Lesson Notes on Commerce for SS3 Second Term

Commerce note for SS3 second term – Edudelight.com

SCHEME OF WORK SS3 COMMERCE

WEEKS TOPIC

1.       Introduction to marketing meaning, functions and importance of market.

          –        Types of market, marketing concept and marketing mix. (4ps)

2.       Market Segmentation and types.

          –        Market research

          –        Advertising – Meaning, types and methods.

          –        Advertising, media, merits and demerits of each medium.

          –        Sales promotion, firms etc.

3.       Meaning of Business Document

          –        Means of payment – Legal tender.

          –        Through the post office.

4.       Privatization and commercialization.

          –        Meaning of privatization and commercialization.

          –        Merits and demerits of privatization and commercialization.

          –        Deregulation-meaning, Advantages and disadvantages.

5.       Economic grouping in west Africa.

          –        Meaning of economic groupings

          –        ECOWAS- History, member countries, objective, Achievement, problems etc.

–        NIGER BASIN COMMISSION (NBC) History, member countries, objectives, Achievements, Problems.

–        LAKE CHAD BASIN COMMISSION (LCBC)

–        History, member countries, objectives, Achievements, Problems.

6.       ECONOMIC GROUPINGS IN WEST AFRICA (Continued).

          –        West Africa Clearing House (WACH)

          –        History, member countries, Objectives, Achievements, Problems.

7-8    MOCK EXAMINATION   

9-13  WAEC EXAMINATION.

Commerce note for SS3 second term – Edudelight.com

WEEK ONE

1.0.    INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING

1.1.    Meaning:

1. Marketing is a total system of business activities designed to plan, price, promote and distribute want. Satisfying goods and services to present and potential customers
2. It can also be defined as associated activities, which determine the customer’s demand for and the sale and distribution of goods and services.
3. Marketing is a combination of activities and process involved in moving goods and services from the producers to the customers.

1.2.    FUNCTIONS OF MARKETING

          Marketing is made up of the following specialized functions namely.

1. Advertising
2. Buying
3. Selling
4. Storage/Warehousing
5. Transportation
6. Financing
7. Risk bearing
8. Research and information
9. Standardization and grading.

1.3.    IMPORTANCE OF MARKETING

1. Improvement in standard of living.
2. Effective distribution of goods and services.
3. Provision of job opportunities.
4. Improvement in the productive capacity.
5. Linking of local communities to the world.
6. Ensures consumer’s satisfaction.
7. Export promotion.
8. Bridge gap between producers and consumers.
9. Reaction of demand.
10. Exchange of goods and services.
11. Creation of market for goods and services.
12. Contribution to profit.

1.4    TYPES OF MARKET

          There are two types of market. These are explained below.

1. Consumer Markets: These consist of ultimate consumers who buy and use products or services for their own personal or household use. This market satisfies strictly non-business wants and the ultimate goal is not profit maximization. e.g a consumer who buys food and clothing materials.
2. Industrial Markets: These are industrial or institutional organizations that buy products or services for use in their own business or to make other products. These markets constitute the industrial users. e.g. A supermarket who buy floor wax.

1.5.    MARKETING CONCEPT: This is a concept, which emphasizes the fact that the major focus of any organization is the determination of the needs and wants of the consumers and how to give them total satisfaction. The buyer or consumer is the vocal point in all marketing efforts or activities.

It is the philosophy of business that states that the customers’ want and satisfaction is the economic and social justification for a firm’s existence.

Consequently, all the company’s activities must be devoted to finding out what the customers want and then satisfying those wants, while still making profit in the long run.

1.6.    Components of marketing concept

1.       Determination of the needs and wants of the consumer.

2.       Developing of products to meet the needs.

3.       Determination of the best method of marketing.

4.       Post sales activities.

Marketing Mix

The marketing mix describes the specific combination of marketing elements used to achieve the marketing objectives and satisfy the target market.

It is the term that is used to describe the combination of the four inputs that constitutes the core of a company’s marketing system, the product, the price, the promotional activities and the distribution system.

          In his book, Basic marketing, a managerial approach, Mc. Cathy refer to four key variables in marketing as “the four Ps”. These are the four key marketing program, which can create demand and increase the sales of products.

          These variables are price, product, promotion and place.

1.7.    PRODUCT MIX

          WHAT IS A PRODUCT? A product is a set of tangible physical attributes assembled in an identifiable form, which the buyer may account as offering want for satisfaction e.g. shoes.

