Nigerian Economy, Gdp and Production.

NIGERIAN ECONOMY/GDP AND PRODUCTION Nigeria recorded a Current Account surplus of 11. 60 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2011. Current Account to GDP in Nigeria is reported by the African Economic Outlook. Historically, from 1980 until 2011, Nigeria Current Account to GDP averaged 1. 2 Percent reaching an all time high of 37. 9 Percent in December of 2008 and a record low of -18. 7 Percent in December of 1986. The Current account balance as a percent of GDP provides an indication on the level of international competitiveness of a country.Usually, countries recording a strong current account surplus have an economy heavily dependent on exports revenues, with high savings ratings but weak domestic demand. On the other hand, countries recording a current account deficit have strong imports, a low saving rates and high personal consumption rates as a percentage of disposable incomes. Nigeria recorded a Current Account surplus of 5035. 99 USD Million in the third quarte r of 2012. Current Account in Nigeria is reported by the Central Bank of Nigeria.Historically, from 2005 until 2012, Nigeria Current Account averaged 2373. 87 USD Million reaching an all time high of 9455. 37 USD Million in December of 2009 and a record low of -4410 USD Million in September of 2010. Current Account is the sum of the balance of trade (exports minus imports of goods and services), net factor income (such as interest and dividends) and net transfer payments (such as foreign aid). INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION. In 2011 and 2012, Nigeria’s industrial production increased by 0. 10% as reported by the Central Bank of Nigeria.Historically, from 2007 until 2012, Nigeria Industrial Production averaged 3. 15 Percent reaching an all time high of 14. 90 Percent in December of 2011 and a record low of 0. 10 Percent in June of 2007. In Nigeria, industrial production measures the output of businesses integrated in industrial sector of the economy such as manufacturing, mining, and u tilities. This page includes a chart with historical data for Nigeria Industrial Production. The data given on this page shows a year over year change in a seasonally adjusted Industrial Production Index.Industrial Production Index is an economic indicator that measures changes in output for the manufacturing, mining, and utilities. Although these sectors contribute only a small portion of GDP, they are highly sensitive to interest rates and consumer demand. This makes Industrial Production an important tool for forecasting future GDP and economic performance. Industrial Production figures are also used by central banks to measure inflation, as high levels of industrial production can lead to uncontrolled levels of consumption and rapid inflation. Nigerian Economy, Gdp and Production. NIGERIAN ECONOMY/GDP AND PRODUCTION Nigeria recorded a Current Account surplus of 11. 60 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2011. Current Account to GDP in Nigeria is reported by the African Economic Outlook. Historically, from 1980 until 2011, Nigeria Current Account to GDP averaged 1. 2 Percent reaching an all time high of 37. 9 Percent in December of 2008 and a record low of -18. 7 Percent in December of 1986. The Current account balance as a percent of GDP provides an indication on the level of international competitiveness of a country.Usually, countries recording a strong current account surplus have an economy heavily dependent on exports revenues, with high savings ratings but weak domestic demand. On the other hand, countries recording a current account deficit have strong imports, a low saving rates and high personal consumption rates as a percentage of disposable incomes. Nigeria recorded a Current Account surplus of 5035. 99 USD Million in the third quarte r of 2012. Current Account in Nigeria is reported by the Central Bank of Nigeria.Historically, from 2005 until 2012, Nigeria Current Account averaged 2373. 87 USD Million reaching an all time high of 9455. 37 USD Million in December of 2009 and a record low of -4410 USD Million in September of 2010. Current Account is the sum of the balance of trade (exports minus imports of goods and services), net factor income (such as interest and dividends) and net transfer payments (such as foreign aid). INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION. In 2011 and 2012, Nigeria’s industrial production increased by 0. 10% as reported by the Central Bank of Nigeria.Historically, from 2007 until 2012, Nigeria Industrial Production averaged 3. 15 Percent reaching an all time high of 14. 90 Percent in December of 2011 and a record low of 0. 10 Percent in June of 2007. In Nigeria, industrial production measures the output of businesses integrated in industrial sector of the economy such as manufacturing, mining, and u tilities. This page includes a chart with historical data for Nigeria Industrial Production. The data given on this page shows a year over year change in a seasonally adjusted Industrial Production Index.Industrial Production Index is an economic indicator that measures changes in output for the manufacturing, mining, and utilities. Although these sectors contribute only a small portion of GDP, they are highly sensitive to interest rates and consumer demand. This makes Industrial Production an important tool for forecasting future GDP and economic performance. Industrial Production figures are also used by central banks to measure inflation, as high levels of industrial production can lead to uncontrolled levels of consumption and rapid inflation.

