WAEC 2019 Economics · Question 39
In most underdeveloped countries, development plans do not achieve their objective due to
Options
- A.poor coordination between local and national governments
- B.exportation of more primary products
- C.lack of educational institutions in those countries
- 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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