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An enormous gap exists between Africa's current electrification rate and the 2030 UN goal to ensure universal access to modern energy. A study by Sanoh et al. published in Renewable Energy in 2014 [1] is a rare example of finding a cost minimal solution for the Africa-wide generation and transmission network. Unfortunately, however, the paper exhibits a number of relatively serious flaws that demand attention given the alarming paucity of such research on Africa. Five issues of the study by Sanoh et al. are identified and discussed in this commentary paper. Specifically, the study does not account for capacity factors when deriving required capacity additions, misses transmission losses when sizing generation capacity, models country-level import constraints incorrectly, introduces a supply option redundancy, and reports optimisation results that can be shown to be mathematically sub-optimal. As a result of some of these issues, the Sanoh et al. significantly underreport the required capacity to meet additional African demand in 2025. In addition to discussing these flaws, this paper provides potential approaches to avoid each of the five issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical model of quartz luminescence is presented and used to simulate luminescence response to environmental dose rates over geological timescales. Simulations of natural burial and laboratory measurements suggest that dose-rate effects in quartz cause systematic overestimation of absorbed doses when standard dating procedures are applied. Overestimation of absorbed dose (and therefore of age estimates) becomes significant at palaeodoses greater than ∼40 Gy. This effect is due to competition from the relatively thermally unstable R1 recombination centre (the centre that also plays a key role in ‘dose quenching’ of quartz optically stimulated luminescence, and thermoluminescence). Variation in the concentration of R1 centres leads to variation in measured equivalent dose (De) values and may potentially be a significant source of scatter in De estimates from sedimentary quartz samples. Model predictions indicate that by administering laboratory doses either at raised temperature, or in short pulses with intervening thermal treatments, the malign effects of the R1 centre can be removed. Results from laboratory measurements using pulsed-irradiation support the theoretical predictions. Implementation of pulsed irradiation in a single-aliquot regenerative-dose procedure yielded an accurate and more precise age estimate for a last-interglacial age dune deposit from Africa, compared to the overestimate obtained using the standard procedure, as predicted by the model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hymenaea verrucosa (formerly Trachylobium hornemannianum) is a tree that exudes a resin known as Zanzibar copal in Africa and Sundrus in Unani (Greeko-Arab) medicine. It shows various therapeutic properties such as astringent, anthelminthic, antiobesogenic, antilipidemic and emmenagogue. It has been used in the treatment of obesity, headache, sinusitis, wounds, cataract, otitis, palpitations, worm infestations, taenia, haemorrhage, hyperhidrosis, haemorrhoids, diarrhoea, etc. since ancient times. This paper is intended for the documentation of the biological properties of Hymenaea verrucosa and the chemical compounds found in it as it is an indigenous Unani as well as African origin medicinal tree with much potential. This will also prompt the need for scientific clinical studies on its various pharmacological actions as it has not been fully evaluated. Data sources were authentic Unani literature, modern pharmacology books, and published works including various research and review papers available on PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar. The eligibility criteria were all relevant articles up to 2023 that described the pharmacology and clinical effects of Hymenaea verrucosa. Hymenaea verrucosa resin contains diterpenes and their derivative terpenoids such as caryophyllenes, sesquiterpenes, trachylobanes, kaurenes, diterpene acids, such as trachylolic acid, isotrachylolic acid, α and β selinene, α cubebene, α copaene, α and β resenes, essential oils etc. These constituents have shown anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, metabolic, antidiabetic, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, antiparasitic activities in various in vitro and in vivo studies which conform with the old medical literature. The major limitation is that no in vivo or in vitro study has been conducted using the chemical constituents extracted from the resin. Therefore, this paper discusses the bioequivalence of the chemical components found in Hymenaea verrucosa resin through various studies. Zanzibar copal or Sundrus is a promising drug that has been effectively used in Unani medicine to treat various metabolic and phlegmatic disorders. Many potentially bioactive compounds are found in its resin, but no detailed studies of their biological activity are yet available. Therefore, there is a further need to focus research on Hymenaea verrucosa and its ingredients through advanced scientific methods. [Display omitted] • Sundrus is the resin of hymenaea verrucosa, previously trachylobium hornemannianum. • It has been used to treat obesity, sinusitis, haemorrhage, etc. since ancient times. • Zanzibar copal contains caryophyllene, diterpenes and trachylobanes. • They have apoptotic, antidiabetic, antiobesity and anticancer properties. • It can be concluded that gum copal can be used as a remedy for various ailments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The study was commenced to collect and revise data pertaining to the biological impacts of Adansonia digitata. • Our attention was directed towards scholarly articles released from 2015 to January 2024, as documented in the Scopus database. • There is little research conducted on Adansonia digitata plant despite its popular medicinal importance, so we shed light on this plant. Adansonia digitata L. is a highly esteemed and versatile tree native to Africa. It offers numerous benefits in terms of providing medication, food, clothing and serving as a vital source of natural remedies. The increasing demand for natural remedies as opposed to synthetic ones has prompted the exploration of several alternative natural products. The study reviewed research articles published from 2015 to January 2024 and indexed in the Scopus database to provide an up-to-date report on the species' scientific significance. Searches for research papers have been conducted via Elsevier, Springer, Google Scholar, Taylor & Francis, PubMed, and Scopus using " A. digitata ," "chemical composition," "antioxidant," "antibacterial," "antidiabetic," "anticancer," and other pertinent terms. It has been scientifically demonstrated that this plant's fruits, leaves, bark, roots, and seeds all have medicinal potential. This research highlighted the significant potential of the A. digitata tree as a valuable reservoir of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, which can be effectively harnessed for pharmacological purposes. Research undertaken in vitro and in vivo has provided evidence of this plant's helpful role in preventing and treating many ailments. The A. digitata tree exhibits significant potential as an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent as well as an antidiabetic and hepatoprotective agent. A comprehensive evaluation of the compounds identified in the A. digitata tree will yield extremely interesting results. The mechanism of action and clinical assessment should further be determined to ascertain the plant traditional, in vitro, and in vivo animal-documented results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the role of networks in the spatial diffusion of local economic shocks in Africa. We show that geographic connectivity, along with road and ethnic connectivity, are important for diffusing economic spillovers over longer distances. We then determine the key players, that is, which districts are key in propagating local economic shocks across Africa. Using these results, we conduct counterfactual policy exercises to evaluate the potential gains from policies that increase economic activity in specific districts or improve road connectivity between districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper studies the dynamics of labor productivity convergence and technology catch-up within Africa. • It examines how African countries are catching-up with the local technology frontier from a nonparametric and structural perspectives. • The analysis shows that productivity convergence within Africa is primarily driven by technology catch-up (i.e., efficiency change). • The paper explores the special role of technological catch-up by decomposing it into within-sector convergence, between-sector convergence, and initial specialization. • The results highlight the special role of structural change in closing the productivity gap with the local frontier. This paper studies the dynamics of labor productivity convergence and technology catch-up within Africa, shedding light on two important and inter-related issues that are central to Africa's growth: (i) convergence of relative productivity among African countries and (ii) the role of technological change and technological catch-up in driving productivity change across and within African countries. We do this by using a nonparametric method to estimate an African production frontier. Productivity change in Africa is decomposed into two components: technological change and technological catch-up. Our results show that Botswana and Mauritius are the only two countries in Africa that have converged to the productivity as well as the efficiency level of the frontier. This successful convergence is driven more by technological catch-up and less by technological change. We explore the special role of technological catch-up by decomposing it into within-sector convergence, between-sector convergence and initial specialization using a structural model (Shift and Share catch-up decomposition). The