TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AS PREDICTORS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC, ENUGU, ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA.

1Nwokoro Ifeanyi E., 2Abua Benedict Okpuku, 3Agu Paul Chinedu and 4Ahamefula Chuka Chinedu

1Department of Banking and Finance, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri. 2 and 3Department of Business Administration and Management, Federal polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri. 4Department of Public Administration, Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri.

benabua94@gmail.com

The importance of employee engagement had been acquiring more academic and managerial significance because it had a high level of relating to organizational effectiveness and competitive advantage. Strategic talent management has become critical in maintaining the commitment and performance of the workforce in manufacturing organizations that are prone to change in the economic circumstances. This paper has discussed how the chosen talent management practices affect employee engagement in the Nigerian Breweries Plc, Enugu State. In particular, it was researching the correlation between the development and engagement of talents and how performance management impacts the motivation of employees. The survey research design has been used and 245 employees were sampled and data were gathered using structured questionnaires. The hypotheses were tested using Pearson Product- Moment Correlation. The results indicated that talent development was significantly related to employee involvement positively, and performance management was a strong factor that boosted employee motivation. The research concluded that purposeful investment in talent management practices played a very important role in promoting employee engagement in the manufacturing industry in Nigeria.

Keywords: Talent management, employee engagement, talent development, performance management, manufacturing sector, Nigeria.

NON-OIL SECTOR AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIA

NWOSU B. O. AND IBEKWE P. N.

BANKING AND FINANCE DEPARTMENT, FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, NEKEDE, OWERRI, IMO STATE

Nigeria has been reforming to wean the economy from over dependence on the oil sector. This is due to the fluctuations of the price of oil which has made it unreliable; leading to deficit budgeting and economic shocks. This paper attempts to assess the impact of the reforms, so far, on promoting the non-oil sector on the economic performance in Nigeria. The researcher logged exchange rate, interest rate and number of exports on gross domestic product of Nigeria. Our results show a very weak and negative impact of these variables on economic growth, except for exchange rate which though was weak, but positive. we recommend that appropriate legislation should be enacted to stop illegal mining of other solid mineral resources, invigorate non-oil exports and agricultural sectors because obviously the reforms have not had any positive impacts yet.

THE IMPACT OF INSECURITY ON SME PERFORMANCE AND INVESTMENT DECISIONS IN SOUTHEAST NIGERIA

1DR. OBI, CHIOMA, 2OKOLIGWE CHINYERE SERAPHINE, AND 3UMEAGUGESI, UCHENNA EMMANUEL

1,2,3 Department of Business Administration and Management, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.

ochioma@fpno.edu.ng

SMEs assist in making sure economic growth, job creation and the rise of new ideas are important for a country like Nigeria. In Southeast Nigeria, SMEs help to grow the country by increasing trade, providing jobs and developing capital. Sadly, more insecurity now, including threats from armed groups, kidnappings, political instability and actions of separatists, has endangered the future and daily operations of these enterprises. The research looked at how being insecure can impact the performance and investment choices of SMEs across the five Southeastern states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. Data for this study was collected using a descriptive survey style. A sample of 398 SME owners and managers was created through stratified random sampling to give all the selected states and business sectors equal representation. Data on operational issues, security costs, moving decisions and investments linked to insecurity were gathered using structured questionnaires. I used SPSS to apply descriptive statistics and Pearson's Product Moment Correlation to my data. According to the study, insecurity and poor operational performance are strongly related for SMEs. Being insecure was shown to have a strong impact on business owners' decisions about investing and forming new capital. It has been reported that many SMEs cut back on their activities, had to bear bigger operation expenses, suffered from reduced investor faith and sometimes stopped operating altogether. The report found that lasting insecurity affected both the growth and the survival of SMEs in Southeast Nigeria. It advised on the need for better cooperation between the public and private sectors, greater funding supply from the government for security and the promotion of plans that control risk and ensure business keeps going after security occurs.

Keywords: Insecurity, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Investment Decisions, Business Performance, Southeast Nigeria

LITERACY, MOTIVATION AND PARADIGM SHIFT AS SOCIAL IMPERATIVES FOR AUTHENTIC / VIBRANT NATIONAL LANGUAGE POLICY

ENYINNAYA, MADUABUCHI CLETUS DEENNE

Department of Humanities, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, Imo state.

