Nigerian Industrialisation Challenges and Dearth of Galvanization Amidst the United Nations Industrial Development Support

Abstract

The high rate of economic growth, the provision of basic facilities, and job creation are products of any nation’s level of industrialisation. Globally, no nation is considered to have attained a concerted level of a high standard of living in the absence of economic development. Thus, industrialisation that ought to be the bedrock of Nigerian economy has continued on a downward journey in the 21st century, despite several industrial development policies. Therefore, the paper is an attempt to find out how this sector has fared vis-a-vis the structural influence of UNIDO. The study is a qualitative work that adopted a thematic analysis approach. The adoption of Top-Down as a theoretical model of analyses validates the fundamental issues raised that; several industrial development programmes and projects initiated by both UNIDO and successive administrations in Nigeria to help in the revitalisation of industrial landscape in line with the government’s goal of emerging among the top 20 most developed economies in the world by 2020 have failed. The major informed findings of the paper are that for the time being, Nigeria still remains a consuming economy of finished products including some raw materials. In addition, her critical construction, engineering and maintenance activities are expatriates-based with little or no regard for local content. These cumulatively resulted in the advancement of the fact that the UNIDO supports have not significantly impacted the development of industries in Nigeria. The discourse conclusively gave birth to subsequent recommendations.

Received: 6 January 2021 / Accepted: 3 April 2021 / Published: 17 May 2021