results highlight the special role of structural change in closing the productivity gap with the frontier. This paper contributes to recent evidence suggesting that countries can climb up the income ladder at a faster rate through a two-pronged transformation – i.e., structural change and technological catch-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intraoperative neurosurgical adjuncts improve extent of resection whilst mitigating patient morbidity. The delivery of neurosurgical care via these adjuncts is the norm in high-income countries, but there is yet to be a study highlighting the usage of neurosurgical oncology adjuncts in Africa. This paper aims to provide awareness of the use of these adjuncts in Africa, reasons for limited procurement, and possible solutions to the problem. This scoping review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Semantic derivatives of neurosurgical oncology, adjuncts, and Africa were applied to medical databases. Studies in Africa with outcomes relating to adjunct usage, morbidity, mortality, and quality of life were selected. Book chapters and reviews were excluded. Thirteen studies with 287 patients (0.5 to 74 years) were included in the final analysis. Most studies were cohort observational (46.2%) and originated from South Africa (46.2%). Meningioma was the most prevalent tumor histology (39.4%), and neuronavigation was the most readily used adjunct for surgical resection (30.8%). Using adjuncts, gross total resection was achieved in close to half the patient cohort (49.8%). Limited technology, lack of experience, cost of equipment, and inconsistency in power supply were noted as factors contributing to lack of adjunct usage. Neurosurgical adjuncts provide significant benefits in neurosurgical oncology. There is limited utilization of intraoperative adjuncts in most of Africa owing to limited resources and experienced professionals. Bilateral partnerships with a focus on donation and education will foster safe and sustainable adjunct incorporation in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We assemble a new database of exports at constant prices for 131 countries. • Export growth of decolonised countries negatively related to metropole trade share. • Metropolitan trade shares are significant for post-independence French Africa. • British colonies significant before and after independence. • Colonial trade policy and location were important drivers of the metropole effect. Decolonisation was one of the most important institutional transformations of the twentieth century. Recent work on the effect of decolonisation on bilateral trade has suggested that trade with the ex-metropolis declined significantly after independence. Due to problems related to data quality and coverage, however, there is still no consensus on whether the reduction of colonial dependence encouraged or impeded export growth. In this paper, we argue that metropolitan trade shares proxy for colonial monopsony. Using a new database of exports at constant prices for 131 countries and mean group estimators that control for a range of confounding factors, we find that trade shares with the metropole are negatively associated with export growth, with important differences across metropolitan nationalities and locations. We argue that the significance of the erosion of colonial trade ties for export growth following independence was contingent on the interaction of policy and location during the colonial period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The changing structure of households in Africa is challenging the design of micro-level pro-poor policies. • Divorce/separation and widowhood have increased compared to data from 1987/88. • Lower incomes in female-headed households do not lower children's educational investment. • The gender mix of children plays a key role in aggregate household investments for male-headed households, with the financial inclusion of female household heads under 40 years being important for investments in children's education. • Structural changes in female leadership in communities interact with structural changes at the household level. Female headship of households has increased significantly around the world. This paper establishes a link between gender, income, and children's educational investments in an imperfect credit market. We show using a representative household survey from Ghana that, even though there is a positive correlation between income and educational investments, there are expected and unexpected heterogeneities in income and children's educational investments. We find that, whereas income levels for male-headed households with children 6 to 18 years are over 20% higher, female-headed households tend to invest 31% to 38% more on children's education than male-headed households. In imperfect credit markets, higher educational investments could be taking place at the expense of other household outcomes such as food/leisure. Our empirical results show the need for different interventions for different households. We also show how institutional changes that recognize affirmative action can interact with household-level structural changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Seriphium plumosum L. is a taxonomically recalcitrant complex of paper daisies distributed in southern Africa. • The complex has been shown to comprise at least seven independent species. • Stoebe burchellii Levyns, Stoebe virgata Thunb. and Stoebe vulgaris Levyns are reinstated in Seriphium. • Four species new to science are described in Seriphium. • Seriphium vulgaris (Levyns) Z.Shaik is the only species in the S. plumosum complex that is an agricultural weed on millions of hectares of South African rangeland. Seriphium plumosum L. from southern Africa has been shown to comprise at least seven distinct species based on analysis of morphological, environmental, and multilocus DNA sequence data. On that evidence, Stoebe burchellii Levyns, Stoebe virgata Thunb., and Stoebe vulgaris Levyns are reinstated in Seriphium , and four new species are described, viz., Seriphium alto-argillaceum Z.Shaik , Se. burrowsii Z.Shaik , Se. crypticum Z.Shaik , and Se. dunensis Z.Shaik. Four of these species are endemic to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa, and one is so far known from a single high-elevation locality. We present a key to species in the Seriphium plumosum complex, and for each species provide a formal description with accompanying images, typification and synonymy, with distribution maps based on verified field-collected and herbarium specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa is particularly affected by climate change due to its exposure to climate hazards, high vulnerability, and low adaptive capacity. Yet, Africa is also a continent rich in Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) that has a long history of informing responses to climatic variability and change. This paper explores the extent to which ILK has been used in climate change adaptation in Africa. It deploys a bibliometric analysis to describe the connections between ILK and climatic change adaptation in Africa, complemented by an analysis of ILK literature and case studies. We consider four key dimensions of ILK, 1) type, 2) contexts of application, 3) value for adaptation, and 4) outcomes and effects in responses to climate change in Africa. Examples drawn from 19 countries across Africa highlight ILK systems are closely connected with biocultural relationships associated with observed patterns of climate change and where adaptation can be more effective when informed by ILK. This body of knowledge is critical to the delivery of climate change adaptation in Africa. The paper suggests some measures through which ILK may be more widely leveraged, both for improved adaptation outcomes, as well as enhancing the biocultural heritage value of ILK systems across Africa. The study commends the remarkable value of ILK in Africa for climate change adaptation and its value for supplementing climate services, particularly in areas with limited access to modern climate and weather forecasts as well as the encouragement of Indigenous communities to develop senses of ownership and active contribution to the sustainability of the future interventions. • Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Climate Change Adaptation in Africa. • The study commends the remarkable value of ILK in Africa for climate change adaptation. • its value for supplementing climate services particularly in areas with limited access to modern climate. • the paper concludes outlining measures through which ILK may be more widely leveraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) constitute an emerging threat to public and animal health especially in the African continent, where land-use change, and wildlife loss are creating new opportunities for disease transmission. A review of TBPs with a focus on ticks determined the epidemiology of Rhipicephalus ticks in heartwater and the affinity of each Rickettsia species for different tick genera. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to collect, map and estimate the molecular prevalence of Anaplasmataceae , Rickettsiaceae and Coxiellaceae in African wildlife. Relevant scientific articles were retrieved from five databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Ovid and OAIster. Publications were selected according to pre-determined exclusion criteria and evaluated for risk of bias using the appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies (AXIS). We conducted an initial descriptive analysis followed by a meta-analysis to estimate the molecular prevalence of each pathogen. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression models were employed to unravel associations with disease determinants. Finally, the quality of evidence of every estimate was finally assessed. Out of 577 retrieved papers, a total of 41 papers were included in the qualitative analysis and 27 in the meta-analysis. We retrieved 21 Anaplasmataceae species, six Rickettsiaceae species and Coxiella burnetii. Meta-analysis was performed for a total of 11 target pathogens. Anaplasma marginale, Ehrlichia ruminantium and Anaplasma centrale were the most prevalent in African bovids (13.9 %, CI: 0–52.4 %; 20.9 %, CI: 4.1–46.2 %; 13.9 %, CI: 0–68.7 %, respectively). Estimated TBPs prevalences were further stratified per animal order, family, species and sampling country. We discussed the presence of a sylvatic cycle for A. marginale and E. ruminantium in wild African bovids, the need to investigate A. phagocytophilum in African rodents and non-human primates as well as E. canis in the tissues of wild carnivores, and a lack of data and characterization of Rickettsia species and C. burnetii. Given the lack of epidemiological data on wildlife diseases, the current work can serve as a starting point for future epidemiological and/or experimental studies. • Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species span eight orders and 14 families of wild African animals; • The molecular prevalence of Anaplasmataceae, detected through genus-specific molecular assays, is considerable (21.2 %; 95 %CI: 7.6–39.1 %) across various African wildlife taxa; • Five tick-borne pathogens circulate with moderate-to-high prevalences (10–20 %) in wild herbivores, particularly bovids, namely A. marginale, A. centrale, Anaplasma sp. (Omatjenne), A.bovis and E. ruminantium; • In other animal families, pathogens attributable to the genera Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Rickettsia have been identified, but the species-specific identification remains quite vague. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria is a significant health concern worldwide, particularly in Africa where its prevalence is still alarmingly high. Using artificial intelligence algorithms to diagnose cells with malaria provides great convenience for clinicians. In this paper, a densely connected convolutional dynamic learning network (DCDLN) is proposed for the diagnosis of malaria disease. Specifically, after data processing and partitioning of the dataset, the densely connected block is trained as a feature extractor. To classify the features extracted by the feature extractor, a classifier based on a dynamic learning network is proposed in this paper. Based on experimental results, the proposed DCDLN method demonstrates a diagnostic accuracy rate of 97.23%, surpassing the diagnostic performance than existing advanced methods on an open malaria cell dataset. This accurate diagnostic effect provides convincing evidence for clinicians to make a correct diagnosis. In addition, to validate the superiority and generalization capability of the DCDLN algorithm, we also applied the algorithm to the skin cancer and garbage classification datasets. DCDLN achieved good results on these datasets as well, demonstrating that the DCDLN algorithm possesses superiority and strong generalization performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Regional integration presents a significant opportunity for African power systems. • Paper describes planning tool for regional power sector integration in Africa. • Model evaluates values of integration under different climate change scenarios. Regional power pools present a significant and potentially defining opportunity for African power systems to develop domestic energy resources, improve system reliability, and contribute to overall economic development. Hydropower is expected to play a significant role in many regional power pools in Africa. Feasible power transmission highways from Grand Inga in Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Grand Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia to other regions on the continent create the possibility of a pan-African electricity grid. However, in the medium and long-term, global climate change is expected to cause major variations in Africa's hydrological resources and it is not known how these changes may impact the value of regional power sector integration. This paper presents a model developed to study the value of different levels of regional integration in sub-Saharan Africa and how this value may change in the face of climate change. This work builds on previous studies by incorporating the ability to trade between different regional pools, co-optimization of generation and transmission, the ability to share reserves, and detailed simulation of the major hydro basins in Africa. Numerical results of the analysis will be presented in a parallel paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, human mpox was predominantly a zoonotic disease occurring more frequently in rural children in Africa and characterized by a largely self-limiting febrile centrifugal monomorphic rash illness. However, the 2022 mpox global outbreak has shown that the disease is changing in many ways, including sustained human-to-human transmission via sexual contact, novel clinical presentations, and adverse associations between mpox and advanced HIV. The aim of this paper is to review the traditional and emerging clinical aspects of human mpox and provide updated information on the clinical course and outcome of the disease. We searched electronic databases including PubMed and Google Scholar and identified relevant published literature on mpox. The clinical presentation of human mpox is influenced by the route of infectious exposure, the strain and dose of the infecting virus, and the host immune system. Exposure to the virus can result in sub-clinical or clinical diseases of variable severity. Infections caused by clade I viral strains are more severe than class IIa and IIb strains, which are associated with a milder febrile rash illness, and with anogenital skin lesions in clade IIb infections. Most cases of mpox recover entirely within 2–4 weeks after onset of illness and a few develop skin-related sequelae. Overall, people with advanced HIV infection, children <5 years of age, and pregnant women may present with more severe disease and higher case fatalities. The continued endemicity of the classical mpox in Africa, the emergence of a new clinical form of the disease during the 2022 global outbreak, and the adverse associations between advanced HIV and mpox have implications for the surveillance, clinical diagnosis, and management of human mpox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After nearly three decades of "ICT for development", the rollout of ICT backbone infrastructure remains challenging throughout Africa. African states do not only depend on the technology of foreign companies but must also seek external finance to pay for it. This dual dependency puts African governments in a vulnerable position, leading us to inquire: to what extent does the dual dependency on foreign finance and technology affect African agency in ICT infrastructure provider choice? The paper proposes a model that distinguishes between the agency of higher and lower income countries. Elaborating on the latter, the model assumes that the source of foreign ICT-related finance (i.e., China, World Bank, both, internal) determines whether the recipient state can exercise a weak, medium, or strong degree of agency in its ICT infrastructure provider choice. The paper further argues that the link between foreign finance and degree of agency is shaped by the digital development agenda of the donor. For instance, the model predicts that countries which predominantly received Chinese ICT finance possess weak agency when choosing an ICT infrastructure provider because China's digital development agenda ties the provision of finance to hiring a Chinese contractor. By examining the ICT-related financial inflows and geographical distribution of network equipment providers in African states, the paper shows that the source of finance affects the degree of agency and, subsequently, the choice of ICT infrastructure provider. However, the analysis also suggests a divide in African agency along former colonial lines. In fact, the model holds only for countries without colonial ties to France whereas former French colonies all contracted Huawei, regardless of ICT finance flows. • Proposes a model for African agency in choice of network equipment provider. • Development finance determines African agency in ICT infrastructure provider choice. • Digital development agendas of donors affect ICT infrastructure provider choice. • Geospatial mapping of fiber-optic cables sets Francophone states apart from others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Later Stone Age of southern Africa sees the succession of varied lithic traditions. The Wilton (8ka BP – second millennium AD) corresponds to the last techno-complex of the LSA in South Africa. It has been typologically recognised over vast geographical areas and seems to last until the progressive disappearance of stone tool industries, while experiencing chronological and geographical variations. While Wilton formal tools, mainly small scrapers and microliths, have received much attention, the ways in which the stone tools themselves were produced are still unknown. This paper provides keys to describe mid-Holocene Wilton microlithic productions at the reference site of Rose Cottage Cave (Free-State). The lithic technological analysis highlights the integrated production of 'ready-made' blanks from one volume, including bladelets. The scraper and backed piece typologies are analysed and reveal an interesting diversity. These results provide a foundation for the building of the technological understanding of the Wilton in southern Africa. This paper ultimately aims to facilitate the exploration of regional and chronological variations at Wilton sites, and, by contrast, to differentiate other lithic traditions in southern Africa. • This paper provides keys for better understanding Wilton lithic technologies in South Africa • The knapping methods allowed for the production of various 'ready-made' blanks from one volume. • Different knapping techniques could have been used within one operational sequence. • The scraper and backed piece typology are more diverse than revealed by previous studies. • The paper provides a base line for future comparative studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology-based transactions