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5182. The New Partnership for Africa's Development: Building Economic and Corporate Governance Institutions for Sustainable Development
- Author:
- Soumana Sako
- Publication Date:
- 01-2003
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF)
- Abstract:
- The paper examines the centrality of institutions and institution building in the implementation of the Economic and Corporate Governance program of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). It sees institutions in the broader context of organizational structures, systems, processes and procedures that are vital for the development and poverty reduction process in Africa. The paper posits that building appropriate and effective institutions in Africa is fundamental to good governance and thus the attainment of the overall objective of the NEPAD Initiative, which is Africa’s development.
- Topic:
- Economy, Sustainable Development Goals, Institutions, and Corporate Governance
- Political Geography:
- Africa
5183. Full Issue
- Author:
- Bertrade Ngo Ngijol-Banoum, Mojúbàolú Olúfúnké, Jàre Àjàyí, Débò Kòtún, and Mojúbàolú Olufúnké Okome
- Publication Date:
- 09-2002
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Ìrìnkèrindò: A Journal of African Migration
- Institution:
- Ìrìnkèrindò: a Journal of African Migration
- Abstract:
- CONTENTS Editorial Ìrìnkèrindò: An Idea Whose Time Has Come — Mojúbàolú Olúfúnké Okome and Bertrade Ngo Ngijol-Banoum ................................................................................................................... 1 Articles Crossroads — Jàre Àjàyí ............................................................................................................. 23 Welcome Back Homeless — Débò Kòtún ................................................................................... 25 The Antinomies of Globalization: Causes of Contemporary African Immigration to the United States of America. — Mojúbàolú Olúfúnké Okome ........................................................ 29 Going to America: Excerpt from a Novel titled: So That the Path Does Not Die. — A. Onipede Hollist................................................................................................................................ 63 Cry My Beloved Ugborodo (Escravos?) — Oritsegbemi O. Omatete ....................................... . 70 Searching for Fortune: The Geographical Process of Nigerian Migration to Dublin, Ireland — Julius Kómoláfé ............................................................................................................... 86 Nigerian Physical Therapists' Job Satisfaction: A Nigeria U.S.A. Comparison — Adetoyeje Y. Oyeyemi ......................................................................................................................... 103 TUTÙOLÁ 'RESURFACES' IN ITALY: An Exegesis of Alessandra di Maio's recent book on Amos Tutùolá — Jàre Àjàyí ......................................................................................... 122 Abiku: An Excerpt from the Novel — Débò Kòtún .................................................................. 127 (In)Visibility and Duality of the Civil Rights and Yoruba Movements: 1950s-1990s — Faola Ifagboyede ...................................................................................................................... 142
- Topic:
- Globalization, Migration, Culture, and Civil Rights
- Political Geography:
- Africa
5184. Political Institutions and Economic Policies: Lessons from Africa
- Author:
- Macartan Humphreys and Robert Bates
- Publication Date:
- 09-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
- Abstract:
- Scholars, activists, and policy makers have argued that the route to economic growth in Africa runs through political reform. In particular, they prescribe electoral accountability as a step toward economic reform, seeing it as inducing the choice of publicly beneficial as opposed to privately profitable economic policies. To assess the validity of such arguments, we first characterize a set of political institutions that render political elites accountable and derive their expected impact on the policy choices of governments. Using ratings of macro-economic policy produced by the World Bank and ratings of corrupt practices produced for private investors, we explore the relationship between institutional forms and policy choices on both an African and global sample. While key elements of the model find empirical support, the central argument receives mixed support in the data. Political institutions have a stronger influence on policy making in Africa than elsewhere and variation in African institutions and in the structure of African economies account for differences between policy choices in Africa and those made in the rest of the world. Political accountability however does not influence the choice of macro-economic policies in the manner suggested by reformist arguments; although it does appear to lead to less political predation.
