African Policy Makers Research Articles

Effect of green taxation on renewable energy technologies: an analysis of commonwealth and non-commonwealth countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

African nations encounter difficulties enforcing regulations and providing incentives for using renewable energy sources. However, several nations are making efforts to encourage renewable energy through financial and tax advantages. Therefore, a shift to renewable energy is essential for African nations to experience sustainable growth and lessen environmental deterioration. Similarly, the extant literature examining green taxes' influence on renewable energy technology has documented equivocal findings. Hence, there is a need for a more thorough investigation. This study, therefore, explores the influence of green taxation on renewable energy technologies of emerging countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. We employed data from a sample of 28 countries of 54 African countries spanning 21years from 2001 to 2021, providing a panel of 588 country-year observations. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank Dataset provided all the study's data. A heterogeneous dynamic panel data modelling using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) has been adopted. The study found that green taxes might be used to mitigate the adverse effects of non-renewable energy activities on the environment in Africa. Considering the findings of the components of green taxes, it was recognised that an increase in energy-related tariffs would lead to a growth in Africa's use of renewable energy. It was further established that an increase in transport taxes increases the adoption of renewable energy technologies in Africa. A comparative analysis between the commonwealth and non-commonwealth countries showed that green taxes of commonwealth countries in Africa significantly contribute to the growth of renewable energy technologies compared to non-commonwealth countries in Africa. Primarily, the results of this study can be a valuable resource for African governments and policymakers as they develop policies and evaluate legislation about the usage of renewable energy sources and other green practices. Finally, the study can shed light on creating and using efficient tax laws that support renewable energy sources.

Human capital development and economic sustainability linkage in Sub-Saharan African countries: Novel evidence from augmented mean group approach

Sustainable Development Goal number four (SDG-4) strongly emphasizes quality education, which is crucial to human capital development. The importance of human capital development for sustainable economic development has thus risen to the top of the global policy agenda. However, the empirical literature on the topic has several limitations, including utilizing inappropriate measurement of human capital development and being unable to investigate the quality dimensions of education. Therefore, this study used years of schooling and return on education to fill the gap, and also considered the role of institutional and political factors in its empirical estimation. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of human capital development on economic sustainability in 30 Sub-Saharan African countries, employing panel data from 2000 to 2020. The augmented mean group model was used in the empirical investigation. The findings of the study showed that human capital development negatively and significantly affects economic sustainability in Sub-Saharan African countries. Thus, among the policy alternatives that Sub-Saharan African countries and policymakers should pursue to attain the goals of economic sustainability is revisiting the entire human capital development architecture and putting more of an emphasis on quality education than on access to education.

Speaking out, talking back? African feminist politics and decolonial poetics of knowing, organising and loving

This piece reviews the ‘Talking back: African feminism in dialogue’ interview series I conducted with 15 African feminist activists, policymakers, researchers and artists of diverse ages, genders, sexualities, ability and nationality in which they shared their visions, personal and institutional biographies and aspirations. It explores the intersections of feminist activism, knowledge production, solidarity and power dynamics in Africa and the African diaspora. The essay delves into how African feminists challenge existing power structures, including patriarchy, colonialism, racism, fundamentalisms, capitalism and heteronormativity. It emphasises the importance of feminist scholarship and activism in reshaping political economies and political ecologies and challenging the status quo. The piece discusses the lived experiences of African feminist social movements and their efforts to redefine social contracts.

Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Peripheral Artery Disease in Rural South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the HAALSI Cohort.