are inseparable from the routine exchange of data. These exchanges may not pose privacy problems until the movement takes extra-territorial turns thereby facing multiple levels of cross-border regulations. In the 80 s, the frequency of transfer of personal data beyond geographical boundaries in Europe precipitated the regulation of transborder data flows (TDF) beginning with the enactment of the Organization for OECD Guidelines. In Africa, the concept of TDF is more complex than usually viewed by the stakeholders and this is partly because neither the African Union nor other regional bodies have introduced legislation on TDF. Like many concepts in data protection, TDF is bereft of a generally accepted meaning. Regardless of the uncertainty, this paper approaches TDF as the transmission of personal data from one country to another country or international entity for the purpose of processing. The paper discusses some definitions of TDF as understood under African regional and national data protection legislation. In a comparative and normative approach, the paper analyses the barriers to TDF in Africa vis a vis the European experience and then concludes with recommendations for workable TDF within and outside the continent from an African perspective beginning with the harmonization of existing regional framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African Government has for the past two decades spent significant resources on introducing smallholders to Genetically Modified (GM) maize with the aim to make agriculture a way out of poverty. However smallholder farming continues to decline and poverty is on the rise in the country. The present paper aims to explain this failure of the government to support its smallholders by describing the intra-actions between maize, politics and technological development in South African history. Importantly maize is understood here as an agent in that its materialities are not only being impacted by, but are also having impact on the outcome of farming practices and wider political economies. The paper describes how maize, as a result of intra-action between maize biology and choices made by farmers, politicians and breeders during the colonial era and apartheid, developed in parallel as a commodity serving the settler farmers, and an anti-commodity, or escape crop, providing subsistence to marginalised smallholders. While South Africa today is a democracy that spends significant resources on improving smallholder livelihoods, recent technological development and market concentration have increased rather than decreased the gap between commodity- and anti-commodity maize. As a result new GM and hybrid maize varieties introduced to smallholders today are badly equipped to facilitate a crop led New Green Revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There are complexities of Indigeneity at different spatial scales. • Indigenous claims have become important for natural resource management. • Indigeneity has been increasing resource-related conflicts in many parts of Africa. • Climate change is intensifying human mobility and resource-related conflicts. There is considerable evidence in the literature of the nature of Indigeneity in Africa, yet few studies explore the complexity of definitions of the concept at different spatial scales. This paper builds on existing scholarship by problematizing 'Indigeneity' at both regional and national scales through a critical analysis and synthesis of contemporary literature across sub-Saharan Africa, in association with a specific case study from northern Ghana. In generating the review, the concomitant implications for natural resource management and associated conflicts are analyzed. The paper argues that the definitions and conceptualizations of Indigeneity are heterogeneous with numerous ambiguities and complexities at regional and national scales, which have contemporary implications for both acute and prolonged issues of natural resource allocation and management. Claims of Indigeneity in relation to climate change-driven migration and settlement processes are facilitating support for resource access and utilization, but also generating a myriad of problems linked to overlapping and disputed claims. The ambiguity of claims of Indigeneity by vulnerable individuals and groups also has latent implications. Political misunderstandings or conflicts over natural resources are becoming more widespread across Africa during a period of environmental change. Understanding the complexity of Indigeneity at both regional and national scales will provide important opportunities to inform effective policy for the sustainable and equitable distribution and management of resources in sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are inherently complex. This paper contributes to the literature on co-production of knowledge at the interface of science, policy, and society in integrated, transdisciplinary research (TDR) projects. By analysing five projects of the Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 in Africa (LIRA) implemented in nine African cities, the paper identifies the pathways for science-policy-society interactions (SPSI) within the TDR projects, the cross-scale and contextual dynamics influencing the interactions as well as the challenges of foregrounding the interactions. We identified four SPSI pathways: i) TDR processes, ii) explicitly conceptualising and communicating research projects in relation to mandates and policies, iii) the global sustainability agenda, and iv) relationships and networks. We argued that these pathways can be construed as important windows for foregrounding SPSI in TDR projects. Cross-scale dynamics such as the spatial scale of interactions, actors' roles, and purposes of engagement were critical determinants of the intensity and frequency of the interactions between the project actors. The analysis suggests that being context-sensitive is key to foregrounding SPSI in TDR projects. Conceptual threshold crossing, resource intensity, power differentials, discontinuity, as well as a history of academic and practice silos present formidable challenges to SPSI in TDR projects. These challenges can be addressed through the identified pathways, adequate capability development; incentivising academics and practitioners engaged in co-production of knowledge; stimulating co-production through adequate resources; building redundancies within the project teams, ideas, and processes, and paying attention to the politics of co-production of knowledge. • Context-sensitivity is crucial to SPSI in Transdisciplinary research (TDR). • Science-policy-society interactions (SPSI) is complex in TDR projects. • Intensity and frequency of SPSI interaction depends on actor's role. • The supra-system is important to understanding influence of external context. • SPSI in TDR contributes to addressing the sustainable development goals (SDGs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Discretionary or ex gratia payouts are widespread in parametric insurance programs. • Payouts attempt to secure social license to operate despite contractual basis risk. • Discretionary payouts obscure and entrench insurers' market power. • Attempts at conciliation often stoke further demands from aggrieved collectivities. • Geospatial monitoring alone cannot resolve questions of post-disaster distribution. The past decade has seen the dramatic proliferation of geospatial tools to remotely monitor, measure, and transfer weather and climate risk, particularly in the Global South. These "parametric" tools are calculative market devices used to commodify risk and facilitate its distantiated exchange via insurance markets. Yet the environmental estimates they generate are frequently wrong, sometimes grossly so. This paper investigates what happens after calculative market devices fail, analyzing so-called ex gratia ("from grace") practices in which insurers make payouts to aggrieved clients even when none are due under contractual terms. Though these payments are commonly deployed to dispel discontent, these "public secrets" of the industry have gone unnoticed in insurance scholarship. This paper documents numerous ex gratia payouts in parametric programs across Africa, disputing the myth of autonomous insurance markets that function according to formal, transparent rules administered by dispassionate calculative devices. Instead, these "discretionary" monetary transfers reintroduce human decision making in informal, black-boxed ways, cloaking the inadequacy of the parametric contracts they shore up. Far from incidental, I argue that these practices have been constitutive of the parametric insurance market's persistence and expansion. Though ex gratia payments sometimes give rise to negotiations over indemnification with aggrieved collectivities, these unfold on insurers' terms, informalizing power and delegitimizing complaint. The growing emphasis on parametric insurance as a tool for climate adaptation makes it all the more important to excavate the mechanics and politics of ex gratia, and to relinquish expectations that geospatial algorithms alone can resolve questions of post-disaster redistribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper analyses the association between participation in Global Value Chains (GVCs) and structural change as measured by the reallocation of labor towards sectors with higher productivity levels and growth rates. • The analysis looks into 40 Developing Economies (DEs) from the regions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America during the period 1993–2015. • The evidence so far does not indicate any significant association between participation in GVC-related trade and growth-enhancing structural change in DEs. • Rather, we find some weak evidence suggesting that participation in GVC might be associated with the increasing concentration of labor in sectors experiencing declining productivity growth rates/ and or falling share of employment in sectors experiencing positive productivity growth rates in DEs. Multiple studies on economic transition have argued that participation in Global Value Chains (GVCs) can facilitate