          PRODUCT MIX: This is a marketing decision on product which lay emphasis on quality, style, brand name, packaging and durability in order to boost sales.

WEEK TWO (2)

MARKET SEGMENTATION AND TYPES

Meaning: Busch and Houston (1985) defined market segmentation as the process by which an organization attempts to match a total marketing program to the unique manner in which one more customer groups behave in the market place.

Morden A.R (1987) saw market segmentation as the process of dividing the total, heterogeneous market for a product into several sub-markets or segments, each of which tends to be homogeneous in all significant aspects.

TYPES OF MARKET SEGMENTATION

1.       MASS MARKET OR AN UNSEGMENTED MARKET: This type of market segment is very difficult to thrive in a competitive environment. Mass markets are usually seen in nations where the government or states are the only producers or providers of certain basis needs like water and electricity.

Mass or unsegmented market

          Mass or unsegmented markets also exist for some farm product like vegetables, fruits, yams and in some items like table salt.

SEGMENTED MARKETS

Due to the different taste/preferences and consumer buying behaviours existing in the total market, producers do not follow a policy of producing only one product for all the consumers in the market.

3.       OVER-LAPPING-SEGMENTS.

This is a market situation where we tend to see consumers of specific products switching from one brand of the product to the other. For instance, despite that Mr “X” may be a lover of cola-cola and may be grouped under that segment for coke, we occasionally see Mr “X” requesting for Pepsi-Cola, Limca, Gold spot, etc.

4.       MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE SEGMENT

This is a situation where the defined market segments do not behave alike in any-way. In a mutually exclusive segments situation, it all means that the manufacturers will have to develop different products, use different media, price its products differently and utilize different promotional tools to be able to satisfy the different segment.

Benefits of Segmentation

1. Efficient use of marketing
2. Helps in designing process.
3. Effective use of advertising

FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED IN SEGMENTING A MARKET

1.Income

2.Sex/gender

 3. geographic location

4. age.

 5.benefits sought/needs/behaviour

6.occupation

7.education.        

2.0      MARKET RESEARCH AND MARKETING RESEARCH.

Market Research: This is the process of getting up to date information about the market. It is a subset of marketing research. It deals with the market and its characteristics.

MARKET RESEARCH: This is defined as the systematic and objectives gathering, recording, analysis, interpretation and reporting of information about existing and potential market. It provides valuable information for the planning of the market mix.

QUESTIONS (Assignment)

1. State two (2) differences between market research and marketing research.
2. State four (4) roles of marketing research.

2.1    ADVERTISING.

 I      Meaning: This is one of the aids to trade which deals with promoting sales of goods through messages that are meant to inform, educate and persuade the general public.

It is a process by which awareness is created.

   II     Advertising can also be defined as a paid form of non-personal promotion for goods, services and ideas by an identified sponsor.

• ROLES OF ADVERTISING

  1.  Creation of awareness

     2. Educating the consumers on wage of goods

     3. Quality improvement

     4. Buildings goodwill for the company

     5. To introduce new product into the market.

     6. Helps in creating a branding/company image.

     7. Helps to persuade customers to buy.

     8. Increase in sales of the product.

     9. Keeping of existing customers

   10. Supports personal selling.

   11. Stimulates and creates demand for goods.

   12. Aiding the sales men.      

• BASIC CONCEPTS IN ADVERTISING
• THEME:- This is the subject or main idea in an advertisement. It is the major message which is to be passed across to the general public.
• TARGET:– This is the audience at which the advertising is aimed at
• ADVERTISING COPY:– This refers to the words and pictures or illustrations that make up the advertisement and the way they are laid out to create a total impression.
• FREQUENCY:– This is the number of times an advertisement is delivered through a particular
• ADVERTISING MEDIUM:- This is the channel through which the advertisement message is delivered to the audience.
• REACH:- Thisis the size of theaudience that has seen the advertisement at least once.
• TOTAL EXPOSURE:- It is defined as the total number of times advertisement has been seen or heard by members of a defined target audience.      
  • METHODS OF ADVERTISING
• DIRECT ADVERTISING:- This is a method of advertising, which is selective, and the message sent to persons who are likely to buy the product. It is aimed at a particular target market or audience. For example, men or women.
• INDIRECT ADVERTISEMENT:- This is a method of advertising that is not directed to a particular target market. It appears to the general public and not to any section, or class of people. It provides information about products that are consumed by the general public. E.g. salt and detergent.

