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This study explores the transformative potential of fourth industrial revolution (called Industry 4.0) technologies in the context of poverty elimination, with a particular focus on Africa. Given the multidimensional nature of poverty, which spans economic, social, and environmental aspects, there is a critical need for innovative and sustainable solutions. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review to identify how recent advancements, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, blockchain, big data, and 5G can be harnessed to address various facets of poverty. Drawing on insights from existing research and expert opinions, we propose a conceptual framework that integrates these technologies with strategic policy interventions, infrastructure development, and capacity building. The paper proposes a framework that illustrates the prerequisite requirements before adopting Industry 4.0 technologies in poverty elimination efforts. This framework aims to ensure that the benefits of technological innovations are accessible to the most vulnerable populations, thereby contributing to the broader goals of socioeconomic development and poverty reduction. The work shows that while Industry 4.0 presents a critical opportunity for sustainable development and poverty elimination in Africa, it needs to have essential capacities to optimize the use of observations, visualizations, and mindset management before or when adopting the first stage of Industry 4.0 solutions for poverty elimination. [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]

The paper aims to scrutinize the nexus between development aid, economic growth, poverty, and inclusion in Africa in the short and long run. After compiling the theoretical and empirical foundation of aid effectiveness literature, the statistical analysis is conducted in three scenarios. First, a panel data analysis was conducted from 1977 to 2018 for 34 African countries to explore the interface between Official Development Assistance (ODA) and economic growth in the long run. The second scenario presents ODA's short-term and long-term marginal effects on poverty reduction. The last scenario examines the direct effect of ODA on inclusive development. The statistical results show that aid effectiveness varies across nations. In the short-run, out of the 34 countries, only five countries have a positive marginal efficiency of ODA in terms of economic growth. However, only in one country (Nigeria) is the marginal efficiency of ODA arguably found to be positive in the long-run. The poverty elasticity of ODA is found to be negative in all countries. Finally, the random effects regression shows that ODA arguably contributes negatively to inclusion. Multiple factors may cause statistically negative relationships and should not be ignored due to the suspicion of an endogeneity problem. This is the unique selling point of this paper, as it discusses the potential causes. Statistical findings may not fully explain aid effectiveness because benefits and drawbacks may differ from national interests and project to project. Furthermore, aid may have different long- and short-term consequences. Given all the limitations, the statistical analyses in this paper show that development aid should have strategic crosscutting focus areas inter alia human development, technology, environment, demographic change, good governance, trade, and economic equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This publication presents the biochemical components, the botanical characteristics, and the significance of African medlar to human nutrition and developments on the fruits' uses in biotechnology and the food industry. African wild medlar (Vangueria infausta subsp infausta) is one of the multitudes of underutilised wild edible indigenous fruit trees that grows naturally throughout Southern Africa. Available literature shows that almost every part of the tree, have known nutritional or medicinal benefits. In-depth literature search using keywords (Vangueria infausta subsp infausta, African wild medlar, biochemical constituents, underutilised crops of Africa, human nutrition and recommended daily intake) was used to source credible literature accessible from online sources such as Scopus, ResearchGate, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. The degree of relevance to each item linked to the review were used as an inclusion and exclusion criteria for suitable literature and for data analysis purposes. The results of the study reveal that fresh or processed African wild medlar fruit is consumable. The fruit contains significant levels of vitamins, phenols, macro and micro-nutrients, that humans require in both large and small amounts. Due to its richness in biochemical constituents such as flavonoids, phenols, proteins, vitamin C and zinc, African medlar fruit has a potential to meet the human recommended daily intake (RDI), thus can be considered a potential functional food crop. Rural communities in Southern Africa use African medlar fruit as a raw material for value-added products including jam, juice, alcohol-based products, and medication. Therefore, commercialization of this crop could play a pivotal role in accelerating the sustainable development goals SDG 1 (no poverty), subsequently addressing SDG 2 (Zero hunger). The study unearthed a need for further research, in particular empirical studies and highlights a great potential for government interest in entrepreneurial projects of commercialisation and agro-processing of African medlar fruit tree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing has the potential to drive economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction, but African manufacturers face challenges in competing with global markets. Agricultural machinery manufacturing may be one niche where African manufacturers can succeed. This paper examines the challenges and opportunities facing local agricultural manufacturers in Africa based on a survey of 386 manufacturers in four countries and qualitative methods. Results show that small, dedicated entrepreneurs have created vibrant local machinery markets. These manufacturers have several comparative advantages, in particular, the ability to develop machinery adapted to local agroecological conditions but face challenges related to financing, human resources, utilities, raw materials, production equipment and the regulatory environment. The paper offers recommendations on how to support local manufacturers to make "Made in Africa" the first choice for African farmers and agro‐food processors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research investigated the idea of clean energy and how it affects food security utilizing panel data from selected African nations. The World Development Indicators (WDI) for the years 2005 to 2022, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), and the Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) were the sources of data. The study engaged the generalized method of moments (GMM), and the results showed that clean energy indicators have both beneficial and adverse effects on food security. This is crucial for policy toward the actualization of sustainable development goals of no poverty (SDG1), no hunger (SDG2), clean and affordable energy (SDG7), sustainable cities (SDG11), and climate action (SDG13). The findings of this study will benefit policymakers, governments, and organizations working toward promoting clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and