Renewing Africa through globalisation and Intra-Continental trade

LSE’s Duncan Njue explores how African countries can become bigger players in global trade

Opportunities and Challenges of Setting-Up an Articulate HACCP System in Export Slaughterhouses in Countries Emerging from Conflict: An Appraisal of North-Western Somalia

Report on an investigation carried out for more than two years in North-Western Somalia (Somaliland) to determine opportunities and challenges of setting up a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system to be adopted and complied with during operations in an export slaughterhouse.Warbixin ku saabsan baaritaan lagu samaeeyay muddo labo sano ah woqooyi-galbeed ee Soomaaliya (Somaliland) oo ku saabsan habkii lagu baari lahaa halsita iyo ilaalinta waxyaabaha khatarta marka la qalaya xoolaha hilibkooda la dhoofinaya.Relazione su un'indagine effettuata per più di due anni nel nord-ovest della Somalia (Somaliland) per determinare le opportunità e le sfide nella creazione di un sistema di Analisi dei Rischi e Controllo dei Punti Critici (HACCP) da adottare e rispettare durante le operazioni di esportazione di un macello

Food Safety Knowledge and Hygienic Practices among Vendors of Vegetable Salads in Pipeline Ward of Nairobi County, Kenya

Street sold foods are a source of inexpensive, nutritious food for many people living both in the urban and rural areas. It is also a major source of income for many people, particularly women by providing self-employment and the opportunity to develop business skills with low capital investment. However, ready-to-eat foods are a source of contamination and can transmit food-borne diseases through those handling the salads.  Therefore, a quantitative cross-sectional survey of exhaustively sampled 120 vendors was carried out to assess food safety knowledge and hygienic practices among vendors of vegetable salads in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study established that the majority (60 %) of the respondents were males aged between 26-35 (53 %) and most of them had up to the secondary level of education (73 %). The majority of the vendors (59 %) had been trained on food handling practices and therefore had good knowledge of food hygiene, and practiced good hygiene. The results indicate that even though most respondents used gloves and aprons, some did not practice food handling hygienic practices and this could predispose the salads to contamination. The study indicates that the majority of the respondents had formal education and were trained on food handling practices, and this may have had an effect on their perception of hygiene. However, some of the vendors exhibited poor food handling practices and therefore there is a need to enhance training and law enforcement governing street food vending business

THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC DEBT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 2000-2017: A PANEL DATA ANALYSIS

