Institutions In Sub-Saharan Africa Research Articles

A Systematic Review of the Challenges of e-Learning Implementation in Sub-Saharan African Countries: 2016-2022

Even a cursory review of the research literature over the past two decades will reveal many e-learning implementation challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa Higher Education Institutions. The last available systematic review of these challenges was conducted in 2017. To address this gap and by following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, our systematic review aimed to find answers to the following two research questions: (a) What e-learning challenges were identified in research conducted in Higher Education Institutions in sub-Saharan Africa from 2016, and (b) Which e-learning challenges identified before 2016 remain and which are new? Using search terms and synonyms associated with e-learning challenges, three reviewers performed a Boolean search in Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus. After duplicates (113) were removed, a total of 353 potential articles were imported into a collaboration platform and filtered using the following inclusion criteria: (1) Higher Education Institutions in sub-Saharan Africa (2) English articles from 2016 to 2022 (3) user data on real-world e-learning implementations are available (4) use of a computer/mobile device excluding m-learning approaches and (5) blended or fully online courses. After a selection process where article sets were reviewed, rotated, and conflicts resolved, 25 articles that met the inclusion criteria formed the primary evidence base. After a data collection process and using selected Grounded Theory techniques, a total of 48 challenges, synthesised in 25 challenge categories, were identified across six themes: university-related (36 citations), instructor-related (20), access-related (14), LMS-related (10), student-related (9) and computer literacy-related (9). The main challenges categories were ICT infrastructure (14 citations), technical support (10) and student bandwidth (8), while the secondary challenges were mainly related to the instructor: commitment and capacity (7), capacity (6), LMS training (6) and instructional design and support (5). Suggestions are offered to address key challenges related to ICT infrastructure, technical support, and student bandwidth. Secondary challenges, which are mainly related to the instructor, are proposed to be resolved by a skilled and energetic instructional design and support team. Although many challenges identified before 2016 were reinforced in this investigation, no new challenges were identified. Overall, the number of citations for specific challenges shows that most challenges are context-specific, that is, limited to single HEIs. However, when combined in challenge categories and reflected as themes, the review reveals many challenges to remain persistent. To ensure that an institution, its instructors, and its students are geared and supported stepwise, a holistic top-down approach that considers all challenges is required. To achieve this, a recommendation for further research is the development of an updated SSA-specific checklist that can be used to rate e-learning readiness in terms of importance and context. The research aims to provide active researchers in the field with an update on the status of research on e-learning challenges in SSA, as well as to make decision-makers aware of potential challenges when implementing e-learning in the SSA context. This may result in better institutional strategies to support e-learning practitioners, as well as to ensure the effective development and implementation of e-learning management systems.

Characteristics of Governance System of Health Training Institutions in Sub-saharan Africa: Ghana in Focus

The characteristics of the governance system in health training institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on Ghana, are crucial for the development of competent health professionals. However, numerous challenges hinder the progress of these institutions and impede the production of skilled healthcare workers. By examining how Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa have addressed similar challenges, Ghana can draw valuable lessons to improve its governance system. Firstly, one key characteristic of the governance system in health training institutions is effective leadership. Strong leadership is essential for creating a conducive environment that promotes excellence and accountability among faculty and students. Additionally, transparent decision-making processes ensure that resources are allocated efficiently and fairly. However, several challenges exist within this governance system. One major challenge is inadequate funding. Insufficient financial resources limit infrastructure development and hinder the acquisition of modern equipment necessary for quality education and training. Moreover, limited funding affects staff recruitment and retention efforts. These challenges ultimately impede the development of competent health professionals in Ghana. Without adequate resources, students are unable to receive comprehensive training that prepares them for real-world healthcare scenarios. This results in a workforce ill-equipped to meet the demands of an evolving healthcare landscape. To address these challenges effectively, Ghana can learn from Nigeria's approach to public-private partnerships in healthcare education financing. By engaging private sector stakeholders, Nigeria has been able to secure additional funding sources beyond government allocations. Rwanda offers another valuable lesson through its emphasis on community-based education programs. By integrating practical experiences within local communities into their curriculum, Rwandan institutions produce graduates who possess both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. South Africa provides insight into addressing staff shortages by implementing robust recruitment strategies that attract qualified educators from both national and international pools. In conclusion, improving the characteristics of the governance system in health training institutions is vital for producing competent health professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ghana can learn from Nigeria's public-private partnerships approach, Rwanda's community-based education programs, and South Africa's recruitment strategies. By implementing these lessons, Ghana can overcome its challenges and develop a governance system that fosters the growth of skilled healthcare professionals.