The burden of peripheral artery disease (PAD) is increasing in low- and middle-income countries. Existing literature from sub-Saharan Africa is limited and lacks population-representative estimates. We estimated the burden and risk factor profile of PAD for a rural South African population. We used data from 1883 participants from a rural, low-incomecohort of South African adults aged 40 to 69 years with available ankle-brachial index measurements. We defined clinical PAD as ankle-brachial index ≤0.90 or >1.40, and borderline PAD as ankle-brachial index >0.90 and ≤1.00. We compared the distribution of sociodemographic variables, biomarkers, and comorbidities across PAD classifications. To identify associated factors, we calculated unadjusted and age-sex-adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) with log-binomial models. Overall, 6.6% (95% CI, 5.6-7.7) of the sample met the diagnostic criteria for clinical PAD, while 44.7% (95% CI, 42.4-47.0) met the diagnostic criteria for borderline PAD. Age (PR: 1.9 [95% CI, 1.2-3.1] for ages 50-59 years compared with 40-49 years; PR: 2.5 [95% CI, 1.5-4.0] for ages 60-69 years compared with 40-49 years); diagnosed hypertension (PR: 1.53 [95% CI, 1.08-2.17]); and C-reactive protein (PR: 1.08 [95% CI, 1.03-1.12]) were associated with increased prevalence of clinical PAD. All other examined factors were not significantly associated with clinical PAD. We found high PAD prevalence for younger age groups compared with previous research and a lack of statistical evidence for the influence of traditional risk factors for this rural, low-income population. Future research should focus on identifying the underlying risk factors for PAD in this setting. South African policymakers and clinicians should consider expanded screening for early PAD detection in rural areas.

Do tax burdens and currency outside banks drive economic development? Empirics from Ghana

PurposeSome African policymakers have turned their attention towards electronic transaction levy (e-levy) to maximise tax revenues in recent years due to the inability to meet revenue targets. However, some argue that the implementation of an e-levy will increase the tax burden (TB) and the currency outside banks (COB). Primarily, this paper examined the effects of the TB and COB on economic development as well as the impact of institutional quality on moderating the nexus.Design/methodology/approachThis paper used structural equation modelling (SEM) and maximum likelihood (ML) estimation techniques on quarterised data from 1996 to 2020.FindingsThe results show that the TB negatively impacts gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and urbanisation but positively affects the Economic Freedom of the World Index (EFWI). The COB impacts EFWI, GDP per capita and urbanisation positively. Institutional quality moderates the TB and the COB, establishing positive relationships with the economic development indicators.Practical implicationsThe findings strongly imply that the arguments that TB and COB are catalysts for tax evasion and corruption lack substantial empirical evidence.Originality/valueThe examination of the econometric impact of the COB on economic development is one of the first studies in the field. The paper recommends that to drive economic development and accelerate sustainable development goals (SDGs) achievement, tax revenues should be channelled into the productive sectors of the Ghanaian economy.

Exploring the optimal threshold of FDI inflows for carbon-neutral growth in Africa.

This study investigates the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and CO2 emissions in Africa, primarily emphasizing carbon-neutral growth. Employing advanced econometric methods like the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), fixed effect, and Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS), we identify critical threshold values for key variables, including economic growth, trade openness, human capital, financial development, inflation, and population growth. Our findings indicate that GDP significantly influences the FDI-CO2 emissions relationship as economies expand, shifting from negative to positive, potentially leading to increased carbon emissions. Higher trade-to-GDP ratios are associated with reduced CO2 emissions due to cleaner technologies and greener production practices. Additionally, financial development plays a pivotal role, enabling investment in sustainable technologies. Nations with a more skilled workforce are more likely to adopt sustainable practices. The influence of population growth on CO2 emissions is complex, balancing increased demand with investments in clean technologies. The study recommends that African policymakers prioritize FDI aligned with carbon-neutral growth by promoting sustainability, investing in human capital, and carefully balancing population growth with sustainability.

Speaking out, talking back? African feminist politics and decolonial poetics of knowing, organising and loving

SUMMARY This piece reviews the ‘Talking back: African feminism in dialogue’ interview series I conducted with 15 African feminist activists, policymakers, researchers and artists of diverse ages, genders, sexualities, ability and nationality in which they shared their visions, personal and institutional biographies and aspirations. It explores the intersections of feminist activism, knowledge production, solidarity and power dynamics in Africa and the African diaspora. The essay delves into how African feminists challenge existing power structures, including patriarchy, colonialism, racism, fundamentalisms, capitalism and heteronormativity. It emphasises the importance of feminist scholarship and activism in reshaping political economies and political ecologies and challenging the status quo. The piece discusses the lived experiences of African feminist social movements and their efforts to redefine social contracts.

