Investment, Training, Employment and Poverty Alleviation in Africa: A Critical Analysis

Today, it is overwhelmingly accepted that investing in training opens a large gate for the trained people for better jobs, high incomes, and improved living standards. It is in this regard that this paper endeavors to analyse the fundamental relationship between investment, training, employment and poverty alleviation in Africa. From the analyses, it has been noticed that the relationship between these factors is weak. Also, the latter are less integrated on the African continent, mainly due to inadequate investment in training required to trigger, strengthen, and sustain their integration. In addition, training and education are more theoretical and less adapted to the development needs of many African countries. To this effect, it is recommended that: first, the development programs on the continent should match the socio-economic needs of its people; second, more emphasis should be laid on providing quality, affordable and accessible technical and vocational training to the masses; lastly, the study and mastery of science, technology and innovation at all levels of education and training should be initiated, reinforced and/or enhanced by African governments. Keywords: Investment, Training, Employment, Poverty Alleviation, Africa DOI: 10.7176/DCS/10-3-06 Publication date:March 31st 2020

A Critical Assessment of Macro-Economic, Management and Policy Reforms in Africa

The paper assesses the macro-economic, management, and policy reforms implemented in Africa with the assistance of the Bretton Woods institutions. There is no doubt that they have, to some extent, improved the socio-economic development of African countries. However, they did not take into account the social dimension of their economies (health, education, poverty, employment, etc.). Thus, they were regarded not to have a human face. Therefore, redressing and adjusting African economies with the help of the Bretton Woods institutions are inadequate to propel the continent to higher and sustainable economic growth rates. Hence, African countries should elaborate and implement themselves policies, reforms, and programs adapted to their economies and development needs. Keywords: Macro-Economic, Management, Policy Reforms, CEMAC, Africa DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-9-10 Publication date:March 31st 2020

The Role of Scientific Research in the Policy-Making Process in African Economies

The central argument of this paper is that it is the responsibility of university and research institutions to undertake objective scientific research which can serve as the basis of formulating sound and sustainable socio-economic development policies in African countries. Unfortunately, scientific research as a tool of government policy has not been given adequate attention by policy-makers in many African Countries. In fact, the relationship between policy-makers and university / research and training institutions in the continent has not been very encouraging, particularly in those countries which have not established formal national structures for interface and dialogue. Thus, for scientific research findings to have the desirable impact on the policy-making process and the socio-economic development in Africa, it is recommended among other things that: first, African governments should provide adequate funding and infrastructure for research; second, African universities and research institutions should aim at excellence by improving upon the quality of their scientific research, and properly address their research endeavours to the contemporary issues, challenges, and problems of national development; third,  an interface to promote collaboration and cooperation, build trust and confidence, and promote dialogue between policy-makers, university research and training institution backed by appropriate, adequate and broad database should be put in place. Keywords: Scientific Research; Policy-Making; Policy-Makers; University; Research Institutions, Interface; Africa DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/10-5-07 Publication date:May 31st 202