Effect of non-structural competition on the performance of microfinance institutions in sub-Saharan Africa

Effect of non-structural competition on the performance of microfinance institutions in sub-Saharan Africa

Using the modified Delphi technique to develop a framework for interprofessional education during international electives in health professions training institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

International electives provide a learning platform where interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) skills can be cultivated. However, hardly any frameworks to guide the implementation of interprofessional education (IPE) during international electives, especially in the context of low-income settings have been published. To address this gap, this study used the modified Delphi approach to develop an IPE framework guide for international electives to be used by health professions training institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. A rapid literature review and a study among students and faculty in four African health professional training institutions were done to inform the process. This was followed by the modified Delphi technique that used three Delphi rounds with a panel of eight experts to build consensus on the final framework for IPE during international electives. The level of consensus was set at ≥70% on each of the statements in all rounds. Out of the 52 statements in round 1 (n = 37, 71%) reached consensus while (n = 15, 29%) of the statements did not reach consensus and were discussed in round 2. Round 2 led to 42 statements to be utilized for round 3. In round 3, all statements (42) reached a consensus and an IPE framework to guide the implementation of international electives was developed. The framework consists of three sections. Section one highlights the various IPECP competencies to be gained by learners in the areas of teamwork, interprofessional communication, roles and responsibilities of interprofessional collaborative practice, values and ethics of interprofessional collaboration, and reflection and evaluation of oneself and the team. Section two gives guidance on the structuring of the IPE international electives in health professional training institutions. This includes subsections on operational/institutional needs, acculturation considerations, teaching strategies, assessment strategies, mode of delivery, and public health considerations. Section three consists of the various practical guides and approaches that health professional training institutions could use according to what works best in their setting. The modified Delphi technique was an adequate approach to aid the development of an IPE framework to guide implementation during international electives in various health professional training institutions.

The role of climate change awareness for trust in institutions in sub-Saharan Africa

Within the context of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa, trust in institutions is an important prerequisite to implement climate change adaptation and mitigation policies. There is a lack of systematic investigation of the relationship between climate change awareness, conflicts, and trust in institutions. We address this pressing research gap based on a regression analysis with trust in institutions as dependent variables, and climate change awareness and violence as independent variables drawing on Afrobarometer individual data and aggregated data on armed conflicts. Our main findings indicate that trust in institutions in sub-Saharan Africa is influenced by both the individual climate change awareness and the violence context. First, we find a negative relationship between those who are aware of climate change and trust in institutions. Second, we observe a socio-economic divide: young, urban and educated parts of the population as well as those who feel their ethnic group is treated unfairly do not trust institutions. Third, we see a regional divide: those far from political centres are not aware of climate change, and those close to the political centres do not trust institutions.

Opportunities and challenges for decentralised clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa: a qualitative study

IntroductionDigital health has gained traction in research and development, and clinical decision support systems. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of decentralised clinical trials (DCTs) as a mitigation and efficiency...

Plagiarism in Higher Education (PLAGiHE) within Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of a decade (2012–2022) literature

The purpose of this study was to map the distribution of publications on plagiarism among higher educational institutions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Studies reviewed were based on 171 plagiarism related publications within a decade (2012–2022). Findings revealed that most plagiarism related articles were published in 2016. Additionally, a majority of the studies (53) were from Nigeria and Ghana (23). Most of the articles focused on students’ and faculty’s awareness of plagiarism, and institutional prevention of plagiarism, but were rather marginal on challenges involved in preventing plagiarism, as well as effects of plagiarism. Dominant forms of plagiarism were self-plagiarism, branded plagiarism and commission plagiarism. However, major causes of plagiarism comprised easy access to digital information and resources; poor supervision of students; pressure on academics to publish for promotion; and insufficient skills development regarding ethical academic writing. Additionally, plagiarism preventive software and policies on plagiarism were the main ways of preventing plagiarism. Finally, in fighting plagiarism, higher educational institutions in SSA encountered challenges such as lack of well-trained academic experts to detect and report plagiarism cases; reluctance on the part of technical administrative staff to investigate works for traces of plagiarism; and low plagiarism detection skills from project supervisors. Based on the findings, recommendations are made to stakeholders for future research, policy and practice.

