Access to electricity is a major constraint to economic growth in Nigeria. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are arguably the segment of the Nigerian economy most disadvantaged by a lack of access to reliable power. Due to the failure of grid-based supply, over 80 % of SMEs rely on a generator to power operations. Inclusive, diversified growth in the country depends on growth of the SME sector. This paper examines how SME grid access can be improved given the technical inefficiencies and systemic corruption in the sector. In line with the political settlements framework we provide a macro-analysis of the sector which helps address and identify a solution for the main research problem of how to solve the power constraints Nigerian SMEs face. Our research, conducted between 2018 and 2019, but still valid currently, as the features we describe have not evolved substantially, identifies that the reasons for the failure of grid-based supply is a combination of interdependent factors. Technical inefficiency in the grid is high. Revenue shortfalls have also resulted in extensive government bailouts. These inefficiencies are compounded by 'legacy' and recent corruption that has led to poor maintenance of the transmission network during state-ownership and to the presence of politically-connected bidders in the recent privatisation efforts, leading to sub-optimal outcomes. Any solution for SMEs has to take this sectoral configuration into account. Our strategy is supported by focus groups discussions and interviews with over 30 clustered firms in the South Eastern SME hubs of Onitsha, Aba, and Nnewi.
: Groundwater is a major source of water for supply to Greater Kathmandu. It is relatively cheap to install tubewells but expensive to pump. The Paper describes an assessment of the long-term yields of the aquifers adjacent to and beneath the city. It is demonstrated that the resource is being mined at present and that uncontrolled over-abstraction in the future could lead to deterioration of some aquifers and even surface settlement. Groundwater is potable but contains objectionable quantities of iron as well as being corrosive. Introduction Greater Kathmandu water supply Characteristics of the aquifer Groundwater quality Groundwater development Groundwater recharge Future development Reference
Abstract This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.
Abstract Since its founding in 2013, Senior Housing Preservation-Detroit has worked tirelessly to address the displacement of older adults, the loss of senior housing as the city gentrifies; and ways to improve quality of life to those living in senior housing. As we turn the corner on the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the members of Senior Housing Preservation-Detroit are compelled to take stock of the lessons learned from the urgent, emergency context of serving older adults in the city of Detroit, and particularly those living in senior buildings. Whether the next emergency is isolated to a single building (in case of power outages or flooding) or affects many buildings (due to another infectious disease, our changing climate, etc.), we know that preparation must continue to happen on an individual and building level. Building staff and residents alike must be ready to respond to multi-faceted problems, and there must be better plans for serving a diverse senior population. SHP-D has explored ways to reduce risks to seniors in the next emergency, including improving communication, implementing preparedness plans, and enhancing the physical resiliency of buildings. This presentation will focus on the coalition’s work on emergency planning to share knowledge which may benefit other communities planning for older adults in emergencies.
Collusive contracting with private power plants in Bangladesh has resulted in high power prices that cost the taxpayer around U$1 billion in subsidies. The main driver of collusive contracting is the unwillingness of politically unconnected firms to engage in a high-risk environment. To attract investment, the government has adopted a targeted risk absorption strategy that negotiates mark-ups with interested firms. We argue that this strategy cannot discover the minimum mark-up that would induce investment. Moreover, because only politically connected investors are likely to be bidding and negotiating, this approach encourages investors to set high mark-ups. An alternative strategy is competitive risk-mitigation that provides contestable subsidies from development finance institutions (DFIs), such as preferential finance and partial risk guarantees. Contestable subsidies work by reducing risks of unconnected investors, encouraging their participation to make collusion more difficult, and constraining mark-ups. To test our hypothesis, we collect a dataset on plant-level DFI support and prices from 58 private power plants in Bangladesh from 2004 to 2017. Our empirical analysis finds that financing instruments with contestable subsidies from DFIs are associated with a 26% reduction in plant-level prices controlling for plant capacity, size, and fuel type.
Abstract Do foreign aid projects undermine citizens' trust in local and national political institutions? Drawing on institutional theories of political trust, I hypothesize that foreign aid projects reduce trust in political institutions by lowering citizens' perceptions of government performance and raising perceptions of corruption. To analyze the impact of aid projects on trust, this article utilizes geolocated survey data on citizens' trust in political institutions from Afrobarometer Rounds 2–5 (2003–2012) and data on the location of foreign aid projects from AidData's Aid Information Management Systems datasets for Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda. Using a spatial difference‐in‐difference strategy, the empirical results find that active aid projects are on average associated with decreased trust in the president, parliament, and local government council. An exploratory sectoral analysis suggests that the negative average treatment effect is driven by projects in the transportation, agriculture, education, and civil society sectors.
Summary The geology of Central Java can be defined in terms of distance from volcanic centres located along the spine of the island. Coarse ejecta are reworked on the upper volcanic slopes to form a scree, and coarse to medium grade fluviatile sequences slope downwards. At the base, shallow marine sedimentation along a rapidly retreating coast line has created a clay-sand sequence. This variety of depositional facies has produced a lithological inhomogeneity that poses problems of aquifer delineation, and makes the cuttings from direct-flush rotary drilling difficult to interpret. Geophysical logging of the volcanic sediments also presents difficulties as gamma logs lack features because of high background counts so that resistivity logs have to be used to locate well screens. Unconfined conditions exist on the upper and intermediate slopes of the volcanoes while beneath the lower slopes and coastal plains is an upper unconfined aquifer overlying lower, confined aquifers. Despite geological and hydrogeological inhomogeneity, approximate groundwater head distributions can be reasonably determined in the unconfined areas; multilayering makes this difficult in the confined areas. Groundwater development for irrigation is seen as a long-term aim in the unconfined areas of the intermediate slopes of the volcanoes. Further groundwater development, by manipulating the aquifers' specific yield and its high potential recharge currently lost to flood flow, appears to be feasible. Accurate assessment of the potential development is difficult due to the complex hydrogeology and extensive existing groundwater use. Development will therefore be slow and require careful planning.
Abstract During recent years, Lima has increasingly had to depend upon the resources of the alluvial aquifer above which it is situated. This paper describes the computer modelling and other studies which were carried out to assess the sustainable yield of the aquifer.
