Search -
Multinationals, the State and Control of the Nigerian Economy
Multinationals the State and Control of the Nigerian Economy Author:Thomas J. Biersteker 'This book will be widely referred to in future years by students of interactions among state, multinational, and local enterprise and will have applicability far beyond the immediate Nigerian experience. It is the combination of posing larger issues and examining a particular case in detail that makes the book valuable." -John R. Harris, Boston... more » University Much of the conflict between North and South proceeds from a struggle for control of resources, enterprises, markets, and institutions. In this book Thomas Biersteker evaluates the sources of Third World economic nationalism and assesses the significance of the changes that have taken place between North and South since the early 1970s. Neo-classical and neo-Marxist approaches to international and comparative political economy are explored to develop methods and select criteria for the assessment of major change. Nigeria's confrontation with foreign investors during the 1970s is then examined in detail, with an evaluation of the sources, objectives, and consequences of the indigenization decrees promulgated by two successive military governments. The author concludes that effective managerial control of enterprises has eluded Nigerians in most joint ventures (even where they hold a majority of the equity), but that the state has assumed control of domestic finance and has contributed to the development of capitalism in the country by facilitating local capital accumulation and interest in productive activities. The book is based on extensive interview material, access to previously unpublished documents, and data assembled on every large company incorporated in Nigeria.« less