Defining operational research priorities to improve malaria control and elimination in sub-Saharan Africa: results from a country-driven research prioritization setting process

BackgroundIn order to reignite gains and accelerate progress toward improved malaria control and elimination, policy, strategy, and operational decisions should be derived from high-quality evidence. The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Insights project together with the Université Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Senegal, conducted a broad stakeholder consultation process to identify pressing evidence gaps in malaria control and elimination across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and developed a priority list of country-driven malaria operational research (OR) and programme evaluation (PE) topics to address these gaps.MethodsFive key stakeholder groups were engaged in the process: national malaria programmes (NMPs), research institutions in SSA, World Health Organization (WHO) representatives in SSA, international funding agencies, and global technical partners who support malaria programme implementation and research. Stakeholders were engaged through individual or small group interviews and an online survey, and asked about key operational challenges faced by NMPs, pressing evidence gaps in current strategy and implementation guidance, and priority OR and PE questions to address the challenges and gaps.ResultsAltogether, 47 interviews were conducted with 82 individuals, and through the online survey, input was provided by 46 global technical partners. A total of 33 emergent OR and PE topics were identified through the consultation process and were subsequently evaluated and prioritized by an external evaluation committee of experts from NMPs, research institutions, and the WHO. The resulting prioritized OR and PE topics predominantly focused on generating evidence needed to close gaps in intervention coverage, address persistent challenges faced by NMPs in the implementation of core strategic interventions, and inform the effective deployment of new tools.ConclusionThe prioritized research list is intended to serve as a key resource for informing OR and PE investments, thereby ensuring future investments focus on generating the evidence needed to strengthen national strategies and programme implementation and facilitating a more coordinated and impactful approach to malaria operational research.

Financial development, institutions and industrialization in sub‐Saharan Africa

AbstractUsing a panel data covering more than 100 countries worldwide, we have estimated a dynamic panel model to investigate the relationship between financial development and manufacturing industries’ growth. More specifically, we have estimated the effect that institutional quality might have in this relationship in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). The results show that lower quality institutions in SSA are a hindrance to the role financial development plays in the growth of the manufacturing industrial sector, as compared with developed countries. These findings are robust when a quantile regression model is used. Furthermore, the results confirm that the relationship between per capita GDP and industrialization is nonlinear. Finally, in SSA, the abundance of natural resources has an adverse effect on the manufacturing industrial value added, providing more evidence for the Dutch disease hypothesis.

Harnessing technology and innovation to address emerging issues: Covid-19: Opportunities and challenges

This study explores the opportunities and challenges presented through harnessing technology and innovation to address COVID-19 as an emerging issue in higher education institutions in Kenya. COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to higher education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically in Kenya. The pandemic forced institutions to migrate to online learning, impacting the quality of education, enrollment rates, and mental health challenges students face. The study used a mixed-methods approach, incorporating secondary sources of information and primary data from experts such as Ministry of Education officials, university management, students' counsellors, and teaching staff from Kenyan universities. It focused on teaching and assessment delivery, enrollment rates, education quality, ICT infrastructure access, and mental health challenges. The study revealed that universities with established e-learning support departments were better equipped to transition to online learning, with the level of preparedness of teaching staff for online delivery is a significant factor in enhancing performance. However, enrollment rates did not increase significantly, and mental health challenges were common among students due to the digital divide. Higher education institutions in Kenya should invest in e-learning support departments and bridge the digital divide to prepare teaching staff for better online delivery. Universities should also consider a hybrid approach to teaching and learning that combines online and face-to-face delivery modes to ensure better learning outcomes.

Adapted institutional analysis and development framework for understanding customary land institutions in sub-Saharan Africa – A case study from Nigeria

Customary land institutions (CLIs) are social institutions that define local land governance in communities. Strengthening community rights continues to be an essential land policy goal, and several studies have focused on ways to improve local land governance through CLIs. Relatively limited attention, however, has been paid to understanding these institutions in themselves. The present study addresses this gap and develops an analytical framework built on the well-known institutional analysis and development framework to support the understanding of CLIs in the context of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The framework was developed through a hermeneutic review of literature on CLIs in SSA. Accordingly, we mapped and classified the literature based on the concepts in the institutional analysis and development framework. The developed framework facilitates a detailed analysis of the contextual factors and customary land practices of CLIs, enabling a determination of their adequate and inadequate aspects. The framework was applied to understand the CLI in Ile-Ife through content analysis of primary and secondary data on the CLI. The case study application suggests that the framework can enable the understanding of CLI and the identification of the potentials and weaknesses within the institution. Notwithstanding, further exploration of the proposed framework should be carried out in other SSA contexts to validate its functionality.