food security in Africa. It will also benefit farmers and communities who rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. By implementing the recommendations of the study, these stakeholders can work toward a more sustainable and secure future for Africa. Additionally, the environment and global efforts to mitigate climate change will also benefit from the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to examine the impact of urbanization and civil conflicts on the severity of food insecurity for a panel of 43 African countries over the period 2000–2020. Subsequently, the heterogeneous choice models approach was used for the estimations. The results show that urbanization and civil conflict increase food insecurity. The parallel line probability hypothesis results specifically show that a one‐unit increase in urban growth rate increases the probability of belonging to a high‐risk food insecurity category by more than.6 times. Furthermore, the results show that the impacts of urbanization on food insecurity are modulated by civil conflicts in Africa leading to the net effect of.692. This corresponds to the policy threshold of 2.315 when the net positive effect is canceled out. Therefore, this study strongly recommends the need for African economies to develop urban agriculture while controlling the pace of urbanization in order to reduce food insecurity and avoid possible civil wars. Related Articles: Asare‐Nuamah, Peter, Anthony Amoah, and Simplice A. Asongu. 2023. "Achieving Food Security in Ghana: Does Governance Matter?" Politics & Policy 51(4): 614–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12540. Ayanoore, Ishmael, and Sam Hickey. 2022. "Reframing the Politics of Natural Resource Governance in Africa: Insights from the Local Content Legislation Process in Ghana." Politics & Policy 50(1): 119–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12449. Oehmke, James F., Sera L. Young, Godfrey Bahiigwa, Boaz Blackie Keizire, and Lori Ann Post. 2018. "The Behavioral‐Economics Basis of Mutual Accountability to Achieve Food Security." Politics & Policy 46(1): 32–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12244. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines post-crisis efforts by focusing on the African Development Bank's (AfDB) role in facilitating recovery and poverty reduction across the African continent. Case studies include the COVID-19 crisis, migration, and efforts to battle regional hunger. The analysis contrasts the approaches of the AfDB's strategies with that of the World Bank's Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), underscoring the former's unique successes and efficiencies in addressing the specific needs of the continent to reduce poverty. The analysis begins by contextualizing the historical and socio-economic landscape, highlighting African countries' distinct challenges with structural adjustment and debt, and then delves into a detailed assessment of the AfDB's initiatives. This paper suggests that the AfDB's customized strategies could be more effective for Africa's development agenda due to their alignment with the continent's varied cultural, political, and economic landscapes. This approach, prioritizing contextual relevance over a sole focus on economic growth, is argued to be more conducive to addressing Africa's unique developmental challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the potential effects of agricultural investment on economic outcomes in Guinea-Bissau (2014–2030). Through a dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, we found that improved agricultural performance will positively impact economic growth, sector output, and job opportunities for rural and urban workers. The decline in food prices will propagate indirect impacts on urban household welfare, while rural households will benefit from direct and indirect effects through the decline in the consumer price index. Poverty alleviation suggests agriculture's crucial role in supporting ongoing industrialization and food security in Africa with attenuated income inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognized as a multifaceted challenge, food security is high on the political and socio-economic agendas of many countries. Gaining a better understanding of the multidimensional nature of the challenge of food insecurity in Africa, especially its complex impact on children, can facilitate concerted actions and better targeting of interventions by national governments, international agencies and civil society organizations aimed at child-sensitive social protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim is to discuss the role of social capital in alleviating poverty in the rural setting of Africa by viewing it as an individual and collective asset. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use primary data from a survey on rural households living in three different districts in rural Africa. The authors design a social complexity index giving evidence on the poverty alleviation effect of complex patterns of civic participation at district level. Findings: Results support the view that social capital may mitigate poverty only if a rural household simultaneously participates in a plurality of social communities. Such mitigation is reinforced if she also lives in a socially complex district, whereas on the contrary the social complexity of a district, per se, is not enough to alleviate poverty. Originality/value: This paper contributes to advance the knowledge of African rural areas and to identify potential developments of poverty policies in Africa based on diversified social capital as a valuable ingredient for poverty alleviation policies. This paper also contributes to the debate on social capital by showing that diversified social capital has a prevailing individual nature rather than a collective one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Success in fighting poverty in Africa will largely depend on the extent to which rural poverty is reduced as it is largely a rural phenomenon. By examining the rural development strategies of the East African Community, Economic Community of West African States and the Association of South East Asian Nations, the purpose of this study was to determine their relationship to rural poverty reduction. The Rural Development Strategy Soundness Model and Rural Web Model tools were used to examine the soundness and cohesiveness of implementation, respectively. The results showed that rural poverty declined where a rural development strategy had both been sound and cohesively implemented. We concluded that a positive correlation exists between a sound and cohesively implemented rural development strategy and rural poverty reduction. We deduced from this that the former is a missing link in Africa's fight against rural poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agro-forestry is a dynamic, eco-based resource management system that involves the integration of trees on farmlands for diversified and sustained production of social, economic and environmental benefits for all land users. However, the shortage of research-based information on the potentials of agro-forestry in enhancing the livelihood of rural dwellers has restricted the adoption of agro-forestry systems and/or practices. In order to overcome challenges facing sustainable rural livelihood in sub-sahara Africa, agroforestry becomes viable option. This paper reviewed the relevance of agroforestry in sustaining rural livelihood by guaranteed food security, employment