- Topic:
- Economics, Politics, Reform, Elections, Economic Growth, and Macroeconomics
- Political Geography:
- Africa
5185. The New Politics Of African Cinema At The French Ministry Of Foreign Affairs
- Author:
- Teresa Hoefert de Turégano
- Publication Date:
- 09-2002
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- French Politics, Culture Society
- Institution:
- Conference Group on French Politics Society
- Abstract:
- The article examines French cinematographic policy toward Africa within the context of the shift in control from the French Ministry of Cooperation and Development to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Is francophone West Africa losing its privileged position in French cinematographic policy? During the first two years of the new regime for cinema a dual dynamic was evident, with both transition and historical continuity. In the final months of 2001 a clearer message appears in the politics of African cinema at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Central elements of the film policy under the Ministry of Cooperation are compared to current policy and then situated into French film politics in a more general sense.
- Political Geography:
- Africa
5186. French E-Managers: A Generation in the Making
- Author:
- Mette Zølner
- Publication Date:
- 09-2002
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- French Politics, Culture Society
- Institution:
- Conference Group on French Politics Society
- Abstract:
- The article examines French cinematographic policy toward Africa within the context of the shift in control from the French Ministry of Cooperation and Development to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Is francophone West Africa losing its privileged position in French cinematographic policy? During the first two years of the new regime for cinema a dual dynamic was evident, with both transition and historical continuity. In the final months of 2001 a clearer message appears in the politics of African cinema at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Central elements of the film policy under the Ministry of Cooperation are compared to current policy and then situated into French film politics in a more general sense.
- Topic:
- Development
- Political Geography:
- Africa
5187. Mythmaking in the Rule of Law Orthodoxy
- Author:
- Frank Upham
- Publication Date:
- 09-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- As governments and donor agencies struggle over questions of aid and international development, a growing consensus is emerging regarding the connections between poor governance and underdevelopment. An increasing number of initiatives, from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Account to the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), explicitly link improving governance with pursuing sustainable development and poverty alleviation. Lack of pluralism and transparency, inefficient bureaucracies, and underdeveloped public institutions contribute to corruption, reduce governmental responsiveness to citizens' needs, stifle investment, and generally hamper social and economic development. A frequent donor favorite on the laundry list of “good governance” reforms advocated for developing countries is rule of law reform. The new development model contends that sustainable growth is impossible without the existence of the rule of law: a set of uniformly enforced, established legal regimes that clearly lays out the rules of the game.
- Topic:
- Democratization, Development, and Government
- Political Geography:
- Africa and United States
5188. Back to the Nest? Europe's Relations with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries
- Author:
- John Ravenhill
- Publication Date:
- 12-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute of European Studies (IES), UC Berkeley
- Abstract:
- Europe's association with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries was the first of its interregional relationships. In the nearly half century since the signature of the Treaty of Rome, it developed into Europe's most institutionalized and multidimensional interregional relationship. It embraces not only trade and investment issues but also a development "partnership" that includes what has traditionally been the EU's largest single aid program, a joint parliamentary assembly, meetings of organizations representing civil society, and a dialogue on human rights. This chapter examines the factors that have shaped this relationship over the last four decades. The principal focus is on the trade regime, not just for consistency with the other contributions to this volume but also because it is in its trade dimension that the relationship has changed most dramatically over time.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Europe, Caribbean, and Rome
5189. Lessons of the Euro for the Rest of the World
- Author:
- Barry Eichengreen
- Publication Date:
- 12-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute of European Studies (IES), UC Berkeley
- Abstract:
- Europe's single currency is widely invoked as a potential solution to the monetary and exchange rate problems of other regions, including Asia, Latin America, North America and even Africa. This lecture asks whether the Europe's experience in creating the euro is exportable. It argues that the single currency is the result of a larger integrationist project that has political as well as economic dimensions. The appetite for political integration being less in other parts of the world, the euro will not be easily emulated. Other regions will have to find different means of addressing the tension between domestic monetary autonomy and regional integration. Harmonized inflation targeting may be the best available solution.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Europe, Asia, and Latin America
5190. Post-Lockerbie Judgement, What Next for U.S.-Libya Relations?
- Author:
- Ray Takeyh
- Publication Date:
- 03-2002
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
- Abstract:
- As the Bush administration seeks to define its policy on the Middle East, Libya has emerged in the high drama of the U.S. war against terrorism. A Scottish appeals court yesterday upheld the conviction of former Libyan intelligence agent Abdel Baset al-Megrahi for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. The appeals court ruled unanimously that none of the grounds of appeal are well founded. The latest verdict not only ended the Lockerbie legal saga but potentially ushered in a new phase in U.S.-Libyan relations.