Factors affecting female enrolment in technical and vocational education and training institutions in sub-Saharan Africa: insights from north-western Ghana

ABSTRACT This study analysed the trends in enrolment and access to Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at the second cycle level in Ghana to ascertain the factors affecting female enrolment in TVET in sub-Saharan Africa. A cross-sectional survey design was employed to collect data from 180 respondents using survey questionnaires. The results showed that there exists about a 51.6% gender gap in enrolment for the past five academic years. The major constraint to female enrolment and academic progression in TVET was the high cost of materials and equipment required for practical sessions in TVET programmes. In addition, the lack of female role models in TVET, including derogatory remarks by the public that portrays TVET as inferior, affects female enrolment in TVET programmes. There is, therefore, the need for public education and sensitisation on the prospects of female participation in TVET in Ghana and other developing counties, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Outcomes of Forest Landscape Restoration Shaped by Endogenous or Exogenous Actors and Institutions? A Systematic Review on Sub-Saharan Africa

Although ambitious, forest landscape restoration (FLR) is still very high on global climate change mitigation and adaptation research and policy agendas. The scientific literature highlights the importance of institutions and actors’ collaboration for achieving the intended outcomes. Despite these diffuse indications, a comprehensive understanding of the role played by different types of actors and institutions in shaping FLR outcomes is missing. This hinders the definition of an actor-cum-institutions research agenda for FLR, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Yet, in this region, different actors with diverse interests shape FLR practices. Likewise, formal and informal institutions are known to collide frequently. Hence, this paper addresses the lacunae by systematically reviewing FLR actors’ interests and power manifestations and the typologies of institutions linked to FLR outcomes in SSA. The review further defines future research agendas on actors and institutions in SSA. The following lessons can be drawn from the review of 75 peer-reviewed journal articles: First, while exogenous actors are interested more in the ecological benefits of FLR, endogenous actors are interested in economic ones. Second, exogenous actors mostly use (dis-)incentives and coercion to shape the behavior of endogenous actors in FLR. Finally, while the exogenous formal institutional typology produces positive and negative ecological, economic, political, and sociocultural FLR outcomes, the endogenous formal and informal institutions produce only positive outcomes. Future studies should identify actors’ compliance levels of the exogenous and endogenous formal and informal typologies of institutions. Future studies should also analyze the effectiveness of FLR-linked institutions towards ensuring successful FLR.

Cultural factors, quality of government and the effectiveness of Supreme Audit Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Given the importance of public financial management for people well-being, most countries around the world have Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) as an instrument to help achieve better Public Financial Management. SAIs play a key role in ensuring public management accountability. This paper aims to investigate the determinants of Supreme Audit Institutions’ effectiveness in Sub-Saharan Africa. Models are estimated for a sample of Supreme Audit Institutions from 45 countries. The results indicate that the effectiveness of SAIs in Sub-Saharan Africa is associated with the Institutional Quality of Government which takes into account six dimensions of country governance: voice and accountability, political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, control of corruption. In the same vein, SAI effectiveness is found to be associated with institutional and cultural aspects, mainly, the British colonial legacy and the continued adoption of the Westminster SAI model.

Contextual Content Analysis of Mission Statements of Open and Distance Education Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

The aim of this study is to evaluate the extent to which open, and distance education universities are fulfilling their stated purpose as higher education institutions in Sub-Saharan countries. The starting point of understanding the purpose of an institutions is to analyse the content of mission statements and the context in which the universities operate. The content of the mission statements of the six selected open and distance universities from Sub-Saharan countries were analysed using contextual content analysis. The role of mission statements is to communicate the purpose of the institution to stakeholders. Although most open and distance universities mentioned some of the principles of openness, many mission statements were silent on access, equity and student-centredness. The findings revealed that there is misalignment between what the university claims to do and their practice. This shows that these institutions did not consider the open and distance education principles and context when developing mission statements.

