US embassy cable - 03LAGOS470

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000470 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, EFIN, EINV, EAID, PINS, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: OUTREACH TO NCEMA AND NISER 
 
1.  Introduction and summary.  Staff of ConGen's Economic 
Office reached out to two institutions of learning in the 
city of Ibadan in Oyo State on February 25. This former 
capital of Nigeria's old Western State is notable for 
several research institutions including the University of 
Ibadan, the premier institution of higher learning in 
Nigeria. This report focuses on two key centers of learning, 
the National Center For Economic Management and 
Administration (NCEMA), and the Nigerian Institute of Social 
and Economic Research (NISER.) International donors who 
appreciate their activities should be able to work with 
these institutions to leverage their own resources as they 
seek to help Nigerians in the public and private sectors. 
End introduction and summary. 
 
 
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The Nigerian Center for Economic Management 
and Administration 
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2. NCEMA,the younger of the two Nigerian institutions, was 
established by the federal government in 1986.  The center 
provides training to federal government officials who 
formulate economic policies. Federal staff come from the 
Central Bank of Nigeria, the Budget office in the Federal 
Minister of Finance, and the National Planning Commission. 
State civil servants also participate in these programs. 
 
 
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NCEMA's Research Approach 
------------------------- 
 
 
3.  NCEMA approaches problem solving through policy 
research.  Professor Mike Obadan, the Director General of 
NCEMA, said the Center's products are results oriented. 
NCEMA's faculty comprises 22 researchers who also serve as 
consultants to other institutions.  The Center runs seminars 
and symposiums annually.  Among the former is an annual 
federal budget seminar. Faculty members and other solicited 
public officials often make presentations on topics of their 
choice. 
 
 
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Efforts at Capacity Building 
for GON Officials 
---------------------------- 
 
 
4.  NCEMA organizes budget workshops for the staff of the 
National Assembly and the Assembly members too.  NCEMA aims 
to enhance their understanding of the budget process and its 
implementation, to enable them contribute informed input or 
amendments to the federal budget before its approval. The 
Center is conducting a survey of corruption and governance 
as well. 
 
 
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Relationship with International Agencies 
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5.  The World Bank collaborates with NCEMA on several 
aspects of economic management and capacity building.  NCEMA 
provides a training ground for Bank projects on capacity 
building. Obadan said the Center formerly was linked with 
the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom. NCEMA is 
looking for opportunities to establish links with American 
institutions. Professor Obadan expressed interest in 
establishing a closer relationship with USAID. 
 
 
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The Nigerian Institute of 
Social and Economic Research 
---------------------------- 
 
 
6.   NISER was established in 1950 during British rule in 
Nigeria. The institute was then called WAISER (West African 
Institute of Social and Economic Research) and focused its 
research on the socioeconomic needs of the West African 
countries under British rule.  At independence, the former 
British colonies went their own way.  NISER was transformed 
into an institute at the Nigeria's premier university, the 
University of Ibadan. By 1977, NISER's "six-and-a-half" 
research departments had become semi-autonomous. NISER's 
researchers cover agriculture and rural development, 
economic development, human resources development, physical 
development, social development, technology policy and 
development, and political development. What NISER staff 
call its "half" department is the Center for African 
Resources, a department with ad hoc staff pulled from 
NISER's different research units. NISER has 60 full-time 
professional researchers and its total staff numbers 400. 
 
 
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NISER Research Projects 
----------------------- 
7.  Professor Olu Ajakaiye, Director General of NISER, said 
NISER staff focus on four broad areas of activity. The first 
is individual research designed mainly to sharpen the skills 
of research staff. NISER's review of Nigerian developments 
and its futures research also keep research staff abreast of 
developments in the various spheres of Nigerian life. NISER 
staff conduct annual monitoring research during which 
NISER's research units audit their own performance.  Lastly, 
NISER provides consulting services to third parties. 
 
 
8. NISER's Director General expects its researchers to spend 
at least 50 percent of their time on research projects. 
NISER has a close relationship with some government 
agencies, such as the Central Bank of Nigeria, and is a 
think-tank to other government agencies. 
9. In collaboration with the World Bank, NISER hosted 
seminars and workshops and provided input to Nigeria's five- 
year development plans prior to Nigeria's implementation of 
the first structural adjustment program (SAP) in 1986. The 
SAP led to de-emphasis of long-range planning and emphasis 
on short-term policy management.  NISER has since been 
conducting research on Nigeria's social and economic 
development and on its prospects.  NISER's research 
documents often take the form of policy memoranda. 
 
 
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On-Going Relationship 
with Donor Agencies 
--------------------- 
 
 
10. NISER is working on the GON's poverty reduction strategy 
program (PRSP). NISER hopes its research will lead to its in- 
depth understanding of poverty so to make substantive input 
to the PRSP.  NISER is executing a USAID-funded project on 
legislative support to Nigerian states in collaboration with 
the Mississippi Consortium for International Development. 
Six states are benefiting from the program, which 
essentially involves capacity building. NISER is carrying 
out a corruption survey in collaboration with the Ahmadu 
Bello University in Zaria, which is also funded by USAID. 
And NISER is pursuing comparative research with Canada's 
International Development Research Center and its African 
affiliate, the Secretariat for International Support for 
Economic Research in Africa. 
 
 
11.  NISER has a clear vision of where it wants to go. It 
wants to augment capacity within Nigeria's civil service by 
being the instrument of choice for restructuring the service 
through short- and long-term training. 
 
 
12.  Comment.  NCEMA and NISER potentially can play 
important roles in shaping Nigeria's economic policies. 
These institutions boast faculty members well grounded in 
divers aspects of economic policy. The donors who appreciate 
their activities should be able to work with these 
institutions to leverage their own resources as they seek to 
help Nigerians in the public and private sectors. 
 
 
HINSON-JONES