the process of structural transformation in developing economies by reallocating labor from less productive to more productive sectors. However, there is a dearth of empirical work investigating the claim. We analyze forty countries from the regions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America over the period 1993–2015 to explore the relationship between GVC participation and structural transformation in developing economies. We do not find any significant association between participation in GVCs and structural transformation, as measured by the reallocation of labor towards sectors with higher productivity levels. Rather, we find some evidence that participation in GVCs might be associated with the increasing concentration of labor in sectors experiencing declining productivity growth and /or falling employment in sectors witnessing positive productivity growth, thus contributing towards hindering the process of successful structural transformation in developing economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the electricity access rate to measure progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal target for universal access to electricity by 2030, about 580 Millions African people lack electricity access. However, globalization offers technological innovation, financial resources and international cooperation opportunities to achieve universal electricity access. This paper investigates whether increasing globalization levels can help achieve the goal of expanding access to electricity services in Africa. The analysis is based on panel data of 36 African countries over the 2000–2017 period and system GMM for empirical estimations. Our findings indicate that economic, social, and political globalization matters for increasing access to electricity. We also find that economic globalization reduces disparities in access to electricity. Further decomposing of economic globalization indicates that financial globalization, FDI and trade openness increase access to electricity. Furthermore, while financial globalization and FDI widen disparities in access to electricity, trade openness negatively affects disparities. The results also indicate that economic growth is one of the important channels through which globalization enhances electricity access. Finally, we carry out sub-regional analyses and find that these patterns are robust across Sub-Saharan African countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current energy structure of most economies must be upgraded to a renewable energy source (RES) to help mitigate ecological dilapidation and achieve sustainable development goals. The transition to RES has recently received attention from energy experts, international bodies and environmental scientists. However, there is contrasting evidence on what factors affect the evolution and deployment of RES, especially from the perspective of emerging African economies. Hence, the current analysis sought to explore the influence of economic development (ECD), carbon emission (CEM), human capital (HUC), financial development (FID), and the country's risk factors, such as political risk (POR) and institutional quality (INQ) on the development of RES. The research employed a panel dataset from 1990 to 2020 and used the newest estimation approach of Cross-Sectional Augmented autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) to establish the long-run connection among the variables. The study confirmed the prevalence of the "energy-led ECD hypothesis". In addition, the empirical findings indicated that RES deployment could be facilitated through ECD, CEM, FID and HUC. Moreover, the country's risk factors, which include POR and INQ, had an inverse connection with the deployment of RES. Lastly, there is a unidirectional causality between CEM, FID, HUC, INQ and RES, while a directional causality exists between ECD, POR and RES. The paper highlights a variety of policy angles to help with the expansion of RES in emerging regions. • The study confirmed the prevalence of the "energy-led ECD hypothesis. • RES deployment could be facilitated through ECD, CEM, FID and HUC. • POR and INQ, had an inverse connection with the deployment of RES. • A directional causality exists between ECD, POR and RES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper complements the literature on the determinants of financial development by offering one of the first studies on the effect of women's political empowerment on financial development. Across a sample of 43 African countries over the period 1996–2018, the main results show the positive effect of women's political empowerment on financial development. Our disaggregated analysis shows that women's political representation promotes both components of financial development; however, with a stronger effect for financial institutions. This result remains valid when we consider the subcomponents of these two indicators. Furthermore, the analysis of transmission mechanisms shows that control of corruption, democracy and human capital are the channels through which women's political empowerment affects financial development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between FDIs inflows and urbanization in Africa. To improve on the existing literature, we look beyond the conventional definition of urbanization based only on the number of people living in urban areas. Our broader approach includes both the amount of CO 2 emissions in urban areas and the value addition of services. Relying on a large sample of African countries, we find FDIs inflows to have significantly influenced the momentum of urbanization on the continent, irrespective of the proxy for urbanization. Resource-seeking FDIs seems to be more responsible for this phenomenon than the market-seeking ones, implying that FDIs are detrimental to the environment, especially when the quality of institutions is low. These results suggest that African governments should enhance smart, sustainable policies to attract more market-seeking FDI while mitigating detrimental effects on the environment. • The paper investigates the relationship between FDIs inflows and urbanization in Africa. • One of the main contributions of the paper lies in our approach to proxying urbanization. • Our sample consists of 49 African countries over the period 1979–2016. • Resources-seeking FDIs seem to have shaped the urbanization momentum more than their market-seeking counterparts. • The FDI effects on urbanization are detrimental to the environment, especially when the quality of institutions is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Virtual incubators fill important gaps in the African innovation systems for water. • Virtual incubators have inherent limitations to perform some functions in local innovation systems. • Virtual incubators should be conceived as structural elements of innovation systems. In different parts of the world, a variety of initiatives are being implemented to promote water innovation. This paper explores the role of virtual incubators in fostering water-related innovations in Africa, using the case of VIA Water, a Dutch programme that promotes water innovation in African cities. Virtual incubators operate and provide their services primarily online. The results of this study confirm the additionality and disruptive nature of virtual incubators. In virtue of the gaps they are likely to fill in the innovation systems for water, these incubators can be an effective policy instrument for fostering water-related innovations in Africa. However, given their limitation to perform some functions in local innovation systems, virtual water incubators should be used along with other support mechanisms. The paper concludes that, to realise their full potential, water innovation support programmes must be locally embedded and target at least three levels: the micro, mezzo and macro levels. Only then can they attract full recognition and significantly influence the performance of water innovation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is outward-looking, being part of China's 'Going Out Strategy' while Africa's current regional infrastructure programmes are primarily inward-looking as they seek to deepen the continent's regional integration. This paper argues, drawing from international cooperation theory, that China and Africa can cooperate in implementing BRI despite the apparent conflict in their infrastructure connectivity aspirations. They can coordinate their policies for the purpose of mutual benefit through enhanced connectivity and trade between Africa and China on the one hand and deepened African regional integration and intra-African trade on the other. This could be achieved by using Africa's regional programmes as building blocks for cooperation in BRI. This paper also highlights lessons from BRI that Africa could use to fast-track implementation of its own initiatives including the mobilisation of stakeholders by political leaders, creation of dedicated institutions and funds, and building of local capacity in the infrastructure sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Better economic policies simulate quality upgrading and discourage bribing. • Growth effect of economic policy varies with the industry level of upgrading. • Industries that upgrade relatively more grow faster. This paper investigates whether economic policy facilitates output growth by exploring the role of competition. We present a growth model with heterogeneous firms in which exposure to competition induces reallocation of market shares from less productive to more productive firms and forces the least productive firms to exit the industry. Confronted by a competition threat, incumbent firms choose either upgrading their products or bribing a policymaker in order to prevent entry by potential competitors. Product upgrading is less profitable than bribing for low-productivity firms but more profitable for high-productivity firms. Reallocation of market shares to more productive firms leads to higher aggregate industry productivity. Testing this prediction of the model using a generalized difference-in-differences approach