16 research outputs found
Foreign Aid and Poverty level in West African Countries: New evidence using a heterogeneous panel analysis
No full textABSTRACT This paper re-examines the effects of different types of foreign aid on poverty level in 8 Wes
Digital economy, institutional quality and economic growth in selected countries
No full textThis study examines the role of digital economy and institutional quality on economic growth of Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. The study adopts the feasible generalized least square method with annual panel data from 1985 to 2017. Results show that digital economy, human capital and knowledge worker, and democratic accountability promote economic growth, while corruption, socioeconomic conditions, and bureaucratic quality retard economic growth. Furthermore, interaction of digital economy with corruption promotes growth. However, the interaction of digital economy with institutional quality retards economic growth, which could be due to the deteriorating institutional quality and low level of economic digitalization in these countries. The study concludes that digital economy and institutional quality could play positive roles in the quest to becoming emerging markets. The study suggests more involvement of the countries in digital economy and improved institutional quality
New Findings on Food Security, Climate Change and Income Growth in West African Countries: P-VAR Approach
No full textThis paper examines empirically the interaction among per capita income growth, climate change and food security in fifteen West African Countries. We employ Panel VAR (PVAR) techniques on annual secondary data obtained from the World Development Indicator (WDI) between 1990 and 2013. The PVAR approach allows us to address the endogeneity problem by allowing the endogenous interaction among the variables in the system. Our results provide evidence of income growth spurring food security in the short run and reducing it in the long run, while climate change increased food insecurity throughout in West Africa. The study suggests that climate change is a necessary variable that needs to be controlled if food security is a desired goal in West Africa and that more priority should be given to agricultural sector in economic growth. Also, the leaders in West Africa should embrace a judicious and dynamic energy mix that will allow renewable sources to replace fossil fuels
Digital Economy, Institutional Quality and Economic Growth in Selected Countries
No full textThis study examines the role of digital economy and institutional quality on economic growth of Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. The study adopts the feasible generalized least square method with annual panel data from 1985 to 2017. Results show that digital economy, human capital and knowledge worker, and democratic accountability promote economic growth, while corruption, socioeconomic conditions, and bureaucratic quality retard economic growth. Furthermore, interaction of digital economy with corruption promotes growth. However, the interaction of digital economy with institutional quality retards economic growth, which could be due to the deteriorating institutional quality and low level of economic digitalization in these countries. The study concludes that digital economy and institutional quality could play positive roles in the quest to becoming emerging markets. The study suggests more involvement of the countries in digital economy and improved institutional quality
Defense Spending and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria
No full textAbstract This study examines the relationship between the components of defense spending and poverty reduction in Nigeria for the period 1990-2010. While most studies on defense spending and poverty rely on monetary measure of poverty, this study constructed poverty index fro m hu man develop ment indicators using principal co mponent analysis. Four models were estimated using Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) method, two in wh ich poverty index constructed fro m human development indicators serves as dependent variable and the others in which infant mo rtality rate serves as dependent variable. The results show that military expenditure per soldier, military participation rate, trade, population and output per capita square were positively related to poverty indicator. They were all found to be statistically significant except trade and output per capita square. Population that was not significant in model four was found to be significant in model two. Military expenditure, secondary school enrolment and output per capita were negatively related to poverty level. However, only total military expenditure was found to be statistically significant in model one and three, while output per capita in model three was found to be statistically significant. Others were statistically insignificant. The findings confirm the trade off between the well-being and capital intensiveness of the military in Nigeria, pointing to the vulnerability of the poor among the Nigerians
Aspects of critical spin 1 chains and 2 dimensional symmetry protected topological phases of matter
No full textEffective field theory is a very useful technique for understanding quantum many body systems. We use this approach to study a certain class of critical quantum spin-1 chains and symmetry protected topological phases of matter in two spatial dimensions.
In the first context we consider the SU(3) symmetric spin-1 chain with additional interactions. We use bosonization to demonstrate that the effective field theories describing the critical behaviour of these spin chains can be mapped to free compact boson conformal field theories (CFTs) with central charge c=2. We also describe how some predictions from field theory can be verified in numerical calculations using exact diagonalization (ED) and the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) algorithm. In particular, the bosonization method gives a formula for the evolution of four Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid (TLL) parameters as a function of the lattice parameters. Using the analytic formulae for the scaling dimensions in terms of the TLL parameters and matching of lowest scaling dimensions, we numerically calculate these field-theoretic parameters and confirm that their evolution agrees with the prediction using bosonization.