When Context Matters - Application and Potential of Financial Crime Risk Indicators in Selected African Jurisdictions

This paper explores the application and potential of financial crime risk indicators in the international banking and mercantile transactions. Special emphasis is placed on lists of financial crime risk indicators which are circulated, or have been drafted, by governments and public institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper investigates, inter alia, whether such financial crime risk indicator lists created by African institutions differ noticeably – regarding content, drafting style, and availability – from other well-established indicator lists, and whether African financial crime risk indicator lists appropriately represent African commercial realities and thus meaningfully contribute to fighting financial crime on the continent and beyond.

Pharmacovigilance in Multiple Myeloma Care in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of Immunomodulatory Anti-myeloma Guidelines Using Kenyan AMPATH Framework

Background: Pharmacovigilance is a science that deals on the impact of therapeutic interventions (i.e., benefits and adverse effects) on the target body. In multiple myeloma treatment, it deals with the impact of anti-myeloma drugs on target patients through their risk assessment and risk management. This framework ensures safety and surveillance of anti-myeloma drugs administered to prospective multiple myeloma patients. Pharmacovigilance of anti-myeloma therapy is rarely instituted in the health institutions in sub-Saharan Africa due to late diagnosis and poor palliative care system in the region. The hallmarks are increased disability adjusted life-years, reduced quality adjusted life-years and average survival interval of people living with multiple myeloma in the region.
 Aim: This study highlighted the safety measures undertaken by the healthcare professionals and multiple myeloma patients who are on immunomodulatory (Thalidomide and Lenalidomide) anti myeloma drugs to prevent or minimize adverse drug reactions.
 Methodology: This study was a review of the guidelines for Pharmacovigilance using Kenyan AMPATH anti-myeloma pharmacovigilance brochures and other research database as literature sources. The paper was analysed and grouped according to the following categories namely the adverse drug reactions encountered with the use of anti-myeloma drugs and pharmacovigilance risk management programme (RMP) for immunomodulatory drugs (thalidomide and lenalidomide).
 Results: The three major identified safety tools for effective pharmacovigilance of the anti-myeloma patient population were the healthcare professional workforce, safety guidelines brochures and safety forms for registration and documentation of impact of therapeutic interventions. The healthcare professionals are key players in the formulation of pharmacovigilance risk management protocols. The risk management starts with education of the healthcare providers and myeloma patients using guidelines brochures designated for the respective groups. The prescriber registration-, pharmacy registration-, treatment initiation-, prescription authentication-, and adverse drug reaction forms are the essential safety working documents that are needed to be completed by the patient and healthcare professionals for effective monitoring and evaluation. Both the healthcare provider and the myeloma patient are expected to adhere strictly to the safety measures enshrined in the pharmacovigilance guideline brochures. The patient’s anti-myeloma safety measures are stratified into female of child bearing age, women above the child-bearing age and the male sub-population.
 Conclusion: In setting up a comprehensive multiple myeloma care centre, an effective pharmacovigilance program is paramount. This requires healthcare professional workforce, safety guidelines brochures and safety forms for registration and documentation of impact of therapeutic interventions. Policy formulation, sustainable drug availability and collaboration with support groups are vital tools to drive this operative framework in underserved settings of sub-Saharan Africa.

Teaching bioengineering using a blended online teaching and learning strategy: a new pedagogy for adapting classrooms in developing countries.

Research and academia have been recently affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and physical classrooms and laboratory experiments have been affected significantly due to the recent laboratory closures. This has led to innovative approaches to curb this problem. To address these difficulties in teaching bioengineering related courses that is of significant interest to students of the Faculty of Engineering in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, and of course, useful for engineering-based higher education institutions (HEI), a transitional pedagogy: Communicate, Active, Collaborate, Problem-based Solving, Learning and Assessment (CACPLA), which encompasses blended learning, was developed as a new teaching and learning strategy. In this study, we show that this new strategy can initiate a steady transition from physical classrooms to full online instruction for some subjects in engineering. This method has been trialled as an exercise for a module as part of an envisioned biomedical engineering degree programme which can be integrated with local industries and research institutions in sub-Saharan Africa. The teaching materials and environment were carefully designed and 253 students of third and final year classes participated as the experimental group. Also, the effect of critical thinking, pre-lecture, and post lecture on the overall performance of the students was assessed. Two questionnaires were designed for data collection, (a) for technical questions, (b) for receptiveness. The result of a student survey suggests favourable reception of the teaching methodology, which aided their understanding of the general bioengineering concept as applied to the materials chemistry and mechanical measurements context. It was noticed that 80% of the students indicated that the blended learning method was sufficient in achieving the learning outcomes of the study. The method is envisioned as a useful and sustainable complement to traditional teaching pedagogies and workshops due to the convenience and relatively high accessibility to Zoom and Google Meet Apps which can be readily employed without incurring significant costs.

