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    Electricity and informal settlements: Towards achieving SDG 7 in developing countries
    (Energy Research & Social Science, 2022) Mensah, J.K.
    Despite many academic discussions on the importance of sustainable and reliable energy to informal settlement dwellers, there is limited evidence on the delivery of electricity in informal settlements, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the concept of tactical urbanism, this study examined electricity delivery and access to informal settlement dwellers in Accra, Ghana, as an important component of meeting SDG 7. The paper analyses evidence collected through three focus group discussions of thirty informal settlement dwellers in three communities in Accra. The findings showed that, whereas access to electricity in informal settlements has improved significantly; this increase is a result of corruption and connivance with electricity officials and that informal settlement dwellers pay exorbitantly to access and use electricity. This paper contributes to the growing body of scholarship on sustainable electricity in urban informal settlements in the Global South by documenting the experiences of informal settlement dwellers in Accra, Ghana.
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    Bank mergers and acquisitions and the post-merger and acquisition performance of combined banks: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
    (Cogent Economics & Finance, 2024) Ayagre, P.; Aboagye, A.Q.Q.; Sarpong-Kumankoma, E.; Asuming, P.O.
    This study sought to ascertain the effects of bank mergers and acquisitions on the performance of merged banks in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries between 2003 and 2019. Specifically, the study aimed to investigate the impact of regulation-induced bank mergers and acquisitions (M&A’s) on the post-merger profitability of merged banks in SSA. The motivation for the study is to provide evidence for or against the regulator’s claims that regulation-induced bank M&As will improve the performance of merged banks in SSA. The article presents the results of the total sample of all mergers and acquisitions examined in the study and two sub-samples: the regulation-induced M&A sub-sample and the voluntary M&A sub-sample. We measure profitability by return on assets, return on equity, and net interest margin. The paper employed a dynamic panel Generalized Methods of Moments approach to analyse the relationship between bank M&As and profitability. The study found no profitability improvement after M&A across all profitability measures for the total sample and the two sub-samples. Instead, the empirical results reveal that bank profitability suffers after mergers and acquisitions across all profitability measures. The results show that, for regulation-induced mergers and acquisitions, a merged bank’s profitability is adversely affected from the beginning of the merger or acquisition to the sixth year of mergers and acquisitions. The findings also reveal that bank risk negatively affect profitability, while liquidity positively affect profitability, except returns on equity. Bank costs-to-income ratios as expected to show negative relationship with profitability. All macroeconomic variables show the expected relationship, positive for GDP growth and negative for inflation
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    Marketing bank services to financially vulnerable customers: evidence from an emerging economy
    (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2021) Mogaji, E.; Adeola, O.; Adeola, O.; Hinson, R.E.; Nguyen, N.P.; Nwoba, A.C.; Soetan, T.O.
    Purpose – This study aims to explore how banks in Nigeria are marketing financial services to financially vulnerable customers. Design/methodology/approach – A multiple case study research strategy was used to analyse three commercial banks and two microfinance banks. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with the banks’ directors as well as from banks’ published annual reports and archival images. Findings – The study reveals that Nigerian banks develop different product development portfolios, adopt innovative traditional marketing schemes and apply inclusive technologies to reach and extend services to the unbanked and financially vulnerable customers in the society. Research limitations/implications – Banks should focus on consumer engagement through the proactive development of technologies and employ innovative marketing methods. Customers’ banking experiences can be enhanced if banks communicate with and educate customers about technological modes of engagement. In addition, financial service transaction support and financial literacy education can assist banks in marketing their services to financially vulnerable customers, in mutually beneficial ways. Originality/value – This study shows how financial service operators’ market and extend their services to financially vulnerable customers in emerging markets. It empirically establishes the importance of financial services to financially excluded customers.
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    Renewable energy consumption in Africa: Evidence froma bias corrected dynamic panel
    (Renewable energy consumption in Africa: Evidence froma bias corrected dynamic panel, 2021) Baye, R.S.; Olper, A.; Ahenkan, A.; Musah-Surugu, I.J.; Anuga, S.W.; Darkwah, S.
    Our study investigates the determinants of renewable energy consumption in Sub-Sahara Africa. We explore the driving factors of renewable energy consumption in the context of carbon intensity for 32 Sub-Saharan African countries from1990 to 2015. Using carbon emission intensity to identify group-specific heterogeneity,we recognize carbon-efficient and least carbon-efficient countries in the region. By relying on the corrected least squares dummy variable estimator (LSDVC), we provide evidence on the driving factors of renewable energy consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently, the findings point to varying degrees of impact on renewable energy consumption inthe region. For instance,we observe advancement intechnology, quality of governance, economic progress, biomass consumption, and climatic conditions influence renewable energy consumption. With a common occurrence across all groups, the implications indicate environmental, socio-economic, and climatic factors playing an important role in renewable energy consumption. The study further shows that urbanization and economic globalization depress efforts towards renewable energy consumption. Apart from these common factors, other controlling variables including; GDP per capita, environmental awareness, and biomass affect each group differently.We conclude that, policy implications can be drawn from common factors towards harmonization of clean energymarkets and developing a policy mix that combines environmental, economic, and social factors in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.
