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The purpose of this study is to assess how some governance dynamics, such as political stability and the rule of law, moderate the incidence of some macroeconomic factors (i.e., domestic investment and trade openness) on tourism development. The focus of this study is on 47 countries in sub‐Saharan Africa with data from 2002 to 2018, and the Generalized Method of Moments is employed as the empirical strategy. From the findings, synergy effects are apparent in the role of the rule of law in moderating domestic investment for tourism development in terms of tourism receipts. It follows that, for the sampled countries, promoting tourism development can be most effective if policies for enhancing domestic investment and promoting the rule of law are implemented simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, nexuses between governance and trade performance in terms of natural resource rents are assessed in 44 Sub‐Saharan African countries. The empirical evidence is based on Tobit regressions. The findings show that political governance (entailing "voice and accountability" and political stability) and institutional governance (consisting of the rule of law and corruption control) have a negative effect on trade performance. The findings are consistent with the perspective that resource rents are linked to inefficiencies in governance which are further detrimental to trade performance within the remit of natural resource rents on the one hand and, on the other, the premise of the prevailing weak institutions in the region less likely to boost trade performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the role of mobile money innovations on income inequality and gender inclusion in 42 sub-Saharan African countries from 1980 to 2019 using interactive quantile regressions. It finds that, first, income inequality unconditionally reduces the involvement of women in business and politics. Second, mobile money innovations interact with income inequality to have a positive impact on women in business and politics. Third, the net effects of mobile money innovations on gender inclusion through income inequality are consistently negative. Fourth, as the positive conditional or interactive effects and negative net effects are consistent across the conditional distribution of gender inclusion, thresholds at which mobile money innovations can completely dampen the negative effect of income inequality on gender inclusion are provided. Therefore, policymakers should work toward improving conditions for mobile money innovations. They should also be aware that reducing both income inequality and enhancing mobile money innovations simultaneously leads to more inclusive outcomes in terms of gender inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses, from the perspective of financial stability, how business/financial sustainability, moderates the influence of information technology on female economic participation in 49 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2008e2018. The empirical evidence is based on Tobit regression, which accounted for the censored nature of the outcome variables. The following important findings were obtained: First, ICT (information and communications technology) dynamics (mobile phone penetration, internet penetration, and fixed broadband subscriptions) are consistently moderated by business sustainability to positively affect female employment. Second, business sustainability scores must exceed certain thresholds before moderating fixed broadband subscriptions to induce favorable overall effects on female employment, female labor force participation, and female unemployment rates. The positive effects on female employment and labor force participation is ascertained by the thresholds of 18.742 and 19.505 Zscores, respectively and a Z-score of 17.300 for the negative impact on female unemployment. The thresholds that should be exceeded are within policy reach, make economic sense, and are policy-relevant. This study contributes to the extant literature by providing actionable thresholds for business sustainability that can be employed by policy makers such that information technology positively influences female economic inclusion in Sub- Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present study investigates the nexus between health performance dynamics and economic growth in 43 countries in sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2004–2018. Design/methodology/approach: Four health performance dynamics are used, notably: total life expectancy, male life expectancy, female life expectancy and risk of maternal death. The empirical evidence is based on quantile regressions (QRs) in order to put into perspective the conditional distribution of economic growth. Findings: The following findings are established: (1) total life expectancy and male life expectancy increase economic growth exclusively in the 10th and 90th quantiles of economic growth; (2) female life expectancy boosts economic growth in the 90th quantile of economic growth and (3) the risk of maternal death reduces economic growth in the 75th and 90th quantiles of economic growth. Policy implications are discussed. Originality/value: The study complements the literature on the nexus between health performance and economic growth by assessing the nexuses throughout the conditional distribution of economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several previous studies have explored the relationship between trust and socio-economic conditions but do not attempt to examine channels through which the relation operates. In this paper, we examine how political fractionalization mitigates the positive relationship between trust institutions and national economic performance in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using Round 7 data of Afrobarometer in over 1000 districts in 34 countries, we find that trust institutions positively and significantly affect economic performance. Nevertheless, the positive effect is attenuated in districts with a high level of political diversity. More specifically, a higher level of trust is associated with lower economic performance at a higher level of political fractionalization and vice versa, with a steady linear decrease of the estimated coefficients. Policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to complement extant literature by examining how mobile money innovations can moderate the unfavorable incidence of female unemployment on female doing of business in 44 countries from sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2004 to 2018. The empirical evidence is based on interactive quantile regressions. The employed doing business constraints are the procedures a woman has to go through to start a business and the time for women to set up a business, while