Documenting the Perspectives of Sub-Saharan African Policy Makers, Researchers, and Activists on the Reproductive Rights, Population Dynamics, and Environmental Sustainability Nexus

While high fertility levels in sub-Saharan Africa pose multiple challenges for economic, social, and environmental prospects, the perspectives of actors from this region have not been well documented. We offer a selection of viewpoints from 42 countries in sub-Saharan Africa along four main dimensions: perceptions of the role of population growth for broader societal implications; the representation of sub-Saharan Africa in discussions of population growth; the integration of population dynamics and reproductive health and rights in environmental considerations and instruments; and the sensitive nature of the topic of population growth. A mixed-methods qualitative project was conducted, using an online survey of 402 participants followed by 18 in-depth interviews, to collect the views of policy makers, researchers, and activists in sub-Saharan Africa. We find overwhelming agreement that population growth has negative implications for environmental sustainability and other social welfare outcomes. We find broad support for the integration of population dynamics and reproductive health and rights dimensions at international environmental meetings and in environmental sustainability instruments. Participants also stressed the under-representation of sub-Saharan Africa in discussions of population dynamics and in international environmental governance. Overall, this paper contributes to a better understanding of sub-Saharan African perspectives and attitudes on the interconnectedness of reproductive health, population dynamics, and environmental sustainability.

The Role of Industrialization on Employment and Economic Growth in South Africa

Nowadays economic performance and people's well-being are driven by various factors linked to technological improvement and industrialization. South Africa is one of the countries that adopted technology and innovation to improve its economic performance and employment conditions. However, the country is still facing a growing unemployment rate and sluggish economic growth. The current study investigated the role of industrialization in heightening employment and economic growth. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and error correction model (ECM) approaches were applied to time series data from 1998 to 2019. Empirical findings indicated that industrialisation has a significant impact on South African economic growth and employment opportunities. While automotive, food and beverage, chemical and metal industries positively affect economic growth; employment growth is fuelled by high production in food and beverage, chemical, automotive and metal industries. Nonetheless, high production in clothing and chemical industries have adverse effects on economic and employment growth respectively. In the short run, employment behaviour is determined by the production of metal, food and beverages industries while changes in economic growth are driven by production in the automotive and metal industries. Grounded on findings, South African policymakers should consider pro-industrialization strategies, especially in those industries whose production is highly demanded such as metal, food and beverages. These industries enhance trade and the latter improve economic growth and create employment.

Oil price shocks and energy transition in Africa

When commodity prices rise in international markets, Africa's economic performance scarcely improves, and when commodity prices fall, its economic performance suffers substantially. This study examines the effect of oil price shocks on Africa's energy transition (ET). Data is obtained for 53 African countries between 2000 and 2020, with the Driscoll and Kraay and Panel VAR regression procedures used. The results reveal that oil price shocks have an adverse influence on Africa's ET, with the findings being strong in both rural and urban contexts. Furthermore, the results expose that the adverse effect is visible only in net crude oil exporting countries, whereas net oil importing countries have no significant effect. Moreover, oil price shocks cannot explain Africa's urban-rural differences in clean energy access. As policy implications, African policymakers should reduce the rural-urban gap in clean energy by investing more in clean energy and technologies in rural areas, which help enhance the resilience of the energy sector to oil price shocks.

Towards environmental sustainability path in Africa: The critical role of ICT, renewable energy sources, agriculturalization, industrialization and institutional quality

As African countries battles to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13 (that is, climate change mitigation), there is an increasing need to harness information and communication technology (ICT), renewable energy sources, agriculturalization, industrialization and institutional quality toward achieving this goal. Hence, it has become critical to investigate the potential role that ICT, renewable energy sources, agriculturalization, industrialization and institutional quality could play towards environmental sustainability path in Africa. The study spans from 2000 to 2021 and applied a battery of novel econometric techniques. The variables were found to have a long-term equilibrium relationship, and the causality results indicate that there is a two-way/mutual causality between all of the series (except between ICT and CO2 emissions). Based on the system GMM results, this study recommends that African governments and policymakers can achieve environmental sustainability faster when ICT is jointly utilised with the renewable energy sources and trade openness compared to the levels of industrialization, agriculturalization and institutional quality.