Contribution des technologies digitales a la croissance des PME camerounaises

Low level of digitalization constitutes a major obstacle for the competitiveness and growth of SMEs in the world and particularly in Cameroon because of the increased competition induced by globalization. It is in this regard that this article attempts to evaluate the contribution of digital technologies to the growth of Cameroonian SMEs. To this effect, the study tested the Mintzberg's theory of organization and Porter's theory on competitive advantage, using data collected by means of a questionnaire from a sample of sixty SMEs, operating in the country. The data were analyzed using statistical techniques of linear regression. The results of the estimations purported that the use of digital technologies (digitalization, internet, e-commerce) has a positive impact on the growth indicators of SMEs. Indeed, digital technologies facilitate access to information, enhance dematerialization of information flows and instantaneous exchanges between employees and/or clients. This contributes to reduce production costs and enables the attainment of economies of scales and enhance the creation of added value with innovations in communication, production and marketing processes. In fact, these results imply that digitalization is an essential tool to improve the growth of SMEs in Cameroon. In view of the above, there is a need to invest more in the digitalization of processes within an enterprise, particularly in SMEs.   JEL classification : L1 ; L25 ; O32 Paper type : Empirical ResearchLe faible recours aux technologies digitales constitue un obstacle majeur pour la compétitivité des PME en Afrique en général et au Cameroun en particulier. Ceci, du fait de la concurrence accrue induite par la mondialisation. Le présent article se propose donc de mettre en évidence la contribution des technologies numériques à la croissance des PME camerounaises. À l’issue de la partie théorique inspirée par une revue de la littérature, deux hypothèses ont été formulées. Pour cela, nous avons convoqué la théorie des organisations de Mintzberg et la théorie de Porter fondée sur l’avantage concurrentiel. Ensuite, nous les avons testées à l’aide des données collectées auprès d’un échantillon d’une soixantaine de PME. Pour atteindre ce but, nous avons opté une méthode quantitative en utilisant comme outil de collecte de données le questionnaire auprès d’un échantillon tiré de la population des PME exerçant au Cameroun. Ces données ont été analysées grâce aux techniques statistiques de régression linéaire simple sur SPSS. Les résultats obtenus de ces estimations font apparaître un lien positif entre l’appropriation des technologies digitales au sein de la PME et la croissance de son activité, car d’une part la digitalisation des processus influence positivement la minimisation des coûts de transaction, ce qui facilite la création de la valeur (H1) et d’autre part, le e-commerce influence positivement l’acquisition de nouvelles parts de marché (H2). En effet, les technologies digitales permettent de faciliter l’accès à l’information, la dématérialisation des flux d’informations, l’instantanéité des échanges entre les collaborateurs et aussi avec la clientèle ou encore l’automatisation des tâches. Contribuant ainsi à réduire certains coûts en réalisant des économies d’échelles et en facilitant la création de la valeur ajoutée, avec à la clé l’innovation des procédés de communication, de production, et de commercialisation. Néanmoins, ces gains se produisent principalement lorsque cette adoption technologique est accompagnée d'autres changements et investissements tels que la formation de la main-d’œuvre et d’autres changements organisationnels.   Classification JEL : L1 ; L25 ; O32 Type de papier : Recherche Empiriqu

The Significance of Foreign Direct Investment to the Economic Development of Sub Saharan Economies

This paper attempts to evaluate the impact of Foreign Direct Investment on the economic development of forty three (43) countries in Sub Saharan Africa. The Auto Regressive Vector (VAR) model was employed to effectuate econometric estimations, using annual data obtained from the database of the World Bank: World Development Indicators-WDI, 2018 for the period spanning from 1997 to 2017. The findings show that FDI has a negligible impact on the economic development of the countries studied; whereas economic development has a positive and strong impact on FDI. It is therefore recommended that: first African countries should develop value chains and attract FDI geared towards the transformation of their natural resources; and second they should improve pro-industry elements like adequate electricity supply, good transportation network, reduce corruption, and boost technological development to harness and accelerate their economic transformation. Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment, Economic Development, Sub Saharan Economie

The Impact of Power Supply on the Exports of Services in Cameroon

Power deficits constitute a crucial problem affecting the production and exports of goods and services in a modern economy. This study attempts to evaluate the impact of power deficiency on the exports of services in Cameroon. Therefore, a modified Cobb-Douglas production function and selected data retrieved from the 2018 World Development Indicators dataset for the period 1972-2017 were used in the econometric estimations. The results depict that power deficits have effects on the country’s export services both in the short- and long-terms as a percentage point hike in power supply triggers an increase in the exports of services by 0.69 per cent in the short-run and 0.43 per cent in the long-run. Moreover, a one-point decline in Foreign Direct Investment causes the exports of services to decline by 0.02 per cent in the short-term and 0.07 per cent in the long-term. Overall, the results imply that electricity supply is a critical input to boost the exports of services. Thus, it is recommended that the government of Cameroon should eradicate the issue of power supply to its economy by stepping up investments in the energy sector. Key words: Electricity Supply; Exports; Services; Cameroon DOI: 10.7176/DCS/12-6-05 Publication date:June 30th 2022