@article{Asongu,2019,
title = {Trajectories of knowledge economy in SSA and MENA countries},
author = {Simplice A. Asongu, Antonio R. Andrés},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X18303439},
doi = {10.1016/j.techsoc.2019.03.002},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-03-17},
journal = {Technology in Society},
abstract = {In the first critical assessment of knowledge economy dynamic paths in Africa and the Middle East, but for a few exceptions, we find overwhelming support for diminishing cross-country disparities in knowledge-based economy dimensions. The paper employs all the four components of the World Bank's Knowledge Economy Index (KEI): economic incentives, innovation, education, and information infrastructure. The main finding suggests that sub-Saharan African (SSA) and the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries with low levels of KE dynamics and catching-up their counterparts of higher KE levels. We provide the speeds of integration and time necessary to achieve full (100%) integration. Policy implications are also discussed.},
keywords = {Knowledge economy; Principal component analysis},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Asongu,2019,
title = {Enhancing ICT for quality education in sub-Saharan Africa},
author = {Simplice A. Asongu, Nicholas M. Odhiambo},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-019-09880-9},
doi = {10.1007/s10639-019-09880-9},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-03-17},
journal = {Education and Information Technologies},
abstract = {This research assesses the relevance of information and communication technology (ICT) in primary education quality in a panel of 49 Sub-Saharan African countries for the period 2000–2012. The empirical evidence is based on Two Stage Least Squares (2SLS) and Instrumental Quantile regressions (IQR). From the 2SLS: (i) mobile phone and internet penetration rates reduce poor quality education and enhancing internet penetration has a net negative effect of greater magnitude. From the IQR: (i) with the exception of the highest quantile for mobile phone penetration and top quantiles for internet penetration, ICT consistently has a negative effect on poor education quality with a non-monotonic pattern. (ii) Net negative effects are exclusively apparent in the median and top quantiles of internet-related regressions. It follows that enhancing internet penetration will benefit countries with above-median levels of poor education quality while enhancing internet penetration is not immediately relevant to reducing poor education quality in countries with below-median levels of poor education quality.},
keywords = {Development, ICT, Primary education, SSA},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Asongu,2019,
title = {Economic development thresholds for a green economy in sub-Saharan Africa},
author = {Simplice A. Asongu, Nicholas M. Odhiambo},
url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0144598719835591},
doi = {10.1177/0144598719835591},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-03-13},
journal = {Energy Exploration & Exploitation},
abstract = {This study investigates how increasing economic development affects the green economy in terms of CO2 emissions, using data from 44 countries in the sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2000–2012. The Generalized Method of Moments is used for the empirical analysis. The following main findings are established. First, relative to CO2 emissions, enhancing economic growth and population growth engenders a U-shaped pattern whereas increasing inclusive human development shows a Kuznets curve. Second, increasing gross domestic product growth beyond 25% of annual growth is unfavorable for a green economy. Third, a population growth rate of above 3.089% (i.e. annual %) has a positive effect of CO2 emissions. Fourth, an inequality-adjusted human development index of above 0.4969 is beneficial for a green economy because it is associated with a reduction in CO2 emissions. The established critical masses have policy relevance because they are situated within the policy ranges of adopted economic development dynamics.},
keywords = {Africa, CO2 emissions, economic development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Asongu,2019,
title = {The effectiveness of development aid for agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa},
author = {John Ssozi, Simplice A. Asongu, Voxi Amavilah},
url = {https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/JES-11-2017-0324},
doi = {10.1108/JES-11-2017-0324},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-03-12},
journal = {Journal of Economic Studies},
volume = {46},
number = {2},
pages = {284-305 },
abstract = {Purpose
Agriculture is the major source of livelihood for the majority of population in Sub-Saharan Africa but its productivity is not only low it has started showing signs of decline since 2012. The purpose of this paper is to find out whether official development assistance for agriculture is effective.

Design/methodology/approach
The data for development assistance for agriculture are broken down into the major agricultural sectors in receiving countries. The empirical evidence is based on the two-step system, i.e. generalized method of moments, to assess the degree of responsiveness of agricultural productivity to development assistance.

