Foreign direct investment (FDI) is regarded as a critical determinant in the concept of development for Africa. However, institutional quality in the recipient countries is considered an essential factor that can be used to drive FDI flows inward. The study aims to establish the effect of institutions’ challenges on the FDI inflow and how it impacts on economic development for host selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study employed pooled data for 30 SSA countries for the period within the years 2000 and 2018. The analysis method used was the fixed and random effect regression model utilized to estimate the effect of foreign capital on economic development with considerations for the quality of institutions for developing SSA sub-region of Africa. This study reveals that foreign capital inflow is crucial for economic development in the SSA sub-region of Africa. Quality of institutions as determining factors also affected the level of inflow of FDI to the host SSA sub-region, which resulted in the underutilization of domestic resources and hence abnormal development of domestic sector investment. The study recommends that the government of host SSA sub-region needs to consider the degree of institutional quality to encourage further FDI inflows. To afford the maximal benefit of FDI in the development of the host domestic sector and to guard the industry that foreign investment flows into carefully. It is expedient, thereby, that the domestic investment is enhanced to ensure that dependence on foreign capital inflow continues to decline as income increases. Until domestic investments are sufficient to generate advancement in technology and desired economic development for the selected countries, in the SSA sub-region.

Background: Growth in agricultural science and technology is deemed essential for increasing agricultural output; reduce the vulnerability of rural poverty and in turn, food security. Food security and growth in agricultural output depends on technological usages, which enhances the productive capacity of the agricultural sector. The indicators of food security utilised in this study include: dietary energy supply, average value of food production, prevalence of food inadequacy, among others. Objective: In this paper, we examined the level of technology and how investment in the agriculture and technology can improve technical know-how in Nigeria with a view to achieving food security. Method: We carried out the analysis on how investment in technology and institutional framework can improve the level of food availability (a key component of food security) in Nigeria using econometric technique based on Autoregressive Distribution Lag (ARDL) framework. Results: The results showed, inter alia, that in Nigeria, there is a high level of food insecurity as a result of low attention on food production occasioned by the pervasive influence of oil that become the major export product. Conclusion: It was noted that the availability of arable land was one of the major factors to increase food production to solve the challenge of food insecurity. Thus, the efforts of reducing the rate of food insecurity are essential in this regards. This can also be achieved, among others, by active interactions between government and farmers, to make contribution to important planning issues that relate to food production in the country and above all, social protection policies should be geared or channelled to agricultural sector to protect farmers who are vulnerable to shocks and avert risks associated with agriculture.

This study contributes towards the realization of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 which aims“take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”by investigating the role of per capita income in moderating the impact of energy use on carbon emissions. Using data from 28 selected African countries covering 1990 to 2019 and deploying the FGLS, PCSE, and MM-QR techniques, findings reveal, among others, that: at the 1% significance level, a percentage change in energy use leads to between 0.60% and 0.70% increase in carbon emissions, on average,ceteris paribus. Correspondingly, income shows to be a positive driver of emissions contributing between 0.87% and 0.84% percentage increase, on average,ceteris paribus. Also, per capita income attenuates the impact of energy use on emissions by between -0.27% and -0.23%, on average,ceteris paribus. However, significant heterogeneities occur across the sub-regions. Specifically, Southern Africa shows the largest energy contributor to emissions 1.65% while Central Africa contributes the most to aggravating emissions by 1.87% through increase in per capita income. West Africa shows the largest moderation effect at -0.56%. Across the quartiles, the effects of energy use and per capita are positive. Given these, we submit that the strong correlation between energy usage and per capita income (i.e. economic growth) poses a dilemma for African economies in their drive for growth. Leaving room for trade-offs. Perhaps, the lesson is that as African countries seek for more development without contributing to carbon emissions, governments should invest more in renewable energy.

This study examines how agro-financing impacts on food production in Nigeria supporting Goal 2 of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aims to “end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture”. The study covers the period 1981–2018 using annual data sourced from the World Development Indicators (WDI) of the World Bank, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin. The Johansen and the Canonical Cointegration approaches are employed and findings reveal that agro-financing is statistically significant in explaining the level of food production in Nigeria.

Background: Agricultural production is low in Nigeria as a result of low utilisation of farm inputs facilitated by farmers’ inability to save and invest. Therefore, credit is needed by farmers to enhance their productive capacity and efficiency in agriculture.Aim: Given the importance of credit to farmers, this study examined the nexus between households’ access to credit and agricultural production in Nigeria.Setting: The study made use of data from the Living Standard Measurement Study-Integrated Survey on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) consisting of 4210 households across the 36 states in Nigeria, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.Methods: The study employs the propensity score matching (PSM) technique.Results: The main result from the study suggests that households who had access to agricultural credit facilities had yields that are thrice those of their counterparts who did not benefit from such facilities. In the event of a shock, the farmers who did not have a source of credit are often forced to adopt measures such as lowering consumption and selling assets, which in the long run worsen their poverty levels.Conclusion: The study recommends that policymakers should address underlying factors that prevent access to credit for agricultural production, which is capable of raising the productive capacities of farmers.