EKWONYE, AKUCHINYERE CELEBRITY (2025) INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND NIGERIA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 2015- 2024. Other thesis, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu.
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Abstract
This study investigates the impact of international trade on Nigeria’s economic development between 2015 and 2023, with a focus on key indicators such as GDP growth, industrial output, employment, and trade diversification. Anchored on the Endogenous Growth Theory, the research emphasizes the role of internal factors: human capital, innovation, and institutional capacity in mediating the benefits of trade. Adopting a descriptive research design and qualitative content analysis, the study draws on secondary data from national and international economic reports, trade policy documents, and scholarly literature. Findings reveal that while international trade contributed to moderate improvements in GDP and employment, particularly during the post-pandemic recovery period, Nigeria’s trade performance remained constrained by structural overreliance on crude oil exports, limited industrial capacity, and chronic underinvestment in education and research. Although strategic initiatives like the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) and Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) aimed to diversify the economy, policy implementation gaps and infrastructural weaknesses limited their effectiveness. The study concludes that international trade can serve as a catalyst for Nigeria’s development, but its transformative potential is contingent upon robust internal reforms, especially in human capital development, technological innovation, and policy consistency. It recommends aligning trade policy with industrial strategy, modernizing infrastructure, investing in education and R&D, and strengthening institutional frameworks to fully leverage the gains of global trade. These insights are particularly critical for shaping Nigeria’s trade-driven growth strategy in a rapidly evolving global economy.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Other) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | J Political Science > JZ International relations |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Arts > Faculty of Law > Faculty of Management and Social Sciences > Faculty of Education |
| Depositing User: | Uchenna Eneogwe |
| Date Deposited: | 27 May 2026 12:49 |
| Last Modified: | 27 May 2026 12:49 |
| URI: | http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/5673 |
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