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    Aid to Africa’s agriculture towards building physical capital: Empirical evidence and implications for post-COVID-19 food insecurity
    (University of Ghana, 2020-09-09) Asiedu, E; Bokpin, G.A
    The formation of physical capital in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in agriculture is imperative to help the continent (1) overcome the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity and (2) still be on track towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of “No poverty” and “Zero hunger” in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using country-level data on 40 SSA countries from 1996 to 2014 and rainfall deviations as an instrument for agricultural official development assistance (ODA) in fixed-effect estimation settings, this paper examines the ‘instantaneous’ impact of agricultural ODA on agricultural fixed capital formation in SSA. The question here is whether aid to agriculture does translate instantaneously to building fixed capital urgently needed to address the effect of any potential crisis on food insecurity. Measuring agricultural fixed capital as fixed investments in farm machinery, dams, industrial buildings for agricultural and agro-processing, fences, ditches, drains, etc., we find that capital formation in SSA agriculture improves instantaneously with agricultural ODA inflows. Second, we find that even though rainfall deviations are associated with agricultural ODA inflows to SSA, institutions particularly those designed to control corruption and strengthen rule of law, do matter for agricultural aid inflows to SSA. These results suggest that agricultural ODA is necessary to accelerate agricultural investments and achieve food security. Our results are robust to sensitivity analysis on the specification of the instantaneous model.
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    Public–private partnerships for improved service delivery: the case of Intercity STC Coaches in Ghana
    (Development in Practice, 2020-04-15) Damoah, C.M.; Asamoah, K.
    This article assesses how the public–private partnership involving Intercity STC Coaches in Ghana has impacted on service delivery. An exploratory qualitative research approach was adopted for the study. The key findings indicate that the PPP has helped Intercity STC Coaches to increase the number of fleets, although these are still considered inadequate. Additionally, Intercity STC Coaches’ clients are satisfied with the services rendered to them. The article, therefore, recommends that Intercity STC Coaches should look for more investors to procure additional buses so as to meet the growing demand from their clients.
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    Preliminary Insights into the Nature of Graduate IS Programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa
    (Springer Nature, 2020-04) Boateng, R.; Kevor, M-O.; Kolog, E.A.; Owusu, A.; Afful-Dadzie, A.
    Extant Information Systems (IS) curriculum research has focused on the nature of undergraduate IS programmes, particularly in the US and UK, eliciting calls for studies on graduate IS programmes and in regions beyond the US and UK. This study, consequently, looks at the nature of graduate IS programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using a direct survey method, IS courses information were collected from the websites of top universities in SSA based on a 2019 webometric world ranking of universities. The course offerings from these universities are mapped to the competencies specified in the Global competency model for graduate IS programmes (MSIS 2016). The findings generally indicate, among others, non-adherence of graduate IS programmes in SSA to the MSIS 2016. The reasons for the non-adherence to the MSIS 2016 curriculum model is recommended for future research.
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    Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Role of Business Regulations, Policies and Institutions
    (Social Indicators Research, 2020-01-19) Dwumfour, R.A.
    The study investigates the impact of business regulations, policies and institutions on welfare in Sub-Saharan Africa. The HDI and GDP per capita are used as measures of welfare or poverty. The World Bank doing business indicators are used as business regulatory measures and the Country Policy and Institutional Assessment are also used as policies and institutional quality measures. The study employs systems GMM estimation technique in examining these relationships. The results show improved welfare in SSA countries to be associated with less burdensome regulations on starting business. The results reveal that merely pursing regulations in respect of business operations and closure such as those related to getting electricity, protecting minority interest, paying taxes and resolving insolvency as a strategy to improve welfare directly does not work unless done within a milieu of sound policies and institutions. There are however threshold values at which policy and institutional quality indexes can complement regulations to improve welfare. Following a formal sample-splitting, the study finds some differences in these relationships explained by the income status as well as the legal origin of the countries. Policy implications are well discussed.
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    MSIS 2016: What are we teaching in Sub-Saharan Africa?
    (Association for Information Systems, 2019-08-17) Kevor, M.O.; Boateng, R.; Awuni, E.K.
    Organisations tend to increasingly prefer graduates with substantial competencies to reduce the cost of on-the-job training and to ensure a seamless transition from the classroom to the workplace. It is imperative that universities meet these organisational demands by developing innovative curricula. The Joint Taskforce of the Association of Computing Machines and the Association for Information Systems developed an information systems (IS) curriculum model to guide institutions’ degree programmes. The extent to which this model is adopted has been studied largely in the context of undergraduate programmes in the UK and US, and little research has been done in other regions. Thus, this paper empirically provides evidence of the nature of graduate IS programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa and assesses their adherence to the broad categories of competencies proposed in the MSIS 2016 through a direct survey of top universities. We found among others that, non-adherence to the MSIS 2016 is common.
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    Trends in utilisation and inequality in the use of reproductive health services in Sub- Saharan Africa
    (BMC Public Health, 2019-11-21) Abekah-Nkrumah, G.
    Background: The paper argues that unlike the income literature, the public health literature has not paid much attention to the distribution of substantial improvements in health outcomes over the last decade or more, especially, in the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) context. Thus, the paper examines current levels of utilisation, changes in utilisation as well as inequality in utilisation of reproductive health services over the last 10 years in SSA. Methods: The paper uses two rounds of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 30 SSA countries (latest round) and 21 countries (earlier round) to compute simple frequencies, cross-tabulated frequencies and concentration indices for health facility deliveries, skilled delivery assistance, 4+ antenatal visits and use of modern contraceptives. Results: The results confirm the fact that utilisation of the selected reproductive health services have improved substantially over the last 10 year in several SSA countries. However, current levels of inequality in the use of reproductive health services are high in many countries. Interestingly, Guinea’s pro-poor inequality in health facility delivery and skilled attendance at birth changed to pro-rich inequality, with the reverse being true in the case of use of modern contraceptives for Ghana, Malawi and Rawanda. The good news however is that in a lot of countries, the use of reproductive health services has increased while inequality has decreased within the period under study. Conclusion: The paper argue that whiles income levels may play a key role in explaining the differences in utilisation and the levels of inequality, indepth studies may be needed to explain the reason for differential improvements and stagnation or deterioration in different countries. In this way, best practices from better performing countries can be documented and adapted by poor performing countries to improve their situation.