Financial inclusion has emerged as a critical driver of sustainable development by improving access to financial services and enhancing human well-being. This study investigates the relationship between financial inclusion, institutional quality, and welfare using panel data for 32 SSA countries covering 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2021. Principal component analysis was employed to develop a composite institutional quality index and a multidimensional financial inclusion index with access, usage, and quality dimensions. To account for serial correlation and heteroskedasticity, the Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) estimator was employed, complemented by Panel-Corrected Standard Errors and Driscoll–Kraay estimators for robustness. The empirical findings indicate that the composite financial inclusion displays a positive and statistically significant association with welfare. Disaggregated estimates demonstrate that while the financial access and usage dimensions exhibit strong, positive, and statistically significant relationships with welfare, the quality dimension exerts a positive but statistically insignificant association, pointing to latent structural market frictions. Institutional quality also demonstrates a positive and significant relationship with welfare, suggesting that stronger governance structures enhance the welfare gains derived from financial systems. Conversely, rapid population growth constrains welfare improvements, whereas final consumption expenditure contributes positively. The study findings underscore that that strengthening financial inclusion alongside institutional reforms is essential for achieving inclusive and sustainable welfare improvements in Sub-Saharan Africa. The findings also provide important policy insights for governments seeking to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals through inclusive financial sector development.

To enhance food security and reduce poverty, Ethiopian agriculture needs to shift from subsistence production toward a more commercialized system that supp

This study examines farmers’ satisfaction with compensation for farmland expropriation and its socioeconomic determinants in the East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia, by utilizing a multi-stage sampling design and conducting a cross-sectional field survey of 480 randomly selected households in the peri-urban areas of Debre Markos, Motta, Dejen, and Bichena towns. The descriptive statistics reveal that 55% of respondents expressed overall satisfaction, while 45% reported dissatisfaction with the expropriation process. Post-expropriation analysis indicates a profound structural shift in livelihoods, characterized by a sharp decline in subsistence farming (from 81.46% to 17.92%) and a subsequent transition into vulnerable daily wage labor (26.25%) and chronic unemployment (11.25%). Conversely, urban expansion significantly improved household access to electricity, safe piped water, and road networks. An ordered logistic regression model was employed to investigate determinants of farmers’ satisfaction with compensation. The empirical results demonstrate that the amount of compensation, diversified modes of compensation, and prompt timing of payments have positive and highly significant effects on farmers’ satisfaction. Conversely, residential displacement, larger family sizes, greater areas of expropriated land and higher fertility of the lost plots significantly reduce satisfaction levels. Interestingly, exposure to agricultural risks positively associated with satisfaction due to lowered baseline income expectations. These findings highlight the need for policy interventions targeting fair property valuations, standardized rehabilitation guidance, and sustainable livelihood restoration frameworks to achieve equitable urban development.