We also tackle aspects of the challenging problem of understanding interacting topological phases. In this context, we aim to understand the effects if interactions in certain classes of symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases of matter. We consider non-chiral SPT phases in two spatial dimensions protected by a discrete symmetry such as Z_K or Z_K x Z_K symmetry. We argue that modular invariance/noninvariance of the partition function of the one-dimensional edge theory can be used to diagnose whether, by adding a suitable potential, the edge theory can be gapped or not without breaking the symmetry. By taking bosonic phases described by Chern-Simons K-matrix theories and fermionic phases relevant to topological superconductors as examples, we demonstrate explicitly that when modular invariance is achieved, we can construct an interaction potential that is consistent with the symmetry and can completely gap out the edge.
We also briefly discuss preliminary results of a numerical approach for simulating the 3 dimensional Landau Level problem. This includes a brief description of a potential application of variational Monte Carlo to spin-orbit coupled ab initio systems.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2018-05-01The student, Olabode Sule, accepted the attached license on 2016-02-02 at 18:25.The student, Olabode Sule, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2016-02-02 at 18:39.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2016-02-03 at 13:28.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #9061 on 2016-07-07 at 13:48:12Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-07T20:26:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3
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Previous issue date: 2016-02-03Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 93068
Lift date: 2018-07-07T20:28:14Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 93068
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Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemU of I Only Restriction Lifted for Item 93068 on 2018-07-08T09:15:23Z
Foreign Direct Investment, Social Factors & Poverty Reduction In West Africa (1980-2015)
No full textThe study investigated the effect of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and social factors on poverty reduction and the joint effect of social factors and FDI on poverty reduction in West Africa, between 1980 and 2015. Ordinary Least Square (OLS), Mean Group estimator, Common Correlated Effects Mean Group estimator (CCEMGE), and Average correlation coefficients (ACC) methods were used for the analysis of the data collected. The results show that FDI reduced poverty in West Africa. These results were not statistically significant when OLS and CCEMGE methods were used, but it was significant when ACC method was used. We found that population that is working reduced poverty, while population not working promoted poverty level. This result was statistically significant under the non-working population. Life expectancy on its own failed to reduce poverty except on the average and when CCEMGEE method was used and the result was statistically significant. Our results also show that working population, and life expectancy rate enhanced the performance of FDI in reducing poverty in West Africa. The study suggested that improvement in social factors as well as provision of employment for the non working population in West African Countries will go a long way in reducing poverty level among the populace. Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment, Social Factors, Poverty, West Afric
Informal Sectors and Unemployment in Nigeria: A Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) Approach
No full textFOOD SECURITY, INCOME GROWTH AND GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS IN WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES
No full textWhile direct policies can ensure food security, this study poses that indirect policies can hinder or spur the expected success. Thus, the study examines the roles of government effectiveness and income growth on food security in West African Countries. Specifically, the study employed fixed effect Pooled Ordinary Least Square (OLS) method using annual secondary data between 1990 and 2014. Data on food security, income growth and government effectiveness were obtained from the ERS International Macroeconomic Data Set, World Bank Databank and World Governance Indicators respectively. The study finds positive relationship among food security; government effectiveness; and income growth. This relationship was only statistically significant for income growth and food security. This result suggests that, the influence of government effectiveness and income growth in ensuring food security in West Africa is pertinent in promoting food security. The study recommends that policies and programs that ensure quality civil service, policy formulation, implementation and credibility of governments’ commitment to such policies are fundamental for long-term food sustainability in West Africa
New insight from cross-sectional autoregressive distribution lag on the interconnectedness among financial development, financial inflows and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
No full textThe paper explores the relationship between financial inflows, financial development, and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from 1990 to 2019. Secondary data from the World Development Indicators (WDI) were utilized for analysis. Preliminary tests, including slope homogeneity test, cross-sectional dependence test, and second-generation panel unit root tests (CADF and CIPS), were conducted to account for cross-sectional dependence. The findings from the CS-ARDL analysis revealed that financial development positively influences long-run economic growth but not in the short run. Additionally, remittances and foreign debt inflows had a positive and statistically significant impact on economic growth in the selected SSA countries. However, the influence of foreign direct investment and foreign portfolio investment on economic growth was found to be mixed and not statistically significant. In conclusion, the study establishes an interconnectedness between financial inflows, financial development, and economic growth in SSA. Nonetheless, it highlights that not all types of financial inflows contribute as expected to the growth of the selected countries in the region
