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Tax buoyancy exhibits unique behaviour in nations facing specific challenges. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in sub-Saharan countries which often implement tax exemptions to boost investment and facilitate trade. This study investigates tax buoyancy in Rwanda. It uses government administrative data and rigorous statistical techniques. The Engle-Granger test for co-integration and Ordinary Least Squares regression techniques were used to assess long-term relationships and models. The study findings revealed that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was co-integrated with Direct Taxes while the Total Consumption correlates with Taxes on Goods and Services. The study revealed that there was no sustained correlation between s and international trade taxes in Rwanda. This was attributed to the increasing use of customs tax exemptions for trade facilitation and investment promotion. The GDP emerged as a reliable predictor for international trade taxes. The findings revealed the dynamic tax system in Rwanda was characterized by substantial buoyancy rates. Crucially, the study recommends not relying on import volumes for forecasting international trade taxes, not only in Rwanda but also in other countries adopting similar tax policies. The lessons drawn from Rwanda's experience offer valuable insight for policymakers confronting similar challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study reviews critical social science and policy literature on human settlement research. It examines how the gender of household heads determines housing location preferences in Sub-Saharan African cities. Five themes are obtained from the review: circumstances under which household headships emerge, household fundamental gender roles, interaction with the local property market, power relations and gender in social networks, as well as differing gendered residential location choices. Uncovering how varied gender-influenced household location choices are made underscores the differing significance of the unique gendered preferences in selecting urban housing in rapidly urbanising cities of Sub-Saharan Africa. Engendering the differing preferences and their effect on housing location choices is critical in tracking the housing location journeys of respective household heads and guiding policy action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the effect of implementing educational open microcredentials on student motivation, engagement, and completion in open access online courses. Our case study reviews the impact on the Community of Learning for African PhD Fellows, a capacity-building project supporting PhD fellows in Sub-Saharan Africa. It builds on an analysis of data from learning analytics, surveys, and semi-structured interviews. Our case study findings indicate that course completion was low, in course offering rounds with and without online certification. Main hurdles to completion are lack of time and lack of direct career benefits or academic value attached to the course completion. We found that, while open access online courses are appreciated by PhD fellows, the implementation of open microcredentials did not provide an incentive towards completion of online courses for this population. Hard and soft copy certificates at this point are more appreciated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Belief in evil and hidden supernatural forces, generally referred to as witchcraft, is widespread in many parts of the African continent. In addition to affecting individual health, perceived security, and social relations, witchcraft allegations may be used as covert political instruments, resulting in governance challenges such as lack of trust, transparency, administrative delegation, and political accountability. Since witchcraft is commonly associated with physiological and psychological violence, some citizens may be less willing to participate in political activities, including seeking elected office or criticizing political elites for fear of falling victim to witchcraft. The focus of our study is Malawi where large groups in the population believe in the power of witchcraft. We aim to unpack how local witchcraft beliefs have a bearing on governance – whether, and the extent to which, witchcraft influences how citizens understand and practice transparency and accountability in everyday life. Particularly, the belief in witchcraft among Malawian elites' warrants closer scrutiny, especially since existing literature and local discourse on the impact of witchcraft tend to largely focus on rural and less educated groups in the population. As the highly secret and complex dimensions of witchcraft resist clear-cut definitions, representations, and analysis, it is not our intention to describe witchcraft in everyday life. Rather, we explore the potential political implications of not addressing elite discourses of and belief in witchcraft. We find that belief in witchcraft can influence citizens' perceptions of power and authority and can potentially undermine the legitimacy of democratic institutions and processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy projects are increasingly being implemented at scale to meet global climate goals, often targeting lands on the margins of the state and affecting the livelihoods of Indigenous or marginalized populations. This article argues a need for project-developers, investors and rights advocates to consider the potentially significant 'gap' between their expectations that the rights of local populations will be settled at the start of a particular investment and the conflicts over rights, recognition and benefits that emerge during implementation that risk derailing investments. This is particularly relevant for renewable investments, as their claims to global and national benefits divert attention from their local impacts. Empirically, this is explored through the case of the Lake Turkana Wind Power project in Kenya. Based on interviews and literature review, the article examines the relations between the key stakeholders in this project by acknowledging their various 'ways of seeing' rights. Ruling elites often see rights as settled once they have been written into law and investors assume that rights have been dealt with at the project's start, but local populations typically begin exploring their rights following project-induced changes. The interaction of stakeholders with such diverse views has important implications for the practice of human rights in the context of renewable energy investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues for the importance of foregrounding learners' experiences in language-in-education research, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and other postcolonial contexts where there is an unfamiliar language of learning and teaching. Standing firmly on the shoulders of decades of research that compellingly demonstrates a range of ways in which the use of an unfamiliar language is detrimental to classroom practice and learning outcomes, we suggest that there are yet further negative consequences that are currently under-researched. We argue that combining observation of learners with methods that create space for learners to explain their experiences in their own words enables important new insights into how epistemic injustices intersect with broader structural injustices in learners' lives. Our proposition is informed by our work and research in a variety of contexts but draws most heavily from qualitative research conducted with young people in primary and secondary schools in Tanzania, Rwanda and South Africa. Our conclusions demonstrate how learner-focused research could importantly and beneficially extend the evidence base that is available to support calls for changes to language-in-education policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThroughout much of the world, critical goods and services are provided by parallel public and private distribution systems. However, it is often difficult to causally differentiate the performance of these two channels. In this article, we utilize a policy change in Malawi to estimate