Policy In West Africa Research Articles

French Colonial Policies in West Africa: Power Dynamics, Cultural Impositions and Economic Legacies

The complex dynamics of French colonial policies in West Africa during European imperialism played a crucial role in streamlining administrative procedures and consolidating control over the indigenous African population. This colonial framework not only imposed a distinct sense of identity on African communities but also created deep stratification within these societies. Implementing the direct rule system, an essential aspect of French colonial administration, facilitated imposing laws and regulations that often marginalized traditional authority structures. As a result, a symbiotic relationship emerged between the African colonies and France, with the former serving as essential suppliers of resources crucial for sustaining France's growing industrial enterprises. This paper delves into the intricate nuances of the French colonial policies and their enduring impact on West Africa. By critically examining the assimilation and association policies, the study elucidates the power dynamics, cultural impositions, and economic implications that characterized the colonial experience of French colonies in West Africa. Unpacking the complexities of the colonial governance framework highlights the systemic disparities and cultural alienation perpetuated by the French colonial apparatus, underscoring the persistent socio-economic challenges and cultural subjugation that continue to shape the contemporary West African landscape. By exploring historical injustices and postcolonial complexities, the study emphasizes the urgent need for a holistic and inclusive approach to postcolonial development, advocating for preserving cultural heritage and promoting equitable socio-economic progress within the region.

‘Speak of the devil and he shall appear’: unpacking the practices of security brokers in West Africa

ABSTRACT This study investigates the intermediaries or brokers who participate in the constitution, negotiation, and production of peace and security policies in West Africa. These security brokers possess social and knowledge capital, making them the preferred interlocutors of international actors, institutions, and researchers to produce security knowledge to inform policy. Thus, this article seeks to explain how these security brokers interact with and shape the construction of a security assemblage in West Africa. Based on three ethnographic sites in Bamako (Mali), Niamey (Niger) and Abidjan (Ivory Coast), social trajectories of these intermediaries of securitization processes allow us to understand how material and symbolic resources are attracted. Security brokers oscillate between instrumentalist, pragmatic, and reflexive stances toward the (re)production of security practices promoted by (trans)national institutions and actors. Just like any international institutions or actors, they can either participate to the (re)production or challenge the premise of the security assemblage.

Threshold effect of financial stability on monetary policy in West Africa

This article aims to highlight the nonlinearity of the reaction function of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) through financial stability. Using the smooth threshold autoregressive (STAR) model on aggregate data for the period 1970–2020, the study reveals that the dynamics of the BCEAO monetary policy are conditioned on financial stability, especially when using the money supply ratio as an indicator of financial stability. Thus, the BCEAO reacts to a financial instability risk when the volatility of the latter exceeds a threshold. In particular, the BCEAO adopts a restrictive monetary policy by raising its interest rate when the deviation of the financial stability index is greater than the estimated threshold. These results indicate that the BCEAO should take into account the cyclical component of the money supply ratio in conducting monetary policy. This strategy could prevent financial instability risks.

Bureaucratic Migration Politics in West Africa: Opportunities and Dependencies Created by EU Funding

This article delves into the role of bureaucrats and administrations in the development of national migration policies in West Africa. Based upon 87 interviews conducted in Accra, Dakar, and Brussels, it argues that the process of developing migration policies in Ghana and Senegal exhibits features of “bureaucratic politics.” West African bureaucracies have gained more national policy-making agency, due to the opportunities created by external funding from the European Union (EU) and the International Organization for Migration. EU funding fostered the policy expertise of local officials and provided certain administrative branches with resources to grow. In the process, bureaucracies in Ghana and Senegal have become more receptive to developing national migration policies and adapting to the EU external migration agenda. These findings add to an often-heard assumption in the literature about EU conditionality in its migration policy with non-EU countries — namely, that adaption to EU standards may be determined by not only the rewards given to foreign governments but also by the donors’ ability to establish a longer-term engagement with the bureaucracy. The research also demonstrates that EU migration cooperation reinforces the typical pattern of the postcolonial state, wherein the bureaucracy is funded by the state and external donors. The article addresses a gap in research on EU migration cooperation with the Global South and acknowledges the role of domestic bureaucracies in maintaining dependent postcolonial relationships with the EU in the realm of migration governance.

