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Understanding Household Education Expenditure in Sudan: Do Poor and Rural Households Spend Less on Education?
No full textThis paper examines the factors that influence households’ expenditure on education in Sudan, using the National Baseline Household Survey (NBHS) data (2009) for national, urban and rural levels. The results of Tobit model indicate that household income, head education, head age, household size, number of school-age children and residing in urban areas are the most significant factors affecting education expenditure. Interestingly, the results show that the income elasticity of education in urban sample model is greater than that of rural model, implying that households residing in urban areas are likely to spend more on education. In addition, the effect of household income is found to be positive and significant in the highest income quintile. Overall, the results revealed that households with higher income, whose heads are educated and reside in urban areas tends to spend more on education compared to poor and rural households. These results signify the lack of inter-generational educational and income mobility in Sudan, implying that children from poor households are caught permanently in low income and educational levels, and are not able to “catch up†their peers in high income families
The Link between Farm Household Objectives and Investment in Irrigation Scheme: Implications for Collective Action Coordination Efficiency
No full textThis paper examined the association between farm household varying objectives (commercial or subsistence orientation) and own investment expenditures (enterprising tendency) interdependence in explaining the implications for Collective Action (CA) coordination in the common. Cross sectional research design was employed to collect data from a total of 184 randomly sampled farm households involved in rice irrigation farming in the selected seven irrigation schemes located in five districts of Ngudu, Misungwi, Shinyanga rural, Bunda and Rorya within the Lake Victoria basin. Collected data were analysed using 2SLS regression analysis to establish factors determining enterprising tendency, a proxy for coordination incentive. Results indicated that farm household objectives; particularly commercial/market oriented production was an important incentive for coordination. This variable must be hand in hand with other exogenous variables designated as “excluded instruments†for greater impact, which positively and significantly supported market oriented production. Other variables like trust, contact cost/communication and experience were important determinant of enterprising tendency (incentives/ disincentive) in the Tanzanian irrigation systems CA coordination. The study recommends strengthening of advisory services in the irrigation schemes, particularly capacity building with regard to business development services (BDS) for commercial oriented production, and a comprehensive CA management training tailored particularly, into building trust among member farmers, which positively influenced enterprising tendency. Improvement of group leadership management training- which was a disincentive for investment in the irrigation, and so do CA coordination is crucial
Unemployment Menace and the Fallacy of Microcredit Policy in Nigeria
No full textThis study examined the issue of unemployment and the impact of microfinance banks’ credit facilities on its reduction for the period of 22 years between 1992 and 2014. The study employed secondary data obtained from Central Bank of Nigeria and National Bureau of Statistics. The data obtained was subjected to stationarity and cointegration tests with the use of Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillips-Perron (PP) tests. Furthermore, ordinary least square regression was employed in analyzing the relationship between the dependent variable (unemployment rate) and the independent variables (microfinance banks’ credit facilities, gross domestic product, interest rate and inflation). The outcomes of the study show that three independent variables (microfinance banks’ credit facilities, interest rate and inflation) at 5% alpha level have significant impact on unemployment while gross domestic product was found not to have any significant impact on unemployment. The study concludes that credit facilities provided by microfinance banks do not actually go to deserving individuals or borrowers, thus, having no impact on reducing the menace of unemployment in the country. The study therefore recommends that the Central Bank of Nigeria re-evaluate the performances of the operating microfinance banks in order to ascertain the proportion of their loan portfolio that actually goes to the “unemployed but creative youthsâ€. In addition, the CBN must as a matter of urgency take necessary action in ensuring that loans granted by microfinance banks are serviced at a single digit interest rate as applied in countries like Kenya and Bangladesh. This is because employment generation and overall economic development can only be achieved when entrepreneurial youths can access credit facilities at affordable interest rate
The Causal Relationship between Financial Development and Economic Performance in Tanzania
No full textThe study employs cointegration, vector error correction model and Granger causality test to ascertain causation between financial development and economic performance in Tanzania. Economic performance is measured by the real GDP, whereas proxies for financial development are: the ratio of money supply to nominal GDP; and growth of credit to private sector. The results show that there is a stable long-run relationship between financial development and economic performance in Tanzania. Granger causality test indicates that the causality runs from financial development to economic performance
Engaging the Tanzanian Diaspora in National Development: What Do We Know and What are the Gaps?