the relative efficiency of public and private channels in distributing inputs to smallholder farmers. In the 2015/16 agricultural season, the government allowed a group of private-sector fertilizer dealers to distribute subsidized fertilizer in nine of the country’s 28 districts. We use a panel dataset and a difference-in-differences (DID) strategy to estimate the impact of the pilot reform on a set of variables encompassing the entire process of subsidized fertilizer acquisition and appropriate utilization. We find that households in districts where the private sector distributed subsidized fertilizer were 11 percentage points more likely to acquire it earlier in the planting season (p < 0.01). We also find that households in pilot districts were six percentage points more likely to apply inorganic fertilizer (p < 0.10), but this effect was no longer statistically significant after using household fixed-effects and correcting for multiple hypothesis testing. Additionally, the reform did not affect other outcomes such as timely fertilizer application or maize yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the role of governance quality in the relationship between the Internet and financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan African countries. The study uses data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) database for indicators of financial inclusion, World Development Indicators (WDI) for Internet users and World Governance Indicators (WGI) for governance indicators from 2004 to 2020. Analyzing the data using the System Generalized Method of Moments (SGMM), the results show that the Internet can be effectively complemented with the quality of governance to improve financial inclusion. Thresholds of governance that are needed for the Internet to promote financial inclusion are provided. Policies aimed at reinforcing the quality of governance in SSA countries could help consolidate Internet infrastructure to promote Internet usage and, in turn, improve financial inclusion. Other policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gender gap in education is not limited to the subject of mathematics or only to be found in high-income countries, and its repercussions can have generational consequences. Previous literature has sought to explain why the gender gap persists in most high- and middle-income countries vis-à-vis social gender inequality without drawing from similarly comprehensive data from the African context with its unique gender gap landscape. This paper examines the correlation between more gender-equal countries and the gender gap in student test scores for reading, mathematics, and HIV-AIDS awareness in southern and eastern Africa. We use ordinary least squares and quantile regression to analyse student information from the SACMEQ III dataset in comparison with measurements of social gender inequality such as the Gender Inequality Index and the Global Gender Gap Index. As such, this analysis draws on data from roughly 60,000 African students and includes test scores from reading comprehension and HIV-AIDS awareness, a unique subject that is critical for health, wealth and wellbeing on the continent. Our study finds that in each subject at every quantile, the gender gap displays a robust inverse relationship with more gender-equal countries specifically demonstrating higher educational performance among girls. With youthful populations and burgeoning economies, these countries in Africa have much to gain from addressing the gender gap in education. These findings encourage policymakers to consider how the social condition of gender-equality might influence the academic performance of students, especially for girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research analyses the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey Data. The multilevel logistic regression is used as the model estimation technique. The study investigates how the intersection of being a paternal orphan or vulnerable child and having close versus distant biological relations with the household head impacts wasting. Findings indicate that paternal orphans or vulnerable children who are grandchildren face the greatest significant probability of wasting compared to paternal orphans or vulnerable children who are biological children and non-orphans/non-vulnerable children who are grandchildren. Grandparent-headed households are not meeting the nutritional needs of paternal orphans and vulnerable children who are grandchildren. Policy needs to focus on directing monetary, food, and health resources to grandmothers caring for orphaned and vulnerable grandchildren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biometric digital identity systems have been promoted as a solution for Africa's development challenges. By providing accurate and reliable identification of citizens, these systems are expected to enable better planning and resource allocation by states. However, this optimistic view overlooks the border logic embedded in the design and deployment of these systems. In this article, the author critically examines the assumptions and implications of biometric digital identity systems in Africa. By broadening the debate on the intersection of African 'mobilities', responsible innovation, and the deployment of biometric technology, the author attempt to pry open the 'black box' of national digital identity systems and contends that the diffusion of these systems in Africa is driven more by the Global North's border interests than by the local populations' development needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to finance is perceived as one of the major problems facing businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the structures that support them in their development. This paper aims to measure the probability that a support structure with given characteristics, specific services to entrepreneurs and some technical capacities will face large-scale financial problems. We estimate a multinomial logistic model using a pool of disaggregated data collected by the Nkafu Policy Institute in a survey of 80 business support structures in Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Ghana in 2021. Our results show that the financial health of a business support structure is not fundamentally dependent on the duration of support, but rather on other factors related to the quality of services offered to entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy alcohol use (HAU) can destabilize engagement along the HIV care continuum. Population-based studies assessing associations of HAU with HIV treatment outcomes are lacking, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We leveraged data from the Kenya Population-based HIV Impact Assessment to identify associations of self-reported HAU, assessed using two items measuring the frequency and quantity of past-year alcohol consumption, with serum biomarkers for HIV serostatus unawareness, antiretroviral therapy (ART) non-use, and HIV viremia (≥1000 RNA copies/mL). Overall and sex-stratified survey-weighted logistic regression with jackknife variance estimation modeled adjusted odds ratios (adjOR) of HIV treatment indicators by HAU. Overall, 1491 persons living with HIV aged 15–64 years (68.4% female) were included. The prevalence of HAU was 8.9% (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 6.8–11.0%) and was significantly more pronounced in males than females (19.6% vs. 4.0%, p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, HAU was significantly (p < 0.001) associated with HIV serostatus unawareness (adjOR = 3.65, 95%CI: 2.14–6.23), ART non-use (adjOR = 3.81, 95%CI: 2.25–6.43), and HIV viremia (adjOR = 3.13, 95%CI: 1.85–5.32). Incorporating sex-specific alcohol use screening into HIV testing and treatment services in populations where HAU is prevalent could optimize clinical outcomes along the HIV care continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change adversely impacts the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across East and Southern Africa. Climate-related information is assumed to support smallholder farmer decision-making and use of adaptive practices as a means