Building knowledge broker capacities during the regional research project: lessons learnt from the West African Health Organisation

The aim of the article was to understand how its project entitled "moving maternal, newborn and child evidence into policy in West Africa" funded under the Canadian initiative has helped the West African Health Organisation to better build its role as a knowledge broker in West Africa. A case study approach was adopted to allow for the validation or otherwise of stated hypotheses using context, actor, process, and outcome data. WAHO as a HPRO has been able through the Moving Maternal Newborn and Child Health Evidence into policy in West Africa project to play the role of KB through strengthening collaboration between policy makers and researchers, generating knowledge for a better understanding of the evidence use environment in the field of maternal and child health, and finally through the implementation of actions to create an enabling environment for the use of evidence to influence health policy and practice. Weaknesses were noted and mostly corrected in the implementation process. The commitment of senior management and other stakeholders, the implementation of the project using the strengths of the institution, the collaboration with regional experts, the provision of additional human resources and the use of evidence in planning project activities facilitate this capacity building. The experience gained enabled the organisation during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue to facilitate the use of evidence for decision making by policy makers in West Africa.

Welfare Effects of Indirect Tax Policies in West Africa

Welfare Effects of Indirect Tax Policies in West Africa

Disability inclusiveness in Covid-19 pandemic policies in West Africa: “Are we left behind?”

Disability inclusiveness in Covid-19 pandemic policies in West Africa: “Are we left behind?”

Borders, Migration and Xenophobic Policies in West Africa

Abstract The 1979 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Protocol, or Article 59 of the 1993 ECOWAS Revised Treaty, encapsulates the terms and conditions for a visa-free and borderless economic community. It is geared towards decolonising the colonial borders and encouraging economic activity. But despite the ratification of the Protocol, documented and undocumented migrants continue to be expelled, blocked at borders and prevented from doing business, and suffer other xenophobic mistreatment, within the sub-region. The member states of ECOWAS have implemented anti-immigrant policies, from which Community citizens are rarely exempted. The article argues that the political class in the various states in the sub-region has nurtured and exploited a xenophobic consciousness, which has prevented the growth of class consciousness and protects their power base. The xenophobic policies of West African states have also created the necessary conditions to impede the implementation of the ECOWAS Protocol.

Tax Treaty Policy in West Africa: Past, Present and Future

The article examines West Africa’s history in treaty-making among its constituent member states, as well as its experience of multilateralism in this area.

Interdependence among West African stock markets: A dimension of regional financial integration

AbstractUnderstanding the nature of interdependence between international stock markets is vital for portfolio diversification, risk management and market regulation. This paper examines the nature of interdependence among West African stock markets using correlation analysis, the Granger causality test and a multivariate BEKK‐GARCH (1,1) model. The results show evidence of a weak relationship among West African stock markets. The results also show absence of causal dependence between the Côte d'Ivoire BRVM (Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières), and the Ghana stock market, but evince feedback relationship between the Côte d'Ivoire BRVM and the Nigeria stock market as well as between the Ghana and Nigeria stock markets. The results further reveal no evidence of volatility spillover between the Côte d'Ivoire BRVM and the Ghana stock market, but show evidence of unidirectional volatility spillover from the Nigeria stock market to the Côte d'Ivoire BRVM as well as bidirectional volatility spillover between the Nigerian and Ghanaian stock markets. Overall, the findings reveal existence of weak interdependence among West African stock markets, and that West African financial markets are interdependent through the Nigerian market. These findings are relevant to stock market stabilisation and investment policy in West Africa.

Public debt-investment nexus: the significance of investment-generation policy in West Africa

PurposeThe main goal of the study is to explore the long run relationship between public debt and domestic investment in West Africa. Essentially, a study of this nature is to proffer major inroads into addressing low investment levels plaguing the region and securing critical fiscal policy measures.Design/methodology/approachThe study examines the long-run relationship between public debt and domestic investment in 13 West African countries between 1986 and 2018 with the use of Panel Dynamic Least Squares (DOLS) and Panel Fully Modified Least Squares (FMOLS), and causality test based on Toda and Yamamoto.FindingsPublic debt (% of GDP) and external debt stocks have an insignificant effect on domestic investment in the long run, suggesting the negligible effect of public debt on the level of investments in the region. Further evidence shows that domestic investment Granger causes public debt indicators, implying that there is unidirectional causality. This suggests that any investment-generation policy could engender a rise in public borrowing, although such public loans might not be effective when there is pervasive mismanagement of public funds, as public debts need to be well managed for ensuring improved investment.Research limitations/implicationsThe study suggests that maintaining a strong and effective debt-investment nexus requires fiscal consolidation efforts across countries, as such could lead to enhanced institutional capacity and sustainable investment-generation policy.Originality/valueSince panel regression techniques used by the previous studies (Fixed and Random effects) could be susceptible to possible statistical errors due to endogeneity issue and might not be well suited for explaining long-run effect or capturing the part of investment sustainability, their conclusions could be misleading and remain untenable in West Africa' s context. Hence, the study adopts techniques (DOLS and FMOLS) which could account for endogeneity issue and provide better elucidations for long-term effects.

