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on Africa |
| By: | Rahul Bhatnagar (Bhatnagar Advisers); Julien Gourdon (AFD - Agence française de développement) |
| Abstract: | E-commerce has become an essential element, rather than a mere option, for various growth drivers in Africa. The adoption by the African Union of the e-commerce strategy in June 2024 and then of the AfCFTA e-commerce protocol on February 15th 2025 are important milestones for the digital commerce revolution in Africa and its role in regional integration. In this policy brief we will take a closer look to this two initiatives as well as to the challenges to be met. |
| Keywords: | E-commerce, Digital technologies, AfCFTA |
| Date: | 2025–04–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05023965 |
| By: | Darin Christensen; Tamma Carleton; Esther Rolf; Cullen Molitor; Shopnavo Biswas; Karena Yan; Graeme Blair |
| Abstract: | Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) supplies livelihoods and critical minerals but has been linked to conflict and environmental degradation. We enable monitoring of this largely informal sector by creating high-resolution maps of ASM's footprint in Africa using machine learning models that integrate geographic features and satellite imagery. We find ASM is more extensive than documented: in five countries with on-the-ground surveys, we predict over 231, 000 1-km2 grid cells [±2 standard errors: 170, 153-297, 710] contain ASM activity – over 40 times that recorded by surveyors. Adapting methods for spatial domain adaptation, we map ASM across 20 total countries, estimating that 4% [2-8%] of territory and 17% [10-30%] of the population are impacted by ASM, which encroaches on a larger share of settlements and ecosystems than previously understood. |
| JEL: | Q32 Q49 |
| Date: | 2025–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33646 |
| By: | Mukashov, Askar; Pauw, Karl; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James |
| Abstract: | Achieving development goals is subject to economic uncertainties, yet policymaking rarely accounts for these risks. This Country Brief quantifies the risks facing Ghana’s economy and population, focusing on two primary sources: 1) External risks stemming from shocks in international commodity prices and foreign capital flows and 2) Domestic risks associated with production shocks in volatile sectors of the Ghanaian economy, such as primary agriculture and hydropower electricity generation, are often caused by extreme weather. The significance of these risks is assessed based on the range of the shocks’ impacts on four main economic and development indicators: total GDP, private consumption, poverty rate, and prevalence of undernourishment. The analysis uses data mining methods to simultaneously sample many shocks from historical data, con structing a comprehensive set of realistic shock scenarios for Ghana. A country-specific, economywide Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model then simulates the impacts of these shocks on both total and sector-specific economic outcomes, deriving changes in poverty and undernourishment for each shock scenario. Finally, machine learning techniques are applied to obtain metrics for the relative im portance of different risk factors. The results suggest that Ghana’s trade-oriented economy is predominantly exposed to external risks, with fluctuations in world prices of key exports—particularly energy and metals—significantly influencing eco nomic activity and the country’s ability to finance imports. Poverty and undernourishment risks present a more complex picture, with a significant difference between urban and rural risk factors. Rural households, which are generally poorer than urban households and constitute the majority of the poor and undernourished population, are more exposed to domestic production volatility factors. Understanding these economic risks is a critical first step in facilitating discussions on potential risk management strategies, such as promoting domestic productivity growth and diversifying economic activity away from high-risk sectors. |
| Keywords: | markets; domestic production; shock; risk analysis; Ghana; Africa; Western Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Date: | 2025–04–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ewracb:174149 |
| By: | Dugle, Gordon (Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD UBIDS)); Kutina, Cyril; Dawdi, Abdul-Aziz |
| Abstract: | Background: Sustainable procurement (SP) has emerged as an integral part of national and global efforts to address sustainable development challenges and the growing impact of climate change on human health, especially in resource-constrained health systems like sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We are conducting a scoping review to explore empirical studies on sustainable procurement practices in SSA health systems, identify evidence gaps and inform future research directions. Methods: The review will follow the JBI methodology and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) reporting guidelines for conducting scoping reviews. The following electronic databases will be searched for evidence: Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus and Science Direct. The search will be limited to peer-reviewed empirical studies published in the English language with no restrictions on publication date and study design. We will include only empirical studies, i.e., original research studies offering firsthand insights into SP practices in healthcare. Two reviewers will independently screen titles/abstracts and full texts based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the review. Disagreements will be resolved through a discussion among the review team. Study characteristics will be summarised in tabular format along with a thematic analysis and narrative summary of the key SP practices reported in the empirical literature. Discussion: The proposed review will provide valuable practical insights that can enhance policy-makers’ and healthcare practitioners’ understanding of emerging SP practices and initiatives. It will also provide directions for future research, thus guiding scholars towards areas of priority research attention. |
| Date: | 2025–03–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:4caqg_v1 |
| By: | Mukashov, Askar; Diao, Xinshen; Ecker, Olivier; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James |
| Abstract: | This study is part of a series of country briefs by IFPRI that leverages economywide models to deliver detailed risk assessments of key economic indicators. This initial analysis evaluates vulnerabilities across economic sectors and key population groups to answer two questions: (1) How vulnerable are Egypt’s national economy and population to world market and domestic production shocks? (2) What are the largest risks to Egypt’s overall economic performance, private consumption, and reductions in poverty and undernourishment? |
| Keywords: | domestic production; shock; world markets; Egypt; Africa; Northern Africa; Eastern Africa |
| Date: | 2025–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ewracb:174155 |