to improve livelihoods, resiliency and levels of food security. However, the value of climate information provision and its role in promoting adaptive practices remains poorly understood. We examined smallholder household access to, and use of, climate information. Survey data was collected from 5322 households across Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Tanzania and Zimbabwe using the Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool. Overall, the majority of households regularly accessed at least one source of climate information, primarily via radio (64.9%, n = 3453). Our statistical models showed that households with relatively better access to credit and land tenure were more likely to receive climate information (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively, n = 1421), and of those, households who reported observing past climate-related changes were more likely to actually use climate information (p < 0.05, n = 1097). Secure land tenure was positively associated with information use, though not statistically significant. Findings from our study offer guidance for improving the targeting and delivery of climate information programmes and policies, and indicate that the assumed benefits of climate information provision should be more rigorously evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructure development's contribution to community wellbeing in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is largely unknown. Existing scholarship over-represents externally funded projects, sidelining micro-level initiatives. Empirical studies hardly apply Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approaches that estimate wellbeing as a composite function of infrastructure development. We review the topical literature on infrastructure development and community wellbeing in SSA. We find positive effects of infrastructure development on community wellbeing in SSA. SEM was not applied in any reviewed case study. We then use the Partial Least Square Structural Equation Model (PLS – SEM) to assess the impacts of multiple micro-level infrastructure projects on community wellbeing in Cameroon. All four examined micro-projects had positive effects on community wellbeing. However, only the effects of two projects (hospitals and schools) were statistically significant. The study recommends more SEM-based studies as prerequisite to disentangling composite wellbeing benefits of infrastructure development in SSA, with cost efficiency and outcome-optimizing implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sharing large digital-first datasets, including for purposes for which they were not originally intended, is a hallmark of the “big data revolution”. Through their routine operations, private commercial companies collect massive amounts of diverse data from their customers, some of which may interest those working in the public sector, such as health researchers. Researchers and government agencies worldwide have been increasingly using data from commercial entities (such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook/Meta, Twitter/X and Amazon, among others) to generate health-related insights. This article explores ethical issues raised by the practice of commercial companies sharing consumer data with third parties for the purposes of promoting health in the sub-Saharan African (SSA) context. First, as an illustrative example, it examines some of the ways telecommunication (telecom) companies in SSA shared mobility data from cellphone users with public health researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, it examines a recent debate about the ethical responsibilities of companies that collect, process and share user-generated data, drawing implications for the SSA context. Finally, since this is a relatively understudied subject, we point out some areas where future conceptual and empirical work could contribute to the development of relevant ethics guidance and regulatory governance in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deconstructs everyday mobility practices from a perspective of accessibility and social and transport (dis)advantage in two capital port cities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) – Freetown, Sierra Leone and Maputo, Mozambique. The paper proposes a novel framework that interprets social and transport (dis)advantage conditions as critical drivers of mobility behaviours and the resulting (in)accessibility that circumscribes individuals’ experience. Building on its framework, the paper raises unique empirical qualitative evidence from eight neighbourhoods about mobility practices across populations facing different degrees of social and transport (dis)advantage. The study’s design is grounded in the in-depth understanding of accessibility using qualitative methods as a counterpoint to predominant quantitative and spatial approaches, filling critical data gaps in cities in SSA. The findings reveal a deep-seated aspiration for car ownership, tempered by the urgency of other immediate material needs, as well as the dynamic nature of travel behaviour due to changing conditions during the day and throughout the year. The findings also indicate informality plays a significant role in enabling access to critical opportunities and the need to strengthen trust in popular transport systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurposeMaterials and methodsResultsConclusion\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTo investigate the psychometric properties of the MOSE-Benin, a French-language version of the Measure of Stroke Environment (MOSE) for Sub-Saharan Africa.The original English version of the MOSE has been translated into French following the guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation. The resulting questionnaire (MOSE-Benin) was administered to a convenience sample of participants recruited in Benin, a French-speaking country.Eighty-two stroke survivors (41 females; mean ± SD: 54.94 ± 11.6 years old) participated in the study. Internal consistency of each domain of the MOSE-Benin and the overall questionnaire was high (Cronbach’s α: 0.78 to 0.92). Test-retest reliability was excellent (n = 31; ICC: 0.977 to 0.998). Overall, the standard error of measurement (SEM) and the minimum detectable change (MDC) showed very low values (SEM = 0.85; MDC = 2.35). Convergent validity demonstrated moderate correlations for the three domains in separate comparison respectively with the ACTIVLIM-Stroke questionnaire, the Participation Measurement Scale, and the communication domain of the Stroke Impact Scale (r or ρ: 0.42 to 0.54; p < 0.0001).MOSE-Benin has good evidence regarding psychometric properties (i.e., content validity, convergent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability) that can support its use for the assessment of perceived environmental barriers after stroke in a French-speaking Sub-Saharan African country, such as Benin.Stroke survivors in French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa may face environmental challenges related to acceptability, physical environment, and communication.Stroke survivors should be assessed in their communities to identify environmental barriers, using valid and robust tools.A French version of the MOSE (MOSE-Benin) is now available and can be used to assess the environmental concerns faced by stroke survivors in Sub-Saharan Africa.Stroke survivors in French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa may face environmental challenges related to acceptability, physical environment, and communication.Stroke survivors should be assessed in their communities to identify environmental barriers, using valid and robust tools.A French version of the MOSE (MOSE-Benin) is now available and can be used to assess the environmental concerns faced by stroke survivors in Sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In sub-Saharan Africa, adolescents and young adults make up 30–35% of the population. However, 14% are reported to struggle with some psychological distress. Because mental health is often stigmatized in Africa, many adolescents conceal their psychological distress, further compounding their mental