The question as to whether the national innovation system (NIS) plays a significant positive role in influencing economic growth has been intensely debated by academics as well as policy analysts. The main controversy, however, is the fact that the ongoing empirical evidences on the relationship between innovation and economic growth are still mixed. The aim of this paper is to provide further evidence on the relationship between the NIS and economic growth using consistent and reliable data from a sample of emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa [BRICS]). The research has a BRICS focus and constructs NIS using historical panel data set for the main variables, that is, university enrolment rate for science and engineering students, government research and development expenditure, high-tech export and the enclosure of control variables covering the period 2000Q1–2013Q4. The study employed a dynamic panel estimation technique with a view of evaluating the relative impact of the NIS on economic growth in BRICS. The results revealed that the NIS as a whole has a positive effect on economic growth in BRICS economies. An important policy implication emerging from this study is that extra efforts are needed by emerging economies to promote the development of a NIS so as to explore the potential growth-inducing effects of a well-functioning NIS. Consequently, findings from this study have offered some persuading indicators for BRICS economies to explore the development of a NIS as a potential opportunity to speed up their economic growth.

This study aims to explore the impacts of ICT and innovation on sustainable economic growth and the direction of causal relationships among them in a trivariate framework. The study employed the DOLS and Panel VECM for causality to study the relationships for 33 Sub-Saharan Africa countries categorized based on income between 2000 and 2020. The study uses annual time-series data that were obtained from the World Development Indicators (WDI) database for the empirical analysis. Results from the DOLS show that both ICT development and innovation contribute positively to sustainable growth in all the categories of countries. However, the marginal effects of innovation on sustainable growth are very small compared to ICT development, especially for low-income countries. The VECM result confirms significant causal relationships among the studied variables in the short and long run. Policies should be geared toward channeling resources to enhance ICT skills, access, and usage in the continent. This can be achieved if organizations engaged in the SSA agenda for prosperity, provide the support needed to complement different governments’ efforts in advancing ICT penetration and innovation diffusion in the continent. Also, it is important for income groups to be considered when establishing and implementing such policies.

This study examines how digital trade, technology, and Internet adoption impact financial sustainability across 41 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, using the generalized method of moments (GMM) for precise statistical analysis. It focuses on four major financial indicators: financial development, financial institutions access, financial institutions depth, and financial institutions efficiency indexes. The results indicate that digital trade, technology, and Internet use positively interact to boost financial sustainability in SSA, as measured by the financial development index. In terms of financial institutions access, this study finds that importing ICT goods and non-resident patents improve access, whereas resident patents diminish the benefits of exporting ICT goods. Notably, the combined effect of importing ICT goods and increased Internet usage significantly enhances access to financial institutions in SSA. Regarding financial institutions depth, positive interactions are observed between ICT goods exports and resident patents, highlighting the need for a balanced approach. However, there is a potential trade-off with increasing Internet usage, suggesting the need for a strategy to deepen financial institutions in SSA. Lastly, concerning financial institutions efficiency, positive interactions are particularly noted between ICT goods exports and non-resident patents. Yet, a negative interaction is identified with a potential trade-off between importing ICT goods and increasing Internet usage. Policymakers are advised to consider these complex dynamics when formulating strategies to enhance financial sustainability in SSA.

This study presents an empirical investigation into the macroeconomic determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Sierra Leone between 1990 and 2013 in both the long and the short run. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimation is used and the time series properties of the variables were examined in the process. It first tests for unit root using the Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) test. The Johansen co-integration technique was employed to derive the long-run relationship. The result shows that market size, openness, exchange rate and natural resource availability exert positive relationship with FDI while inflation and money supply exert a negative one. The short run error correction model was also employed and reveals that market size, economy openness, inflation and natural resource availability are the main determinants of FDI inflow to Sierra Leone. Policy recommendation calls for the expansion of the country’s GDP, government strengthening the implementation of its reform agenda, strengthening its monetary policy to curtail inflation, and to embark on more infrastructural development all of which have the potential to attract more FDI.