TYPES OF ADVERTISING

1. INFORMATIVE ADVERTISING:- This is a type of advertising, which conveys useful information about the existence of a product to potential buyers. It tends to create awareness about some goods and services. Informative advertising is under taken to tell people about goods that are available, the price, uses and where they can be purchased. This type of advertising can be used to advertise employment vacancies.
2. PERSUASIVE ADVERTISING:- This tries to persuade and convince people to buy and use a particular good. This type of advertising facilitates impulse buying, it will arouse the desire for the goods in the minds of the Listeners.
3. COMPETITIVE ADVERTISING:- This is a type of advertising which tries to persuade customers or targets audience to buy one product in preference to another product.

It isused to induce people to buy the advertisers product rather than that of the other competitors. This type of advertisement tends to make goods cheaper to consumers. It is very good for advertising products that have substitutes e.g. Malta Guinness and Maltina, Indomie and O noodles.   

• MASS AND GENERIC ADVERTISING:- Mass advertising is a method of advertising, which takes place when producers of particular line of goods (similar products) jointly organize advertisement in order to reduce cost and eliminate wastages. Here all competitors will agree on a common form of advertising without mentioning a particular brand. E.g. Detergent washes brighter.           
  • ADVERTISING MEDIA

These are the means through which advertisement get to the target market or the consumers.

1. NEWSPAPER: As an advertising medium, it is flexible and timely. Newspaper can be used to cover several cities. Examples of newspaper are punch, this day, tribune and champion

Advantages of Newspaper

1. It provides permanent record for advertisement
2. It has wide coverage
3. Newspaper advertising provide opportunity for multiple readership
4. It is flexible and timely
5. It also provides opportunity for daily and continuous advertising.
6. It is relatively cheap because circulation cost per prospect is low.

Disadvantages of Newspaper

1. The cost of advertising is high.
2. It is not accessible to illiterate.
3. Life of a newspaper advert is short.
4. MAGAZINE:- Magazine is an excellent medium when high quality printings and colors are needed in an advertisement. This medium has specialized readership. It can be weekly, monthly or quarterly. Example is ovation magazine.

Advantages of Magazine

1. It conveys a feeling of quality
2. Magazine provides fine colours reproduction.
3. It can be used to reach a national market at a relatively low cost per prospect.

Disadvantages of Magazine

1. It is limited in circulation
2. Inflexibility
3. It can only be purchased by the literates.
4. There is infrequency with which it reaches the market.
5. It is very expensive
6. RADIO:- It currently has the widest reach of all media in Nigeria. it is the most effective medium of advertising. This is because it is found in the rural and urban areas. E.g. Ray power and Radio Nigeria etc.

Advantages of Radio

1. It is relatively cheap.
2. It provides audio impression.
3. Radio advertising is very flexible
4. It is widely available in the rural areas.
5. Advertisement can be broadcast in local languages.
6. It reaches wide audience and ensures maximum coverage.
7. It offers a large variety of programmes from which an advertiser can choose to advertise his product.
8. It is accessible to both literates and illiterates.

Disadvantages of Radio

1. It does not provide permanent record, which the audience may refer to
2. Pictures of products cannot be seen.
3. It appeals only to the ear.
4. It may not give full information like other media.
5. It may not excite the audience.
6. TELEVISION:- This is the fastest growing of all major media and is probably the most versatile. Television advertising makes its appeals through the eyes and the ears. E.g. AIT, NTA and OGTV.

Advantages of Television

1. The use of colour enhances the beauty of the advert.
2. It makes appeal through both the eyes (sight) and the ears (sound)
3. It offers considerable flexibility in terms of the geographical market covered and the time of message presentation.
4. It has the advantage of the personnel, dramatic impact of the spoken word.
5. It helps to reach very large audience.
6. Television advertising permits the demonstration of the use of the product.
7. People are more receptive to television advert because it is replayed when they relax.