health challenges. This study used the Youth Outcome Questionnaire to assess psychological distress in a group of adolescents (n = 333) in three regions in Ghana – Savannah, Central, and Greater Accra. A one-way ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences in distress based on location. The differences existed only in adolescents from Savannah and Central but not Greater Accra. Additionally, a Hotelling T2 test revealed that social isolation and depression-anxiety were statistically significantly different based on gender; there were no differences in conduct problems. Implications are proffered for clinicians and policymakers on how best to support adolescents as they transition from childhood to adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green infrastructure is critical for creating garden cities, promoting public health, environmental quality, and building resilience to climate change. While these spaces are increasingly recognised as valuable ecological and environmental assets, the state of urban green infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) cities is concerning. Rapid urbanisation, weak enforcement of development controls, and informal settlements have reduced the availability of green infrastructure, which has implications on the sustainability of African cities. This paper provides a review of the state and challenges associated with urban green infrastructure in SSA, focusing on the loss of green spaces, urban planning challenges, and the need for policy and citizen action. Drawing on extensive literature (secondary data), the paper highlights the importance of integrating greeneries into the urban fabric of SSA cities to promote resilience to climate change and enhance environmental sustainability. It argues that concrete steps are needed at all levels of society - from policymakers to citizens - to ensure that SSA cities can regain their status as garden cities and promote a healthier, and more resilient ecological landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integrated ECM and the TAM were being used to identify the determining factors predicting students' intention to use the Learning Management System. The independent study was conducted solely focused at Gombe State University's Faculty of Art and Management Science in Nigeria. This was a quantitative research design wherein the online questionnaires were distributed to 500 selected post-graduate students through convenient sampling with the additional support of the snowballing sampling technique. The data collected was analysed using SPSS Version 22 and Amos Version 21. This study reveals that the broadly defined integrated model variables can influence a large percentage of high school students using LMS. However, one of the integral factors in the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM), "Confirmation," is discovered to be completely unimportant in the comprehensive integrated model. This research study outlines the various important benchmarks throughout the LMS design phase as well as a strongly proposed optimum approach to a fully utilised LMS process at universities as well as higher education institutions. The study suggested that students and teachers are essential participants for whom the continued involvement tends to increase the interactions and exchange of knowledge of teaching and learning information within and between teaching staff and students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research emphasizes popular support for democracy as a key ingredient of democratic regime consolidation. Both formal and informal institutions are commonly seen as the key actors that generate the requisite attitudinal shift, socializing ordinary citizens to adopt democratic values. It is thus puzzling that existing studies of attitudes towards democracy in the developing world have neglected to consider the impact of widely prevalent traditional institutions. Not only do these institutions vary considerably in their own democraticness, they also play a prominent role in the daily lives of many citizens. Filling this lacuna in extant knowledge, this study links a continent-wide dataset of the institutional features of contemporary traditional institutions in Africa with over fifty thousand survey respondents. The results indicate that the degree of democraticness exhibited by traditional institutions is a robust if weak predictor of ordinary Africans' support for democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 21st century presents significant global health challenges that necessitate an integrated health workforce capable of delivering person-centered and integrated healthcare services. Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) plays a vital role in achieving integration and training an IPC-capable workforce in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has become imperative. This study aims to assess changes in IPC confidence among learners participating in a team-based, case-based HIV training programme across diverse settings in SSA. Additionally, it sought to examine the impact of different course formats (in-person, synchronous virtual, or blended learning) on IPC confidence. Data from 20 institutions across 18 SSA countries were collected between May 1 and December 31, 2021. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate associations between variables of interest and the increases in IPC confidence. The analysis included 3,842 learners; nurses comprised 37.9% (n = 1,172) and physicians 26.7% (n = 825). The majority of learners (67.2%, n = 2,072) were pre-service learners, while 13.0% (n = 401) had graduated within the past year. Factors significantly associated with increased IPC confidence included female gender, physician cadre, completion of graduate training over 12 months ago, and participation in virtual or in-person synchronous workshops (p <.05). The insights from this analysis can inform future curriculum development to strengthen interprofessional healthcare delivery across SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The institutions-cum-forest use dynamics literature is growing, albeit marred by scanty evidence on actor roles in shaping the process in sub-Saharan Africa. Cameroon represents a useful "laboratory" to explore such actor-driven change processes. Recent studies have reported the change process linked to a colonial hangover in parts of Cameroon that came under French influence, suggesting the need for fresh evidence to uncover such change processes in parts of the country which came under British influence. Using the Bakossi Landscape as a case, this article (i) traces the pathways of forest-linked institutional change, (ii) estimates the role of actor groups in shaping forest-linked institutional change, and (iii) explores the determinants of forest-linked institutional change in the Bakossi Landscape. A representative sample of 116 households in 3 selected communities was performed. This was complemented by focus group discussions (n = 6) and key informant interviews (n = 10). Descriptive statistics were used to establish forest-linked institutional change, while the ordinary least square was employed to estimate the effect of actor groups and other determinants on forest-linked institutional change. The results lead us to the following conclusions: First, both forest-linked institutional structures and processes witnessed changes over the years. Second, raising the intensity of actor group processes (in-migrants, local elites, traditional leadership, timber dealership and NTFP traders) significantly decreases changes in forest-linked traditional rules, while migration, state officials and the church significantly increase changes in forest-linked institutional structure. Finally, an increase in the composite index of process-mix traditional leadership and NTFP traders decreases changes in forest-linked institutional structures. Future studies should uncover gender dimensions of changes in forest-based institutions, as well as the role of conflict actors in engendering institutional change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been increasing demands on multinational oil companies (MOCs) to