This paper investigates the threshold effect of environmental degradation on the FDI-poverty nexus in sub-Saharan Africa for the period 1986–2018. The study used panel threshold regression for the empirical analysis. The evidence from threshold regression using different measures of poverty and environmental degradation shows that the poverty reduction effect of FDI is not eroded by environmental degradation. The study found overwhelming evidence that at the higher level of environmental degradation, FDI contributes significantly to poverty reduction except when Household final consumption is used to proxy poverty and FDI produces an insignificant effect on poverty reduction at the higher level of methane emissions and nitrous oxide emission. Based on this finding, any attempts to reduce environmental degradation by reducing the inflow of FDI will worsen poverty rates in the region.

Purpose: This paper systematically reviewed the contributions of the recent Nigerian government agricultural policies and the impacts on the agricultural value chain system in line with the structural transformation of the sector and the Nigeria's vision 20:2020. The study also suggest strategies to upgrading various segments of the agricultural value chain and argue that Nigeria's agricultural sector requires huge investments and innovative ideas to increase production and create value addition across the most profitable areas of the value chain.Design/methodology/approach: The authors systematically present evidences and data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (the apex monetary authority of Nigeria) and Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (oversees and publishes statistics for Nigeria) to estimate the impact of Government agricultural policies on the value chains system.Findings: The study discovers that the various recent government policy interventions to tackle the austere challenges in the agricultural sector are yet to yield much significant solution. Given to the dwindling performance of the sector, the Nigerian agricultural value chain is somewhat affected with systemic and services gaps which underpin the market failures (missing markets and weak markets), although the agricultural value chain has the potential of triggering economic growth in a higher scale with a trickle-down effect to other sectors of the Nigerian economy.Practical implications: Overall, the findings indicate strategies to upgrading the production and processing segments of the agricultural value chain and argues that Nigeria's agricultural sector requires huge investments and innovative ideas to increase production and create value addition across the most profitable areas of the value chain.Social implications: The study proves that enhancing value addition in the agricultural sector is imperative to achieving triple-benefits of increasing productivity by building resilient systems that leverage on finance opportunities, deepening economic inclusive growth and achieving great milestones.Originality/value: This study is the first attempt to focus on agricultural value chain system in line with the structural transformation and the Nigeria's vision 20:2020.

This study analyzed both the long and short run relationship between insurance development and economic growth in Nigeria over the period 1986 to 2010. Using error correction model (ECM), the study finds that insurance development cointegrated with economic growth in Nigeria. That is there is long run relationship between insurance development and economic growth in Nigeria. The results also shows that physical capital and interest rate both at contemporary and one lagged value has significant positive effect on economic growth in Nigeria while physical capital and inflation has negative long run relationship with economic growth. The results of this study generally indicate statistically significance contribution of insurance to economic growth in Nigeria. Key words: Economic growth, insurance, Error Correction Model (ECM).

This study explored human capital–economic growth nexus and determine if the relationship is influenced by the level of economic development in 36 sub-Saharan African countries during the period from 1986–2018. The study used dynamic generalised method of moments (GMM) and static estimations to achieve the objective of the study. The study used alternative indicators of human capital to provide strong evidence and robust results. The study also considered the income groups within the region. The study found that human capital contributed to economic growth, as its indicators are positive and significant. The study also found that the connection that exists between human capital and economic growth also depends on the level of economic development. Generally, our finding emphasised that both education and health measures of human capital are important, and that policymakers must consider the level of economic development while formulating policies that can enhance the impact of human capital on economic growth in the Sub-Saharan Africa region.