학위논문 (석사) -- 서울대학교 대학원 : 국제대학원 국제학과(국제지역학전공), 2020. 8. 안재빈.본 연구는 국가채무가 경제성장에 주는 영향을 다루고 있다. 본 연구의 2000년도부터 2017년까지, 18년에 거쳐 사하라 사막 이남의 아프리카 국가(SSA)들에 대한 패널분석으로 이루어졌다. 국가 대외 부채 및 국내 부채의 영향도 분석하였다. 더 나아가, 부채-성장 관계의 제도적 질을 보장하는 대리로서의 국가 효과서으이 역살을 살펴보았다. 이를 분석하기위해 본 연구는 GMM 시스템을 주 평가 도구로 사용하고 성장에 영향을 주는 다른 변수들을 통제한 상태에서 실증적 분석을 한 결과 SSA지역은 부채와 경제성장이 역의 관계를 나타내고 있음을 확인할 수 있었는데, 평균적으로, 국가 부채 대 국가총생산(GDP)의 비율이 1 퍼센트 증가하는 것은 1인당 국가총생산(GDP per capita)의 성장률이 0.05 퍼센트 축소하는 관계를 나타내고 있다. 추가적으로 본 연구의 분석에 의하면 부채와 성장 간의 비선형적 관계가 나타나고 있으며 부채가 높을수록 국가총생산에 대한 비율이 더욱 심한 현상을 나타내고 있다. 부채-성장의 관계에 대한 좋은 정책은 중요하지 않은 것으로 나타났고, 이는 곧 부채를 어떻게 다루는지가 더 중요하다는 것을 시사한다. 그러나 본 연구의 주 결과는 국외 부채가 경제 성장에 악영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났지만 국내 부채는 통계적으로 유의미하지는 않더라도 오히려 긍정적인 효과를 보여주는 것으로 나타났다. 이는 곧 국내 시장이 미시경제적 안정성을 높여주고 외부 통화 충격을 완화시키며 경제 성장을 유도하는 금융시장의 자유화를 유도하기 때문인 것으로 나타났다. 그 결과, SSA 국가들의 정부들은 국내 시장에 투자하여 부채를 관리하고 외국채에 대한 과한 의존성을 줄이는 것을 권장한다. 탈세 및 부패를 줄이는 등 국내 자원을 동원해 정부 총세입을 증가시키는 방안들도 도입되어야 한다.The paper examines the role of public debt on economic growth. The analysis is centered on a panel of SSA countries over 18 years period from 2000-2017. The effect of public debt components of public external debt and public domestic debt is also examined. Further, the role of government effectiveness as a measure for quality of institutions on the debt-growth correlation is explored. To achieve this, the study employs system GMM as our main estimator and the empirical results indicate an inverse relationship between public debt and economic growth in SSA region taking into account other determining factors of growth: a 1 percentage point rise in public debt/GDP ratio on average is associated with a decline in real per capita GDP growth by 0.05 percentage points. Moreover, the estimation show evidence of nonlinear relationship between government debt and growth with the effect being more negative at higher levels of public debt/GDP ratio. Good policies role on debt-growth relationship is insignificant which implies that what matters is actually how debt contracted is utilized. The main finding however is whereas public external debt has a negative effect that is statistically significant on growth in the region, the estimation indicates public domestic debt has a positive impact albeit statistically insignificant. This supposedly because domestic market enhances microeconomic stability and cushions economy from external currency shocks and that it also encourages financial market liberalization which is growth promoting. (See Akram, 2016). It is hence recommended that governments in SSA consider establishing and tapping more into domestic markets for deficit financing to reduce overreliance on foreign loans. Measures should also be instituted to mobilize domestic resources to increase government revenues for instance by curbing tax evasions and fighting corruption. The use of Public Private Parterships (PPPs) can be an effective way of financing and also resource mobilization tool in the quest to bridge the huge gap of infrustructure development in Sub Saharan Africa.CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 Research Questions 3 Objectives of the Study 3 Hypothesis 4 Organization of the Research 5 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 7 2.1 Introduction 7 2.2 Theoretical Literature 7 2.2.1 Debt Overhang Hypothesis (DOH) 7 2.2.2. Crowding Out Theory 8 2.2.3. Debt Laffer Curve Theory 10 2.3 Empirical Literature 11 2.3.1. Studies on Role of Public Debt 11 2.3.2. Studies on Role of Public External and Domestic Debt 12 2.3.3. Studies on the Role of External Debt 13 2.4. Digression on Role of Government Effectiveness 15 CHAPTER THREE: PUBLIC DEBT IN SSA 17 3.1. Introduction 17 3.2. Overview of Public Debt in Sub Saharan Africa 17 3.3. Stylized Facts on Debt Accumulation in SSA 21 3.3.1. Evolution of Debt in LIDCs 21 3.3.2. Dynamics of Public Debt in SSA 25 3.3.3. Share of Public External Debt in Total Public Debt in SSA 28 CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 35 4.1. Introduction 35 4.2. DATA AND STYLIZED FACTS 35 4.2.1. Data 35 4.2.2. Some Stylized Facts 36 4.3. ECONOMETRIC METHODS 41 4.3.1. The Augmented Production Function 42 4.3.2. Differenced GMM and System GMM 42 4.3.3. Empirical Model Specification 44 4.4. Description of Variables 45 4.4.1. Dependent Variable 45 4.4.2. Independent Variables 46 CHAPTER FIVE: ESTIMATION OF RESULTS 51 5.1 Introduction 51 5.2 Descriptive Statistics 51 5.3. Results and Discussion 53 5.3.1. OLS, FE and System GMM Estimations on the Dynamic Model 54 5.4 Hypothesis Testing and Conclusion 64 CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 65 6.1 Introduction 65 6.2 Summary of Key Findings 65 6.3. Policy Recommendation 67 6.4. Limitations of the Study 68 REFERENCES 69 APPENDICES 75 ABSTRACT IN KOREAN 77Maste

Performance of Learners with Visual Impairment in Summative Evaluation in Special Schools in Kenya

Vision is the most crucial sense among the five senses Almost 80 percent of all learning is achieved through the visual channel Good vision is therefore paramount for learners to reach their academic potential Lack of it can negatively affect how a learner performs in examinations Available studies have looked at the performance of learners with visual impairment in specific subjects The aim of the study was therefore to explore the general performance of learners with visual impairment in summative evaluation in special schools in Kenya A survey design with qualitative research method was adopted Examination results from four special schools for learners with visual impairment were analyzed and in addition a questionnaire was used to solicit more information from teachers who taught the classes under study Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data and findings were presented in tables and percentages Findings indicated that learners with visual impairment generally performed poorly in examinations Mathematics and sciences were the worst done at secondary school level where as Kiswahili and Social studies were the two worst performed at primary school leve

‘Impenetrable’ Urban Maze of East African Coastal Town: Its Implications on Climate Change

In this paper we are showing the implications on climate change of east African coastal town

Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Young Widows' Participation in Small-Scale Farming Activities in Mbeere South, Kenya

This study investigates the socioeconomic factors influencing young widows' participation in small-scale farming activities in Mbeere South, Kenya, using a qualitative research design. The paper explores the role of cultural, economic, and gender-related factors in shaping widows' involvement in agriculture, guided by frameworks such as the Gender and Development (GAD) Theory, Social Movement Theory (SMT), and Participation Theory. Document analysis was the primary method for data collection, drawing on academic studies, government reports, and NGO documents. The data were analyzed qualitatively through systematic coding and categorization to identify key themes related to widows' challenges and opportunities in farming. The sampling process was purposive, selecting documents that provided relevant insights into the socio-economic dynamics affecting widows. Sources included government agencies, NGOs working with widows, and academic studies focused on rural development and widow empowerment. The findings show that cultural barriers, such as patriarchal gender roles, inheritance laws, and social stigma, significantly hinder widows' involvement in farming. However, education plays a crucial role in empowering widows; those with higher education are more likely to adopt modern farming techniques, access financial resources, and engage in community initiatives. The study concludes that both cultural practices and education levels are critical determinants of young widows' participation in small-scale farming. The study recommends enhancing educational opportunities, expanding agricultural extension services, and implementing legal reforms to secure land rights and reduce cultural stigma, thereby improving widows' economic security and boosting their participation in farming