Disadvantages of Television

ADVERTISING

1. It is extremely expensive
2. The message is not permanently recorded for the audience
3. Viewers of television may be confused of similar brands of goods.
4. His ruption in power supply will affect television advertising.
5. It is not accessible to every body especially in the rural area.
6. The advertiser can use electronic techniques and photo tricks to mislead the target audience. 
7.    DIRECT MAIL ADVERTISING:- This may be defined as a method of  sending unsolicited advertising material through the post to customers at a specified named address. It is the most personal and selective of all the media.
8. POSTERS AND HANDBILLS:- Advertisement printed on A3, A4 and A5 papers and posted at strategic places and busy areas politicians, Pentecostal churches etc normally use posters to announce plans and events.
9. CATALOGUE ADVERTISING:– Catalogue usually contains description of the goods offered for sale. It contains pictures features, sales prices and other terms of sales. It is pictorial in nature and could be attractive and persuasive.
10. WINDOW DISPLAY ADVERTISING:- The importance of display in product selling cannot be over emphasized. Manufacturers may carefully display their goods on windows, shelves and counters to attract customers.
11. OUT DOOR ADVERTISING:- This is a flexible low-cost medium because it reaches virtually the entire population. It carries the impacts of large size colour. It may be in form posters, painted bulletin or spectacular that uses bright and flashings lights. E.g. (a) Bill board (b) Posters (c) Painted walls and kiosks
12. CINEMA:- A large number of film companies specialize in making industrial films especially for advertising and public relations. These films are shown at cinema houses. Cinema has large audiences of both young and old. It provides a favourable target audience for the advertisers.
13. FREE SAMPLES:- Free samples of a particular product may be distributed to the consumers in order to advertise it. Manufactures regularly give free goods to some of their customers to maintain goodwill and create awareness.
14. INTERNET:- This is the latest and fastest growing medium of advertising. Many organizations have discovered that the idea site provides not only a twenty four hours a day showcase of their products but a quick way of reaching millions of people with advertisement.

ASSIGNMENT

1    State four advantages and disadvantages each of the following advertising media.

i.    Catalogue

ii.    Window Display

iii.   Cinema

iv.   Free Samples

v.    Internets 

• Advantages of Advertising
• Advertising generates employment opportunities
• It helps to increase the customer’s freedom of choice
• It helps to increase the standard of living of the people through improvement in quality of goods
• Advertising helps to inform customers about the existence of a new product.
• It helps to build a good corporate image for the organization.
• It brings about healthy competition among producers of similar goods.
• Effective advertisement aids mail order business.
• It makes mass production of goods possible as markets are being created.
• It provides technical information about the product.
• It increases demand and this will increase the sales revenue of the organization.

Disadvantages of Advertising

1. The cost of advertising is very high.
2. Advertising may lead to increase in price of goods as the cost incurred in advertising will be added to the price.
3. It usually creates impulse buying
4. Outdoors advertising may cause landscape defalling.
5. Some of the claims of the advertising may be misleading.
6. It leads to wastage of resources.
7. Some advertising create immorality e.g. advertisement on fashion.
8. Consumers may not be allowed to exercise tree choice.
9. Advertising can lead to rivalry and unhealthy competition among producers of similar products.
10. Through aggressive advertising strategy an organization can drive out its competitors thereby becoming a monopolist e.g. coca-cola and 7up.

ASSIGNMENT

1. What is Public Relations?
2. State five (5) importance of public relations.
3. Mention eight media of public relations.
4. Mention and briefly explain the various prang policies.
   1. SALES PROMOTION

According to the American Marketing Association “Sales Promotion is defined as those marketing activities other than personal selling, advertising and publicity that stimulates consumers purchasing and dealer’s effectiveness. It is used to stimulate the sales of a product.

USES OF SALES PROMOTION

1. Encouragement of seasonal sales
2. Encourages of stocking of goods
3. Informs and stimulates the buyers
4. Introduction of new product.
5. Appeals to a special segment.
6. Assisting sales force presentation
7. Attracting buyers
8. Encouraging movement of slow selling lines.

FORMS OF SALES PROMOTION

Sales promotion strategies may be directed at the consumers in the form consumer promotion or to middlemen in the form of trade promotion.

(a)  Trade promotion: This is a form of promotion in which the middlemen are encouraged to carry stocks of a producer. It is directed to the wholesalers and retailers.

      FORMS OF TRADE PROMOTION

(i)       Special allowance or discounts.

(ii)      Free goods.

(iii)     Sales contest

(iv)     Mystery shoppers.

(v)      Provision of display materials.

(vi)     Cooperative advertising scheme.

(b)     Consumer promotion: This is used to encourage large quantity of purchase by the consumers. It will attract the attention of the consumers to a particular product.

FORMS OF CONSUMER PROMOTION

i.        Premium offers

ii.       Free samples.

iii.      Special price sales

iv.      Point of sales display

v.       Exhibition and demonstration

vi.      Personality promotion

vii.      Contest.