Development First! China’s Policy Transfer to Africa

Abstract China has emerged as an important norm-shaper in Africa in recent years and can be credited with influencing various policy sectors across the whole continent. Despite the massive impact COVID-19 had on China’s presence in Africa and the palpable decrease in financial and technical cooperation in recent years, in the field of policy dissemination China has been and still is one of the most influential external actors on the continent. Numerous ideas and practices from China have found their way into African politics, and China has directly or indirectly (and intentionally or otherwise) affected how Africans see development and the shape and implementation of development practices. This article traces the rise of China as a norm-provider to African elites and compares the impact of two influential policy sets – the development-security nexus and the Belt and Road Initiative – on African policymaking. It analyzes why some policies and ideas travelling from China have reverberated with African leaders and have had a direct impact on the developmental agenda of several countries while other concepts did not take root on the continent.

Advancing digital economy in Africa: The role of critical enablers

Given the slow pace of digital economy in Africa, this study investigated the role of critical digital economy enablers in stimulating the growth of a digital economy in Africa. The paper employed the panel-correlated standard error (PCSE) and feasible generalized least square (FGLS) estimators to analyse relevant data of 37 African countries between 2009 and 2022. For a robust analysis, the sampled countries were grouped into different income groups. The results indicate that digital infrastructure enhances digital economy growth while economic policy uncertainty dampens it across the income groups. Further results reveal that human capital development accelerates digital economy growth in low-income countries while the different measure of institutional quality have heterogeneous impact on the growth of the digital economy in Africa. The paper concludes that African policymakers should design and implement policies that will promote significant investment in digital infrastructures and human capital, and provide a stable and predictable policy framework. The novelty of this paper is its assessmemt of the role of critical digital economy enablers across different income groups in Africa.

Funding and COVID-19 research in Africa: two years on, are the research needs of Africa being met?

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused significantly lower reported mortalities on the African continent as compared to other regions. Yet, many countries on the continent are still contending with the devastating economic, social and indirect health impacts. African researchers and policy makers have identified research priority areas which take cognisance of the unique research needs of African countries. A baseline assessment of the alignment of funded research in Africa to these priorities and World Health Organization's COVID-19 research priorities was undertaken in July, 2020. We present a two-year update to this analysis of funded COVID-19 research in Africa. Data captured in the UK Collaborative on Development Research and Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness COVID-19 Research Project Tracker as of 15th July, 2022 was analysed. An additional analysis of institutions receiving funding for COVID-19 research is presented. We also analysed the change in funding for COVID-19 research in Africa since July, 2020. The limited COVID-19 research identified in Africa early in the pandemic has persisted over the subsequent two-year period assessed. When number of projects are considered, governmental funders based in Europe and United States supported the most research. Only nine research funders based in Africa were identified. A number of partnerships between African institutions and institutions based on other continents were identified, however, most research projects were undertaken in research institutions based in Africa only. Our findings highlight the relevance of the WHO research priorities for the pandemic response in Africa. Many research questions raised by African researchers remain unaddressed, among which are questions related to clinical management of COVID-19 infections in Africa. Two years after the identification of Africa's COVID-19 research priorities, the findings suggest a missed opportunity in new research funding to answer pertinent questions for the pandemic response in Africa.

Monetary Policy and Governance, Commodity Price Volatility and Tax Revenues in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper investigates the mitigating role of monetary policy and governance in the tax revenue effects of commodity price volatility (CPV) in sub-Saharan Africa. We propose a dynamic panel threshold regression to take into account both the nonlinearity in the relationship between tax revenues and CPV and the endogeneity issues. The estimations show that CPV hurt tax revenues only in the high regime of CPV. Thus, a one-standard-deviation increase in CPV significantly reduces sub-Saharan Africa tax revenues. We also show that low-interest rate, better credits to the economy, and better control of corruption mitigate the detrimental effects of CPV. Sub-Saharan African policymakers should promote accommodative monetary policies, nonconventional monetary policies, and good political governance to tackle the detrimental effects of CPV.

Inclusive growth in the face of increasing urbanization: What experience for African countries?

AbstractUrbanization and inclusive growth in Africa are very closely linked, and the literature is extremely fertile. The objective of this paper is to determine the effects of urbanization on inclusive growth in a sample of 48 African countries. We specify and estimate respectively a panel data model, fixed effects, Driscoll and Kraay, generalized least squares, robustness via Lewbel two‐stage least squares, and system generalized method of moments over the period 1995–2020. Our results show that urbanization significantly and statistically improves inclusive growth in Africa. We obtain the same result for each regional area (North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, and Central Africa) except for Southern Africa where we find that urbanization rather contributes to worsening inclusive growth. We propose that African policymakers take advantage of current urbanization patterns to effectively plan, manage and deliver U infrastructure technology services such as transport and ICT infrastructure. This will enable the growing population moving from underdeveloped regions to urban centers to access better services and employment opportunities, thereby contributing to economic progress.