Mans Journey into Self in Heart of Darkness and A Essays

Mans Journey into Self in Heart of Darkness and A Essays Mans Journey into Self in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now English Mans Journey into Self in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now Hu240 Inherent inside every human soul is a savage evil side that remains repressed by society. Often this evil side breaks out during times of isolation from our culture, and whenever one culture confronts another. History is loaded with examples of atrocities that have occurred when one culture comes into contact with another. Whenever fundamentally different cultures meet, there is often a fear of contamination and loss of self that leads us to discover more about our true selves, often causing perceived madness by those who have yet to discover. The Puritans left Europe in hopes of finding a new world to welcome them and their beliefs. What they found was a vast new world, loaded with Indian cultures new to them. This overwhelming cultural interaction caused some Puritans to go mad and try to purge themselves of a perceived evil. This came to be known as the Salem witch trials. During World War II, Germany made an attempt to overrun Europe. What happened when the Nazis came into power and persecuted the Jews in Germany, Austria and Poland is well known as the Holocaust. Here, humans evil side provides one of the scariest occurrences of this century. Adolf Hitler and his Nazi counterparts conducted raids of the ghettos to locate and often exterminate any Jews they found. Although Jews are the most widely known victims of the Holocaust, they were not the only targets. When the war ended, 6 million Jews, Slavs, Gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Communists, and others targeted by the Nazis, had died in the Holocaust. Most of these deaths occurred in gas chambers and mass shootings. This gruesome attack was motivated mainly by the fear of cultural intermixing which would impurify the "Master Race." Joseph Conrads book, The Heart of Darkness and Francis Coppolas movie, Apocalypse Now are both stories about Mans journey into his self, and the discoveries to be made there. They are also about Man confronting his fears of failure, insanity, death, and cultural contamination. During Marlows mission to find Kurtz, he is also trying to find himself. He, like Kurtz had good intentions upon entering the Congo. Conrad tries to show us that Marlow is what Kurtz had been, and Kurtz is what Marlow could become. Every human has a little of Marlow and Kurtz in them. Marlow says about himself, "I was getting savage (Conrad)," meaning that he was becoming more like Kurtz. Along the trip into the wilderness, they discover their true selves through contact with savage natives. As Marlow ventures further up the Congo, he feels like he is traveling back through time. He sees the unsettled wilderness and can feel the darkness of its solitude. Marlow comes across simpler cannibalistic cultures along the banks. The deeper into the jungle he goes, the more regressive the inhabitants seem. Kurtz had lived in the Congo, and was separated from his own culture for quite some time. He had once been considered an honorable man, but the jungle changed him greatly. Here, secluded from the rest of his own society, he discovered his evil side and became corrupted by his power and solitude. Marlow tells us about the Ivory that Kurtz kept as his own, and that he had no restraint, and was " a tree swayed by the wind (Conrad, 209)." Marlow mentions the human heads displayed on posts that "showed that Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts (Conrad, 220)." Conrad also tells us "his nerves went wrong, and caused him to preside at certain midnight dances ending with unspeakable rights, which were offered up to him (Conrad, 208)," meaning that Kurtz went insane and allowed himself to be worshipped as a god. It appears that while Kurtz had been isolated from his culture, he had become corrupted by this violent native culture, and allowed his evil side to control him. Marlow realizes that only very near the time of death, does a person grasp the big picture. He describes Kurtzs last moments "as though a veil had been rent (Conrad, 239)." Kurtzs last "supreme moment of complete knowledge (Conrad, 239)," showed him how horrible the human soul really can be. Marlow can only speculate as to what Kurtz saw that caused him to exclaim "The horror! The horror," but later adds that "Since I peeped over the edge myself, I understand better the meaning of his stare it was wide enough