and production data that cover 23 manufacturing industries and 34 African countries, we found that industries that upgrade more grow disproportionately faster in countries where competition policy is more intensive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several African countries are experiencing problems with overcapacity in their energy sectors on a scale that cannot be explained or justified with reference to the volatility of supply alone. This constitutes a paradox in contexts where many people do not have access to modern energy. Based on a review of the scant existing literature, this paper provides an overview of existing explanations for overcapacity and discusses its potential implications. It identifies three general explanations whose relative weight, however, differ from one country to another, namely the quality of planning and management, national ideology and political interests, and the role of donors and private investors. Among the potential implications are not only the increasing deficits and debts of public utilities, higher tariffs and reduced access to energy, but also delays in energy transitions. This has policy implications for energy-sector planning, including the role of bureaucracies and experts, the management of public utilities and debt, and tariffs, as well as for procurement and contracting. Overall, more research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to analyse the drivers of the emerging Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) relationship between India and Africa. Using a fixed effect negative binomial model, it examines the determinants of FDI from India to 23 African countries from 2008 to 2016. The study finds that Indian FDI to Africa is a unique combination of both private sector and state driven investment. It is driven by the search for markets, and is pulled despite an adverse business environment. Indian FDI has contributed to several African countries by development of their manufacturing sector and contribution to employment, and has the potential to solve regional problems of poverty and inequality. The paper thus makes a pioneering contribution as an empirical study on OFDI from India to Africa and also to the literature on south – south FDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we juxtapose two different sectors of China's economic presence in Africa: transport and digital infrastructure. Using the case of Kenya, a country that hosts several flagship corridors funded by Chinese loans and where Chinese "digital champions" have been active for two decades, we highlight some of the differences and similarities between these two forms of China's going-out capitalism in the continent. Our argument is that these 'varieties of capital' are conterminous, and they operate through both strategic and contingent overlaps within the same 'state-market nexus' and at the interface with programmes and goals of the African 'infrastructure state'. To illustrate this point, we draw on a comparative research effort inspired by a growing body of scholarship that has been labelled under the tag of 'Global China' and by a political economy reading of 'the market-in-state' system. This paper thus contributes empirically and conceptually to de-essentializing the Chinese presence in the African continent by recognizing the contextual agencies that shape it—the ambitious developmental agendas of the African state, in particular—as well as the interplay between its different corporate forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Introduces new data on rebel group formation in African states (1997–2015). • Indicates that most rebel groups formed in rural areas and did not emerge from local protests. • Demonstrates the need for more theory on the pathways to internal armed conflict. • Demonstrates the need for – and challenges of collecting – systematic evidence on armed group formation. Theories of internal armed conflict onset often conceptualize an eruption emerging from pre-existing, non-violent opposition movements or organizations. This paper argues that this is not the most common pathway to armed conflict in Africa. It introduces new data on rebel group formation in 47 African states (1997–2015) that offers a more complete picture than existing conflict datasets; about two-thirds of the groups in the new dataset are not named in standard conflict datasets. The strong majority of these rebel groups formed in rural areas; did not emerge from nearby protest movements or civil society organizations; and initially did not benefit from substantial material resources nor commit large-scale violence. Analyses suggest that rebel groups forming in rural parts of African states draw less often on pre-war, public, non-violent contestation than those of urban areas. The paper highlights the need for more theory on the varied pathways to internal armed conflict, and the importance of – and challenges of collecting – systematic evidence on armed group formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibility of misinforming policy direction is undoubtedly high when factors determining foreign direct investment (FDI) are haphazardly selected owing to the diverse nature of the underlying FDI theories, thus leading to model uncertainty. To resolve the econometric and policy concerns, this paper re-investigates the determinants of FDI for 53 African economies for which comprehensive data are available using the Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) technique over the period 1984–2018. Interestingly, unlike the previously conducted studies on FDI determinants, variables such as gross fixed capital formation, trade openness, exchange rate, secondary school education, democratic regime type, and mobile subscriptions per 100 people take preeminent positions over other explanatory variables for the continent. However, government consumption expenditure, inflation, GDP per capita, capital openness, and credits to the private sectors constitute the major deterring factors of FDI into the continent. These variables remain the substantive predictors of FDI in the African continent out of the 23 explanatory variables used. Similarly, differences are observed in the determinants of FDI across the regions of the continent. Thus, assuming the general policy framework to region-specific concerns may not be an efficient policy menu for attracting foreign capital flows. In light of the preceding, understanding the salient African-wide determinants as well as each region's idiosyncratic details regarding the determinants holds a promising path to tread in attracting foreign direct investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a strong wave of Eurobond issuances by Africa's frontier market economies since the start of the century. But it is not clear how these issuances have affected economic performance. This paper uses synthetic control experiments to conduct comparative case study analyses of the impacts of Eurobond issuances on economic growth, debt sustainability, and domestic capital markets. Ex post, we compare the trajectories of the relevant macroeconomic outcomes against their synthetically constructed business-as-usual counterfactual in an environment with no Eurobond issuance. The results show that, on average, sovereign Eurobond issuances have led to improvements in per capita GDP in Africa by about 10 percent above the counterfactual, business-as-usual scenario. Although most issuances were within 3 percent of GDP, they potentially led to about 13 percentage point acceleration in the debt-to-GDP ratios after ten years, compared to the counterfactual. Public capital accumulation is, on average, faster in the first two to three years following an issuance in countries with positive correlations. • Eurobond issuances by African sovereigns surged in the 2000s, with over 125 instruments issued by 21 African sovereigns. • We conduct synthetic control experiments, comparing relevant macro-outcomes with their counterfactuals under no issuance. • Eurobond have had a noticeable positive effect on incomes, about 10 percent annual improvement above the counterfactual. • But debt sustainability risks from Eurobond issuances are heightened by 13 percent above the counterfactual within 10 years. • Downside risks from Eurobonds should be actively managed to remain a useful source of financing and development in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among growing concerns about the environmental impact of human activities, international trade is increasingly in the spotlight. However, the role of Africa has been widely disregarded. In this paper, we assess the trade–environment link in African trade patterns by estimating a gravity model for trade with data from 140 countries for the period 2002–2018. Our findings reveal significant insights: first, that dirty trade appears to be increasingly concentrating in African countries. That is, exports of dirty goods seem to have shifted to countries with less stringent environmental regulations. Second, exports from dirty industries tend to concentrate in those countries with higher levels of capital endowments, although this effect appears to be weaker. Third, the results hold when we consider different exporter and importer country scenarios, such as trade flows with Europe (the main African trading regional partner) and intraregional African trade patterns. In addition, they hold especially for more differentiated products, with some particularities in the case of homogeneous ones. These findings have important implications in terms of both trade and environmental policies as well as for building the basis for sustainable development in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite vaccination being one of the most effective public health interventions, there are persisting inequalities and inequities in immunisation. Understanding the differences in subnational vaccine impact can help improve delivery mechanisms and policy. We analyse subnational vaccination coverage of measles first-dose (MCV1) and estimate patterns of inequalities in impact, represented as deaths averted, across 45 countries in Africa. We