Environmental Challenge and Water Access in Africa: Empirical Evidences based on Nigeria’s Households Survey

One of the environmental challenges is the effect on water availability and water-related diseases accounts for 80 percent of sicknesses in developing countries. Despite this, there has remained increasing research on poverty reduction, with little emphasis on water access particularly in Africa. Using micro-level data from survey conducted by the World Bank and National Bureau of Statistics, covering over 5,000 households and 27,000 household members across the 36 States of Nigeria, the study formulates an econometric model. The results from logistic regression analysis show that the main determinants of households access to water include: age of the household members, the marital status, the sector where the household member works, the type of employment, the number of working hours, access to informal means of financial credit and the income level of the household, among others. Some recommendations on how to boost water access of households are made in the study

One bad turn deserves another: how terrorism sustains the addiction to capital flight in Africa

This inquiry assesses if terrorism sustains the capital flight trap and whether the relationship is affected by varying the levels of governance and globalisation. The empirical evidence is based on interactive Generalised Method of Moments with data from 37 African countries for the period 1996-2010. The followings are established. (1) Evidence of a capital flight trap is apparent because past values of capital flight have a positive effect on future values of capital flight. (2) Terrorism sustains the positive effect of the capital flight trap on capital flight. (3) For the most part (especially with regard to political governance), terrorism sustains the addiction to capital flight in above-median governance sub-samples. Policy implications are discussed

Cost Implications of the Prevalence of HIV/AIDS on the Economic Development of Nigeria.

HIV/AIDS emerged in the last three decades as visible threat to health and the socio-economic conditions of developing countries including Nigeria. Against this background, this study sought to determine the cost implications of the prevalence of HIV/AIDs on the economic development of Nigeria. The study adopted mainly qualitative approach sourced from National Bureau of Statistics-(NBS) and Central Bank of Nigeria-(CBN) statistical Bulletin respectively for analysis. Findings seem to support claims that the incidence of HIV/AIDS exert serious negative influences on the economic growth of Nigeria. This is due to the fact that HIV/AIDS reduces to a large extent the proportion of the working population with its huge corresponding cost implications, which in turn affect economic resources in the country. The policy interventions strategies recommended for stemming the scourge of HIV/AIDS include; prevention of new infections, cost reduction of treatments for patients, positive adjustments of patients to employment environment and development of activities like pycho-educational programme to motivate and foster HIV/AIDS prevention and management  behaviours among the Nigeria populace especially the youth. Keywords: Cost, Economic Growth; Employment, HIV/AIDS, Productivit

One bad turn deserves another: how terrorism sustains the addiction to capital flight in Africa

This inquiry assesses if terrorism sustains the capital flight trap and whether the relationship is affected by varying the levels of governance and globalisation. The empirical evidence is based on interactive Generalised Method of Moments with data from 37 African countries for the period 1996-2010. The followings are established. (1) Evidence of a capital flight trap is apparent because past values of capital flight have a positive effect on future values of capital flight. (2) Terrorism sustains the positive effect of the capital flight trap on capital flight. (3) For the most part (especially with regard to political governance), terrorism sustains the addiction to capital flight in above-median governance sub-samples. Policy implications are discussed

Protest Matters: The Effects of Protests on Economic Redistribution

Can citizen-led protests lead to meaningful economic redistribution and nudge governments to increase redistributive efforts of fiscal resources? We study the effects of protests on fiscal redistribution using evidence from Nigeria. We digitized twenty-six years of public finance data from 1988 to 2016 to examine the effects of protests on intergovernmental transfers. We find that protests increase transfers to protesting regions, but only in areas that are politically aligned with disbursing governments. Protesters also face increased police violence. Non-protest conflicts do not affect transfers and protests do not affect non-transfer revenue. The results show that protests can influence fiscal redistribution

Cost Implications of the Prevalence of HIV/AIDS on the Economic Development of Nigeria

HIV/AIDS emerged in the last three decades as visible threat to health and the socio-economic conditions of developing countries including Nigeria. Against this background, this study sought to determine the cost implications of the prevalence of HIV/AIDs on the economic development of Nigeria. The study adopted mainly qualitative approach sourced from National Bureau of Statistics-(NBS) and Central Bank of Nigeria-(CBN) statistical Bulletin respectively for analysis. Findings seem to support claims that the incidence of HIV/AIDS exert serious negative influences on the economic growth of Nigeria. This is due to the fact that HIV/AIDS reduces to a large extent the proportion of the working population with its huge corresponding cost implications, which in turn affect economic resources in the country. The policy interventions strategies recommended for stemming the scourge of HIV/AIDS include; prevention of new infections, cost reduction of treatments for patients, positive adjustments of patients to employment environment and development of activities like pycho-educational programme to motivate and foster HIV/AIDS prevention and management  behaviours among the Nigeria populace especially the youth. Keywords: Cost, Economic Growth; Employment, HIV/AIDS, Productivit

