Posted by Chester Morton / Thursday 5 January 2017 / No comments
The problems of industrialization in Nigeria
Definition of industrialization
Industrialization can be defined as the system by which an
economy which hitherto produced basic agricultural goods, now manufactures
those same goods with the use of machines instead of manual labour and assembly
plants instead of skilled artisans.
PROBLEMS OF
INDUSTRIALIZATION
Skilled labour
One of the problems confronting industrialization in Nigeria
is the absence of enough skilled labour to appropriately man the industry.
There are few well trained artisans, engineers and the like to operate the
sophisticated industrial machines.
Widespread poverty
One would have thought that the acquisition of the necessary
skills would have solved the problem of the absence of skilled labour. However,
it is more than that. The level of poverty in Nigeria is such that even where
people want to acquire the necessary skills, they are unable to because they
cannot afford the cost of training.
Demand for industrial goods in Nigeria
Following from the previous point is the fact that in Nigeria,
majority of the people are poor and therefore mostly unable to afford the manufactured
goods. Most factories therefore are producing below their installed capacity. The
industries cannot make the needed profits to be ploughed back into the
business.
Supply of raw materials
Another basic problem facing industrialization in Nigeria is
the low supply of raw materials to feed the industries. In some cases, the
industrial plants are there but because there are not enough raw materials to
feed them, the machines just stay idle at the mercy of the weather till they
get damaged or operate far below their installed capacity.
Infrastructural facilities
There is also the problem of lack of enough infrastructural
facilities such us good roads, railways, constant supply of water and
electricity etc. The industrial factories need electricity to run 24 hours a
day. They need a constant supply of water, especially, those of them which depend
on it. The factories need a good road network to be able to transport their raw
materials and finished goods efficiently. However, the availability of these is
inadequate Nigeria.
Capital to invest
Another problem is the absence of capital to make the initial
investment and to re-inject into the business in order to expand. The banks may
be willing to help but their interest rates are over the roof so entrepreneurs
are not attracted to that option. Even where they are, some are not able to
provide the collateral needed by the banks. As a result, Nigerian entrepreneurs
are not able to access the facility or the loan.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. What are some of the problems confronting
industrialization in Nigeria?
2. Highlight six problems of industrialization in your
country.
3. a. What is industrialization?
b. Give five reasons
why Nigeria is unable to industrialize.
