long runs. Furthermore, budget deficit financing in Nigeria should be focused on the productive sectors of the economy. This is because deficit financing has merely resulted in economic instability indicating that sound policies are needed to achieve economic stability in Nigeria. JEL: E02, H61, E22 <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0778/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

This study investigates the effect of outsourcing practice on employment relations in Multinational Corporations with special focus on Shell Petroleum Producing and Development Company (SPDC). The study also examined the importance of employment relations in organizational performance. Descriptive research methodology was adopted in this study. The questionnaire that was administered in the field survey was the abbreviated version of Hewitt’s Human Resource Outsourcing Survey Questionnaire. The research findings showed that: the management of SPDC engages in unfair labour practices in order to trivialize workers conditions of service; mere transferring human resource management to a third party does not necessarily improve labour-management relations; outsourcing affects workers’ performance in Nigeria; there is positive relationship between employment relations and organisational performance. Based on the research findings, it recommends that the management of SPDC must discontinue its unfair labour practices; should improve the working conditions of its contract staff and show more interest in their career development; should focus attention on fostering mutual employment relations by ensuring that all its human resource policies are not counter-productive especially its outsourcing policy. JEL: L20; L23; L53 <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0799/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

This research work studied the effect of economic depression on the growth of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State and their contribution to economic growth. This research focuses on the extent to which economic hardship affects the operations and activities of SMEs in Awka South. The study was conducted in Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State. Data for the study were collected from a representative sample of one hundred (100) SMEs entrepreneurs in the area. A systematic sampling technique would be used to select the respondents. The result of the analyses showed that economic depression impairs the growth of SMEs in Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State. There should be adequate provision of infrastructures, government should give special consideration to SMEs by patronizing SMEs output, government should attract international financial institutions towards the growth and development of small scale industries in Awka South and Nigeria at large etc. JEL: L20; L23; L53 <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0796/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>