@article{Asongu_769,
author = {Simplice A Asongu},
url = {http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15228916.2013.765309},
doi = {10.1080/15228916.2013.765309},
year = {2013},
date = {2013-03-06},
journal = {Journal of African Business},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {7-18},
abstract = {In the first macroeconomic empirical assessment of the relationship between mobile phones and finance, the author examines the correlations between mobile phone penetration and financial development using two conflicting definitions of the financial system in the financial development literature. With the traditional International Financial Statistics (IFS) (2008) definition, mobile phone penetration has a negative correlation with traditional financial intermediary dynamics of depth, activity, and size. However, when a previously missing informal-financial sector component is integrated into the definition, mobile phone penetration has a positive correlation with informal financial development. Three implications result: There is a growing role of informal finance; mobile phone penetration may not be positively assessed at a macroeconomic level by traditional financial development indicators; and it is a wake-up call for scholarly research on informal financial development indicators that will orient monetary policy.},
keywords = {Africa, Banking, Financial Development, Mobile phones, Shadow economy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Asongu_770,
author = {Simplice A Asongu},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17576381311317763},
doi = {10.1108/17576381311317763},
year = {2013},
date = {2013-03-06},
journal = {Journal of Financial Economic Policy},
volume = {5},
number = {1},
pages = {20 - 38},
abstract = {Purpose
– A major lesson of the European Monetary Union (EMU) crisis is that serious disequilibria result from regional monetary arrangements not designed to be robust to a variety of shocks. The purpose of this paper is to assess these disequilibria within the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and Financial Community of Africa (CFA) zones.

Design/methodology/approach
– In the assessments, monetary policy targets inflation and financial dynamics of depth, efficiency, activity and size while real sector policy targets economic performance in terms of GDP growth. The author also provides the speed of convergence and time required to achieve a 100 percent convergence.

Findings
– But for financial intermediary size within the CFA zone, findings, for the most part, support only unconditional convergence. There is no form of convergence within the CEMAC zone.

Practical implications
– The broad insignificance of conditional convergence results has substantial policy implications. Monetary and real policies, which are often homogenous for member states, are thwarted by heterogeneous structural and institutional characteristics, which give rise to different levels and patterns of financial intermediary development. Therefore, member states should work towards harmonizing cross‐country differences in structural and institutional characteristics that hamper the effectiveness of monetary policies.

Originality/value
– The paper provides warning signs to the CFA zone in the heat of the Euro zone crises.},
keywords = {Africa, Convergence, Currency area, Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa, Economic disequilibrium, Financial Community of Africa, Monetary policy, National economy, Policy coordination},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Asongu_801,
author = {Simplice A Asongu},
url = {http://www.accessecon.com/Pubs/EB/2012/Volume32/EB-12-V32-I3-P210.pdf},
year = {2012},
date = {2012-08-01},
journal = {Economics Bulletin},
volume = {32},
number = {3},
pages = {2174-2180},
abstract = {The Okada & Samreth (2012, EL) finding that aid deters corruption could have an important influence on policy and academic debates. This paper partially negates their criticism of the mainstream approach to the aid-development nexus. Using updated data (1996-2010) from 52 African countries, we provide robust evidence of a positive aid-corruption nexus. Development assistance fuels (mitigates) corruption (the control of corruption) in the African continent. As a policy implication, the Okada & Samreth (2012, EL) finding for developing countries may not be relevant for Africa.},
keywords = {Africa, Corruption, Foreign aid},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Asongu_834,
author = {Brian Jingwa A Simplice A. Asongu},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJGE.2012.051493},
doi = {10.1504/IJGE.2012.051493},
year = {2011},
date = {2011-12-13},
journal = {International Journal of Green Economics},
volume = {6},
number = {4},
pages = {317-330},
abstract = {The rate of deforestation in Africa is of paramount concern not only to the future of Africa, but also to the world. This study uses country-level data to model changes in forest area over an 18 year period (1990–2007) in 35 African countries and investigates the role played by important development indicators of human development. The results reveal that the net loss of forests was 0.19% every year between 1990 and 2007. Human development, which involves life expectancy, education and income, is found to have a positive effect on forest growth and conservation, while logging trees for wood fuel is a significant cause of deforestation. Using generalised linear mixed models and generalised estimating equations, it was possible to calculate expected estimates of forest area for 2010, 2020 and 2030 under the assumption that nothing is done to change observed trends.},
keywords = {Africa, agriculture, data modelling, deforestation, environment, human development index},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}