Postal Service Wants to Offer Payday Loans

Postal Service Wants to Offer Payday Loans Even though it loses massive quantities of it every year, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) wants to loan you money. Short-term â€Å"payday† loans are just one of the financial services the USPS has proposed offering though Post Offices in order to serve the scores of American â€Å"unbanked† individuals and families, while protecting them from predatory payday lenders and, of course, bettering its own dismal financial status. According to a report from the USPS’ inspector general, one in four U.S. households lives at least partially outside the financial mainstream without bank accounts or using costly services like payday lenders – and spends an average of $2,412 each year just on interest and fees for such alternative financial services. â€Å"Many of the 34 million financially underserved households - representing 68 million adults - are treading water very close to the economic edge,† wrote the inspector general. â€Å"Unexpected expenses can push them over the brink into homelessness or bankruptcy, which come with broad social and economic costs.† The inspector general estimates the USPS could bring in almost $9 billion a year by capturing just 10% of the $89 billion spent on alternative financial services in the U.S. every year. â€Å"Postal financial services may appeal to many customers who feel abandoned by major financial institutions,† states the report. â€Å"Postal organizations have an unmatched ability to reach consumers from diverse backgrounds.† As the report notes, many international postal services are already garnering significant new revenue by offering financial services. Of course, the USPS also hopes to make money by charging interest on these short-term loans, but at a far lower rate than those charged by traditional payday lenders. USPS Brand Payday Loan vs. Traditional Payday Loans The USPS inspector general suggests the Postal Service could offer short-term – payday – loans with interest rates of 28%, compared to the average interest rate of 391% charged by traditional payday lenders. For example, a person borrowing $375 from a traditional payday lender would end up having to pay back a total of about $896, including $521 in interest and fees. The same $375 borrowed from the USPS would end up costing only $423, including $48 in interest and fees. â€Å"That single loan from the Postal Service could effectively put $472 back into a consumer’s pocket, which he or she could then use on more economically productive expenses,† stated the report. â€Å"If even one-tenth of the 12 million Americans who take out a payday loan each year got this hypothetical Postal Loan instead, they could collectively save more than half a billion dollars a year in fees and interest.† In addition, says the inspector general, short-term Postal Service loans would allow the estimated 10 million unbanked U.S. households which cannot afford high-interest rate payday loans to borrow the money they need. â€Å"There is a wide range of consumers who need access to small-dollar credit, and the Postal Loan could strongly appeal to these different types of borrowers,† noted the inspector general. â€Å"For example, people whose income varies throughout the year, consumers with no other avenues to credit, families with unexpected expenses, and others.† Finally, contends the report, affordable Postal Service loans would help people break the â€Å"cycle of debt,† that forces them to borrow more money to make payments on existing loans. According to a 2104 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, more than 80% of payday loans are either extended or followed by another loan less than two weeks later. While the â€Å"average† interest rate for traditional payday loans may be 391%, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) has warned consumers of online payday lenders charging interest rates of 650% USPS Vows Not to Compete with Banks If you own a bank, don’t worry. The inspector general makes it perfectly clear that the USPS has no intention of becoming a bank or even competing with banks. Instead, says his report, in offering small short-term loans and other financial services, the Postal Service would â€Å"greatly complement† the services offered by banks. Correctly noting that banks are closing branches in inner city low-income and rural areas nationwide, the inspector general says the USPS would help banks â€Å"fill the gaps in their efforts to reach the underserved.† And remember, â€Å"The Postal Service also is among the most trusted companies in America, and trust is a critical element for implementing financial services,† he added. Also See: Postal Services Wants to Deliver Groceries