Financial Inclusion and Monetary Policy in West Africa

The study investigated the impact of financial inclusion on the effectiveness of monetary policy in West Africa for the period 2005 to 2018. The study employed Granger panel non-causality test developed by Dumitrescu and Hurlin to determine the direction of causality between inflation (a proxy for monetary policy) and indicators of financial inclusion. The system GMM was also employed to investigate the impact of each indicator of financial inclusion on monetary policy. The results show that financial inclusion is a major determinant of monetary policy. The study concludes that financial inclusion should be broaden to include large number of economic agents in the rural areas and in informal sector because large volume of financial transactions take place within this sector.

Designing Transnational Hydroclimatological Observation Networks and Data Sharing Policies in West Africa

Surface observations provide ground evidence of climate change to support the scientific guidance paving the way to better adaptation and mitigation actions. The West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) has designed a multi-stakeholder initiative to rescue the deteriorated near-surface weather, climate and hydrological equipment of West African countries. The main goal for this multi-stakeholder framework was to monitor the climate and collect long term and high-quality records of essential climate variables in support of research, education, capacity building, and climate services provision. Proactive and inclusive partnership initiatives were developed to jointly (re)design and (re)implement near surface observatiories with the national meteorological and hydrological services or agencies (NMHS/As) in West Africa. The co-production scheme used by this framework succeeded in evaluating the existing observations networks, to modernizing sensors and field equipment, and densifying the sites in order to improve the quality of data collection, transmission, archiving, processing and sharing policies. After more than four years of community-of-practice, the existing regional basic hydroclimatic was increased/upgraded by 45% with automatic weather observing systems while fifty automatic water level, ten water quality sensors, three mesoscale research catchments, and several pilot sites to benefit countries’ services provision, research infrastructure, education, and capacity building. Country-specific data sharing policies were harmonized and signed to support data services delivery. This practice paper exposes the concepts, outcomes, challenges, lessons learned and the ways forward in setting-up the framework and keeping it on working to leverage the co-production of data & information services for better-informed decision-making in the field of sustainable development in West Africa.

“Tea Is Calling to People”: Tea Communities, Street Meals, and Local Policies in West Africa

“Tea Is Calling to People”: Tea Communities, Street Meals, and Local Policies in West Africa

Border Securitisation and Politics of State Policy in Nigeria, 2014–2017

This article examines the politics of public policies characterised by increased securitisation of Nigeria’s national boundary from 2014 to 2017. While the regulation appears on paper to discourage transborder crime, capital outflow and sustain a favourable balance of payment, the existing armoury of West African border literature argues otherwise. What is new in the transborder dynamics of West Africa? What informs government’s border policies in Nigeria? In answering these questions, this study provides a template for a reassessment of the gap between borderlands theory and policy in West Africa. The approach is comparative based on the critical analysis of oral interviews, government trade records, newspaper reports and the extant literature. The article provides a platform for rethinking of the nexus between governance and development in West Africa from the securitisation and neo-patrimonial perspectives. It concludes that effective border management in Nigeria is set aback by misguided and dysfunctional elitist-centred regulations that are devoid of the realities on the ground.

Urban agriculture support policies in West Africa. Taking account of informal arrangements

En Afrique de l'Ouest, l'agriculture urbaine joue un role a la fois economique, environnemental et social. Les actions et les politiques de soutien dont elle commence a beneficier restent toutefois peu efficaces, car elles ne prennent en compte ni les arrangements informels entre acteurs - agriculteurs, eleveurs, gestionnaires de dechets, autorites -, ni la disposition spatiale des activites et leur necessaire proximite. Soutenir l'agriculture urbaine suppose donc une approche globale prenant en compte ces arrangements informels et cette necessaire proximite.

Projected demand and supply for various foods in West Africa: Implications for investments and food policy