Commerce note for SS3 second term – Edudelight.com

WEEK THREE (3)

3.0     BUSINESS DOCUMENTS

3.1     MEANS OF PAYMENT

Meaning

It can be referred to as the various ways or methods by which settlement of transaction or debts can be affected between people who are engaged in financial or business transactions e.g Transactions between a debtor and a creditor. It also includes documents that acknowledge indebtedness e.g promissory notes. The various means of payment through banks and post office are explained below.

BANKING SYSTEM

1. Cheque: This is an order, written by the drawer to a bank to pay on demand a specified sum of money to the person named as payee on the cheque.
2. Bank drafts: These are issued by a commercial bank for payment to a specified payee at another bank and it is sure guarantee of payment. They are cheques paid by a bank to another bank or to a particular person or an organization.

Note: They are cheques drawn on a bank, when a creditor is unwilling to accept a personal cheque for payment.

• Standing order: This is an  instruction given by the account holder to hisbank to make a regular payments on his behalf.
• Credit transfer: It involves payments made on instructions to a bank to credit customers of the same and other banks.
• Credit cards: These are cards issued by reputable stores to their approved customers which enable them to purchase goods on credit and settle their indebtedness through their banks monthly.
• Direct debits: This is an arrangement whereby the bank debits the account of a customer with a sum of money at the instance of a creditor.

POST OFFICE SYSTEM OF PAYMENT

1. Postage stamps
2. Postal order
3. Money order
4. Telegraphic money order
5. Postal gird

BUSINESSMEN SYSTEM OF PAYMENT

1. Bill of exchange
2. Promissory note
3. I owe you (IOU)

LEGAL TENDER

This is money which by law must be accepted in payment for goods and services and in the settlement of debts. It has the backing of law

Examples are

(i)       Coins and

(ii)      Bank notes.

WEEK FOUR (4)

4.0     PRIVATIZATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION

4.1     Meaning: Privatizationcan be definedas the sale transfer of ownership, control and management of business organizations owned by the government to private individuals.

4.2     COMMERCIALIZATION

          Meaning: This is the process, which involves the adoption of commercial and competitive profit objective in the management of government enterprises.

          Commercialization is a policy designed to ensure that public enterprises are more viable and competitive to maximize profit.

BENEFITS OF PRIVATIZATION

1. Sources of revenue to the government.
2. Improvement in operational efficiency.
3. Improvement in decision making process.
4. Reduction in government expenditure.
5. Increase in competition.
6. Encourages in flow of foreign capital.
7. Increase in economies of scale.
8. Profit maximization
9. Reduction in government interference.

DISADVANTAGES OF PRIVATIZATION

1. Lead to unemployment.
2. Loss of government control.
3. Loss of revenues.
4. Concentration of shares in few hands.
5. Adverse effect on the security of the country.

ASSIGNMENT

1.       State five (5) objectives of commercialization.

2.       Enumerate five (5) reasons for privatization.

4.3     NATIONALIZATION AND INDIGENIZATION

          Meaning of Nationalization

It can be defined as the policy designed to ensure the acquisition by the government of privately owned businesses.

ADVANTAGES OF NATIONALIZATION

1. Ensures effective planning.
2. Provision of social services at affordable price.
3. Creation of job opportunities to citizens.
4. Elimination of wasteful competition.
5. Fund mobilization.
6. Prevention of monopoly.
7. Promotion of economic development.
8. Prevention of foreign dominance.

DISADVANTAGES OF NATIONALIZATION

1. Misallocation of resources.
2. Diseconomies of scale.
3. Discourages in flow of foreign capital.
4. Excessive government interference.
5. Operational inefficiency.
6. Killing of private initiatives.
7. Disharmony among nations.
8. Discouragement of competition.
9. It can lead to monopoly.

4.4     INDIGENIZATION

Meaning: This is the policy initiated by the government to ensure and accelerate the participation of Nigeria citizens in the ownership and management of business organizations owned by foreigners.

Indigenization transfers ownership of some foreign businesses operating in Nigeria to indigenous entrepreneurs.

Major objectives is to reduce the power of control of the economy by the foreigners.

ADVANTAGES OF INDIGENIZATION

1. Reduction in capital flight.
2. Self reliance and economic emancipation.
3. Increase in pace of industrial development.
4. Creation of employment opportunities.
5. Development of local technology.
6. Creates participation in ownership and management.
7. Prevents exploitation by foreign businessmen.
8. Development of capital market.
9. Improvement in indigenous skills.

DISADVANTAGES OF INDIGENIZATION

1. Mismanagement.
2. Reduction of foreign investment.
3. Discouragement of friendship.
4. Reduction in output.
5. Leads to inexperience and incompetent management.
6. Insufficient local capital.
7. Emergence of new breed of exploiters.
8. Non-availability of technology.