Can Digital Financial Inclusion Promote Women’s Labor Force Participation? Microlevel Evidence from Africa

Our study analyzes the relationship between digital financial inclusion and women’s labor force participation, as well as shedding light on the barriers to women’s digital financial inclusion. We have mobilized a microeconomic database that covers 15,192 African women. Our database is extracted from the Global Findex database, 2021 edition, based on nationally representative surveys of 29 African countries. The Probit model estimation methodology is used to examine the empirical results. Our findings reveal that financial inclusion via the digital channel is positively associated with women’s labor force participation more than the traditional channel. A significant and positive impact of formal financial services channels on the level of women’s participation in the labor market was uncovered. Our research has shown that women face a variety of obstacles when it comes to accessing financial services, both through traditional channels and digital means. These barriers include nonvoluntary obstacles in traditional financial inclusion channels. However, as a woman’s income level increases, the intensity of these barriers decreases. When it comes to digital financial inclusion, women often face a unique set of obstacles, such as the high cost of mobile financial services, lack of money, and lack of access to a cellphone. The study contributes to the existing literature by investigating the impact of digital financial inclusion on women’s labor force participation in African countries and identifying barriers that hinder women’s digital financial inclusion based on individual-level data. It suggests that African policymakers should increase women’s financial inclusion through digital channels to improve their participation in the labor market.

Environmental and ethical negative implications of AI in agriculture and proposed mitigation measures

Numerous ethical and environmental questions are raised by the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture or precision farming. This study examines strategies that can solve environmental and ethical concerns as well as the negative effects artificial intelligence in agriculture may have on the environment and society. It employed a thorough literature study to determine the adverse effects of AI on the environment and ethics in Africa, as well as the suggested counter measures. The rate of carbon emissions is rising as a result of AI models, and constant power supply in our farms. Additionally, the ethical issues around data ownership rights, privacy and security, data bias, and the belief that AI in agriculture will someday entirely replace occupations designated for farmers were explored, along with suggestions for mitigating each of these issues. African academics, policymakers, and innovators are crucial for ensuring that AI solutions are in line with African priorities and requirements.

Effect of women’s political inclusion on the level of infrastructures in Africa

The need for gender inclusion was highlighted as the fifth sustainable development goal (SDG) (i.e. SDG5) and policies have been gearing towards attaining this objective and its subsequent effect on macroeconomic outcomes. Equally, the demonstrated trend of infrastructures in Africa in terms of stocks and future need is unique compared to the rest of the world. The objective of this study is therefore to empirically examine the effect of women’s political inclusion on infrastructural development in Africa. The results through the system GMM and Quantile Regression techniques show that women’s political inclusion enhances infrastructural development in Africa. The result is robust across different measures of infrastructures and political inclusion. Besides, the positive relationship is maintained across income groups, levels of political stability and export structure. However, the effect is not significant in countries with infrastructural scores around the extreme quantiles. The results of the study recommend African policy makers to prioritise the inclusion of women in the political agenda as one of the strategies towards the development of infrastructures. This could come through the putting in place of laws that favour women’s participation in politics. Moreover, the countries should ratify international conventions that favour gender inclusion.

Re-Emergence of Monkeypox Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa: What is the Fate of the African Healthcare System?

The continuous rise in the number of monkeypox cases amidst the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic in Africa calls for concern, especially regarding its possible impact on the healthcare system. The current state of the healthcare system contributes substantially to the limitation of COVID–19 elimination in the region, which shows the poor state of the system. The re–emergence of the monkeypox virus amidst the pandemic means that the system must be strengthened to provide quality healthcare delivery for Africans. Therefore, it is high time that African health policymakers and governments begin to make decisions, decisions that will determine the fate of the African healthcare system and, consequently, the lives of people living in Africa in the ongoing event of COVID–19 and monkeypox.