ABSTRACT
This study has examined the infrastructural development of Benin during Oshiomhole’s administration in Edo State from 2008 -2016. Infrastructure affects growth through several supply and demand-side channels. Investments in energy, telecommunications, and transport networks directly impact growth, as all types of infrastructure represent an essential input in any production of goods and services. In addition, infrastructure can also reduce the cost of delivered goods, facilitate the physical mobility of people and products, remove productivity constraints, and increase competitiveness.
The use of smart meters leads to substantial improvements in electricity service quality, as illustrated by the randomized installation of smart meters, which utilities can install to monitor service quality in Edo State. Treated households made significantly more energy efficiency investments, potentially mitigating their electricity consumption increases post-intervention. While infrastructure can lead to beneficial economic outcomes, the concrete development impact of infrastructure depends significantly on how infrastructure investment strategies are defined and implemented.
On a general note the linkage between infrastructural development and economic growth outcomes is one of the most popular topics for debates in recent scientific literature and economic research. The role of infrastructure is widely analysed as very vital to household and firms as availability and quality of infrastructure result in different decisions to invest and may influence migration, business establishment location. Although, the result of the two estimations speak that infrastructural development has a positive linkage with our economy growth but, the researchers believe this is in term of availability and quality of infrastructure in our economy .And also, the magnitude of the contribution leaves a lot to question. This questionable contribution or lack of quality infrastructural development has been seen in the relocation of some firms out of Nigeria to other neighbouring countries like Nigeria etc.
The quality of infrastructure has direct effect on business productivity and growth, and different investments to infrastructure capital from inequality between regions and countries. The role of infrastructural development on economic is a vital issue for strategic and development country policy management for a country with weak quality of infrastructure base. Efficient infrastructure attracts centers of production and consumption, gives greater access to markets and education centers and that timely access to health care, facilitated by transport can prevent maternal deaths and lower infant mortality rates. Infrastructure development is one of major elements of structural reforms in developing economy like Nigeria because of its expected large economic and social impact. As can be inferred from the studies by other researchers, infrastructure investments alone do not have a significant influence on economic growth. The institutional environment is a very important complement, allowing infrastructure investments to be translated into economic growth. Based on this, the following are the recommendations of this study:
