Formal property titles or more? Perspectives from Ghana's financial institutions

The dead capital thesis of de Soto has raised a lot of debate on the  relationship between formal property titles and access to credit. Various authors have argued that overconcentration of policy efforts on providing formal property titles could be overly simplistic. The argument has largely been made along the logic espoused in the ‘dead capital theses’. However, more than a formal title is required to access credit from formal financial institutions by small businesses. The aim of this paper is to examine the critical factors inhibiting credit access by SMEs and assess the relative  importance of formal titles amongst the other factors responsible for the financing gap. Surveys were conducted amongst officials of various financial institutions using structured questionnaires. The data was analysed using factor analysis. The results show that formal lenders perceive the absence of formal property titles to be a factor inhibiting SMEs credit access albeit the exact effect is very marginal relative to other factors.Keywords: Access to credit; Dead capital; Financial institutions; Formalproperty title; SMEs

The Contribution of the Ghana Schools Feeding Programme to Basic School Participation: A Study of Selected Schools in the Kwaebibirim District of Ghana

The paper analyzed the contribution of the Ghana Schools Feeding Programme to basic school participation in selected schools in the Kwaebibirim District of Ghana. A total of 94 respondents were involved in the study. Both simple random and purposive sampling techniques were applied in the selection of respondents. Secondary data was also obtained through the review of documents and reports on the subject. The study found out that the policy interventions have contributed to enrolment, attendance and retention in public primary schools. It has improved school attendance by at least 1 percent and at most 15 percent  in the schools studied. It is however worth noting that the programme is bedevilled with challenges such as inadequate funds and delays in it release, reduction in contact hours with pupils and students, and undue interferences in the appointment of caterers. Keywords: education, participation, enrolment, attendance, retentio

Achieving Long-Term Poverty Reduction and Institutional Sustainability in Microfinance through the Dynamic User-Focussed Approach

Microfinance institutions that are primarily poverty reduction (PR) oriented must be confused about the prioritisation of institutional sustainability (IS) recent times. While theoretical arguments show a trade-off  between PR and IS, empirical evidence indicates the contrary. This paper examines an MFI in Ghana which describes itself as explicitly poverty-oriented to ascertain how the PR objective is affected when they prioritise IS. Findings from the qualitative study reveal that when the MFI emphasised sustainability, it had significant negative implication for PR. The dynamic user-focussed approach is proposed as a solution to the conundrum poverty oriented MFIs encounter when they prioritise sustainability. Keywords: Institutional sustainability, microfinance, poverty reductio

An exploration of the relationship between customary land tenure and land use planning practices in Sub-Saharan Africa : evidence from Ghana

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is urbanising at a phenomenal rate, although largely on unplanned and unsustainable basis. This has resulted in the creation of negative externalities of urbanisation such as slums with an estimated 7 in 10 urban dwellers living in haphazardly designed settlements. Whereas some commentators attribute this state of affairs to the customary land tenure practices, others cite institutional ineptitude as the cause of the failed state of planning delivery. The aim of this thesis is to search for a more comprehensive understanding of the linkages between customary land tenure systems and other factors such as the institutional framework, and how these contribute to the defective state of land use planning regime in SSA. The first part of the research methodology reviewed the relevant literature in order to identify the theoretical issues relevant to the aim and objectives of the study. The literature survey also provided the basis for designing a methodology for the empirical research. In conducting the empirical research, the mixed method strategy (thus both quantitative and qualitative methods) was employed. A combination of questionnaire survey, interviews, focus group discussion and documentary materials were employed to examine the nature of relationship between customary land tenure, the state of planning institutions and land use planning in SSA using Ghana as the case study. In terms of the institutional setback for planning delivery, four challenges were identified as follows. Firstly, it was established that there is high incidence of political manipulation of the planning process for electoral gains. Secondly, it was also established that planning laws are generally obsolete and hardly ever relevant to the demands of modem conditions. Inadequate funding for planning activities was also found to be a major institutional setback for planning delivery. Finally, it was also identified that there is shortage of the needed human resource capacity to meet the growing demand for planning services. In terms of how customary land tenure practices contribute to ineffective land use planning, the study established that chiefs and tribal elites who are responsible for the management of customary lands unilaterally prepare 'land use plans' without the knowledge or endorsement of the designated planning authorities. In other instances too, chiefs alter duly prepared and approved land use plans. In both cases, they rely on unprofessional planners and surveyors. Therefore, plans prepared by unprofessional planners become the basis for guiding human settlement growth. The study also established that land title under customary tenure is generally insecure. This is because duly acquired land which is vacant may either be encroached upon, or may be allocated to other prospective developers by customary landholders. Therefore, developers hurriedly build on their land in an attempt to secure their land rights. In the process, these developers generally fail to comply with existing land use planning regulations. Based on findings from the study, it has been argued that there is the need for culture change in order to improve planning delivery. In this regard, the study recommends that future planning reforms should be pursued through public-private land management strategy such as land pooling. Other recommendations to ameliorate the institutional challenges are also offered