opportunities, increased income, soil conservation, biodiversity conservation and environmental security. Economic return, poverty alleviation, increased income, coping with climate change and carbon sequestration, and pruning litter deposition were discussed as economic impacts of agro-forestry on local livelihood. The thrust of the review further lends credence to the necessity to adopt agroforestry practices by subsahara Africa farmers for sustainable rural livelihood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The federal solution has been widely discussed in relation to political systems where the articulation of major cleavages, differences, and pluralities threatens political integration and stability. The relationship between conflict, development, and federalism, however, has been poorly accounted for in the literature on federalism. Existing theories about the utilitarian value of federalism thus face serious challenges, especially with respect to post‐colonial Africa. The relationship between conflict, economic development, and federalism in the African context needs to be carefully examined from the perspective of governance, as well as the impact they have on society‐state relations. This article discusses the impact of ethno‐linguistic, ethno‐regional, and ethno‐religious conflicts on economic development in Nigeria – informed by the inequalities, insecurity, and poverty prevalent in the country – and examines the relevance of the federal solution for mitigating such centrifugal pressures as well as other divisive and violent tendencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2008, in the aftermath of the World Food Crisis and in a context of an unfolding New Green Revolution for Africa, Morocco launched the Green Morocco Plan to 'modernise' its agricultural sector, thereby making the latter the main driver for economic growth and for the alleviation of rural poverty. Yet, the technicist-productivist rationale of the Green Morocco Plan, characteristic of New Green Revolution modernisation schemes, renders any positive socio-ecological outcome unlikely. Hence, recent studies of the Green Morocco Plan have focused on its impacts on food security, inequality and environment. However, how the Green Morocco Plan's rationale is (re)produced within a given set of socio-ecological, material relations has to date attracted relatively little attention. This study, therefore, explores the power-knowledge dynamics of the modernisation discourse within the Green Morocco Plan as a driver of socio-ecological change. Bringing together insights from political ecology, critical development and agri-food studies, we show how the entangled set of ideological, material, political and technical processes embodied within the Green Morocco Plan favours a reductionist view of agricultural development as increasing yields and profits. In so doing, such a view perpetuates efforts to 'modernise' smallholder/family farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Simple Summary: This review seeks to understand the scientific research on the genetic diversity of the indigenous goat ecotypes of South Africa and to provide an understanding of the relationships among the ecotypes and their structure. It is essential for their utilization and for the establishment of conservation priorities. The conservation of genetically diverse ecotypes is significant for sustainable production and relevant breeding objectives. It is, therefore, important to review the knowledge that has been gathered on the genetic diversity and conservation of indigenous goat ecotypes to be able to identify the gaps that remain and the niches for future research. The review focuses on the status of indigenous goat ecotypes in South Africa, the genetic diversity that exists, and the production potential and adaptation by highlighting the importance of prioritization for conservation and sustainable utilization. Goats were amongst the first livestock to be domesticated more than 10,000 years ago for their meat, milk, skin, and fiber. They were introduced to Southern Africa by migrating nations from Central Africa to the south. Due to local adaptation to the different agro-ecological zones and selection, indigenous goats are identified as ecotypes within the indigenous veld goat breed. Their ability to thrive in a resource-limited production system and in challenging environmental conditions makes them valuable animal resources for small-scale and emerging farmers. They play important roles in household agriculture and cultural activities as well as in poverty alleviation. Studies have described the phenotypic and genetic variations in indigenous goats, targeting the major goat-producing regions and the breeds of South Africa. In turn, information is restricted to certain breeds and regions, and the experimental design is often not adequate to inform the conservation status and priorities in changing environments. Advances in genomics technologies have availed more opportunities for the assessment of the biodiversity, demographic histories, and detection regions associated with local adaptation. These technologies are essential for breeding and conservation strategies for sustainable production for food security. This review focuses on the status of indigenous goats in South Africa and the application of genomics technologies for characterization, with emphasis on prioritization for conservation and sustainable utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper focuses on three key metrics of poverty, income distribution and employment to ascertain the pro-poor and inclusive-growth position of the western African region. The roles of governance structures and their interactive effects are also accommodated to capture the peculiarity of the region. Design/methodology/approach: The paper employs fixed and dynamic models. Findings: Evidence suggests that growth is pro-poor, although virtually all governance indicators are sterile in stimulating poverty reduction. The authors observe that health and education spending coupled with trade-openness stimulate pro-poor growth potentials, whereas conflicts culminate the pervasiveness of poverty in the region. By empirically answering the question of how inclusive is economic growth through the lens of income-distribution and employment, the authors show that growth has been exclusive as per-capita-GDP growth rather dampens income shared by the poorest 20%. Also, it is observed that growth has not been inclusive as the jobless-growth argument remains valid while high inequality further exacerbates unemployment in the region. It is further shown that governance has been generally weak in propelling inclusive growth except where the institutional-component of governance stimulates inclusive growth through improvement in equality and labor employability. Originality/value: The study jointly examines the metrics of poverty, income distribution and employment to ascertain growth pro-poorness and inclusivity which are key for the achievement of African-union (AU) agenda 2063. The study captures cross-sectional dependence among selected countries which previous studies ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years there have been calls to strengthen health sciences research capacity in African countries. This capacity can contribute to improvements in health, social welfare and poverty reduction through domestic application of research findings; it is increasingly seen as critical to pandemic preparedness and response. Developing research infrastructure and performance may reduce