provide community development programmes and security to their host communities in Nigeria. This is mainly because developmental projects and security are lacking in most of these communities and most of the time they are not provided by the government. Thus, we set out to examine the impact of MOCs' Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) model on cutting the main drivers cum prompters of herder-farmer violence in the Niger Delta expanse of Nigeria. Results from the use of both propensity score matching and the logit model indicate that, though a very skimpy part of the CSR intervention is specifically aimed at alleviating herder-farmer conflict, CSR has made a momentous impact in the drops in land deprivation, social disparities, pressure over land as well as better people's lives in the region. The finding suggests that MOCs are well positioned to tackle the drivers and triggers of farmer-herder violence when investment in cluster development boards (CDBs) is designed to improve land management infrastructure, train local leaders in dispute resolution techniques and prioritise trust between communities and the security forces. This implies that business has an obligation to help in solving problems of public concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International aid is one of the main issues within the Liberal International Order (LIO) in Africa, where traditional donors have held significant influence since the Second World War (WWII). The power dynamics within the aid regime, which have been characterised by asymmetry in both guiding standards and administering organisations, have started to undergo disruption in recent decades. The relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the potential to reshape the institutional arrangements of the international aid regime in the current global system. Beijing's increased financial presence in SSA, particularly its involvement in debt and financial dependency, challenges the hegemony of traditional donors who have historically employed Africa's debt and aid dependency as tools of asymmetric power. Both African governments and the PRC advocate for deep reforms of the current regime by defending favoured institutional arrangements, rejecting those deemed unfavourable and establishing new ones to substantially shift power dynamics within the international aid regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the threshold effect of inflation on the foreign direct investment (FDI) – economic growth nexus in sub-Saharan Africa using panel samples of countries that have adopted an inflation-targeting regime. The study sourced data from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators over a period of 1982–2020 and adopted the fixedeffect panel threshold model approach for its analysis. The findings reveal two separate thresholds of inflation in the FDI – growth nexus. The growth-enhancing effect of FDI is largely realized when inflation is below the optimal threshold level of 7.26%. Beyond the second threshold level of 16.49%, the beneficial effect of FDI on growth is seen to diminish in terms of effectsize. This study provides new insights into the growth effect of FDI and the role of inflation levels in this nexus. The thresholds of inflation and the attendant size-effect of FDI on growth can be benchmarks for Africa and other developing and emerging economies in assessing their situations. As African monetary authorities choose which inflation targets to set for their monetary policies, the findings raise significant implications for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The puzzling relationship between foreign private capital flows and productivity remains unresolved. We attempt to resolve the puzzle by extending the literature to investigate the effects of the flows across heterogeneous recipient sectors, using a unique hand-collected database of 18 African countries for 2006–2015. We uncover a new interesting finding that the effects of the flows on productivity growth depend on recipient sectors. The results suggest that the negative relationship between foreign private capital flows and economic growth documented in the existing literature, particularly in developing countries, is related to the fact that most of the flows went into sectors, such as extractives and infrastructure, which have less potential for productivity growth. Overall, our findings suggest that the capital allocation puzzle is a sectoral capital allocation puzzle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains sub-optimal among pregnant and postpartum women with HIV (PPWH) in high HIV prevalence low resource settings with few effective behavioral interventions. A large body of qualitative literature has established general barriers and facilitators to ART adherence in PPWH at various levels (individual, interpersonal, structural). However, research exploring the underlying behavioral mechanisms of ART adherence in PPWH with objectively verified adherence biomarkers is extremely limited. We conducted 24 in-depth interviews with postpartum women in western Kenya who had linked ART drug concentrations obtained from three dried blood spot samples across the peripartum period. Among PPWH with a low drug concentration (n = 13) compared to those with continuously high drug concentrations (n = 11), distinct themes emerged related to HIV status disclosure, social support, interactions with the health system, and health beliefs. By combining ART biomarkers with patient reported challenges, there is the potential for real-time interventions to support sustained ART adherence among PPWH and improve maternal and infant health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The debate on the changes in livelihood assets as a function of health shocks remains inconclusive, thus spurring attention from scientists and development practitioners across the globe. This paper analyses COVID-19-induced changes in the livelihood assets of rural households in Ghana. While content analysis was employed in qualitative data analysis, the quantitative data set was analysed using a binary logistic regression model. The analyses led to the following conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a more significant decline in financial assets than social assets. Although several socio-economic factors determine changes in the livelihood assets of households, the assets base of migrants was disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Further, women were disproportionately affected since market access restrictions significantly affected their income and savings and, consequently, their ability to buy farm necessities. These results suggest the need to emphasise the resilience of financial assets in times of pandemics, especially for migrants. This study provides new insights to inform the sustainable livelihoods framework, emphasising pandemics and changing livelihood strategies. Studies to uncover the coping strategies of migrants in the context of health shocks are required to complement this position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the relationship between extreme poverty and road fatalities in sub-Saharan Africa using a panel of 42 countries over the period 1990–2014. We adopt the two-step system GMM method and a two-stage estimation framework to check for robustness of the relationship between road fatalities and extreme poverty. Our study finds a positive and significant relationship between deaths from road accidents and extreme poverty for overall road fatalities and only the age group between 15 and 49 years when considering the different age groups. Extreme-poverty-road fatality elasticity post higher values when we adopt the two-stage estimation framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the dominant global development agendas for rural Africa in the past two decades has cast large-scale agro-industrial investments as a solution to achieve more efficient land use, higher crop yields, enhanced food security, and poverty reduction, among others. However, mounting evidence shows that this agenda has not fulfilled its promises: most land deals for agricultural production have not materialised as planned