Determinants of bank net interest margin: does monetary union membership matter?

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonThe purpose of this thesis is to carry out an empirical investigation into whether membership of monetary union matter in the determination of bank net interest margin. Bank net interest margin is the difference in bank borrowing and lending rates relative to the total interest-earning assets. We operationalise this study by comparing panels of commercial banks within and outside economic and monetary unions in Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. For our European analysis we use bank-level data from nine Euro Area countries and seven non-Euro Area economies, in a dynamic empirical model, employing Arellano and Bover (1995)/Blundell and Bond (1998) system GMM estimation method. We find that stronger competition and efficiency, as well as greater macroeconomic stability in the Euro Area reduce bank net interest margins more than in the non-Euro Area. We attribute this to the well-developed single market with a strong socio-economic cohesion underpinning rather than the economic and monetary union. We extend the same level of analysis to the Sub-Saharan Africa, where we contrast our findings in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) with those of twenty non-monetary union Sub-Saharan African economies. Our findings in the Sub-Saharan African context reveal a rather different scenario. While the WAEMU enjoys relatively lower net interest margins than its non-monetary union counterparts, this is attributable to the union’s ability to pursue vigorously its primary objective of maintaining price stability by maintaining lower interest rates. Unlike in the Euro Area we do not observe a reducing impact of bank competition and efficiency on bank net interest margin in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) as we do in the non-monetary union Sub-Saharan Africa. We find these results for the Sub-Saharan African analysis puzzling, and attribute it to the absence of a well-developed single/common market which is supposed to drive competition and efficiency with the effect of reducing net interest margins, as it obtains in the Euro Area. Our conclusion is that it is rather the presence of a well-developed single market that engenders competition and efficiency effects to reduce bank net interest margins rather than membership of a monetary union per s

Teaching Interactive Art Lessons with Recycled Waste Materials as Instructional Resources

The study examines the use of waste materials as instructional resources in teaching and learning Art lessons. Primary, Junior and Senior High School Art teachers in Ghana mostly teach their lessons without instructional resources because the government is not able to provide materials to create the needed resources. The study therefore explored local waste materials which create nuisance in the environment in Ghana to create appropriate teaching resources for Art in Ghana. This study shows differences in classroom atmosphere and student performance when instructional resources are used or not used in teaching and learning. The study adopted the exploratory, quasi-experimental and descriptive research methods. Art teachers from Kumasi were selected to teach with developed instructional resources after which lessons taught with and without the instructional resources were compared. The study found that when instructional resources are used for teaching and learning, lessons become more practical, interactive, interesting and real to pupils and students, and enables them to perform better in their academics. Keywords: Instructional Resources; Waste Materials; Recycling; Teaching and Learning

Design and Implementation of a Cloud Based Decentralized Cryptocurrency Transaction Platform

