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Fertility Transition in West Africa
Get PDFThis paper examines the fertility transition in West Africa against the background of recent declines in fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa. Two major questions are addressed: First, what is the status of the West African fertility transition at the end of the 20th century? Second, what are the facilitators of the West African fertility transition? Using data from Demographic and Health Surveys as well as localized studies the paper provides insights into the historical pattern of the West African fertility transition. It attempts to push the interpretation of the West African fertility transition into new theoretical directions by highlighting the importance of recent economic history, changing gender relations, land degradation/agricultural stress, diffusion, and the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The main conclusion is that although a transition to low fertility has begun, it is a geographically uneven process characterized by different stages and different interpretations
The Role of Regional Integration Organizations on Energy Transition and Sustainable Development in Africa
No full textThe Paris Agreement represents a pivotal milestone in multilateral efforts to combat climate change and facilitate energy transition globally. As a comprehensive international legal framework, it outlines commitments for nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance resilience to climate impacts. This research examines the key role of regional and sub-regional integration organizations in facilitating energy transition and promoting sustainable development across Africa. As the continent grapples with the dual challenges of energy crisis and climate change, the African Union and its specialised agencies have emerged as key players in enhancing energy cooperation among member states. Though previous scholars have focused more on the contributions of African states to the Paris Agreement on climate change, they have failed to analyse the unique role that the African Union exerts in the process of energy transition. This paper employs a qualitative research method with primary data drawn from the International Renewable Energy Agency and African Energy Commission (AFREC). The outcome of the analysis reveals both the strategy and extent to which AFREC contributes to the production of electricity from renewable sources. The AU has taken some important measures to foster cooperation on energy policies, encouraging countries to work together on renewable energy projects. The findings underpin the best practices and challenges faced by the African Union in harmonizing the complex and diverse overlapping rules and fostering cross-border energy cooperation in Africa
The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): An Analysis
Get PDFThis paper examines the tragedy resulting from the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and raises the question as to why the International Community has not responded throughout the many years the conflict has been going on. Using the UN doctrine of Responsibility to Protect (R2P), the paper shows the inconsistency in the application of the doctrine by the UN when it comes to the conflict in the DRC. This inconsistency, the paper argues, is due to the fact that the major powers do not see the DRC as sufficiently being in their national interest as say Libya, whose leader was ousted with the help of a UN mandate applying the R2P doctrine
Africa and US Foreign Direct Investments in the 21st Century: The Contours of Global Engagement
Get PDFThe focus of this article is to analyze the state of US private investments in Africa, the nature, pattern, and trend of such investments, and various ideas about factors that have either inhibited or accelerated the growth of investment flows to countries in the region. US private investments in Africa were inconsequential from the 1960s to 1990s, but in the 2000s, significant efforts were made by the US government to encourage, promote, and support private US firms to invest in Africa, and efforts were also made by African governments to increase US private investments on the continent. My research shows significant increases in US private investments to the region beginning in 2000, which I attribute to such efforts partially driven by the goal of challenging China’s surge in Africa. I then look at Africa and how it compares with other regions in accessing US foreign investments. My findings are that Africa’s share of US investments is minuscule compared to US investments elsewhere in the world. I conclude with suggestions on mechanisms that African states could utilize to become more competitive in attracting US investments
The Plague of ‘Ghost Workers’: Interrogating Payroll Fraud and Executive-Bureaucratic Conspiracy in Nigeria
Get PDFLike all forms of corruption, ghost workers present a serious drain on state funds. The Nigerian government has tens of thousands of forged or imaginary names on its payroll. These people inhabit the ranks of Nigeria’s “ghost workers,” who receive pensions from the government without ever working a day. This essay examines the impact of ghost workers on the public wage bill and generally, high cost of governance in Nigeria. It interrogates the renewed efforts of governments at all levels in probing this pattern of fraud, particularly in a period of economic recession. It is submitted in this essay that in cases where payroll fraud has reached enormous proportions, it is not merely a corruption problem, but rather a development issue
Step-Rate Manipulation for Improved Running Economy at a Performance
Get PDFThe relationship between step rate (SR) and oxygen consumption (VO2) is non-linear, with an individual’s optimal SR minimizing VO2. Prior studies suggest highly trained runners do not self-select this optimal SR, though most research has focused on submaximal speeds. This study assessed whether highly trained male distance runners self-optimize SR at a performance pace. Twelve participants (22.5 ± 3.7 years) completed nine 4-minute treadmill trials at 4.96 m/s. The first trial was self-paced; remaining trials were metronome-cued (170–200 steps/min). VO2 was plotted against SR and modeled with a second-order polynomial to estimate optimal SR. Four participants were excluded due to an inability to estimate their optimal SR. Among the remaining eight, self-selected SRs (186 ± 8) exceeded optimal SRs (179 ± 9), though not significantly (p = 0.13). VO2 was 0.5 mL/kg/min lower at optimal SR (0.96% improvement, p = 0.06), largely driven by one participant. Excluding this outlier reduced the mean improvement to 0.52%. These findings suggest that SR manipulation may yield a meaningful improvement in running economy (RE) on an individual basis, but further investigation is necessary to generalize this finding