also evaluate how much this impact would improve under more equitable vaccination coverage scenarios. Using coverage data for MCV1 from 2000–2019, we estimate the number of deaths averted at the first administrative level. We use the ratio of deaths averted per vaccination from two mathematical models to extrapolate the impact at a subnational level. Next, we calculate inequality for each country, measuring the spread of deaths averted across its regions, accounting for differences in population. Finally, using three more equitable vaccination coverage scenarios, we evaluate how much impact of MCV1 immunisation could improve by (1) assuming all regions in a country have at least national coverage, (2) assuming all regions have the observed maximum coverage; and (3) assuming all regions have at least 80% coverage. Our results show that progress in coverage and reducing inequality has slowed in the last decade in many African countries. Under the three scenarios, a significant number of additional deaths in children could be prevented each year; for example, under the observed maximum coverage scenario, global MCV1 coverage would improve from 76% to 90%, resulting in a further 363(95%CrI:299–482) deaths averted per 100,000 live births. This paper illustrates that estimates of the impact of MCV1 immunisation at a national level can mask subnational heterogeneity. We further show that a considerable number of deaths could be prevented by maximising equitable access in countries with high inequality when increasing the global coverage of MCV1 vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often assumed that both our species and the last common ancestor (LCA) of Neanderthals and modern humans originated in Africa, with all Eurasian Pleistocene populations expected to ultimately come from Africa. This paper aims to review the Middle Pleistocene fossil record of Africa and Southwest Asia to reinforce the need to at least consider the possibility of a non-African origin for the "sapiens lineage" as a plausible hypothesis. While the fossil record from the late Middle Pleistocene of Africa does suggest that the earliest representatives of Homo sapiens are indeed found in this continent, we found no consistent evidence showing that the LCA necessarily also originated in Africa. At present, based on paleogenetic analyses, the most widely accepted hypothesis suggests that the LCA may have lived during the early Middle Pleistocene. To this information, we must add the constellation of traits observed in H. antecessor , a species that from both morphology and molecular data has been interpreted as being close to the LCA. The morphology of the LCA may be defined by a mosaic of features in the cranium and dentition which, so far, has not been found in the African record. We emphasize that the case for an African origin for the LCA is not a closed one. We suggest caution and the need for further findings and studies, especially in Southwest Asia, which may be a critical region for studying the divergence of H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Traditional African fermented cereal-based beverages offer significant health benefits. • The fermentation process via microorganisms produces bioactive compounds with potent health-promoting properties. • Maize, sorghum and millet were the most common substrates in African fermented beverages. • ACE-inhibitory peptides and phenolic compounds contribute to their anti-hypertensive, and antioxidant effects. • Research indicates African fermented cereal beverages may help prevent type II diabetes, obesity, and lower cholesterol. Traditionally, dairy products have been the primary medium for delivering probiotics to humans. However, despite their numerous health benefits, such as nutrient supply and prevention and treatment of certain diseases, there are limitations to their use in many regions, including Africa. These limitations arise from allergens, lactose intolerance, hypercholesterolemia effects, the need for vegetarian options, cultural food taboos against milk, and religious beliefs. As a result, research efforts worldwide have focused on probiotics with health benefits. To address this issue, an integrative approach has been adopted, consolidating ideas and concepts from various studies. Researchers have explored different food matrices to determine their potential as probiotic carriers, specifically emphasizing cereals and cereal products. Studies have revealed that traditional African fermented cereal-based beverages show promise as probiotic carriers due to the presence of probiotic organisms involved in the fermentation process. This presents an opportunity to utilize African cereal beverages to deliver. This review paper provides comprehensive information on probiotics, including their sources, types, health benefits, and delivery vehicles. Specifically, it highlights the challenges and prospects for developing and consuming cereal-based probiotics in Africa. This opens up new avenues for providing probiotic benefits to a broader African population and contributes to the advancement of probiotic research and development in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene open-air archaeological sites have been assumed to be disturbed throughout Central Africa because key sites located on the Kalahari Sand Belt and excavated in the 1970s documented substantial artefact displacement. As a result, only cave sites have long been seen as suitable for presenting reliable vertical chrono-cultural sequences, and minimal effort was made to investigate open-air sites in Central Africa. This paper presents a multi-disciplinary approach combining archaeological, anthracological, and sediment granulometry data to test the vertical integrity of detailed excavations at the open-air site Mukila (DRC). Refitting analysis shows only minor vertical displacement of lithics (6306 artefacts), pottery (1095 sherds) and charcoal (447 fragments), along with a uniform soil particle size distribution throughout the profile. A chronology of 16 radiocarbon dates confirms a continuous age-depth relationship at the site. These data reveal a mostly intact stratigraphy spanning the last 40,000 years. We thus demonstrate that sites along the northern edges of the Kalahari Sand Belt do not per se show vertical disturbance of charcoal and artefact distribution despite uniform grain size distribution. We conclude that a multi-disciplinary approach is mandatory for studying the integrity of archaeological sequences from Central African open-air sites. • The site of Mukila covers 40 millennia and provides a rare glimpse into the lithic production in the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene south of the equatorial rainforest of Central Africa. • The integrity of open-air sites has never been proven by utilising extensive refitting of lithics in combination with anthracological analyses in that region. • We provide a robust protocol for a multi-disciplinary study of site integrity in open-air sites. • The latest Late Stone Age findings are crucial to further our understanding of these insufficiently studied communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How is wealth distributed when the economy grows? I study this question in the context of African countries and ethnic groups. If wealth is distributed proportional to population, larger ethnic groups should benefit more when economic activity increases. Using nighttime light and individual level data to geographically locate wealth, I find the exact opposite: Smaller ethnic groups, particularly those in political power, benefit more from increased economic activity than larger ones. The results indicate that political elites in power redistribute wealth from larger ethnic groups. As a result, people's satisfaction with democracy and trust in institutions reduces, casting a shadow on the implementation of trade liberalization policies in developing countries. Instrumental variables estimating exploiting exogenous variation in trading activity confirm initial results. • How is wealth distributed when the economy grows? • This Paper provides evidence that political elite capture the gains from trade. • Elite capture has negative consequences for individuals' satisfaction with democracy and trust in institutions. • Results cast a shadow on trade policies' impact on (democratic) development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) have a disruptive effect on local communities in target areas. • This study assesses the impact of LSLAs on child food insecurity in Africa. • Using a difference-in-differences approach, I find that LSLAs lead to a deterioration in child nutrition, particularly in animal source foods. • Children's dietary diversity scores were reduced by 20% after the land acquisitions. • The baseline dataset consists of 360 LSLAs, published by the Land Matrix Initiative (2 2 9) and supplemented by my own research (1 3 1). Food insecurity is a major concern in most African countries. Large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) frequently have a negative impact on local communities. In this paper, I examine the impact of LSLAs on the nutritional status of neighboring children. To this end, I use a difference-in-differences methodology applied to LSLAs in a large number of African countries at different times since the early 2000s. I analyze data from Demographic and Health Surveys combined with data from the Land Matrix Initiative, supplemented by my own research, ultimately covering 18,276 children living in the vicinity of 45 LSLAs. I show that LSLAs have had a significant negative impact on child nutrition in Africa over the past two decades. Specifically, the dietary diversity scores of children living close to LSLAs were reduced by 20 per cent after acquisition. The results are robust to various statistical tests. I find no changes in work status or household assets. While the impact of LSLAs may be positive for agricultural practices, it is negative for child food security. The analysis highlights the importance of supporting local communities following foreign agricultural investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines public attitudes regarding the privacy of personal communications across several African countries. The study additionally investigates factors influencing an individual's expression of the right to privacy and rejection of state surveillance. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted on survey data gathered from 48,084 interviews completed in 34 countries. The findings reveal that, among the surveyed countries (34 out of 54 on the continent), a majority (54.87%) advocate for the protection of private communications. This indicates an increasing inclination among individuals to assert greater control over their personal information, which is being collected and utilized by governmental organizations and often by extension, private entities. The results demonstrate that education, gender, occupation, institutional trust, frequency of newspaper reading, perceptions of social media, attitudes towards internet regulation, opinions on government accountability, and the frequency of internet usage all significantly influence an individual's stance on personal data privacy. Governments must strive for more effective communication with citizens to foster support for surveillance programs that achieve a delicate equilibrium between state security and the protection of privacy rights. This study provides an evidence base that policymakers, practitioners and academics can utilize to make informed decisions about data privacy attitudes and predict privacy actions. • Investigates public attitudes towards data privacy and state surveillance in African countries. • Multi-country study utilizing data from 34 countries in Africa. • Belief in the right to data privacy is widespread across Africa. • Provides a better understanding of data privacy and surveillance concerns among citizens and their associations with demographics and behavioral patterns. • Provides guidance for public policy on surveillance and data privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhamphicarpa fistulosa (Hochst.) Benth., is a facultative parasitic plant causing persistent weed problems in smallholder rice crops across Africa. It was first identified as a rice weed in the 1990's in West Africa. The objective of this review was to comprehensively inform the crop protection research community and extension services on the newly gained insights on R. fistulosa since the last review in 2014. Following a systematic literature search in Web of Science on papers published after September 2014, the cut-off date of the last review, the resulting publications are reviewed. Parasitizing Rhamphicarpa fistulosa plants gain considerably in biomass and reproductive output, compared to independently growing plants. The host incurs severe reductions in photosynthetic efficiency and biomass production. Host-plant assimilates primarily benefit parasite growth and reproduction. Rice yield losses caused by R. fistulosa infestations range from 24 to 73% depending on infestation density and cultivar. Annual crop losses in sub-Saharan Africa were estimated at 204,000 tons of milled rice, with associated annual economic losses of US $82M, affecting >140,000 rural households. Rice cultivars NERICA-L-40 and -31 were identified as resistant and high yielding under R. fistulosa infested conditions. Early sowing decreases R. fistulosa infection. Contrary to the obligate parasitic weed Striga spp., the facultative R. fistulosa is not controlled by fertilisers. The past decade of research generated valuable insights in the genetics, germination biology, environmental and ecological contexts, distribution and impacts on crop yields and economies, and disclosed feasible management options. • Rice vampireweed (Rhamphicarpa fistulosa) is a facultative parasitic weed on rice in Africa. • We reviewed the literature since the last review, ten years ago, to report on research progress. • The weed affects >140,000 farm households and causes losses to African economies worth US $82 M/year. • Control recommendations include identified resistant and tolerant rice cultivars and early sowing. • Small rice production improvements from fertilisers, trade-off with strong weed biomass increments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We compare role of China and traditional donors on development in Africa • We consider infrastructure, governance, debt and dependence on natural resources • We find similar results for both donors on all dimensions but debt • Presence of both donors benefits debt sustainability • But it is also associated with worse performance on other dimensions of development While China has become an important source of aid and other official funding for Africa, its coordination with other development partners remains limited, and its contribution to development has been questioned. Despite different development models represented by China and traditional donors, recent studies demonstrated that funding from the two has similar determinants, but little was done to systematically compare their role for development. The paper evaluate their impacts on infrastructure, governance, external debt sustainability and dependence on natural resources. Furthermore, we explore whether there are (dis)advantages from the presence of both donors. Overall, we find that China has similar, beneficial, impact when compared with traditional donors on all the development dimensions but debt. The presence of both donors, in turn, has a positive effect on debt sustainability, but negative impacts on the other dimensions. We interpret these results based on effective development cooperation principles of ownership, alignment, harmonisation, and accountability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African refugee youth and young adults live at the intersections of many structural barriers, including xenophobia, racism, and misogyny. In this conceptual paper, we present considerations for education scholars who seek to conduct research with and about African refugee postsecondary students. We start with a discussion of the discourse of Othering and racial stigma against Black-African people in high income countries. Next, we discuss the need for intersectional analysis in research by focusing on how gendered racism positions African women refugees as particularly vulnerable in higher education institutions. Then, we proceed to a discussion of how cultural heritage presents us with a counternarrative to xenophobic discourse. At each point, we present a set of critical questions that serve as a conceptual springboard for researchers that are exploring more deeply the issues that affect refugee youth and their education. Through this work, we implore researchers to engage with/in these communities in ways that are resistant to Othering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite efforts to achieve universal access to safe drinkable water and improved sanitation, many Africans still lack access to these social services. There are also disparities between urban and rural areas in access to these services in Africa. If sustained, this adverse trend could undermine the achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 6 to ensure access to safe drinkable water and sanitation for all by 2030. This paper examines the effect of globalization on access to clean water and improved sanitation in Africa over the 1990–2015 period. Based on the panel corrected standard errors estimator, the results show that overall globalization improves access to water and improved sanitation while increasing disparities between urban and rural areas in access to improved sanitation. Among the sub-indexes of globalization, social globalization enhances access to drinkable water and improved sanitation for the total, urban and rural population. However, social globalization widens the urban-rural gap in access to improved sanitation while its effect on disparities in access to drinkable water is not significant. Economic globalization reduces the share of the population with access to improved sanitation while its effects on access to drinkable water and the urban-rural disparities in access in both social services are not statistically significant. Finally, some differences are found when distinguishing between de facto and de jure aspects of globalization. Policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery in FLK West lowermost level 6 (Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania) of a massive and symmetrical handaxe, at odds both with the other LCT specimens so far unearthed from this site and with the technological traits commonly reported for the earliest Acheulean ca. 1.7 Ma, challenges the hypothesis of a gradual development of technological and cognitive qualities during the Acheulean. This thought-provoking specimen points to a less sharp difference between the first and later phases of the Early Acheulean (i.e. between ca. 1.7 and 1.2 Ma) and supports a somewhat punctuated flourishing of the handaxe technical and cognitive conceptualization. In this regard, this paper provides a detailed descriptive study of the large olivine basalt handaxe, in the framework of both the FLK West L6 lithic collection and the LCT shaping strategies. This analysis includes a morphometric description of the specimen and a comprehensive analysis of the knapping and shaping sequencing, through a diacritical study. It also includes a techno-functional assessment of the final design and symmetry. Finally, this paper examines some of the most significant implications of this large tool for our current views on temporal divisions within the African Acheulean and the cognitive abilities of the individual that made it. • This paper deals with the technological and cognitive implications of an sceptional handaxes recovered from one of the oldest Acheulean sites in Africa. • The specimen is studied both in detail (an option that we consider useful for the audience) and in a broader FLK West context. • The characteristics of this specimen can bear significant implications in the way we understand gradualism in tool conceptualization during the Acheulean techno-complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]