and their socio-economic development objectives often remain unreached. Despite the often severe impacts of non-operational projects, knowledge about why they fail to take place and operate remains fragmentary. Based on an extensive literature review of contemporary land deals in seven sub-Saharan countries, this paper sheds light on two 'productive gaps'. First, the article delves into the 'productive gap' of land deals themselves, identifying key drivers of non-operational land deals. The reviewed literature points to local opposition and financial difficulties as significant factors impacting agricultural operations. Local opposition, in turn, stems largely from flawed land acquisition processes and unfulfilled investors' promises. Second, this article offers a critical appraisal of the biases and oversights in the knowledge the land grab scholarship has 'produced'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this systematic review of 68 English-language articles we explore the roles of customary authorities in environmental governance in sub-Saharan Africa. We identify four roles that customary authorities take: a managing role is most common, followed by supporting, enforcing, and rent-seeking roles. These roles often occur in combination (most commonly managing with rent-seeking and managing with supporting) and in many environmental domains, often involving land. Importantly, the impact of customary authorities on environmental governance is more often positive than negative, especially in supportive roles and in the environmental domains of biodiversity and climate change. Rent-seeking is most often associated with negative environmental outcomes; managing both with positive and negative outcomes. Unclear relationships or legal frameworks between customary authorities and the state are also associated with less effective governance. Our work demonstrates the important roles of customary authorities in environmental governance and provides suggestions for further comparative analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-Saharan Africa, and in particular Mozambique, has considerable potential of salinity gradient energy, which could foster coastal development. However, the lack of scientific based information hinders the development of policies and investments in harnessing this source of energy in Sub-Saharan Africa. The present study, used historical data of temperature and salinity and estimated the potential of salinity gradient power in four main estuaries in Mozambique. The theoretical salinity gradient power ranged, on average, from 843.6 MW, in Incomati River estuary to 2,800.0 MW in Zambezi Delta. The Bons Sinais Estuary and Limpopo Estuary had 1,086.8 MW and 1292.0 MW, on average, respectively. The salinity power estimated in the Mozambique estuaries studied was above the maximum power densities for electrodialysis osmotic energy storage systems, which is set at 5 W m−2, and has potential extractable energy of about 3,000MW, and could benefit about 2 million coastal rural households (about 7% of the total Mozambican population) on irrigation and lighting houses. Further studies may be focused in determining the seasonal and salinity intrusion effects on salinity power gradient in the Mozambican estuaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exchange rate extreme shocks affect stock prices differently, depending on the sign and the magnitude of changes. This study, therefore, examines the asymmetric impact of multifarious exchange rate shocks on stock prices in sub-Saharan Africa between 1 March 2013 and 14 January 2023, using the novel, multiple thresholds nonlinear autoregressive distributed-lag (MTNARDL) model. This model estimates the effects of extremely small and extremely large positive and negative shocks in exchange rate on stock prices. The study partitioned the sample into pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 era. The study's outcome indicates: first, exchange rate shocks below 25th percentile affect stock prices positively but above the 25th percentile and below the upper quantiles (75th percentile) the effects is mixed; second, at the upper quantiles (75th percentile), both exchange rate depreciation and appreciation adversely affect the value of stocks; third, the link between the series is highly sensitive to global shocks; fourth, causality result upholds the flow-oriented model in four out of the six countries. The policy implications are: (i) the responses of stock prices to exchange rates changes are sensitive to the sign and size of the shock, as well as sensitive to global shocks. Consequently, specific policy recommendations have been suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply chain finance continues to play an important role in servicing businesses that have limited access to finance. With the disruptions associated with the fourth industrial revolution, opportunities exist in Africa to increase participation by small businesses. While the effect of digitalization on supply chain finance has been explored, evidence from Africa is still limited. This study sought to determine the effect of digitalization on supply chain financing of small businesses in Africa. The study utilized a dataset that consists of observations from 4409 small businesses in sub-Saharan Africa, including agricultural businesses. Four indicators of digitalization (use of company websites, social media, online advertisements, and mobile phone ownership) were used to compute and index digitalization. A logit regression model was fitted on the dataset to determine the effect of digitalization on supply chain finance. The results showed that digitalization significantly affects adoption of supply chain finance by small businesses. The results were robust and did not change significantly due to the inclusion of confounding factors. The results additionally indicated that supply chain financing is also affected by education level, company age and government training programmes in supply chain financing (p < 0.05), although there was a significant difference in the adoption of supply chain finance across countries and between small agricultural businesses and businesses from other sectors of the economy. Thus, any efforts to improve financing activities of small businesses should consider their digitalization development. Investments in digitalization infrastructure by Africa governments should be scaled up. The regulatory environment should be kept favourable to facilitate development of inclusive digital markets. Future research should explore available digital solutions, adoption costs and factors that affect demand by small businesses in sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural research for development agencies in sub-Saharan Africa increasingly implements innovation platforms (IPs) to address institutional barriers to innovation in smallholder agriculture. This research aims to understand the activities, actions or arrangements that were mediated by a multilevel set of IPs to sustain the use of livestock feeding practices in the Ethiopian Highlands. Data was collected two years after the multilevel IPs had been phased out to ascertain if innovation outcomes had been sustained beyond the life of the project. The study identified specific IP interventions that constrained or enabled sustained use of the livestock innovations among two groups of smallholders based on their livestock production objective, i.e., commercially oriented or subsistence. Where the feed innovations had been tailored to specific enterprises and aligned to farmers' production goals, such as improved dairy farming, they were sustained. Transitioning to a livestock feed system was enabled in the case of commercially oriented smallholders and remained a challenge for subsistence-oriented smallholders, especially where access to forage seeds and affordable input services is limited. Finally mechanisms and strategies to inform similar future interventions to support the development of different groups of farmers along the value chain to achieve impact beyond project period are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This theoretical paper endorses that Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a severe acute respiratory syndrome that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a world pandemic on the 8th of March 2020 has exposed a plethora of opportunities and inequalities in education. To contain the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries of the world enforced some form of lockdown and restrictions, and that affected the culture of social institutions including the African university. The effects of lockdown and restrictions on human contact and movement resulted in the innovations in pedagogic and assessment practices that shifted from the traditional face-to-face approach to the digital online mode. While being guided by Bourdieu's cultural capital theory, the study examines the narratives of the digital divide gap in African university education. The study also borrows from Lloyd Morrisett, an American experimental psychologist who contributed to the digital divide gap theory. The study acknowledges that learners, teachers, and administrators from poor universities and communities in Su-Saharan Africa (SSA) encountered challenges such as internet accessibility, infrastructure, power supply, technical knowledge, and training, and cost of data. The study certifies that there are a plethora of inequalities related to the digital divide gap that was ignored and still needs to be mitigated. The study recommends the need to upgrade the information and communication technologies (ICTs) and related infrastructure to the reach of many including the vulnerable and marginalized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anomaluroid rodents (i.e. Anomaluridae + Zenkerellidae) have a long evolutionary history in Africa dating back to at least the middle Eocene, but Palaeogene fossil members of the anomaluroid crown group have never been found south of the Sahara. Here, we describe the oldest crown anomaluroid from sub-Saharan Africa, Eliwourus topernawiensis (new genus and species) from the early Oligocene Topernawi Formation of northern Kenya. Bayesian phylogenetic tip-dating analysis of a combined molecular-morphological dataset places ~29.5 Ma Eliwourus as an advanced stem anomalurid, and suggests that crown Anomaluridae originated ~28.2 Ma. The gliding behaviour seen in all crown anomalurids had, therefore, likely evolved before the close of the early Oligocene. Bayesian geocoordinates analysis places the origin of crown Anomaluroidea (~47.2 Ma) in northern Africa, and identifies a stem anomalurid dispersal into equatorial eastern Africa in the latest Eocene or earliest Oligocene. We present the first quantitative analysis of the pace of anomaluroid dental evolution and confirm a remarkably slow or bradytelic rate of phenotypic change, despite significant transformations in postcranial morphology related to the evolution of gliding behaviour during the same interval. The Topernawi area was evidently sufficiently forested during the early Oligocene to support both arboreal rodents and primates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dearth of theoretical and empirical work examining street-level land administration officials (SLAOs) in post-conflict peri-urban communities in sub-Saharan Africa. This article investigates how SLAOs deliver land administration services under a hybrid governance regime in a localised post-conflict environment, and how they balance strict adherence to the rule of law and a flexible application of rules and regulations. The study is based on a case study in Mombasa. The theory argues that, in Waitiki, SLAOs evaluate their situation and formulate a range of strategies to deliver services and deal with poor governance challenges like corruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the pressing need to address the HIV epidemic among adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite progress in HIV prevention, ABYM still experience low diagnosis rates, treatment adherence, and linkage to care. The paper emphasizes ABYM's vulnerability due to societal norms, limited healthcare access, and economic pressures. It calls for gender-responsive interventions, including comprehensive sexual education, youth-friendly health services, community engagement, and targeted outreach. Comprehensive sexual education is pivotal in HIV prevention for ABYM, providing them with age-appropriate sexual health knowledge and safer sexual practices to reduce HIV incidence. Harmful masculine norms must be countered to promote respectful relationships, benefiting boys, men, and their partners. Inadequate access to youth-friendly health services hampers HIV prevention. Establishing spaces with confidential, non-judgmental care offering testing, counselling, circumcision, and provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is essential, especially considering ABYM's unique clinic experiences. Engaging communities, leaders, educators, and peers combats stigma and discrimination. ABYM's input in intervention design, targeted outreach, and innovative technology enhances effectiveness of HIV prevention programmes. Economic factors should also be addressed. Comprehensive multi-sectoral interventions, including conditional cash transfers, effective for AGYW, could benefit ABYM. Addressing structural factors alongside behaviour change and social support is key. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social network strategy (SNS) testing uses network connections to refer individuals at high risk to HIV testing services (HTS). In Tanzania, SNS testing is offered in communities and health facilities. In communities, SNS testing targets key and vulnerable populations (KVP), while in health facilities it complements index testing by reaching unelicited index contacts. Routine data were used to assess performance and trends over time in PEPFAR-supported sites between October 2021 and March 2023. Key indicators included SNS social contacts tested, and new HIV-positives individuals identified. Descriptive and statistical analysis were conducted. Univariable and multivariable analysis were applied, and variables with P-values <0.2 at univariable analysis were considered for multivariable analysis. Overall, 121,739 SNS contacts were tested, and 7731 (6.4%) previously undiagnosed individuals living with HIV were identified. Tested contacts and identified HIV-positives were mostly aged ≥15 years (>99.7%) and females (80.6% of tests, 79.4% of HIV-positives). Most SNS contacts were tested (78,363; 64.7%) and diagnosed (6376; 82.5%) in communities. SNS tests and HIV-positives grew 11.5 and 6.1-fold respectively, from October-December 2021 to January-March 2023, with majority of clients reached in communities vs. facilities (78,763 vs. 42,976). These results indicate that SNS testing is a promising HIV case-finding approach in Tanzania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study are to implicitly investigate the relationship that exist between energy consumption (renewable and non-renewable energy) and human development (with the Human Development Index as proxy); and energy consumption and industrial sector performance (with industrial output as proxy) in selected sub-Saharan Africa and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Four groups of models were specified and estimated using Panel data for 21 countries according to income criteria from 1990 to 2022. These data were analyzed using Panel Ordinary Least Square (OLS) before which they were filtered with the use of Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root test while the Johansen cointegration test was used to justify the long-run relationship among all included variables. The findings of this study revealed that energy consumption was positively related and statistically significant in explaining changes in human development and industrial sector performance in the selected sub-Saharan Africa and the OECD countries. However, changes in Human Development Index (HDI) were not statistically significant in explaining changes inindustrial sector performance in both regions. The results of the estimated models revealed a three-way directional causality among the selected variables. Additionally, it was established that a significant gap