Management of Resources in a Developing World: Reflections and Thoughts of an Economic Historian
Emmanuel Osewe AKUBOR PhD (Zaria),
Department of History,
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Introduction
Scholars have argued that as far as the history of human existence is concerned, Resource Management / production/processing is the most widespread form of human activity. In most of the Developing countries of the world (Nigeria inclusive), indigenous (also referred to as traditional) production/ processing had started from early times (pre-colonial period) and most of the traditionally processed gods are based on a combination of preservation technologies, common sense and indigenous technology (Umoh, 1991:15). In term of the indigenous food industry, Akubor and Akubor (2018) specifically noted that it is the main-prolong of the economic activity predominantly subsistence farming, providing a livelihood to more than three-quarters of the human race. The availability of much process from this agricultural practice, initially led to a situation in which in the rural areas, the traditional pattern of food utilisation involves mainly the consumption of different food items in the fresh state with little or no post-harvest processing, before being cooked into meal. However, with the advancement of most societies, as well as the increase in population, there arose the need to advance method that will help preserve agricultural produce for the rainy days. It was this situation that led to development of system of Food Processing.
Resources: What are they?
Natural Resources (also referred to here as Geography or Environment) refers to the physical, geological, and climatic conditions and the flora and fauna of a region determining and/or influencing the thoughts and the actions of its inhabitants.[1 ]This is because the environment (geography or nature) provides on the one hand a provocation to act and on the other hand both means that can be utilized in acting and insurmountable limits imposed upon the human striving for betterment. It provides a stimulus but not the response. Geography sets a task, but man has to solve it. Man lives in a definite geographical environment and is forced to adjust his action to the conditions of this environment through the methods of his social, technological, and moral adaptation. [2]
Resources and Management of Resources
In organizational studies, resource management is the efficient and effective development of an organization's resources when they are needed. Such resources may include the financial resources, inventory, human skills, production resources, or information technology (IT) and natural resources.
Resource management, or resource planning, is the process by which businesses plan, schedule, and allocate resources in order to achieve the highest organizational value. Those resources can be intangible, such as skills and time, or tangible, such as equipment, materials, and finances. Essentially, resource management means planning so that the right resources are assigned to the right tasks at the right time. Managing resources involves creating schedules and setting budgets for people, projects, equipment, and supplies.
Why is Resource Management important?
The resource management process is crucial to the success of any business because it reduces cost and wasted effort. By following resource management techniques, you gain insight on what's required to complete products and deliver projects, as well as the skills to make it happen regardless of external factors.
Economic resources definition Economic resources are the inputs we use to produce goods and services. Economic resources can be divided into four categories: labour, land or natural resources, capital, and entrepreneurship (entrepreneurial ability). Labour refers to human effort and talent. Natural resources are resources, such as land, oil, and water. Capital refers to man-made equipment like machinery, buildings, or computers. Finally, entrepreneurship involves the effort and know-how to put all the other resources together. Economic resources are also called factors of production.
A far as Entrepreneur is concerned, Entrepreneurial resources are defined as the propensity of an individual to behave creatively, act with foresight, use intuition, and be alert to new opportunities. To the geographically informed person, it must understand that a "resource" is a cultural concept. A resource is any physical material constituting part of Earth that people need and value. Natural materials become resources when humans value them. The uses and values of resources change from culture to culture and from time to time. Resources are spatially distributed varying in quantity and quality. Some resources are finite, while others can be replenished at varying rates. However, humans need to balance short-term rates of use against long-term availability to ensure a sustainable future.
Reasons for Resource Management
• Eliminates waste: With proper resource management, you can maximize resource efficiency across a variety of categories, ensuring that none of the equipment, space, or material you've invested in goes unused.
• Optimizes time: Resource planning ensures the team members you've hired understand their roles and spend their time on projects that add the most value. Instead of saying yes to everything, resource managers can schedule and prioritize projects based on real-time data.
• Minimizes risk: Poor resource allocation can lead to situations where a business does not have enough available resources (e.g. labor, raw materials, equipment) to meet its objectives or fulfill its obligations. Resource management reduces this risk.
• Maximizes profit: Even if your sales are high and your pricing is perfect, poor resource management can result in excess costs further upstream, cutting into your bottom line.
Africa and Her Resources
Africa is argued to house an estimated 1.3 billion inhabitants (China is 1.4 billion inhabitants out of 9.6 million km ². ). In term of space, Africa is thirty and a half million km² (30 415 875 km ²), with this, it is argued that Africa is bigger than all of Europe, China and the United States of America combined (area of China = 9.6 million km ², US area = 9.8 million km ², Area of Europe = 10.18 million km ²). But on most of the world maps in the books, Africa is represented in reduced dimension, and this, to create the visual effect of a small Africa. Africa is cultural diversity (dance, music, architecture, sculpture, etc.). Africa has about 30,000 medicinal recipes. It has also been argued that with such resources, by 2050, Africa alone will be able to feed 9 billion mouths). With leaders who are not at the service of multinationals and who are ready to serve.
In the case of Nigeria, Traditionally, the Nigerian area and people has immense resource. This is based on both her geographical location as well as the rich potentials within the environment. Thus the area possesses 84 million hectares of arable land but only cultivate 40%. Nigeria has 263 billion cubic meters of water – with two of the largest rivers in Africa. It has a cheap labour force to support intensification. The greatest resources is the human resources, which the country has in abundance – over two hundred million people. With this both the people and area has been able over time maintained ability for sustainable crop production as a way of growing or raising food in an ecologically and ethically responsible manner.
In the case of Nigeria, Agriculture is the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy. It contributes about 40% to real GDP, while it employs over 70% of the active labour force, it also accounts for over 90% of non-export earnings and has the potential to contribute over 50% of the total export if well harnessed. As noted above, the Nigerian area and people has immense agricultural potential, based on both her geographical location as well as the rich agricultural potentials within the environment. In this the rural society and family plays very important role in production. In this land (as in most parts of Africa), remains the major means of production. It is in line with this that P.A, Talbot (1962), argued that the whole social structure of the society has been developed primarily around agriculture and land produce. This is because it is one aspect of the web of social relations and the central force for knitting the family together and the wider community as one. Unfortunately, the situation is the reverse today, as the country has failed to manage the resource for development.
Table I: Natural Resources within the Environment
Source: Federal Ministry of Solid Mineral, Abuja, J.C, Nwaka (2010:282-284),Lenten Campaign (2011), Sustaining our Environment for Integral Human Development; Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, JDP/Caritas, Nigeria: pp. 21-23; Akubor, E.O (2016), Human, Environment and Sustainable Development in Nigeria in the 21st Century: Historicizing the glorious Past, Interrogating the Future Path; Ife Social Science Review (Journal of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Special Issue: 269.
Poverty in the Midst of Plenty
Unfortunately, even with the rich resources, the Country has not been able to make maximal use of resources. There is no evidence of meaningful resource management both at the individual, local, state and national level. The result is that the country is perpetually indebted and less developed. According to Rodney, development in human society is a many-sided process. At the level of the individual, it implies increased skill and capacity, greater freedom, creativity, self-discipline, responsibility, and material well-being. At the level of the social groups, development implies an increasing capacity to regulate both internal and external relationships. Rodney further says that development cannot be seen purely as an economic affair, but rather as an overall social process that is dependent upon the outcome of man’s efforts to deal with the natural environment. Thus, development means a capacity for self-sustaining growth. It means that an economy must register advances which will in turn promote further progress.
One can also infer from these definitions that development involves the proper utilization of a nation’s resources in order to efficiently increase productivity for the betterment and general welfare of the people. Even the United Nations Organizations shares a similar opinion. The organization contends that much of the poverty in a large part of the world is due to underdevelopment of resources. It was for this reason that the United Nations General Assembly designated the 1960s as the United Nations Development Decade, and the 1970s as the Second Development Decade .
Development does not only refer to the provision of physical amenities but also to the mental development of the individual. Thus, no matter how elusive the term development may be, it implies a long-term process of change that touches every aspect of human society. This includes, among other things, issues relating to the economy, social life, and politics, all of which eventually contribute to the general progress of society. This goes to show that development involves the unending improvement in the capacity of the individual and society to control and manipulate the forces of nature as well as themselves and other individuals and societies not only for their own benefit but that of humanity at large. It is a process of actualizing man’s inherent capacity to live a better and more rewarding life . From this, it should be pointed out that development would only come if the resources of a people are properly harnessed.
Unfortunately, in the case of Nigeria, the resources may be available, but the evident in the table below shows the direct opposite as indicated in the nation’s performance at the end of 2022.
Table II: LIST OF OUTGOING GOVERNORS AND DEBTS BEING LEFT BEHIND
Source: Ima Elijah (2023), LIST OF OUTGOING GOVERNORS AND DEBTS BEING LEFT BEHIND. Pulse Nigeria. https://www.pulse.ng/news/politics/list-of-outgoing-governors-and-the-debts-left-behind/r9jmtj8. May 17, 2023
Conclusion
Nigeria has resources, but lacks proper Resource Management resulting in Poverty, Hunger, Malnutrition and Underdevelopment.
End Notes
1. Nigeria Annual Report on the Social and Economic Progress of the People of Nigeria. Government Press, 1933
2. Ludwig von Mises (2010), The Role of Environment in History; http://mises.org/resources/118/Theory-and-History-An-Interpretation-of-social-and-economic-evolution, December 1, retrieved on 15th October, 2015:1
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