英语论文网

undermined plans for further accumula-tion and capital formation,especially forcapital-intensive SMEs.The problem of anunstable political environment(especiallyduring periods of elections and after theannulled presidential election results of1993)was another factor mentioned byseveral of the experts(see also Falola1996).The politically risky climate mademany entrepreneurs,especially foreignones,increasingly uncertain of the busi-ness environment and of their prospects.The lack of qualified entrepreneurs andemployees in the absence of well-estab-lished training centers are also impedi-ments to the development of SMEs inNigeria,especially technically complexones.Untrained small businesses manag-ers handling complex ventures are notlikely to be sufficiently competent in man-agement,organization,and quality pro-duction to adhere to internationallycompetitive standards,and such SMEstherefore cannot survive without govern-ment protection from imports.There isalso a lack of adequate information con-cerning areas of business in the sectorgenerally.Most people with funds tend touse them in well-established sectors ratherthan seeking new production and newmarket niches.Finally,the group of experts also agreedthat not all of the responsibility for thedifficulties of SMEs in general can beplaced on the Nigerian government or onthe small businesses.Nigeria’s relativelyshort history of experience in industrial,mechanized,and relatively high-tech pro-duction is typical of most African econo-mies and could account for much of thelack of expertise in policy-making and inmanagement and manufacturing opera-tions(Falola 1996;Juma 1991;Schatz1994,1996).The present technologicaland scientific dependency on the Westshould be seen as a legacy of the colonialpast,and it will certainly take some timeto develop competitive domestic pro-duction of machinery and capital goods(Falola 1996;Juma 1991;Schatz 1994,1996).Some long-term strategic goals areimportant in this context,as well as thepatience and determination to see suchpolicies through to the end,and thiswould require a high level of consistencyin policy-making.ConclusionIt is obvious from the research that anumber of reforms are necessary to aidNigerian SME development.Apposite in-stitutions involved in the process wouldhave to operate in a cohesive and coopera-tive manner.All must participate equally.Among the reforms recommended is thatgovernment assistance should include thecooperation of other related institutions.For example,the government is requiredto provide the necessary infrastructureand to have qualified personnel to imple-ment and monitor policies effectively.Inaddition,the government can encouragesmall businesses by becoming a customerfor their products through procurements,contracts,and orders.Small businesseswho default on loans acquired from lend-ing institutions must be penalized by lawas a way of encouraging borrowers andlenders to conform to loan agreements.Furthermore,it should be realized thatonly partial help would be available whenincentives,subsidies,and tax breaks aregiven without other auxiliary materialsprovided.Small businesses should unite by sup-porting each other in times of need.Thiscould be accomplished by forming associa-tions.Examples of successful networksthat could be learned from are the Japa-nese keiretsu and the chaebols of SouthKorea,even though these involve mainlylarger companies(Cullen 1999;Griffinand Putsay 1998).These Asian networksprotect their members by helping