PhD Studentship

Appraising the Impact of Nigeria's Local Content Policy

Oxford Brookes University - Economics and International Business

The full-time studentship, which includes an element for teaching will be for 3 years, subject to satisfactory progress. Starting bursary will be £20,000 pa plus student fees. 

Over $8 billion is spent annually servicing the Nigeria Oil and Gas industry and this figure is projected to hit $15 billion within the next few years.  Despite this, only a very little proportion of the accruable profit is spent in Nigeria since the majority of it is repatriated abroad.  The major reason for this situation is the low Local Content in the Nigerian oil industry.  To address this anomaly the Federal Government of Nigeria in the early 2000s introduced the oil and gas industry Local Content Policy. The policy was aimed at transforming the industry through the development of in-country capacity and indigenous capabilities in the area of manpower development, facilities and infrastructure towards ensuring that a higher representation of local indigenous companies participate actively in the industry.  Over the past few years there have been mixed reports among industry regulators and other stakeholders, as to how successful the Local Content policy has been in meeting its aims and policy objectives.  PhD proposals are invited to appraise the efficacy of Nigeria's local content policy to adding value to the national economy, in terms of job creation, the development of local infrastructure, the development of small and medium-sized service companies and the utilisation of local input and human resources.  The proposal may also be quite specific in terms of examining, for example, the particular impact of the policy on the residents of the Niger Delta area.  Potential for good data access through a network of existing/established contacts by the candidate would be an advantage. Proven analytical skills in the processing of qualitative and/or quantitative data, and experience with associated software packages (e.g., EViews, Stata, Nvivo) for such purposes would also be an advantage.

Contact for informal inquiries and further information about the project: Professor Glauco De Vita, e-mail: gde-vita@brookes.ac.uk, tel: +44 (0)1865 485798; or Dr Sola Adesola, e-mail: sadesola@brookes.ac.uk, tel: +44 (0) 1865-485764.

Applicants should have a good Honours degree and in addition a good Master's degree at merit level and above that includes a thesis component in economics, international business or a closely related discipline. Some experience of data processing, including qualitative data, econometric estimation (e.g., regression analysis), and familiarity with standard data processing packages (such as Stata, EViews or, for qualitative data analysis, Nvivo) would be a considerable advantage. The successful candidate will also require a high degree of computer literacy.

Applicants will produce a research proposal of not more than 2,000 words that outlines and justifies the proposed research question, identifies any additional data requirements and details the proposed work programme. 

For details regarding how to apply please download the application form and additional information fromhttp://www.business.brookes.ac.uk/research/degrees/studentships/

Completed applications forms should be sent directly to: Chris Spurgeon, Research and Doctoral Programmes Administrator, Oxford Brookes University, Business School, Wheatley Campus, Wheatley, OX33 1HX or emailcspurgeon@brookes.ac.uk

Closing date: Friday April 15th