- Topic:
- Security and Religion
- Political Geography:
- Africa, United States, Middle East, and Libya
5191. Will HIPC Matter? The Debt Game and Donor Behaviour in Africa
- Author:
- Nancy Birdsall, Stijn Claessens, and Ishac Diwan
- Publication Date:
- 05-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- In this paper we focus on the question: will the HIPC debt reduction programme help in the transformation of the development assistance business and change the rules of the 'debt game' in Africa? We concentrate on the donor and official creditor side, by exploring how the growing debt of African countries, over the last two decades, has affected the provision of new resources by the donor community. Our results indicate that if debt levels are reduced sufficiently in high debt countries, donors can shift from the current pattern of non-selectivity and defensive lending to a low debt regime, a regime that has in the past allowed selectivity in lending in relation to levels of poverty and quality of policy.
- Topic:
- Development and International Organization
- Political Geography:
- Africa
5192. Gender and Education as Determinants of Household Poverty in Nigeria
- Author:
- Christiana E.E. Okojie
- Publication Date:
- 03-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- The paper examines the linkages between gender of household heads, education and household poverty in Nigeria between 1980 and 1996. Data analyzed were obtained from four national consumer expenditure surveys conducted in Nigeria in 1980, 1985, 1992 and 1996 by the Federal Office of Statistics. Adjustments were made for price differentials over time and across regions of the country. However, only aggregated data for households were available. Per capita expenditure was used as the indicator of poverty, while the unit of analysis was the household. Two poverty lines were set: a moderate poverty line equal to two-thirds of mean per capita household expenditure, and a core poverty line equal to one-third of mean per capita expenditure. The Pa index proposed by Foster, Greer and Thorbecke was used to generate the headcount ratio as well as the depth and severity of poverty. Trends in inequality were analyzed using Gini coefficients and the Theil's index. Multivariate analysis was used to examine the relationships between gender, poverty and other household variables, including education, for all households as well as for subgroups of male-headed and female-headed households respectively.
- Topic:
- Education and Gender Issues
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Nigeria
5193. Debt Issues in Africa: Thinking beyond the HIPC Initiative to Solving Structural Problems
- Author:
- Alemayehu Geda
- Publication Date:
- 03-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- This paper attempts to answer the following question: If the HIPC Initiative is fully successful and managed to write-off all debt that is owed by Africa, will the debt problem be over? The answer is 'no'. This pessimist answer is arrived at by examining the historical origin of African debt and the structural problems the continent is confronted with. The literature about the origins of the African debt crisis lists a number of factors as its cause. The oil price shocks of 1973-74 and 1978-79, the expansion of the Eurodollar, a rise in public expenditure by African governments following rising commodity prices in early 1970s, the recession in industrial countries and the subsequent commodity price fall, and a rise in real world interest rate are usually mentioned as major factors. Surprisingly, almost all the literature starts its analysis either in the early 1970s or, at best, after independence in 1960s. The main argument in this paper is that one has to go beyond this period not only to adequately explain the current debt crisis but also to propose its possible solution. The conclusion that emerges from such analysis is that the African debt problem is essentially a trade problem. Thus, long-run solution to debt points to the importance of addressing trade and trade related structural problems in the continent.
- Topic:
- Development and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- Africa
5194. Fiscal Policy, Growth and Poverty Reduction in Uganda
- Author:
- Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa
- Publication Date:
- 03-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- After more than a decade of economic decline and civil war, Uganda was able to return to economic growth thanks to the policies pursued by Museveni's National Resistance Movement which elicited considerable donor support. They include macroeconomic reforms, public sector restructuring, privatisation and decentralization, all with emphasis on poverty reduction. The government recognises that fiscal policy is the key to success and much effort has, in the past decade, gone towards fiscal reforms and the improvement of institutional capacities. Still, in a country with limited finances and a thin tax base the competition for resources has been stiff. While the government has been able to embark on initiatives such as universal primary education, thanks to an improved revenue base and donor support, the decentralization drive is hindered by serious fiscal constraints at the local level.