national economies' reliance on primary commodity and agricultural production, as countries strive to develop knowledge-based economies to help drive macroeconomic growth. Yet efforts to date to understand health sciences research capacity are limited to output metrics of journal citations and publications, failing to reflect the complexity of the health sciences research landscape in many settings.Methods: We map and assess current capacity for health sciences research across all 54 countries of Africa by collecting a range of available data. This included structural indicators (research institutions and research funding), process indicators (clinical trial infrastructures, intellectual property rights and regulatory capacities) and output indicators (publications and citations).Results: While there are some countries which perform well across the range of indicators used, for most countries the results are varied-suggesting high relative performance in some indicators, but lower in others. Missing data for key measures of capacity or performance is also a key concern. Taken as a whole, existing data suggest a nuanced view of the current health sciences research landscape on the African continent.Conclusion: Mapping existing data may enable governments and international organizations to identify where gaps in health sciences research capacity lie, particularly in comparison to other countries in the region. It also highlights gaps where more data are needed. These data can help to inform investment priorities and future system needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper examines whether there is a threshold between financial development and poverty in African economies. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts the innovative dynamic panel threshold model of Seo and Shin (2016) made practicable by Seo et al. (2019)–the model estimates threshold relationship even in the presence of endogeneity. Also, following the recommendations of Cihak et al. (2013) and Sahay et al. (2015), we also adopt a robust measure of financial development based on the four pillars of financial deepening, stability, efficiency and access derived from the principal component analysis (PCA). Findings: The empirical results show that there exists a threshold level of financial development necessary for poverty reduction in Africa. Research limitations/implications: Our result is important for policy formulations. First, individual African country must discover the level of financial development necessary for spurring poverty reduction. Second, policymakers, especially in lower-income countries, must keep improving their financial sector development to achieve the threshold level necessary for achieving poverty reduction even though financial development might seem less relevant at its present level. Practical implications: The policymakers in Africa should note that there exists a threshold level of financial development that reduces poverty. Hence, the present level of financial development might have not yielded a considerate effect on poverty. Still, the policymakers must keep pushing on until the threshold is achieved. Social implications: Financial development reduces poverty level but it must reach a certain threshold level before it does so. So, we advise African policymakers to continue to develop their financial sector to achieve this threshold. Originality/value: This seems to be the first work to document the threshold relationship using the dynamic panel threshold. Besides, the study specifically concentrates on Africa dividing the continent into different income levels. Moreover, we adopt a robust measure of financial development unlike extant studies on Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines income poverty in Africa by looking at the time series properties of the series corresponding to the household consumer expenditures in 53 African countries. Using fractional integration the results indicate that the series are highly persistent, displaying orders of integration in the interval (0, 1) in some countries or values equal to or higher than 1 in some others. The main implication of the empirical findings is that long term policies aimed at addressing income poverty in the continent such as the policies on expansion of infrastructure and social amenities will have have long-lasting effects on poverty reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I explore the question of whether the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could provide the framework mechanism for actualizing the right to development in Africa. The imperative for socio-economic and cultural development suggests rethinking the manner in which Africa is governed and, importantly, also the necessity of putting into place functional mechanisms in view of enacting the future that is envisaged for the continent. Article 22(2) of the African Charter enjoins state parties to individually or collectively undertake measures to give effect to the right to development. After several futile endeavours aimed at finding an appropriate mechanism for development, Africa eventually takes a giant stride in establishing the AfCFTA. From a decolonial perspective, I examine the prospects of the AfCFTA, particularly with regard to competing interests that dominate the African development space. At face value, the AfCFTA appears to provide an enabling framework for the nurturing of productive capabilities, the flourishing of local initiatives, the eradication of poverty and expanded opportunities for development. Notwithstanding, I contend that the inherently neoliberal nature of the AfCFTA leaves a further question of whether the free trade area is likely to deliver socio-economic and cultural development benefits to the peoples of Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite widespread liberalization of savings mobilization marketing systems in African economies, consumers continue to rely more heavily on informal financial services than formal financial services, within these systems. The authors draw on habit theory and the strategic marketing framework to develop a rural, customer-centric marketing (CCM) model for promoting rural savings programs in the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) context. Results based on data from Ghana's savings mobilization program show that under the current, liberalized policy regime, formal financial institutions generate a more significant relative advantage than informal financial arrangements. Of the four customer-centric marketing activities (i.e., service affordability, accessibility, acceptability, and awareness), consumers only viewed service affordability as generating a relative disadvantage. Relatedly, only service affordability positively influenced savings likelihood, while service accessibility negatively influenced the bank usage habit. The results confirm that the customer-centric marketing approach effectively identifies which service inducements promote the bank usage habit in Africa's savings mobilization programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 21st century has witnessed a surge in international remittance flows by almost 300% between 2000 and 2009. Total remittance inflow to Sub-Saharan Africa was US$34.8 billion in 2015, out of which Nigeria received US$20 billion; making it the highest remittance recipient in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, poverty incidence in Nigeria remains prominent as it rose from 51.5% in 2004 to 56.5% in 2010. At the same time, there is substantial emigration