Trading in the crypto-currency market has seen rapid growth and adoption, as well as the interest in crypto related technologies like blockchain and smart contracts. Smart contracts have gained popularity in building so called Decentralized Applications (dApps) and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) apps, mainly because they are more secure, trustworthy, and largely distributed (removes centralized control). DeFi applications run on the blockchain technology and are secured by blocks (nodes) connected by cryptographical hash links. DeFi applications have a great potential in the crypto-currency trading domain, providing more secure and reliable means of trading, and performing transactions with crypto-currencies. Only verified transactions are added to the blockchain after being approved by miners through a consensus mechanism and then it is replicated (distributed) among the nodes on the blockchain network. This research paper proposes a DeFi Crypto Exchange by integrating a numerous-signature stamp with a crypto API. A numerous-signature stamp solves the issue of transaction verifiability and authenticity. A crypto API provides the data about each crypto currency with which trades and transactions will be performed. This paper also discusses the technical background of the technology and a few related works. Decentralization of transactions through smart contracts on the blockchain will improve trust, security and reliability of transactions and trades

Family Networks’ Support to Employment Paths of Rural Youth in a Ghanaian Community

The study examined family networks’ support to rural young people’s past and present employment as well as their employment aspirations since research on these issues especially in African and Ghanaian context is rare. The research analysed whether or not rural youth expect and receive employment support from their family networks. Mixed method approach for collection and analysis of data from young people in Amankyea a rural community in the Atwima Nwabiagya district of Ashanti region in Ghana was used. Three (3) focus group discussions and interviews of 20 young people who were purposively selected were conducted. Questionnaires were also administered to 270 randomly selected young people in the rural community. Social capital theory was used as theoretical framework for the study. It was found that majority of the rural youth did not expect, and receive employment support from their family networks. Though rural youth did not expect support from their family networks generally, female rural youth expected and received support from their male partners. The study recommends the need to encourage family networks through workshops and seminars to prioritize employment support to rural young people to reduce reliance on government of Ghana

Blockchain-IoT peer device storage optimization using an advanced time-variant multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm

The integration of Internet of Things devices onto the Blockchain implies an increase in the transactions that occur on the Blockchain, thus increasing the storage requirements. A solution approach is to leverage cloud resources for storing blocks within the chain. The paper, therefore, proposes two solutions to this problem. The first being an improved hybrid architecture design which uses containerization to create a side chain on a fog node for the devices connected to it and an Advanced Time‑variant Multi‑objective Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm (AT‑MOPSO) for determining the optimal number of blocks that should be transferred to the cloud for storage. This algorithm uses time‑variant weights for the velocity of the particle swarm optimization and the non‑dominated sorting and mutation schemes from NSGA‑III. The proposed algorithm was compared with results from the original MOPSO algorithm, the Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm (SPEA‑II), and the Pareto Envelope‑based Selection Algorithm with region‑based selection (PESA‑II), and NSGA‑III. The proposed AT‑MOPSO showed better results than the aforementioned MOPSO algorithms in cloud storage cost and query probability optimization. Importantly, AT‑MOPSO achieved 52% energy efficiency compared to NSGA‑III. To show how this algorithm can be applied to a real‑world Blockchain system, the BISS industrial Blockchain architecture was adapted and modified to show how the AT‑MOPSO can be used with existing Blockchain systems and the benefits it provides

The Clinical Importance of the Mercury Problem in Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining

Artisanal small-scale mining is widely operated in various countries serving as a livelihood to many rural communities. However, it is a significant source of environmental mercury contamination which affects human health. Amalgamation and amalgam smelting, two significant steps in the artisanal small-scale mining operations generate lots of mercury vapors, leading to chronic exposure among miners. Thus, this article seeks to provide a topical review of recent findings on organ damage and metabolic disorders among mercury-exposed artisanal small-scale miners with emphasis on the contributing factors such as personal protective equipment usage and artisanal small-scale gold mining-specific occupational activities. Also, insights into the effect of mercury intoxication and mechanisms of action on organ and metabolic systems among exposed individuals are provided