Feasible Environmental Kuznets and Institutional Quality in North and Southern African Sub-regions

One of the goals of Africa as a developing continent is to grow and also reduce environmental pollution. Most studies investigate the presence of inverted U-shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) using pollutants such as Carbon dioxide (CO2), the use of point pollutants such as Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) is not so popular in literature. Similarly, most studies that assess the role of institutions in the income-pollution nexus do not investigate their capability in achieving feasible turning on the EKC.  Focusing on three pollutants, namely: CO2, nitrogen oxide (N2O) and SPM, this study employs system generalised method of moments (SGMM) to assess the role of institutions in two sub-regions (North and Southern Africa) in attaining EKC turning points. Results, among others, indicate that the both sub-regions did not attain a level of average income capable of turning EKC round for CO2 and N2O but do for SPM. It is also revealed that Southern Africa attained EKC faster than North Africa. It is therefore recommended that for the purpose of achieving the goal of green growth, the institutional quality should be strengthened in the two Africa sub-regions, particularly in Southern Africa.     Keywords: Economic growth; EKC; Environmental pollution; Institutional quality; Land degradation; North Africa; Southern Africa. JEL Classifications: O13; O44; Q5

Domestic Energy Consumption in Ghana: Deprivation versus Likelihood of Access

Purpose – This paper analyses the extent to which households are deprived (or otherwise) of clean energy sources in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – It engages the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey data (GDHS VI). Three different energy deprivation indicators were estimated: cooking fuel deprivation, lighting deprivation and indoor air pollution. The empirical evidence is based on logit regressions that explain whether households are deprived or not. Findings – The results show that energy deprivation or access is contingent on the area of residence. Energy access and deprivation in Ghana show some regional disparities, even though across every region, the majority of households use three fuel types: Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), charcoal and wood cut. Increases in wealth and education lead to reduction in the likelihood of being energy deprived. Thus, efforts should be geared towards policies that will ensure households having access to clean fuels to reduce the attendant deprivations and corresponding effects of using dangerous or dirty fuels. Originality/value – This study complements the extant literature by analysing the extent to which households are deprived (or otherwise) of clean energy sources in Ghana

Innovations in savings behaviour and agricultural business support for women: The Ghanaian ‘Money-Box’

In Ghana, like many African countries, women are financially disadvantaged compared to men, which has encouraged women to form credit associations. This paper examined the “Pagwuni” Women’s Group (PWG) in the Northern region of Ghana, where over 93 percent of members are smallholder farmers. Women make regular membership and social fund contributions with records kept in a secured ‘money-box’, opened at an agreed time. Members receive their money according to the amount contributed while the ‘social fund’ is for purchasing farm inputs. This study analysed the effect of the Pagwuni Women Group (PWG) financing activities on the financial needs of the group and their households’ economic welfare. The study also examined the kind of innovation that this PWG adopts that differs from the traditional Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA). In investigating the sustainability of this ‘money-box’ model, data was sourced from 150 participants and the group administrators using a mixed research method. Three significant findings were uncovered. First, 93.3 percent of the respondents are peasant farmers. Second, 86.7percent indicated that this money-box arrangement is their only form of savings. Hence, since PWG is a woman-only group, it offers a good opportunity to understand the interconnections between gender and the economic welfare, enhancing the potential benefits of such group savings associations. Third, access to the social fund component of money-box helped the female participants to acquire the equipment and services needed to modernise their farming activities. Policy recommendations to link such rural money box initiatives with formal financial institutions to help channel funds to small-scale female farmers are discussed. (Afr J Reprod Health 2021; 25[5s]: 147-158)

Examining the Relative Roles of Domestic and Foreign Direct Investments in Nigeria

This study examines the relative relevance of domestic investment (DI) and foreign direct investment (FDI) on economic performance in Nigeria (1980-2014). In an attempt to achieve this broad objective, annual time series data sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)'s Statistical Bulletin, which was estimated using Vector Error Correction (VEC) technique, among others. The results, inter alia, show that both DI and FDI had significant effect on Nigeria's economic performance; however, the influence of the former was observed to be far greater than the latter with marked difference both in terms of the level of significance and size. Thus, the study recommends, among others, the need for government to create the ambience that will enable domestic investors to thrive, on one hand, and be complemented by foreign investment, on the other. Keywords: Domestic investment, Foreign direct investment, Economic performance, Vector error correction model JEL Classifications: F21; F2