No full textOver the past ten years there has been a significant change in African governments’ perception of their diasporas. In the previous three decades, diasporas were not seen as a resource that countries of origin could tap into for their development needs. This is no longer the case. Now, diasporas are increasingly seen as positive actors: as countrymen and women abroad who can contribute to development efforts in their homelands. In this context, this paper reviews literature on the major policies and initiatives used by countries to help support and promote diaspora engagement. To be specific, countries which have successfully engaged their diaspora in the national development process. The paper also highlights key factors of success of Tanzania’s neighbouring countries and other countries. It attempts to relate these practices to the case of Tanzania, given the current social, economic, political and cultural contexts. The Tanzanian experience reveals a wide range of interventions taken to facilitate participation by its diaspora in national growth efforts. While these interventions, are highly laudable- especially considering financial limits - there remains important weaknesses. Suggestions to improve existing measures are provided
An Assessment of the Reliability and Validity of the SERVQUAL Scale in the Higher Education Context of Tanzania
No full textAlthough service quality has received increasing attention in higher education, there is lack of a standardized instrument to measure it. The most popular and widely used instrument to measure service quality across industries is the SERVQUAL scale. However, since the SERVQUAL scale was developed in the retail commercial sector, its reliability and validity for measuring service quality in the higher education sector has been questioned. This is because higher education sector differs significantly from the retail commercial sector for whichthe SERVQUAL scale was developed and widely applied. This paper assesses the applicability of the SERVQUAL scale for measuring service quality in higher education, particularly in the context of Tanzania. The data were obtained from 500 students in two public universities in Tanzania. The study found out that, the SERVQUAL scale, as modified for this study, is reliable and valid for measuring service quality in the higher education sector.Â
Succession Planning and the Sustainability of Transport Enterprises: A Study of Transport Business in Njombe and Iringa Regions
No full textThe main objective of this study was to explore succession planning and the sustainability of transport enterprises. The study was done in Njombe and Iringa regions. The study population was 240 individuals or family transporters; the sample size was 70 respondents. Stratified sampling techniques were used and a proportional distribution was done to select the respondents from the Njombe, Mufindi and Iringa urban. From the proportional distribution 18 respondents, 6 respondents and 46 respondents were picked from Njombe, Mufindi and Iringa districts respectively. The study based on trait and behavioural theories of leadership management. Qualitative content analysis was used for logical determining the relationship between strategic succession planning and business sustainability. Findings from this study revealed the casual factors influencing the higher failure rate of transport business and its sustainability includes lack of strategic succession planning particularly in the case of the first generation retirement from transport business. The study, observed that owners of business do not prepare successors in advance, this poses problems to business sustainability in Tanzania. The main contribution of knowledge is the issue of strategic succession planning as a factor to enhanced business sustainability, transport included. The study has recognized that, transport business is used as a venture for capital formation to other economic activities like housing, estate and hospitality. However, a guideline for systematic succession planning has been proposed to be used by transporters for sustainability
Fiscal Policy Stance and Public Expenditure in Kenya
No full textThis paper investigates the relationship between fiscal policy stance and public expenditure in Kenya from 1964 to 2015 using a Vector Error Correction Model. The results indicate that there is a negative relationship between fiscal policy stance and public expenditure. The findings further indicate that fiscal policy and public expenditure are cointegrated using the Johansen test and the bound test but there is no short-run causality between the variables as indicated by the Wald test statistics. This means that fiscal policy stance does not have a strong direct effect on public expenditure as supported by the theory of fiscal policy that policy makers could have a lower incentive to pursue public interests as compared to their personal interests
Psychologist’s Feelings/Perspective of Teacher Violence in Tanzanian Secondary Schools: Angry and not Surprised by the “Mbeya Incidentâ€
No full textThis article is a reflection on a violent incident that occurred in one secondary school in Mbeya. There was a clip circulated showing studentteachers physically beating and manhandling a secondary school student. The article uses the episode to highlight conditions that leads to teacher violence in Tanzania. A critical analysis method is used in making reflections based on some psychological aspects and author’s experiences as a teacher. Issues that raise concerns in the clip and other news reports include politicization of teaching processes; criminalization of teachers’ misconduct and students’ misbehaviour and disorders; and lack of accountability. In teacher education programmes the author identifies the following deficiencies that undermine student-teachers’ performance during teaching practice exercise: focusing on teaching about teaching rather than training; ignoring counselling practicum; lack of mentorship; and lack of support for teachers’ needs. At the end there are suggestions on how to remedy teacher educations programmes in Tanzania.Â
Fostering Entrepreneurship Development among Youth for Job Creation through Industrial Development: The Case of Zanzibar Technology and Business Incubator
No full textEntrepreneurship development is recognized worldwide as one of the vehicle for job creation among youth and hence enhancing sustainable economic development. In this regards, many countries have taken various initiatives to promote Entrepreneurship through Technology and Business Incubators (TBIs). The experience shows that, most of prominent industries worldwide have originated from clusters or incubators. Like many developing countries, Zanzibar has high youth unemployment rate of 14.3%. In order to reduce the unemployment rate and to meet the development goals, the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar through Ministry of Labour, Empowerment, Elders, Youth, Women and children in collaboration with COSTECH, Dar es Salaam established the first ZTBI incubator to spearhead entrepreneurship development in Zanzibar, foster entrepreneurial culture and nurture start up business among youth. This paper analyzed the potential of ZTBI in supporting entrepreneurship development and job creation in Zanzibar. It has highlighted the status of youth employment; the role of agribusiness and agro processing industry and analyzed linkages between ZTBI incubates with other sectors. The paper also presents the number of companies that has been established since its inception in 2015. The method used in this study was survey, observation and discussion. Finally, the paper revealed that, there are numbers of activities carried out including training of 779 youth on entrepreneurship skills, conducting outreach programme to support youth outside of the incubation centre to inculcate entrepreneurial mind-set. Moreover, it stimulated entrepreneurial mind-set among youth through business plan competitions and incubating 11 “companies†with 2-5 individuals in business. It further facilitated start up business and incubating start up business to increase their success rate and incubated companies create jobs, revitalized communities. It also found that, incubates activities have close linkages with many sectors, such as tourism. Lastly, this paper also contributes to enhance the knowledge transfer and strategic implementation of the ZTBIs incubator models and provides usefulinformation to policy makers who are interested in starting new TBIs in other developing countries