“We should be at the table together from the beginning”: perspectives on partnership from stakeholders at four research institutions in sub-Saharan Africa

BackgroundGlobal health research partnerships have been scrutinised for how they operate and criticised for perpetuating inequities. Guidance to inform fair partnership practice has proliferated and the movement to decolonise global health has added momentum for change. In light of this evolving context, we sought in this study to document contemporary experiences of partnership from the perspective of stakeholders in four sub-Saharan African research institutions.MethodsWe conducted qualitative interviews with 20 stakeholders at research institutions in four countries in anglophone eastern and southern Africa. Interview questions were informed by published guidance on equitable research partnerships. Data was analysed through an iterative process of inductive and deductive coding, supported by NVivo software.ResultsEarly-career, mid-career and senior researchers and research administrators from four sub-Saharan African research institutions described wide-ranging experiences of partnership with high-income country collaborators. Existing guidelines for partnership provided good coverage of issues that participants described as being the key determinants of a healthy partnership, including mutual respect, role clarity and early involvement of all partners. However, there was almost no mention of guidelines being used to inform partnership practice. Participants considered the key benefits of partnership to be capacity strengthening and access to research funding. Meanwhile, participants continued to experience a range of well-documented inequities, including exclusion from agenda setting, study design, data analysis and authorship; and relationships that were exploitative and dominated by high-income country partners’ interests. Participants also reported emerging issues where their institution had been the prime recipient of funds. These included high-income country partners being unwilling to accept a subordinate role and failing to comply with reporting requirements.ConclusionsInsights from stakeholders in four sub-Saharan African research institutions suggest that contemporary global health research partnerships generate considerable benefits but continue to exhibit longstanding inequities and reveal emerging tensions. Our findings suggest that long-term support targeted towards institutions and national research systems remains essential to fulfil the potential of research led from sub-Saharan Africa. High-income country stakeholders need to find new roles in partnerships and stakeholders from sub-Saharan Africa must continue to tackle challenges presented by the resource-constrained contexts in which they commonly operate.

Institutional quality, macroeconomic uncertainty and efficiency of financial institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

PurposeThis paper evaluates how institutions of governance and macroeconomic uncertainty influence efficiency of financial institutions in the subregion of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Data for the empirical inquiry were compiled from relevant sources for 33 countries in the subregion from 2002 to 2019. Empirical estimates verifying hypothesized relationships were carried out using the continuous updating estimator (CUE) by Hansen et al. (1996).Design/methodology/approachThe purpose of this paper is to evaluates how institutions of governance and macroeconomic uncertainty influence efficiency of financial institutions in the subregion of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Data for the empirical inquiry were compiled from relevant sources for 33 countries in the subregion from 2002 to 2019. Empirical estimates verifying hypothesized relationships were carried out using the continuous updating estimator (CUE) by Hansen et al. (1996).FindingsThe results suggest that institutional quality has significant positive effect on financial institution efficiency, supporting the view that improved and supportive structures of governance tend to promote operational efficiency among financial institutions among economies in SSA. In addition, improvement in individual governance indicators such as corruption control, government effectiveness, regulatory quality and rule of law was also found to support or enhance efficiency of financial institutions among economies in the subregion. Macroeconomic uncertainty on the other hand is found to impede efficiency of financial institutions; the same condition (macroeconomic uncertainty) is further found to negate any positive impact corruption control, government effectiveness, regulatory quality and rule of law have on operational efficiency among financial institutions in the subregion.Originality/valueUnlike most of related studies, this study adopts a different approach on the dynamics of financial institutions. Approach pursued in this empirical inquiry examines how the regulatory environment within which financial institutions operate, the form of governance and the quality of government institutions influence efficiency of financial institutions among emerging economies in Sub-Sahara. Empirical analysis conducted examines effects of variables that are unique to this study; these variables are either constructed or econometrically derived specifically for various interactions verified in the study. For instance, institutional quality variable is an index constructed specifically for this study using principal component analysis approach.