from Nigeria, and this could be linked to the high incidence of poverty. One of the primary motives for emigration is to send remittances home to alleviate poverty. Previous studies have considered this nexus in a partial equilibrium setting which is often marred by endogeneity bias. This makes the use of an economywide general equilibrium framework where the interaction between multiple agents, markets and institutions are captured and potential reverse causation is addressed more appropriate. Against this backdrop, this study conducts an empirical investigation of the impact of international remittance inflows on poverty in Nigeria. A computable general equilibrium model in which policy scenarios that reflect changes in remittances is calibrated. Findings reveal that a negative remittance shock led to an increase in poverty while a positive remittance shock led to a reduction in poverty. The effect of remittance shocks on poverty is transmitted through the income and consumption channels with the effect on the latter being more pronounced. The results underscore the role of remittances in smoothening consumption and ameliorating poverty in Nigeria. Therefore, the findings make a case for policies that facilitate the flow of remittances more reliably and at the lowest cost, development of remittance-related products (i.e. savings, insurance contribution for social protection) and better access to financial and business services that can stimulate the economy. In addition, a set of important structural and financial reforms that minimize cost-related inefficiencies such as weak infrastructure, low competition and financial regulation constraints need to be addressed. The study concludes that remittances cannot be exclusively relied upon for ameliorating poverty, rather it should be used to complement other policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research purpose: This study investigates the impact of financial inclusion on female labour force participation in Africa. It also complements the existing studies by evaluating how advancement in information and communication technology (ICT) and Trade openness (TO) modulate the relationship between financial inclusion and female economic participation in selected African countries. Design/methodology/approach: The study focuses on twelve African countries while the empirical evidence is based on Fixed Effects, Random Effects and Generalised Least Square estimators (GLS). Data over the period of 2005-2016 are sourced from the World Bank Development database and IMF international Financial Statistics. Findings: The results show that financial inclusion has a non-monotonic relationship with female labour force participation. The study establishes that if the level of financial inclusion can be increased to the range of 33-57 per cent, it would improve the level of women participation in economic activities. The results further show that ICT moderates the nexus between financial inclusion and female economic participation at a threshold level of 38.17 per cent. These findings persist when the TO is used as the moderating factor at a threshold value of 80.90 per cent. The results are robust enough to suggest an alternative proxy for female labour force participation and alternative estimation techniques. Originality/value/practical implications: Ending gender inequality has become one of the priorities in the global development policies in which most African nations domesticate the same for their national planning. There are voices at every corner in Africa demanding the possibility of achieving gender equality in employment, among others. This article is one of the few articles that evaluate whether financial inclusion can be used to accelerate female economic participation in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides a preliminary assessment of COVID-19's impact on global poverty in the light of IMF's growth forecasts. It shows that the pandemic will erode many of the gains recorded over the last decade in terms of poverty reduction. Our baseline case suggests that globally the number of people living below US$1.90 per day will increase by 68 million in 2020 alone; this rise could however approach 100 million, should the recession turn out to be more severe than initially expected, as many practitioners fear. Without effective international support, this setback will pose a critical threat to the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The fallout from the pandemic will also exacerbate the geographic concentration of poverty, to the extent that the Least Developed Countries, with only 14% of the global population, are set to represent the main locus of extreme poverty worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how social protection policies and programmes can help in poverty and inequality reduction in Africa. The study covers 38 African countries and engages the fixed and random effects models utilising data sourced from the World Development Indicators, Gini Index and Country Policy Institutional Assessment for the period 2000–2017. A remarkable finding, among other things, from the study is that a 1% increase in the provision of social protection will decrease poverty and inequality by 58% and 26%, respectively. The results imply that the provision of social protection contributes to poverty and inequality reduction in Africa. Therefore, the study recommends that the efficient provision of social protection should be implemented through in-kind and in-cash supports, among others, in order to reduce the level of poverty and inequality in Africa. Although, social protection appears to be an essential strategy for reducing, to a more considerable extent, poverty and, to a relatively lesser extent, inequality in Africa, there are also regional variations. Thus, the study submits that the type (s) of social protection policies may need to differ from one region to the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is ripping around most of the world, but not in Africa; at least, not yet. At the same time, the policy response is remarkably uniform: most of sub-Saharan Africa went into lockdown from the second week in March. What happens next for the pandemic across Africa is uncertain, but the March lockdowns are unlikely to have contained the epidemic by themselves. What is clear is that the combination of domestic lockdowns and the spill-over from the global recession means immediate and severe hardship. This paper looks beyond the public health aspects of the pandemic to examine the medium-term macroeconomic adjustment challenge confronting domestic policy-makers and international donors. We combine epidemiological and macroeconomic models to calibrate the scale of the combined shock to a representative low-income African economy and to show how alternative policy options for slowing transmission of COVID-19 impact on public revenue, and on GDP in the short run, and hence shape the path to recovery. Noting that the first lockdown, however costly, does not by itself eliminate the likelihood of a re-emergence of the epidemic, we then frame the agenda for key macroeconomic and public finance policies to sustain recovery, growth, and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa. The initial hit to consumption will be up to one-third. All the public policy options are grim. International donor finance of US$40–50 billion, together with domestic reform to accelerate recovery, would make a significant difference to the outlook for poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Lucrative