Findings
There is a positive relationship between development assistance and agricultural productivity in general. However, when broken down into the major agricultural recipient sectors, there is a substitution effect between food crop production and industrial crop production. Better institutions and economic freedom are found to enable agricultural productivity growth, and to increase the effectiveness of development assistance. The structural economic transformation associated with agricultural development assistance is also found to be weak.

Practical implications
Allocation of development assistance for agriculture is primarily determined by need, although expected effectiveness also increases the assistance receipts. Agricultural assistance policies could focus more on building productive capacity to reduce the need while boosting effectiveness.

Originality/value
Breaking down data into agricultural recipient sectors and controlling for the potential spurious correlation under the assumption that more development assistance could be allocated, where agricultural productivity is already increasing due to some other factors.},
keywords = {Foreign aid; Agriculture; Development; Africa},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Asongu,2019,
title = {Multinational oil companies in Nigeria and corporate social responsibility in the HIV/AIDS response in host communities},
author = {Joseph I. Uduji, Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, Simplice A. Asongu},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13549839.2019.1585770?needAccess=true},
doi = {10.1080/13549839.2019.1585770},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-03-06},
journal = {Local Environment},
abstract = {We assess the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) of multinational oil companies (MOCs) on HIV/AIDS prevalence in Nigeria’s oil-producing communities. One thousand, two hundred households were sampled across the rural communities of Niger Delta. Using logit model, the main result indicates that General Memorandum of Understandings (GMoUs) have not significantly impacted on factors behind the spread of HIV/AIDs in rural communities. This implies that the impact of the disease on MOCs business, employees and their families, contractors, business partners and the oil communities have not inclined downward. The findings suggest that CSR offers an opportunity for MOCs to help address HIV/AID prevalence through a business case for stakeholders’ health in the region. It calls for MOCs to improve GMoUs health intervention on sensitisation campaigns, funding testing and counselling centres, subsidising anti-retroviral drugs, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, rehabilitation of orphaned and vulnerable children and other cares for people living with AIDS.},
keywords = {CSR; MNCs; HIV/AIDS},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Asongu,2019,
title = {External flows and inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa},
author = {Simplice A. Asongu, Ivo J. Leke},
url = {https://www.inderscience.com/info/inarticle.php?artid=98045},
doi = {10.1504/IJHD.2019.098045},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-03-03},
journal = {International Journal of Happiness and Development},
volume = {5},
number = {1},
pages = {33 – 56 },
abstract = {The study assesses how external flows influence inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa. The findings reveal that remittances and FDI increase inclusive development whereas foreign aid has the opposite effect. There are three other strands of findings. First, remittances are negatively associated with: 1) middle income countries compared to low income countries where the effect is not significant; 2) French civil law countries compared to English common law countries where the effect is positive; 3) resource-rich countries compared to their resource-poor counterparts where the effect is positive. Second, foreign aid is more negatively linked to low income, French civil law, Islam-dominated, un-landlocked, resource-rich and politically-unstable countries. Third, FDI is positively associated with: 1) low income, French civil law and landlocked countries compared to respectively middle income, English common law and un-landlocked countries where the effect is insignificant; 2) politically-stable countries compared to their politically-unstable counterparts where the effect is negative.},
keywords = {foreign investment; remittances; foreign aid; inclusive development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Asongu,2019,
title = {Doing business and inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa},
author = {Simplice A. Asongu and Nicholas M. Odhiambo},
url = {https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/AJEMS-05-2018-0132},
doi = {10.1108/AJEMS-05-2018-0132},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-03-01},
journal = {African Journal of Economic and Management Studies},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {2-16},
abstract = {Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how doing business affects inclusive human development in 48 Sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2000–2012.

Design/methodology/approach
The measurement of inclusive human development encompasses both absolute pro-poor and relative pro-poor concepts of inclusive development. Three doing business variables are used, namely: the number of start-up procedures required to register a business, time required to start a business, and time to prepare and pay taxes. The empirical evidence is based on fixed effects and generalised method of moments regressions.

Findings
The findings show that increasing constraints to the doing of business have a negative effect on inclusive human development.

