WAEC 2019 Economics · Question 39

In most underdeveloped countries, development plans do not achieve their objective due to

Options

  1. A.poor coordination between local and national governments
  2. B.exportation of more primary products
  3. C.lack of educational institutions in those countries
  4. D.urban-rural migration of citizens

Answer: A. poor coordination between local and national governments

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the main reason development plans in underdeveloped countries often fail to achieve their objectives. We are looking for a cause tied to planning and implementation.

Step 2: Explain the concept A development plan is a government's structured programme for achieving economic goals such as growth, employment, and infrastructure. Common reasons for failure in developing countries include:

  • Poor implementation and weak coordination between levels of government (federal, state, local)
  • Policy inconsistency and changes of government
  • Corruption and misappropriation of funds
  • Inadequate funds and lack of reliable data
  • Shortage of skilled manpower

Step 3: Evaluate the options

  • A. Poor coordination between local and national governments: This is a real implementation problem. When different levels of government do not work together, projects are duplicated, abandoned, or poorly funded, so the plan's targets are missed. This fits well.
  • B. Exportation of more primary products: Exporting primary products reflects the structure of the economy. It can cause vulnerability to price shocks, but it is not a direct reason why a plan fails, and exporting more does not make a plan fail.
  • C. Lack of educational institutions: Many such countries do have schools. The problem is more about quality and funding, so "lack" is too absolute and is not the typical textbook cause.
  • D. Urban-rural migration: This is a result of uneven development and can strain cities, but it is not the main reason plans fail.

Step 4: Answer Option A is the best choice. It directly addresses the implementation weakness that undermines development plans.

Tip: For "why do plans fail" questions, look for words like coordination, implementation, corruption, inconsistency, funding. Options that describe economic structure or effects (like B and D) are usually distractors.

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