Human Resource Management of eBay in China Essay

Human Resource Management of eBay in China - Essay Example eBay’s failure in China is attributable to its rigid and product-centered approach that did not complement consumer behavior in China. Cultural differences, unique characteristics of Chinese consumers and hence their demands from e-shopping differ vastly from that of American buyers. This problem identification requires the development of appropriate solutions to help eBay tackle the threat of dominant competition in China that is being posed by Taobao. A success in doing so would allow eBay to capture the booming e-shopping market in China which is expected to grow to an astounding $315 billion dollars by 2015 and therefore, presents a monumental opportunity for eBay to move forward with its plans of global expansion. The report proposes an incorporation of the expertise of local managers and workers in the operations of eBay China to remove issues that are being posed by cultural barriers. It should also be noted that this Human Resource Management initiative will also help in cost reduction and minimization. Diversity in a workforce is integral to idea generation and would also help redesign eBay’s business model to suit to the needs of the Chinese C2C market. Drawbacks of the proposed solution are also discussed and it is recommended that further reports are commissioned to assess the validity of the said drawbacks and how they should be minimized. Contents 1.Terms of Reference 3 2.Literature Review 5 3.Problem Identification 7 3.1 Background 7 3.2 Competition from Taobao 9 3.3 Cultural Issues 10 3.4 Unique Characteristics of Buyers 10 3.5 eBay’s Business Model 11 4.Evaluation of Alternatives 11 4.1Employing Local Managers 11 4.2Transferring Core Employees with Chinese Background 13 5.Recommendations 14 6.Reflective Appendix 15 References 17 1. Terms of Reference eBay is a global internet-based business that acts as an intermediary between consumer-to-consumer transactions for a wide range of products that include electronics, automobil es, clothing, sporting gear and several other products falling under various categories. eBay entered the Chinese market in 2003 through its acquisition of EachNet (Zhang et al. 2009) with hopes of gaining a considerable market share and to repeat the success that it had achieved in the U.S. However, as industry analysts would later report eBay failed to compete with the dominant force of Taobao – a local website that was launched by Alibaba in hopes of battling the imminent threat that eBay posed to sellers in China’s booming internet shopping market. While, commentators and analysts have evidently explained the reasons why eBay eventually could not make a significant impact on the online shopping market in China, it is important to note that much of that discussion has been directed towards assessing comparative analyses between the business models of eBay and its adversary Taobao. The purpose of this report however, is to focus specifically on the Human Resource Man agement of eBay in China in order to utilize the evaluations derived from the assessment to propose recommendations and suggestions that could be undertaken by the multinational corporation. The report aims to do so by defining the problems and issues that eBay faced in the Chinese market which posed as obstacles in allowing the organization to capture a considerable market share within the industry in the face of tough competition. These main issues include exploring

Ethical Issues Surrounding Human Resources Management Practices Term Paper

Ethical Issues Surrounding Human Resources Management Practices - Term Paper Example Since this test is designed to access the psychological factors of an employee in his perception of the world and in taking decision, it is surrounded by a lot of ethical issues. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is a psychometric questionnaire developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers based on typological theories originated by Carl Gustav Jung which include introspection and anecdote methods which are largely rejected by the modern psychology. As per Jungs type theory the four cognitive functions, thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuition, are related to 1 or 2 orientations, extraverted and introverted, for a total of 8 functions. The Myers-Briggs theory is based on these 8 functions. Neither the Myers-Briggs nor the Jungian models offer any experimental proof to support the existence, of such orientation, or the manifestation of these functions. The MBTI differs from other personality measuring methods. As per MBTI personality types and their traits, both are inborn. Traits like skills can be improved while types like introvert or extrovert is supported by the environment. (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) â€Å"The types the MBTI sorts for, known as dichotomies are extraversion / introversion, sensing / intuition, thinking / feeling and judging / perceiving. Participants are given one of 16 four-letter abbreviations, such as ESTJ or INFP, indicating what their preferences are. The term best-fit types refers to the ethical code that facilitators are required to follow. It states that the person taking the indicator is always the best judge of what their preferences are and that the indicator alone should never be used to make this decision† (Psychologist). The MBTI normally consist of around 100 multiple choice questions with two options for each question. The participants have the right whether to answer or skip a particular

The Church and Naziism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Church and Naziism - Essay Example The movement of Deutsche Christen (German Christians) was undoubtedly the one most directly tied to Nazi regime. Having rejected the Judaic part of the Christian tradition and embraced the fanatical version of anti-Semitism, the German Christians composed the most influential groups of German Lutheran Protestants. Their movement was officially established in November 1933, when the record mass rally of German Lutherans affirmed the continuation between the teachings of Martin Luther and Adolph Hitler, the dismissal of Baptized Jews from the Church and the (partial) rejection of the Old Testament. The German Christians justified the absolute adherence to the State authority by the claims on the primacy of temporal power that were found in some of Luther’s writings. German Mà ¼ller, the Reichsbischof of the German Evangelical Church, established in July 1933, was the supreme leader of this movement. Although the German Christians numbered more than 600,000 in the mid 1930s, Mà ¼ller’s aim of unification of Catholic and Protestant churches of Germany under his personal control was never attained, and he committed suicide in May 1945, when the news of Hitler’s death reached him. Even though the German Christians were effectively supported by the Nazi government, the internal opposition to the Nazification and â€Å"Aryanization† of the Evangelical (Protestant) Churches emerged. The attempts by the German Christians to enforce an ‘Aryan Paragraph’, which would de-frock all priests of Jewish descent as well as those who were married to non-Germans, aroused an outcry among more liberal members of the Protestant churches who founded the Confessing Church. Under the leadership of Martin Niemà ¶ller, the Confessing Church fiercely opposed the attempts of the state authorities to enforce the Aryan Paragraph and expel the pastors of Jewish descent from the Protestant churches. Later on, the Confessing Church

