Inside Independent Nigeria: Diaries of Wolfgang Stolper, 1960-1962

ISBN-13: 9781138717992 / Angielski / Miękka / 2019 / 368 str.

Clive S. Gray

Opis

This title was first published in 2003.The edited diary of one of the first Western economists to serve as an adviser in the government of an independent African country. It gives a brutally frank appraisal of Nigeria’s then political leaders and their economic advisers. It anticipates many of the problems that afflicted Nigeria’s economy from the mid-1960s on, highlighting corruption and waste of development resources.

Recenzje

’To help understand post-colonial Africa's sad failure in economic development, do read this 1960-1962 Stolper Diary: Northern economist's idealistic hopes encounter Nigerian realisms.’ Paul A. Samuelson, MIT, USA ’There have been many Western economic advisors to governments in the developing world, but few have attempted to record their experience and make it accessible to others. Wolfgang Stolper, one of America's most distinguished economists, kept a detailed diary of his experience as an advisor to Nigeria at the beginning of the 1960s. The diary is rich in detail about Nigeria at that time and about the daily work of an economic advisor. It will be of interest to anyone interested in Africa in particular and technical assistance in the developing world in general.’ Dwight H. Perkins, Harvard University, USA ’Full of vivid detail and candid commentary, Wolfgang F. Stolper's diary provides an unusually full picture of the inner workings of Nigerian policy-making and the daily experiences of a foreign economic advisor in Nigeria in the early years of Independence. Economists, historians and many others will find much of interest in this detailed portrayal, by an internationally renowned economist, of the optimism and contentiousness of early-post-Independence development planning in Africa's most populous nation.’ Sara Berry, Johns Hopkins University, USA 'Stolper's diary gives a full, blunt and honest account of the problems, many home-grown and others imported, besetting a newly independent state. But his view of Nigeria, its peoples and society, is more colourful, textured and nuanced than most, delving beneath the economic and political superstructure. And this makes his diary a fascinating and indeed essential source for th study of post-colonial Nigerian history.' South African Historical Journal

Spis treści

Contents: Editor's introduction; Cast of characters; July 17-30, 1960 Arrival in Nigeria: first impressions, first tour in the countryside; August 2-17, 1960 First tour of the three regions; August 18 - September 11, 1960 Visit to Benin, completion of first tour in Nigeria; February 1 - March 8, 1961 Second tour begins: consultations in London and Rome, first meeting of Joint Planning Committee (JPC) under Chairman (Prime Minister's economic adviser) Prasad, grubbing for planning data, Gov. "Soapy" William's visit; March 9 - April 16, 1961 Preparing first paper for the JPC, first clashes with Prasad, initial estimates of Five-Year Plan magnitudes, analysis of selected public investments, Ford Foundation team attacked in Parliament; April 17 - June 6, 1961 Rivkin mission on US aid for Nigeria's plan, JPC, trips to eastern and western regions; June 12 - July 24, 1961 Federal investment program, World Bank mission, managing the Ford team, malaria, preparing introductory plan paper for JPC and National Economic Council (NEC); July 24 - August 29, 1961 New minister (Waziri Ibrahim), macroeconomic policy, consultations with World Bank and IMF missions, JPC discusses Stolper's paper, German white elephant factories in Eastern Nigeria; August 30 - September 22, 1961 Visit to Kano, Maidugari, Lake Chad, plan drafting begins, regions pressed to submit their investment proposals; September 24 - November 6, 1961 Rivkin mission returns, negotiations with regions, "irresponsible" Eastern Region Plan, new permanent secretary Godfrey Lardner, JPC discusses plan memo; November 7 - December 13, 1961 Efforts to trim investment programs, possible stretch to six years, JPC discusses plan outline; January 21 - March 3, 1962 Cabinet debates program cuts, tensions in Ford team, corruption, integrated plan versus four separate plans, Stolper atttends NEC meeting in Ibadan; March 5 - April 26, 1962 Visit to eastern region, trip to Cameroon, Ford team's future, AID queries about plan assumptions, Parliamentary debate and vote on the plan; April 27 - June 3, 1962 Nigerian Economic Society meeting, Israelis promote farm settlements, visit to Jos tin mines and other eastern region sites, Stolper offered a job in Malta, visit to Ghana, clash with Prasad peaks, Stolper insists on coherent macroeconomic framework, disputes about projected underspending, plan completed; Postscript 1999; Addendum June 2001; Name index; Subject index.

O autorze

Clive S. Gray: Harvard PhD (econ.), 1965. 1961-63 - assistant program economist, USAID/Nigeria 1964-67 - agriculture adviser, Ministry of Economic Planning, Kenya 1968-70 - Harvard team leader, National Planning Dept., Colombia 1971-72 - Harvard team leader, Planning Commission Office, Ethiopia 1972-76 - adviser, Ministry of Communications, Indonesia, and (from 1974) Harvard team leader, National Planning Dept. 1986-90 - Harvard team leader, Min. of Economic Affairs, Morocco 1970-2000 - Institute Fellow, Harvard Institute for International Development 2000-01 - Senior Fellow in Development, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Wolfgang F. Stolper: deceased. Studies of Law at University of Berlin, and Economics and Law at University of Bonn, early 1930s. Harvard PhD (econ), mid-1930s. Professor of Economics, University of Michigan, -1980 Founder-Director, University of Michigan Center for Research on Economic Development . Visiting fellow, MIT Center for International Studies, 1958-59. Director, Economic Planning Unit, Federal Ministry of Economic Development, Gov't of Nigeria, 1960-62 Visiting fellow, Harvard University Center for International Affairs, 1962-63.