- Topic:
- Development, Government, and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Uganda and Africa
5195. Insolvency and Debt Recovery Procedures in Economic Development: An Overview of African Law
- Author:
- Clas Wihlborg
- Publication Date:
- 02-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- Insolvency and debt recovery procedures are as crucial to a well-performing financial sector as credit provision itself. They are even more important in Africa, where attempts are underway to create fully-fledged financial markets. For the financial system to be credible, creditors must be ensured that lenders will meet their obligations and that cases against them will be brought to closure. A good legal framework for insolvency also ensures distressed firms a form of orderly exit, thereby enabling their owners to start afresh. However, institutions of this nature take time to take effect, and need to be supported politically and by reforms in other sectors of the economy.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, and Government
- Political Geography:
- Africa
5196. Privatization in sub-Saharan Africa: On Factors Affecting Implementation
- Author:
- Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa
- Publication Date:
- 01-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- Although privatization has been a key feature of economic policy in Africa since the early 1990s its sequencing and intensity have varied from country to country, with donor leverage being an important determinant of the pace of implementation. However, although many privatization schemes were undertaken in response to donor demands for reduced government participation in business, the process soon achieved its own dynamics. The positive view of privatization suggests that it went ahead, in spite of domestic opposition, because politicians and bureaucrats perceived real benefits to themselves and their supporters. They could influence the sales to their own benefit, while, on the other hand, a more focused public sector improved service delivery.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, and Government
- Political Geography:
- Africa
5197. Making Debt Relief Conditionality Pro-Poor
- Author:
- Oliver Morrissey
- Publication Date:
- 01-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- This paper considers how the conditionality inherent in HIPC debt relief should be constituted to promote pro-poor policies. There are two dimensions to this. First, the extent to which the policies proposed are pro-poor. Second, the potential for releasing resources for pro-poor expenditures. The paper provides an analytical framework to describe the policy environment for poverty reduction, and identifies where donor effort and influence are most likely to be effective. The paper argues that the elements of debt relief conditionality should be tailored to the features of the poverty-reduction policy environment and provides guidelines for the design of conditionality.
- Topic:
- Development and International Organization
- Political Geography:
- Africa
5198. Performance of Microfinance Institutions in Burkina Faso
- Author:
- Youssoufou Congo
- Publication Date:
- 01-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- This study tests the performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Burkina Faso using indicators such as the sustainable interest rate and the subsidy dependence index. The results indicate that MFIs outreach performance remains very low compared with potential demand, and the factors responsible appear to be both the refusal of most MFIs to mobilize local savings and the high costs of supply of microfinancial services. The results also show that MFIs are not viable and sustainable. Their interest rates are kept low and do not allow them to cover all the costs. In addition, the results indicate that MFIs are dependent on subsidies. However, the oldest MFIs and/or institutions providing deposit services have the lowest subsidy dependence index. It is suggested that more attention should be placed on savings mobilization and ceilings on interest rates should be removed in order to allow MFIs to charge sustainable interest rates.
- Topic:
- Development and Economics
- Political Geography:
- Africa
5199. Rwanda at the End of the Transition: A Necessary Political Liberalisation
- Publication Date:
- 11-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- Nine years after the 1994 genocide, Rwanda has reached another crossroads. The transition period defined by the Arusha Accords will be concluded in less than a year by a constitutional referendum and by multi-party elections which should symbolize the successful democratisation of the country. Today, however, there are multiple restrictions on political and civil liberty and no sign of any guarantee, or even indication, in the outline of the constitutional plan that the political opposition will be able to participate in these elections on an equal footing with the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), in power since 1994.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Security, Ethnic Conflict, Politics, and Treaties and Agreements
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Rwanda
5200. Zimbabwe: The Politics of National Liberation and International Division
- Publication Date:
- 10-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- Despite the rising humanitarian costs of the crisis in Zimbabwe, the international community remains deeply divided about its response, allowing President Mugabe to believe that he can exploit the policy fissure between – broadly – the West and Africa. The foreign media's emphasis on the plight of white commercial farmers plays into the regime's liberation rhetoric, reinforcing the erroneous but widespread belief in Africa that the West is concerned about Zimbabwe only because white property interests have been harmed. What is happening in Zimbabwe and the lack of a continental response have damaged perceptions of Africa in the wider international community, weakening in the process the promising but still embryonic New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the African Union (AU).
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Civil War, International Cooperation, and Treaties and Agreements
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Zimbabwe