History of Food

History of Food WILD FOOD HISTORY About 8000 BC gathering was the main basis of food. Round 10,000 BC, in the New Stone Age, people started farming, and then spent a smaller amount of period gathering. Present they cultivated grain as a replacement for gathering it. People also started to grow figs and lentils and parsnips and peas. But they kept back on pick many of other wild foods like berries, apples, pears, olives, and nuts. They collected snails from the bushes. By the Bronze Age (round 3000 BC) people planted many other kinds of food and collected less. People of Bronzed Age Cultivated grains and vegetables and also planted olive trees and fruit trees. Still, people pick berries, herbs, mushrooms, and nuts in the wild. Actually, the condition has not changed so much from past till now. Nowadays, so many people still collecting nuts and berries and they also still gather herbs and mushrooms. Its seem like collecting is a quite lazy, unsystematic kind of method to get foodstuff, and they dont want much information. But truly it is very complex. They have to knowledge about where are the plants like where the berry bushes and nut trees are developing. They have to know growing conductions of each of them will come ready (ripe), so that they dont miss to collect all the berries. They have to organize stuffs so that they are in the correct place at the correct time. Then also, they have to pick the berries they also have to preserve it and collect it in the store: they have to separate the dry the berries and the grains and herbs and the fruits, and pickle the olives. Mainly people who grow the most of their food from gathering and have a fixed way that they travel round every year, so that they will be at the right place at the right time period to get ripe nuts from the nut trees and at the olives when the olives become ready to collect. WILD STRAWBERRIES (Reference: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/201395414563255124/ ) BACKGROUND Non-commercial wild food contains fish, insects, animals and plants that are harvested or hunted for own feeding. Such collecting of wild food stuff is not matter to observing or risk organization in the way that commercially presented food. It is analysis of non-commercial wild food stuff undertaken by NZFSA. NZFSA decided that wild food is risk free to the public health in New Zealand. But, the review did expose a lack of information about harvesting and eating patterns of wild food and also how to safely harvest food (plants) and consume wild foodstuff, and also about the bacterias like the sources of foodborne illness. It is based on the presently available records. The three wild food groups with the maximum risk status are deer, shellfish and pigs. NZFSAs Strategy for Relating MÄ ori in the Food Safety and Consumer Protection Issues will support the application of the Wild Food Project for MÄ ori peoples. NZFSA has established the educational resources for the Mao ri communities a Wild Food Safety DVD and two opposite booklets, Food Safety for Seafood Gatherers and Food Safety for Hunters. NZFSA displays that the shellfish toxicity concluded the Marine Bio toxin Programmed, so that customers of non-commercial shellfish can be advised when shellfish in their zone then it is unsafe to have it and collect it. The other two foods (deer and pigs) that were recognized as potential high risk. (Reference: http://waterlegacy.org/saving-wild-rice-sulfide-mining-pollution ) CULTURE OF WILD FOOD Still there were associations tries to describe wild culture, there was not any accepted definition of it. Smith chosen his colleagues and audiences to find the meaning of wild cultures throughout the titles of the tasks in which it looked, where the social background was at play; that is, that it existed a serious-sounding and perchance honest academic magazine printed by a preserving culture with a lengthy name, all devoted to a topic no one recognized anything about. Assigning the serious and the non-serious in a method that made logic and interested became part of the artistes work. Previously there was Smiths fresh description of wild culture (the articulated ecotone between what people do and why they cant control in nature), no single clarification happened around which the S.P.W.C artists effort was completed. Some people said that it was the vagueness of the knowledge, the incapability to title it down that made it so eye-catching. In the lack of real explanation, Smith open a metaphor, which he has freshly changed: On the surface of a clear painting is the human physical reality that is portion of our ordinary life, and in the related are basics of nature, unseen and seen, that are very much active but that people arent always alert of, whether out of apathy, convenience, ignorance, or any state of blackout or selfishness that donates to the interruption from our original history and our current psychic hold on the home land. Wild culture is the two planes, background and foreground, seen together. (Reference: http://farmprogress.com/story-indian-country-bringing-revolution-wild-food-culture-9-120453 ) INNOVATIONS Sparkling soft drinks are also as a great demand in Africa. To build additional growth on this market, WILD tastes and Specialty Ingredients resents novelties featuring new flavor profiles created on its original fermentation equipment. WILD tastes and Specialty Ingredients ideas for still drinks also give builders possible for additional growth. Food drinks technology in Africa, WILD tastes and Specialty Ingredients shows its competency in this part with product ideas counting emulsion-based decisions as well as milk and juice variations. These answers meet the demands of customers in Africa who want premium-quality drinks which have a flavorful taste. The most popular flavors here are tropical fruits like guava and mango. In adding, WILD Flavors and Specialty Ingredients displays non-alcoholic border drink ideas such as juice-based drinks with pià ±a colada and sangria flavors. PRODUCTION METHOD The cultivated technique called Wild Farming. It is a growing different to factory farming. It consists of implanting crops that are extremely associated and kind to the natural ecosystem. It includes intercropping with inborn plants, resulting the contours and geography of the land, and backup to the local food chains. The goal is to produce large crop yields, while still indorsing a healthy environment. Wild farming is a reaction against the control of factory farming. Up till the mid-20th century, farming crop yields depend on natural inputs such as natural soil resources, rainfall patterns, built-in biological control mechanisms and recycling of organic matter. Presently, agricultural performs have been conventionalized to contain large mono cropped fields and use of synthetics: fertilizers and pesticides. Avoiding the conventional farming practices, wild farming adopts many practices from sustainable agricultural systems such as Greywater systems, permaculture, forest farming, a nd agroecology. SOCIAL INFLUENCES OF WILD FOOD Community effects have been shown to be very significant to overcome food neophobic in young children. But, there is no. experimental proof about whether social effects on food acceptance are specific, that. is if models eating the same food as the child are more effective in sponsoring food acceptance than .eating a different food. We measured childrens behavior towards novel foods when an adult model [A] was not eating (Presence condition), [B] was eating a food of a Different color (Different color condition), and [C] was eating a food of the same color (Same color condition). We tested 26 children (ages 2-5 years old) enrolled from The Pennsylvania State University day care amenities. Grades show that kids accepted and ate their novel food additionally in the same color form rather than different color and in the Presence conditions. Hence, in young children food acceptance is promoted by specific social influences. These data show that children are more love to eat new food if o thers are eating the same type of food than others are merely present or eating another kind of food.