exist in human development, energy consumption and industrial sector performance, in favour of the selected OECD countries. Furthermore, it was also established that energy consumption and industrial output are potent determinants of human development in the selected OECD and sub-Saharan African Countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bilingual education that incorporates a local language alongside the official language has become an increasingly common approach in sub-Saharan Africa for improving literacy rates and learning outcomes. Evidence suggests that bilingual instruction is largely associated with positive learning and literacy outcomes globally. However, the adoption of bilingual education does not guarantee positive learning outcomes. This paper reviews bilingual programs in sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on programs in six Francophone West African countries (Niger, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon). We identified factors critical to high-quality and effective bilingual programs. Implementation factors, such as teacher training and classroom resources, and socio-cultural factors, such as perceptions of local languages in education, constrain and contribute to the quality of bilingual education. These insights may help inform policy-makers and other stakeholders seeking to improve bilingual education programs in Francophone West Africa and other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research reflection is to revisit the foundations upon which we constitute our understanding of the good life. Specifically, we think it is important for our field to unmoor itself from the myth that the advent of agriculture led to increased leisure time. To make our case, we recount two strikingly different narratives of the settings in which leisure is proported to flourish that we believe help us make sense of the current 21st century paradox of the most technologically advanced globalized society yearning for leisure, but endlessly falling short of its aspirations. In contrast, we revisit ethnographies of the Ju/'hoansi, hunter-gatherers in the Kalahari Desert of sub-Saharan Africa. Despite cyclical famine, drought, colonial incursions and de facto post-colonial rule, the Ju/'hoansi held superior leisure time to people living in Western societies, begging the question of why our field has paid them so little attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School enrolment has increased at an unprecedented scale in Sub-Saharan Africa but learning and the associated education efficiency have not. Given that resources are limited, the efficient use of inputs is of utmost importance for sustainable development. Hence, we investigate whether improvements in children's nutrition can improve learning and hence efficiency. To assess this relationship, we employ average female height as our proxy for nutrition during childhood. For learning, we estimate numeracy and efficiency using a linearized version of the Whipple Index. Our data is at the subnational level focusing on the birth decades from 1950 to 1999. To deal with the endogeneity of nutrition, we use an instrumental variable approach. Our instrument is negative rainfall shocks during childhood which can adversely affect nutrition. We find that better nutrition increases education efficiency. Therefore, investments in nutrition can advance self-sustaining long-term growth based on human capital in Sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health problems are highly prevalent among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), yet mental health care in African countries is scarce. There is growing interest in understanding the effect of group therapy delivery models and task-shifting to support mental health care in African settings. We conducted a scoping review following the PRISMA-ScR statement on group therapy in PLWHA in Africa. We searched PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar for articles published before October 2023 on evidence for effectiveness and acceptance of group therapies in PLWHA, and evidence of task-shifting approaches. A narrative synthesis approach for data analysis was used. We included 17 studies, which comprised 26 different outcome measures across seven countries in sub-Sahara Africa. The majority (72%) of the assessed single outcomes demonstrated a positive impact of group therapy delivery models on outcome measures, particularly depression, alcohol use, overall functioning, and social support in sub-Sahara Africa. High acceptance was demonstrated by quantitative and qualitative approaches. Task shifting approaches generally were shown to be effective, cost-effective, and accepted, and may support burdened healthcare systems in rural settings. The current evidence, albeit scarce, supports the use of group therapy and task shifting in addressing mental health among PLWHA living in sub-Sahara Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Sub-Saharan Africa, empirical evidence has shown that irrigation can have positive impacts on agricultural production and farm incomes. This study uses a rigorous propensity score matching analysis applied to clustered data from two state-led and two farmer-led irrigation examples in Ghana to quantitatively evaluate the intersectional impacts of different types of irrigation on multiple dimensions of farmers' livelihoods. The results of our study indicate that although farmer-led irrigation enhances farmer incomes, this does not necessarily translate into poverty alleviation and prosperity. Furthermore, impacts on young men, young women and adult women are of a different nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research on hedonic and eudaimonic children's well-being is growing, these constructs need to be understood within the African context. In this study we validated two psychometric scales with 10 and 12-year-old children (n = 2 035) in the Namibian setting: the Children's Worlds Subjective Well-being Scale (CW-SWBS, measuring subjective well-being) and the Children's Worlds Psychological Well-being Scale (CW-PSWBS, measuring psychological well-being). We tested the fit of each scale within the pooled sample as well as scalar invariance between boys' and girls' answers, as well as between age-groups. Results support a good fit and convergent validity for both scales with the pooled sample. Sex invariance was supported for the CW-SWBS. However, the comparability of the answering style of boys and girls at 12 years old was not supported for the CW-PSWBS. Therefore, these findings suggest a need for caution when using CW-PSWBS scores with early adolescents in the Namibian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, surveillance data establish that there are higher rates of late HIV diagnoses among heterosexual migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa and new HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men (GBM) from Southeast and Northeast Asia and Latin America. Together, these groups are identified as priority migrant communities in current efforts to eliminate HIV transmissions. HIV health literacy is recognised as a key means of improving access to services and health outcomes. This qualitative paper explores critical HIV health literacy among priority migrant communities in Queensland, Australia. To foreground community voices, peer researchers from priority migrant communities participated in the project design, data collection and analysis, with 20 interviews completed. The findings demonstrate how participants' engagement with HIV health information and services is highly relational and situated within the framework of sexual health and wellbeing. Participants strategically selected where to seek information and who they trusted to help them appraise this information. They further demonstrated reflective capacities in identifying the contextual barriers that inhibit the development of their HIV health literacy. The findings highlight the need for HIV health promotion strategies that embrace a sex positive approach, promote cultural change, and involve collaboration with general practitioners (GPs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]