This paper (a) summarizes recent evidence of changes in dietary patterns in the 15 ECOWAS countries of West Africa over the past 30years and the forces driving those changes (In this paper, the term “West Africa” refers to the 15 countries that are members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS): Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo); (b) uses expenditure-elasticity estimates derived from budget-consumption studies in 8 of these countries (Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo) and hypotheses about alternative income growth trajectories to develop scenarios about the evolution of demand for various foods over the period 2010–2040; (c) compares the projected demand growth with projection of production growth in key commodities to identify potential or increasing demand–supply gaps; and (d) derives implications for needed investments and policies regarding different commodities and components of the West African agrifood system, including identifying gaps in the current African Union-led Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development (CAADP) programs. The analysis shows that in absolute terms, production shortfalls relative to demand for starchy staples (particularly rice and wheat) will continue to pose a major challenge for ECOWAS countries. In relative terms, however, imbalances between domestic production and demand will increase more quickly for foods with high income-elasticities of demand, such as meat, dairy products, seafood, fruits and vegetables and vegetable oils. Urban demand will grow two to four times faster than rural demand, depending on the commodity, putting increased pressure on already stressed urban food marketing systems. Substantial variations in supply–demand gaps across countries suggest that more fluid regional trade could help individual countries cope with these challenges. The findings also suggest that the focus of food policies in West Africa, historically on starchy staples (particularly cereals) needs to broaden to include a range of higher-value products for which demand is likely to increase very rapidly in the near future.

The politics of drug control in Nigeria: Exclusion, repression and obstacles to policy change

BackgroundInternational agencies have viewed West Africa as a major player in the global trade in cocaine and heroin and in efforts to control that trade, as there have been reports of escalating arrests of drug smugglers, large-scale drug seizures and ‘narco-states’ in the subregion. It is claimed that a substantial share of the drugs available in Western markets transit through West Africa today and are increasingly used there as well. Notwithstanding this growing alarm, there is little serious scholarship addressing the issue of drugs and drug policy in West Africa. MethodsThe article assesses and challenges some of the existing depictions of drugs and drug policy in West Africa through an empirical case study of drug control in Nigeria – one of West Africa's most notorious ‘drug hubs’ and recently hailed as a policy model by international experts. Based on previously inaccessible government documents, interviews with key officials in Nigeria, as well as ethnographic work at Nigeria's key drug agency, the article provides a unique insight into the politics of drug policy-making and implementation in West Africa. ResultsAfter describing the dominant official narratives of Nigeria's drug control, the article shows how the key political dynamics underlying drug policy remain obscured by these narratives. Nigerian drug policy has been characterised by a highly exclusive policy-making process, repression as the sole means of implementation and a strong bond with international drug agencies. This policy emerged in the 1980s and 1990s and has remained the unchallenged norm until today. The political processes underlying Nigerian drug policy also explain why policy reform has been and will be difficult to accomplish. ConclusionThese domestic political processes have largely been ignored in the existing depictions of drugs in West Africa, as they have mainly focused on externally driven drug threats and foreign policy responses. Most importantly, they have ignored the role played by the state. Rather than being too weak, the Nigerian state has shown a clear tendency towards repressive and coercive drug policy, which has received little popular support.

Urban agriculture support policies in West Africa. Taking account of informal arrangements

Version française de l'articleIn West Africa, urban agriculture plays an economic, environmental and social role. However, the support policies and actions that are beginning to target this activity remain relatively ineffective, since they fail to take into account informal arrangements between stakeholders — farmers, livestock holders, waste managers, and authorities —, or the spatial organisation of these activities and the proximity required between them. Supporting urban agriculture therefore calls for a global approach that takes into account these informal arrangements and this need for proximity.

Africana cultures and policy studies: scholarship and the transformation of public policy

PART I: PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATIONS AND CULTURE CRITIQUES The Field and Function of African American Studies and Public Policy N.Norment A Law Unto Themselves: Historical Consequences and Cultural Realities from the Neglect of Africana Studies in Policy-Making S.Vaught Framing the Discussion of Racism W.Reed PART II: URBAN CULTURE AND PUBLIC POLICY The Wire: Media Placement and Post-Industrial Landscapes R.Smith & D.Smith Institutionalized Terror: A Social Systems Analysis of Police Brutality Loretta Prater African American Administration of Predominately Black Schools: Segregation or Emancipation in Omaha, NE T.A.Johnson et al. PART III: GENDER AND POLICY CONSTRUCTION Born to Rebel and Born to Excel: Black Religious Intellectuals, Benjamin E. Mays, and the Development of Black Male Leadership Z.Williams America Has the Laws and Material Resources to Ensure Justice for All: Historical Trajectory of Legal Critique and Experiential Voice in Black Women's Political Activism G.Childs The Policy of Dating: The Effect of Romantic Relationships on African American Adolescents K.Phelps et al. Gender and Culture: The Shaping of British Colonial Educational Policy in West Africa T.Jabbaar-Gyambrah PART IV: AFRICAN/AFRICAN DIASPORAN CULTURE, IMMIGRATION, AND POLICY A History of Black Immigrations into the United States and Canada with Culture and Policy Implications B.M'aye et al. Speaking of Africa and Singing of Home: The Trope of Africa in African American Historiography T.Lake