Originality/value
The study is timely and very relevant to the post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda for two fundamental reasons: first, exclusive development is a critical policy syndrome in Africa because about 50 per cent of countries in the continent did not attain the Millennium Development Goal extreme poverty target despite enjoying more than two decades of growth resurgence. Second, growth in Africa is primarily driven by large extractive industries and with the population of the continent expected to double in about 30 years, scholarship on entrepreneurship for inclusive development is very welcome. This is essentially because studies have shown that the increase in unemployment (resulting from the underlying demographic change) would be accommodated by the private sector, not the public sector.},
keywords = {Africa, Doing business, Entrepreneurship, inclusive development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Asongu,2019,
title = {Challenges of Doing Business in Africa: A Systematic Review},
author = {Simplice A. Asongu, Nicholas M. Odhiambo},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15228916.2019.1582294},
doi = {10.1080/15228916.2019.1582294},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-02-21},
journal = {Journal of African Business},
abstract = {This paper provides a systematic review of challenges to doing business in Africa. It complements the extant literature by answering two critical questions: what are the linkages between the ease of doing business and economic development; and what are the challenges to doing business in Africa? In providing answers to these questions, the nexus between the ease of doing business and economic development is discussed in six main strands, namely: wealth creation and sharing; opportunities of employment; balanced regional and economic development; Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and GDP per capita; standards of living and exports. Moreover, challenges to doing business are articulated along the following lines: (i) issues related to the cost of starting a business and doing business; (ii) shortage of energy and electricity; (iii) lack of access to finance; and (v) high taxes and low cross-border trade.},
keywords = {Africa, Business, Development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Asongu,2019,
title = {Inclusive development in environmental sustainability in sub‐Saharan Africa: Insights from governance mechanisms},
author = {Simplice A. Asongu, Nicholas M. Odhiambo },
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/sd.1936},
doi = {10.1002/sd.1936},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-02-21},
journal = {Sustainable Development},
abstract = {This research examines the relevance of inclusive development in modulating the role of governance on environmental degradation. The study focuses on 44 countries in sub‐Saharan Africa for the period 2000–2012. The generalised method of moments is employed as the empirical strategy, and CO2 emissions per capita is used to measure environmental pollution. Bundled and unbundled governance dynamics are employed, notably political governance (consisting of political stability/no violence and “voice and accountability”), economic governance (encompassing government effectiveness and regulation quality), institutional governance (entailing corruption‐control and the rule of law), and general governance (a composite measure of political governance, economic governance, and institutional governance). The following main findings are established. First, the underlying net effect in the moderating role of inclusive development in the governance‐CO2 emissions nexus is not significant in regressions pertaining to political governance and economic governance. Second, there are positive net effects from the relevance of inclusive development in modulating the effects of regulation quality, economic governance, and general governance on CO2 emissions. The significant and insignificant effects are elucidated. Policy implications are discussed.},
keywords = {CO2 emissions; Governance; Sustainable development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@unpublished{Asongu,2019,
title = {Multinational Oil Companies in Nigeria and Corporate Social Responsibility in the HIV/AIDS Response in Host Communities},
author = {Joseph I. Uduji, Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, Simplice A. Asongu },
url = {http://www.afridev.org/RePEc/agd/agd-wpaper/Multinational-Oil-Companies-in-Nigeria-and-Corporate-Social-Responsibility.pdf},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-02-19},
abstract = {We assess the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) of multinational oil companies (MOCs) on HIV/AIDS prevalence in Nigeria’s oil producing communities. One thousand, two hundred households were sampled across the rural communities of Niger Delta. Using logit model, the main result indicates that General Memorandum of Understandings (GMoUs) have not significantly impacted on factors behind the spread of HIV/AIDS in rural communities. This implies that the impact of the disease on MOCs business, employees and their families, contractors, business partners and the oil communities has not inclined downward. The findings suggest that CSR offers an opportunity for MOCs to help address HIV/AIDS prevalence through a business case for stakeholders’ health in the region. It calls for MOCs to improve GMoUs health intervention on sensitization campaigns, funding testing and counselling centers, subsidizing anti-retroviral drugs, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, rehabilitation of orphaned and vulnerable children and other cares for people living with AIDS.},
keywords = {CSR; multinational oil companies; HIV/AIDS initiatives},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {unpublished}
}