employment in agriculture is fundamental to poverty alleviation in Africa. The paper examined employment along gender, impact of materials and proportion of female employment in African agriculture. Design/methodology/approach: Time series econometrics was employed in the framework of production function analysis involving 36 years of data. Findings: Results show that world labour in agriculture decreased from 49.77 to 40.04% but increased from 12.43 to 16.94% in Africa. World female employment in agriculture ranged from 40.56 to 42.81% and from 40.40 to 43.02% in developing economies, but decreased from 40.39 to 36.08% in developed economies. Total agricultural labour in Africa was negatively and significantly related to agricultural gross production index number (APIN). Research limitations/implications: Interaction of cattle stock and females employed in agriculture was positive and significant at pooled African values. Interaction of irrigation facilities and female labour was positive and significant in West Africa. Interaction of cattle stock and total labour in Southern Africa had negative relationship with APIN. Interaction of total labour and irrigation had negative relationship with APIN in Africa. Insufficient agricultural facilities in terms of cattle stock and irrigation infrastructure for the populace exist. It recommends increased investments to expand irrigated lands and livestock. Practical implications: African governments need to use good political will to effect the needed transformation in agriculture. It is possible for agriculture to offer lucrative employment to both males and females in less developed world as in developed economies. Originality/value: The paper noted very limited agricultural facilities in terms of cattle stock and irrigation facilities for the populace engaged in agriculture. It recommends investments to expand irrigated lands and livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty alleviation has been positioned high on the international development agenda following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000. African countries initiated various missions to establish sustained economic growth by increasing productivity with an ultimate goal of poverty reduction. The significance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in poverty reduction and employment generation is widely acknowledged. Despite the high failure rate amongst SMEs, particularly in the African context, some are striving with excellent results and are demonstrating signs of growth, innovation and sustainability. This paper explores the development of SMEs as a strategic measure for job creation in sub-Saharan Africa. It examines the role of SMEs in achieving sustainable employment in Africa. This study will benefit governments in Africa, getting them to focus on the development of the SMEs, and guiding them on how best to integrate SME development to achieve poverty alleviation. The recommendations proposed in this study may be helpful in policy formulation, business operation and regulatory practice for sustainable growth and development in the sub-Saharan African context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Have the World Bank's avowed inclusive strategies metamorphosed into renewed forms of 'tyranny' over local beneficiaries of development interventions? This article's qualitative analysis of Fadama's local beneficiaries' experience reveals how rules, procedures, strategies and processes designed for results can culminate in difficulties for the intended beneficiaries, stifling social, economic and political empowerment. The research found that a form of depoliticisation was implicit within Fadama's participatory implementation strategies and processes, which, in the view of this author, is not accidental. Participation here, as James Ferguson contends, serves an 'anti-politics' machinery role designed to remove politics from development planning agendas and to keep them strictly technocratic and problems-based, thus limiting beneficiaries' possible critique, even of the project's governance structure or broader public institutions. This article contributes to on-going discussions about enhancing meaningful participation in development planning as a prelude to improving the prospects of advancing social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International poverty estimates for countries in Africa commonly rely on national consumer price indexes to adjust trends in nominal consumption over time for changes in the cost of living. However, the consumer price index is subject to various types of measurement bias. This paper uses Engel curve estimations to assess bias in the consumer price index and its implications for estimated poverty trends. The results suggest that in 13 of 16 Sub-Saharan African countries in this study, poverty reduction may be understated because of consumer price index bias. With correction of consumer price index bias, poverty in these countries could fall between 0.4 and 5.2 percentage points per year faster than currently thought. For two countries, however, the paper finds the opposite trend. There is no statistically significant change in poverty patterns after adjusting for consumer price index bias for only one country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 20 years, Africa has witnessed a slow but steady advancement in space-based technologies as they are increasingly recognized as an essential tool for decision-making that can leapfrog African development. A critical review on the outcome of a survey questionnaire focused on African private sector industries and universities, services and education/training in EO and Geo-Information Sciences, combined with literature review, and personal contacts reveal optimism for success in four sectors. These include the public sector (Government ministries and departments); Academic institutions (universities/colleges/national or regional centers); and space agencies and private sector companies. These sectors are intertwined and fundamental for creating an enabling environment for solutions to a broad spectrum of pressing priorities: job creation, poverty alleviation, and sustainable resource management. The result shows that there is an uptake in the number of institutions and market segments created. To date, there are more than 90 academic institutions and over 53 national space agencies in 28 countries. Within the 53 national space agencies, 11 African countries have already launched a total of 36 satellites into orbit, and additional five are expected by the first quarter of 2021; another five by 2025; thus, amounting to 46 satellites not foreseen ten years ago. In addition, there are now ten receiving and tracking stations in six African countries and 17 scientific National Associations or Societies with specialized expertise in Geo-Information technologies. The updated survey on the private sector in 2019 ascertained that around 4110 people are working in 130 of the 229 EO and Geo-Information Science companies identified in Africa. Ongoing investigations reiterate that companies dealing with space-based datasets and Geo-Information Sciences together with the private spin-off companies today absorb more than 15,000 people and the assumption is that this number is going to exceed 100,000 by the year 2025. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa's infrastructure endowments have increased recently, including; transportation, electricity, Information and Communications Technology, and water and sanitation. Meanwhile, while poverty rates have fallen in other regions, such as Asia, they have risen in Africa. This research sought to assess: (a) the influences of infrastructure on poverty and (b) how infrastructure has moderated the impacts of income inequality, urbanisation, education, employment, and environmental quality on poverty. The findings from the generalized method of moments estimator for 40 African economies between 2003 and 2020 showed that infrastructure development reduced poverty. Various types of infrastructure development indices produced the same results. When a composite infrastructure development index was used, a positive impact on poverty was further confirmed. Additionally, developing infrastructure in SSA will strengthen the positive effects of; education, employment, and environmental quality on poverty. Additionally, the development of the infrastructure sector in the region will mitigate income inequality and urbanisation's negative effects on poverty. Based on this study's results, a discussion of policy implications has been provided. • It was aimed to determine how infrastructure can reduce poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). • It was hypothesized that infrastructure can reduce poverty in SSA through a number of mechanisms. • The findings showed that infrastructure development reduced poverty in SSA. • Development of infrastructure will enhance poverty reduction via education, employment, and environment. • The development of the infrastructure will mitigate income inequality and urbanisation's negative effects on poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THE INTEGRATION OF THE RESILIENCE CONCEPT INTO CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDAS IS INCREASINGLY GAINING ACCLAMATION AMONGST POLICY MAKERS AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES. IT HAS BEEN CONCEIVED AS AN OPERATIONAL TRAJECTORY FOR SHOCK AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT ESPECIALLY FOR SOCIO-ECONOMICALLY VULNERABLE AND DEPRIVED COMMUNITIES IN AFRICA AND BEYOND, AND HAS SURPASSED BOUNDARIES, BECOMING MORE VISIBLE IN VARIOUS DOMAINS OF DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTION INCLUDING HEALTH, FINANCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISCOURSES. THIS PAPER DISCUSSES SUCCINCTLY THE MALLEABILITY OF THE RESILIENCE PARADIGM WITHIN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DISCOURSE AND SEEKS TO UNDERSCORE THE PROPENSITY OF RESILIENCE TO NAVIGATE ACROSS SECTORS BY IDENTIFYING THE VARIOUS CONTEXTUALIZATION AND PATHWAYS IN WHICH IT INTERSECTS WITH DEVELOPMENT. IT HIGHLIGHTS SOME POSITIVE VARIABLES OF RESILIENCE BUT ALSO DENOTES SOME CONTEXTUAL SHORTCOMINGS, PRECISELY THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE CONCEPT IS A CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH TO POVERTY ALLEVIATION. HOWEVER, THE PAPER CONCLUDES THAT THE IN DEPTH APPLICATION OF RESILIENCE WITH REGARDS TO CONTEXT IS IMPERATIVE FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE ANTICIPATION OF IMPENDING THREATS AND CRISIS FOR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND SOCIETIES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the extensive empirical literature on aid effectiveness, existing studies have not addressed directly how political ideology affects the use of foreign aid in the recipient country. This study, therefore, uses a unique dataset of 12 democratic countries in Africa to investigate the impact of political ideologies on aid effectiveness. Our results indicate that each political party uses aid differently in peruse of their political, ideological orientation. Further analyses suggest that rightist capitalist parties are likely to use aid to improve the private sector environment. Leftist socialist on the other hand, use aid effectively on pro-poor projects such as short-term poverty reduction, mass education and health services. Our additional analysis on the lines of colonialisation shows that the difference in the use of aid by political parties is much stronger in French colonies than Britain colonies. The study provides insight on how the recipient government are likely to use foreign aid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust evidence underpinning the role of beekeeping in poverty alleviation is currently lacking. This study estimated the production potential for beekeepers in Northern Uganda by quantifying current production assets (equipment and knowledge) and impact on rural income streams range of proposed interventions. Intervention scenarios evaluated the economic benefits to be derived from different hive types combined with year-round provision of a nectar source (Calliandra calothyrsus) planted at varying density. Findings show that the type and number of beehive combinations used influenced the amount of revenue streams generated by the beekeepers. Addition of 20 log hives increased incomes 10 times, 20 KTBs increased revenues 16 times and Langstroth 18 times. Adding Calliandra trees as a forage source to the baseline scenario yielded revenues up to 17.6 times higher than the baseline. Implying that good management plus the introduction of a reliable nectar source, to off-set dry season challenges (absconding), could improve beekeeping productivity in Northern Uganda. Further research is required to validate in situ the impact of modelled scenarios on both honey yield and other ecosystem service benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Cash transfers increase farm production by 33.5 percent. • None of these impacts are channelled through transfer-induced changes in farm labour. • In fact, cash transfers have no significant impact on family labour supply or on demand for hired labour. • This implies that the productive impacts of cash transfers flow through other channels, different from the labour one. Abstract This paper has the double aim to study whether unconditional cash transfers have an impact on farm production and to look into the causal mechanisms through which government transfers produce productive impacts. We use mediation analysis to identify the total effect of transfers on farm production and to isolate the influence of the labour channel from other transmission channels. In particular, we analyze whether changes in farm production are caused by transfer-induced changes in the use of farm labour – either by reallocating family labour between off- and on-farm work or by changes in the demand for hired labour – or if other transmission channels are at work. We find that cash transfers have a sizable impact on farm production but they do not lead to increased use of family or hired labour on the farm, which implies that the productive impacts of cash transfers flow through other channels, different from the labour one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the effect of state capacity on poverty in Africa. We consider two proxy variables for state capacity: the government effectiveness index, capturing administrative capacity, and the political stability index, a proxy for coercive capacity. Using the system-GMM technique with four-year average panel data from 53 African countries over the period 1995-2014, we find that each of the state capacity variable significantly reduces poverty rate. However, administrative capacity appears to be the most important aspect of state capacity for poverty reduction. The results also suggest that cereal yield, a proxy for agricultural productivity, would be a channel through which state capacity affects poverty in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farms