buchyenyinnaya@gmail.com, TEL: 08132125550

This piece interrogates the role of literacy, motivation and paradigm shift in making the National language policy a success: a policy that is a step towards supporting and preserving the nation's linguistic diversity. When an enduring policy is made in any nation or clime, no doubt, it is for the living and yet unborn in that geo-polity. This is the situation with the National Language Policy, which has been in the school curricula for quite some time now. It is however, surprising that this noble policy has been endangered by some challenges, like. apathy, poor congestive attitudes, etc, towards learning any other language other than the mother tongue by school children. This apathy and negative attitude towards learning other languages other than one's mother tongue, no doubt, is a new wave of self-destructive mechanism. Most school children do not value learning other languages and as a result, do not have the flare for acquiring knowledge of another language. For some of them, studying even the English language is because they have no option. This apathy towards learning other languages, could be attributed to family backgrounds, and lack of competent guidance counselors in schools, or where they exist, lack of enlightenment/awareness concerning the role of such professional sin the school. In most cases, some of the guidance counselors are ill-equipped to perform their counseling duties, and guide the children on the need to learn other languages other than their mother tongue. Closely related to the above is the unco-ordinated implementation of some of the nation's educational policies and curricula, which has led to the loss of interest in learning by most of the pupils or school children. Of particular instance is government in ability to provide good working conditions for teachers. This, makes some of the teachers look beggarly and discouraging to the children. As a result, most of the children have little or no regard for them. Thus, some of them find it difficult to see their teachers as professionals, mentors, or guardians whose footsteps, they could follow to succeed in life. Thus, they become disillusioned and would rather leave school and become local apprentices in one trade or the other, or they go out rightly into trading, having lost the zeal: not only for learning a second language, but about everything academics. This therefore, means that there is urgent need to create awareness on the role of guidance counselors in schools, and sensitize extensive language learning cum literacy culture in our homes, schools and throughout the nooks and crannies of the country. Such awareness campaigns would centre on the benefits of one knowing how to speak and/ or write more than one language, and the need for the people to change their obnoxious attitude sand apathy towards learning the other person's language. One very significant step, would be the restructuring of the schools' curricula with emphasis on local language learning, and a clarion call on the government, corporate organizations, communities, and philanthropists or individuals with the milk of human kindness to come to the aid of our school children and other language learners, by establishing and equipping language learning centres with the necessary and relevant equipment. Hence, the establishment of language laboratories in the various schools would, all things being equal, be most expedient.

Keywords: Motivation, Literacy, Paradigm shift

FINANCIAL INCLUSION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA (2002 -2024)

OKPARA, ANTY EZINNE

Banking and Finance Department, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the effect of financial inclusion on the economic development in Nigeria. Lack of awareness, low income/poverty and proximity are the major barriers that prevented people from accessing services of banks, microfinance institutions and non-interest banks among other formal channels. The objective of this study is to ascertain the effect of financial inclusion on the economic development of Nigeria. Time series data between 2002 to 2024 was sourced from CBN statistical bulletin 2024 and Multiple regression analysis was used. The study finds out that ordinary least square, unit root, co integration and granger causality shows positive and insignificant relationship between the both variables; this implies that increase in credit to private sector will boost the country's development. The result from ordinary least square and granger causality shows positive and insignificant relationship between the both variables; this assumes that loans to rural areas of the economy will have little or no impact on economic development. Based on the findings, the study strongly recommends among others that Savings culture among individuals, investors and entrepreneur should be strongly encouraged, Deposit Interest rate should be attractive to encourage savings in the private sector of the economy and Lending rate should be reduced to also encourage investors and entrepreneur in the country.

BRAND SATISFACTION AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY IN SELECTED TELECOMMUNICATION FIRMS IN RIVERS STATE.

1ONYEIKE, Iheanyi Samuel, Ph.D; 2ECHEREOBIA, Nkiruka Justina, Ph.D; 3IHEKWOABA, Ozioma John and 4PAUL, Comfort

DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING. FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NEKEDE, OWERRI, IMO STATE, NIGERIA.

+2348033427247, samuelonyeike@gmail.com

This study examined the relationship between brand satisfaction and customer loyalty in selected telecommunication firms in Rivers State. The general objective of the study is to evaluate the relationship between brand satisfaction and customer loyalty in terms of repeat purchase and positive word-of-mouth in selected telecommunication firms in Rivers State. Descriptive research survey design was adopted for the study. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources. The population of the study was drawn from MTN, GLO, AIRTEL AND 9MOBILE active voice subscribers in Rivers State. 400 questionnaires were distributed out of which 378 were returned and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings showed a significant relationship between brand satisfaction and customer loyalty. The researcher recommends that the telecommunication firms should sustain brand satisfaction to boost or aid customer loyalty to the telecommunication companies.

Keywords: Brand Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty, Repeat Purchase and Positive Word-of-Mouth.

BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ERA OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR GRADUATING STUDENTS IN TERITARY INSTITUTIONS IN IMO STATE

1Nwachukwu Josephine Chijioke (Ph.D) and 2Nwazue Jane Ijeoma

1-2Department of Office Technology and Management Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.

josephinenwachukwu453@gmailcom, 07036594590

This paper explores the current challenges and opportunities arising from modern technologies evolution. It examines how digital tools and other innovations are reshaping entrepreneurial competencies and business education frameworks. The study was guided by two research questions and null hypothesis tested at 0.05 level of significance. Descriptive research design was used for the study. The population of the study comprised 100 male and female graduating students of business education in tertiary institutions in Imo State. Instrument employed for data collection was “Business and Entrepreneurship Education Graduating Students Questionnaire (BEEGQ). The instrument was validated by three experts in Office Technology and Management Department. The reliability of the instruments was also established using Cronbach Alpha and this yielded a coefficient value of 0.75. Data collected were analyzed using mean, standard deviation to answer the research questions and t-test for testing the hypothesis. The findings showed that there is dire need to digitalize all aspect of educational system in the learning/teaching process as this would go a long way to improve the standard of education by bringing about increasing positive results in terms of output obtained.

Keywords: Business, entrepreneurship Education, challenges, opportunities graduating Students.