Biblio

I am pleased to present Volume 1, Number 1 of African Journal of Development Studies. It is interesting to point out that this Volume 1 Number 1 (maiden edition) of the journal has attracted contributors from the nooks and corners of the continent. This edition in particular contains seven papers that capture topical issues of interest to scholars, practicing managers and policy makers in Africa. The first paper examines the challenges facing recruitment and selection of personnel into the Nigerian federal civil service. The paper identified factors such as increasing pressures for employment, utilization of informal sources of recruitment, long military era, federal character principle, lack of independence of the Federal Civil Service Commission and delegation of recruitment and selection functions as the prevalent challenges facing the entire process in Nigerian Federal Civil Service. The paper therefore recommends that the federal government should promulgate a law that will protect employees in t he private sector in order to reduce consistent pressures for employment in the public sector. Subjective and informal sources of recruitment and selection should be de-emphasized, and instead sources from educational institutions should be increased; while the zonal and state offices of the Commission should be established. The paper finally recommends that the Federal Civil Service Commission and other authorities responsible for recruitment and selection should apply job description and job specification in the appointment of qualified and competent applicants for available jobs in the civil service.
The second paper attempts to examine the extent to which past development paradigm shifts have impacted on urban poverty. The paper reveals that both are at cross road in sub-Saharan Africa. The paper recommends massive education of the people; adequate provision of basic infrastructure facility and services; participatory of the people in development planning and management, and good policies and practical strategies for scaling up public investments in vital areas with adequate financial and technical support from the international community.
The third paper argues that in Zimbabwe, despite the expansion in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), it is yet to prove its success as a decision support tool in environmental protection. One of the reasons for its ineffectiveness has been in the inadequacies of EIA reports to identify, evaluate and mitigate key environmental impacts caused by development projects. This paper therefore reviews the works of some randomly selected EIA consultants. The paper ends with suggestions on measures for monitoring and capacity building of environmental consultants with the aim of improving the quality of reports and hence making EIA an effective tool in environmental protection.
The fourth paper looks at the process of land delivery for development generally and, particularly, in urbanized Ethiopia. The combined effect of policy shortcomings, overly concern for unbridled land market operations, and seeming fear of the past constrain both land supply and investment flow to the sector, particularly, for housing. This paper makes the point that it is time bureaucracy gave way to a market-oriented culture of land allocation, land holding and land
transfer. The paper concludes that a liberal land administration and an active urban land market under the auspices of a well-functioning public land administration regime will be, by far, a more effective weapon for fighting poverty and speeding national economic development than a restrictive one.
The fifth paper highlights the potentials of composting solid waste in developing countries. This is against the background that organic waste recycling; a traditional system used in agriculture in rural areas is uncommon in urban areas, although urban areas have enormous potentials (economic, social and physical) for organic waste recycling.
The sixth paper analyzes the urban poverty in Ethiopia focusing on the problems and the prospects for improvement. It argues that as urbanization is increasing so also the incidence of urban poverty is increasing in-depth and intensity in cities of most developing countries of the world including Ethiopia. It traces the processes of urbanization and urban development in Ethiopia and highlights the prospects and problems of urban development. It discusses the dimension of urban poverty that manifests in various ways that include unemployment, poor housing condition characterized in overcrowding, lack of basic services and environmental degradation. It examines the concepts of urban poverty, household vulnerability and environmental degradation and highlights the relationship between poverty and environmental degradation. Finally the paper evaluates the various strategies that are adopted by government to eradicate poverty in Ethiopia.
The last paper analyzes trends of investment (comprising foreign direct investment, domestic private investment, and government investment) and its effect on economic growth in Ethiopia. The finding draws attention on reducing foreign debt, harnessing real effective exchange rate, and enhancing FDI inflow into the country with the view to attain sustainable economic growth and development.
Finally, I would like to thank the authors and the exceptionally thorough peer reviewers who have helped evaluating the manuscripts and make certain that they are of the highest possible quality. I would like also to extend my gratefulness for the support of the ECSC, especially Dr. Hail-Michael Aberra, the President of the college and Ato Aberra Lollessa, the Vice president for Development and Administration, for their sincere support in bringing the journal to fruition.