the engaged mobile money innovations are: (i) registered mobile money agents (registered mobile money agents per 1000 km2 and registered mobile money agents per 100,000 adults) and (ii) active mobile money agents (active mobile money agents per 1000 km2 and active mobile money agents per 100,000 adults). The hypothesis that mobile money innovation moderates the unfavorable incidence of female unemployment on business constraints is overwhelmingly invalid. The invalidity of the tested hypothesis is clarified, and the policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for information technology penetration in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is very high compared to other regions. Unfortunately, productivity levels in the area are also deficient. This study investigates the importance of information technology in influencing the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on total factor productivity (TFP) dynamics. The focus is on 25 countries in SSA. Information technology is measured with mobile phone and internet penetration, while the engaged TFP productivity dynamics are TFP, real TFP, welfare TFP, and real welfare TFP. The empirical evidence is based on the Generalized Method of Moments. The findings show that except regressions about real TFP growth for which the estimations do not pass post-estimation diagnostic tests, it is apparent that information technology modulates FDI to positively influence TFP dynamics (i.e., TFP, welfare TFP, and welfare real TFP). Policy and theoretical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally, the revolutionary idea behind using information and communication technology (ICT) has improved potential productivity in many industries, particularly in Africa. ICT is an essential tool in the oil and gas industry and plays a complementary role in technological dynamics and cross-sectoral productivity. For the educational sector, ICT facilitates research and development as well as in imparting knowledge. ICT remains the password to essential inputs required for any given output in terms of improved productivity and economic development. With regard to employment creation, ICT accounts for more than 50% of employment globally. Despite the significant role of ICT in the economy, evidence shows that more than 90% of carbon emissions have been linked to ICT production, installation, and usage. This study aims to determine whether ICT causes environmental sustainability in Nigeria and South Africa. The methodological contribution of the study lies in combining the STIRPAT framework and time series based on the VAR/VEC Granger causality, enabling the study to uncouple the dynamic interaction among environmental sustainability indicators. The findings show that ICT has contributed to South Africa's environmental sustainability, whereas evidence in Nigeria is relatively mixed. Therefore, the study recommends the urgent need to provide intervention programs tailored toward investing in environmental infrastructure to mitigate the threat of climate change in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research assesses the importance of financial access on value added in three economic sectors in 25 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa using data for the period 1980–2014. The empirical evidence is based on the Generalized Method Moments. Financial access is measured with private domestic credit, while three outcome variables are: value added in the agricultural, manufacturing, and service sectors, respectively. Enhancing financial access does not significantly improve value added in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, while enhancing financial access improves value added in the service sector. An extended analysis shows that, in order for the positive net incidence of enhancing credit access value added to the service sector to be maintained, complementary policies required when domestic credit to the private sector is between 77.50 percent and 98.50 percent of GDP. Policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses how globalization modulates the effect of governance on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in sub-Saharan African countries. The empirical evidence is based on Generalized Method of Moments. The minimum level (or negative threshold) of Foreign Direct Investment required for it to interact with political stability and contribute toward the green economy is 45 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), while 90 percent of GDP is the maximum level (or positive threshold) required for trade to complement "voice and accountability" in mitigating CO2 emissions. Seventy-six percent of GDP and 80 percent of GDP are, respectively, negative trade thresholds for government effectiveness and economic governance. The corresponding negative trade thresholds for the rule of law, corruption-control, and institutional governance are, respectively, 230 percent of GDP, 63.5 percent of GDP, and 106.5 percent of GDP. Actionable openness policy thresholds are provided to inform policy makers on how governance interacts with globalization to promote the green economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the simultaneous openness hypothesis that trade modulates foreign direct investment (FDI) to induce positive net effects on total factor productivity (TFP) dynamics. Twenty-five countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and data for the period 1980 to 2014 are used. The empirical evidence is based on the Generalized Method of Moments. First, trade imports modulate FDI to overwhelmingly induce positive net effects on TFP, real TFP growth, welfare TFP and real welfare TFP. Second, with exceptions on TFP and welfare TFP where net effects are both positive and negative, trade exports modulate FDI to overwhelmingly induce positive net effects on real TFP growth and welfare real TFP. In summary, the tested hypothesis is valid for the most part. Policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the effects of coups on access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study covers a sample of 40 sub-Saharan African countries over the period 1980–2017. The econometric approach employed is the generalized method of moments (GMM). While the extant literature has established that political instability can have both positive and negative effects on access to basic public goods and services, the present study finds that coups significantly reduce access to electricity in SSA. This effect is the same regardless of the type of coup, notably: successful, failed, military or civilian coups. Thus, coups are not conducive for the establishment of real democratic transitions in the region which inter alia , are necessary to promote development outcomes such as access to electricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]