4.5     DEREGULATION

According to Adegbemile 2007 deregulation can be described as an economic reform in which rules and laws of entry and exit into the market is weakened, relaxed or totally removed in order to enhance the competitiveness of economic actors. It is the simplification or dismantling of the legal and government restrictions in the operation of market force.

Simply put, it is an essential aspect of price and market reform which entails private sector development through removal of government restriction on private economic activities.

ADVANTAGES OF DEREGULATION

1. Deregulation promotes healthy competition among competing firms.
2. It creates several hundreds of jobs both skilled and unskilled.
3. It encourages in flow of private and foreign direct investment into the deregulated sector.
4. It will unlock the industrial sector of the economy as more investmewnt in the oil sector would see take off of new refineries.
5. Tax proceeds from deregulation can be used to fund social welfare programme.
6. The consumers are likely to enjoy lower price.
7. Consumers have wide range of option to choose from thus promoting healthy rivalry.
8. Government can generate saving by divesting in the sector.

DISADVANTAGES OF DEREGULATION

1. Deregulation might lead to emergence of monopoly or oligopoly.
2. There is possibility that weak organizations can be eliminated by stronger ones.
3. It will lead to high prices of goods and services. For example, increase in price of petrol.
4. It would lead to increase in prices of food and transportation.
5. It can lead to massive unemployment.
6. Production and workload are pushed to the limit often at the risk of life.

Commerce note for SS3 second term – Edudelight.com

WEEK FIVE (5)

5.0     ECONOMIC GROUPING IN WEST AFRICA

5.1     Meaning

This is a process of combining separate economics into a large economic block.

ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICA STATES (ECOWAS)

OBJECTIVES OF ECOWAS

1. Promotion of co-operation and development in economic activities.
2. Abolition of tariffs.
3. Maintenance of international stability
4. Promotion of sporting activities.
5. Expansion of trade in the sub-region.
6. Harmonization of monetary policies.
7. Maintenance of political stability.
8. Encourages free movements of goods and people.
9. Raising the standard of living of citizens.

BENEFITS OF ECOWAS

1.       Exchange of manpower.

2.       Employment opportunities for citizens.

3.       Free movement of people.

4.       Financial assistance.

5.       Maintenance of peace.

6.       Increase in standard of living.

7.       Free trade.

PROBLEMS OF ECOWAS

1.       Differences in language.

2.       Insufficient infrastructural facilities.

3.       Political instability.

4.       Allegiance to former colonial master.

5.       Immobility of factors of production.

6.       Dependence on revenue from tariff.

7.       Low level of trade among members.

8.       Inability to pay dues.

9.       Balance of payments problem.

10.    Currency differences.

NIGER BASIN COMMISSION

The Niger Basin Commission was formed by the following countries. Nigeria, Guinea, Republic of Benin, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger and Chad. The treaty establishing it was signed in 1963 in Niamey, Niger republic.

The treaty was designed to deal with navigation matters of the river Niger and ensure economic. Cooperation among the member nations.

Aims and Objectives of the Commission

1.       Sustain cordial relationship among member nations.

2.       To deal with navigation matters of the Niger-River.

3.       To harness the resources of the Niger Basin effectively and efficiently.

4.       To collect, evaluate and disseminate data concerning the basin.

5.       To put up policies that will control floods.

6.       To ensure economic cooperation among member nations.

7.       To look into the construction of dams on the Niger and its tributaries and the impact on other countries.

LAKE CHAD BASIN COMMISSION

          Lake chad covers and estimated area of 500,000 square kilometers. The head of states of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad signed the treaty for the formation of the commission. It was established in 1964 to ensure cooperation and development among member states and to develop ways of harnessing the water resources of the Lake. The headquarters of the commission is at N’djamena, Chad.

OBJECTIVES OF LAKE CHAD BASIN COMMISSION

 The following are the reasons for the establishment of Lake Chad Basin Commission.

1.       Fostering of cooperation.

2.       Control of pollution.

3.       Economic development and cooperation.

4.       Control of flood and erosion.

5.       Irrigation projects.

6.       Education of farmers.

7.       Drawing common rules of navigation.

8.       Construction and maintenance of boreholes.

Assignment

Questions

1.       Describe “West Africa” clearing House.

2.       State the member countries.

3.       State five (5) objectives of WACH.

4.       State five (5) problems and achievements of WACH.