less than two hectares constitute most farm holdings in Africa. Most of these farms are operated by rural smallholder farmers who are dependent on agriculture for their economic livelihoods. However, they are constrained by lack of capital assets that would enable them to increase agricultural productivity, food security and income. Despite these challenges, smallholders contribute significantly to the rural economy, and play a significant role in natural resource conservation. Therefore, they represent a critical population to include in poverty reduction efforts. Recent initiatives by African leaders aim to increase public expenditures on agriculture in order to spur economic development, position smallholders to play a significant role in regional growth. To understand the relevance of smallholder farming to Africa's development agenda, this paper reviews the body of knowledge on smallholder farmers, the constraints and opportunities they face, and their use of practices which embody the tenets of ecological and climate-smart agriculture despite little public investment in this area. This paper recognizes the role of smallholder farmers and concludes that smallholder agriculture will be a driver of economic growth and development in Africa. In order to achieve this, adequate investment should be focused on eliminating the challenges faced by smallholder farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cassava is the world's fourth most important staple crop after rice, wheat and maize, and plays an essential role in food security. Due to cassava's growth characteristics and ability to grow in poor soils and regions prone to drought, it is preferred by resourcepoor farmers in many tropical countries. While cassava plays an important role as a food security crop for subsistence farmers, it is prone to rapid postharvest deterioration. Processing cassava for starch is another strategy for overcoming post-harvest losses, can add value to end products and has the potential to create additional employment opportunities along the supply chain. Cassava starch is an important source of biomaterial for different food and non-food industrial applications. Moreover, farmers producing cassava can increase their income by finding alternative end uses to home consumption. To meet the high demand for cassava in Tanzania, cultivar selection, production and processing all need to be improved. Enabling policies that create satisfactory business opportunities for small holder farmers, traders and processors for starch industries is also critical. The aim of this review is to explore the potential of the cassava subsector to contribute to the economy of sub-Saharan countries, particularly Tanzania, and to present how industrial use of domestic cassava starch can help tackle problems of unemployment and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remittances have become one of the most important sources of household income in developing countries, empowering recipients to be more politically independent. Using a dynamic estimator and panel data for 84 developing countries over the 1982–2011 period, this paper investigates the effect that remittances have on political institutions. Controlling for country and time fixed effects and using an exogenous source of variation to instrument remittances, the baseline results show that remittances start having a positive effect on democratic institutions when remittances reach 22% of GDP. This evidence suggests that remittances can influence the relationship between recipients and political elites, providing incentives for recipient households to hold their political representatives more accountable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the impact of social protection strategies based on cash transfers in a selection of lower‐middle‐income and low‐income sub‐Saharan African countries. We use the synthetic control method to evaluate changes in the trajectories of the prevalence of undernourishment indicators during the 1990s and 2000s for several relevant countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and Rwanda). The results suggest that cash transfers exert a significant effect on access to food, though there are differences in magnitude. Robustness analysis with placebo experiments confirms the soundness of our results, and their implications for policy‐makers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-aged children selling on the street in sub-Saharan African cities is a popular pastime that supplants school. Parents and public officials believe that it is prudent to deny truancy is an existential problem. Parents feel absolved from the moral responsibility of ensuring their children attend school and governments feel disobliged to address truancy as a policy issue. Paradoxically, the cost of parents and governments doing nothing to address truancy could be much higher than the cost of addressing it. Children who quit school are exposed to multiple dangers, including crime, drugs, unintended pregnancy and illiteracy. Governments' anti-poverty programmes and appeals to children to stay in school have not worked. This paper gives an intimate account of the life that child street sellers live. More importantly, the paper offers an antidote to truancy that policy experts seldom recommend - law enforcement. This paper proposes a broad-based strategy that addresses truancy by involving parents, community leaders, local chiefs and law enforcement officials, and uses random raids to disrupt street selling by children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reviews the history of the concepts used to depict poverty in Africa. "Pauperism" is a legal concept, deriving from early modern law in Britain, which frames individual situations, places the paupers under specific rights and duties, and was applied in early colonial situations. Percentile is a economic-demographic concept, implying class difference, indexed to measurable or imputed monetary income, which became an instrument of government in the colonial world mainly after 1945, moving into the international comparative world after the era of independence. In the neoliberal era after 1989, the concept of precarity, and a focus on realizable assets rather than income, has taken higher profile than an emergent replacement for the comparative-percentile approach, sometimes now depicted as "living on $2 a day". The paper indicates the conceptual and political implications and challenges of each of these depictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty has a long history in Africa. Yet, the most conventional and influential history of African poverty is a very short one. As told by the World Bank, the history of poverty starts in the 1980s with the first Living Standard Measurement Study. This history of poverty by numbers is also a very narrow one. There is a disconnect between the theoretical and historical underpinnings of how academics understand and define poverty in Africa, and how it has been quantified in practice. While it is generally agreed that poverty is multidimensional and has certain time- and location-specific aspects, the shorthand definition for poverty is the dollar-per-day metric. This article reveals how particular types of knowledge about poverty have gained prominence and thus shaped the dominant interpretation of poverty in Africa. It argues that, based on other numerical evidence, the history of poverty in Africa could be radically different from the dominant interpretation today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]