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on Africa |
| By: | Odhiambo, Frank; Günther, Isabel; Harttgen, Kenneth |
| Abstract: | In many parts of the world, children with disabilities continue to face exclusion from education. This educational disparity is particularly pronounced in African countries, where disability legislation is often absent. In our sample, disability emerges as the strongest predictor of low educational attainment among children-more influential than severe poverty or low parental education. Despite increasing international attention to inclusive education, evidence on the impact of anti-discrimination legislation remains limited, and particularly for low-income settings. Existing literature has primarily focused on labor market outcomes in high-income countries, where the effects on employment have been mixed at best. Using individual-level data from ten African countries, we apply various difference-in-differences approaches to assess the impact of disability legislation on educational attainment. Our analysis shows that such legislation significantly increases school enrollment, attendance rates, and years of schooling. In most countries, anti-discrimination laws close at least half of the 30% disability gap in education observed in contexts lacking such protections. Furthermore, we find no adverse spillover effects on the schooling of younger, non-disabled siblings in countries that enacted the legislation. These findings highlight the transformative potential of legal protections in advancing educational equity for children with disabilities. |
| Keywords: | educational attainment, school attendance, legislation, disability |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:cegedp:323228 |
| By: | Sikiru, AbdulSalam Adeyemi; Salisu, Afees A. |
| Abstract: | In this study, we examine the drivers of persistent exchange rate depreciation in Nigeria and suggest remedial monetary policy actions based on inference from the results. Using time series data from January 2008 to June 2023, the following potential drivers were examined: price level differential, interest rate differential, terms of trade, stock market performance, oil price and central bank forex supply to the FX market. While the Naira/USD exchange rate is a daily observation data, potential drivers are majorly available on a monthly basis. On this note, we employ the GARCH variant of the Mixed Data Sampling (GARCH-MIDAS) technique. For robustness purposes, we employ conduct modelling with fixed window and rolling window data sampling techniques. Notable model selection criteria such as the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) and Logarithmic Likelihood (LogL) are utilized to determine the optimal model. Our results reveal that foreign exchange market inefficiency, high inflation, low interest rate, dwindling oil price, adverse stock market performance, and low CBN FX supply to the forex market are major drivers of exchange rate variability in Nigeria. The results are robust to alternative data sampling techniques. Additional results of this study suggest that improvement in macroeconomic performance and adverse financial market performance can reduce the long-term volatility persistence of the exchange rate in Nigeria. Based on intuition from these findings, remedial monetary policy actions proposed by this study include improvement in forex market efficiency, promotion of productivity and export of tradeable goods and services, reduction in macroeconomic uncertainties, and policy consistency in exchange rate and macroeconomic management. In addition, we conclude that monetary authorities need not introduce hostile financial market policies to reduce exchange rate variability; rather, they should embark on policies to enhance macroeconomic performance. |
| Keywords: | Exchange rate, Monetary Policy, Central Bank, Macroeconomic |
| JEL: | E52 E58 F0 F31 |
| Date: | 2025–01–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:123526 |
| By: | Oussama Najari (UIT - Université Ibn Tofaïl); Cheklekbire Malainine (UIT - Université Ibn Tofaïl) |
| Abstract: | This article investigates how AI can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Moroccan public sector centered on SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, Infrastructure) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, Strong Institutions). Description of the most representative AI projects developed in the public administration. The study describes a number of AI initiatives from public administrations as an example for the potential of the use of AI tools in promoting transparency, efficiency and institutional innovation. The roadblocks of data privacy, the digital divide, and organizational resistance are also considered. The paper highlights that, while AI has significant transformative potential, its adoption must be accompanied by strong regulatory and ethical frameworks, as well as inclusive approaches to ensure its contribution to sustainable and equitable public governance. |
| Keywords: | Sustainable Development Goals, Public administrations, institutional efficiency, innovation, transparency, SDG 9, SDG 16, Morocco |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05110441 |
| By: | Lambin, Roosa; Muangi, Winnie C. |
| Abstract: | Tanzania has made notable progress in expanding its social protection system, yet the influence of colonial governance models, entrenched donor dependency and limited population coverage of existing provisions remain significant. This case study critically explores the historical and contemporary processes of social protection policymaking in Mainland Tanzania, drawing on qualitative interviews and documentary analysis. Colonial legacies continue to shape Tanzania's economic structure and institutional frameworks. Extractive colonial economies prioritised cash crops and mining, embedding a dependency that persists today and limits fiscal space for domestic investment in social protection. The British administration introduced formal governance and social protection institutions that remain pertinent today, but they continue to largely exclude the informal sector and rural populations, despite recent efforts to introduce social insurance schemes for informal sector workers (e.g. National Informal Sector Scheme, NISS). Postcolonial dynamics also play a defining role. Tanzania's early Ujamaa socialist model under President Julius Nyerere fostered broad welfare ambitions, many of which were later dismantled under neoliberal Structural Adjustment Programmes in the 1980s. Since then, global policy agendas and actors have heavily influenced domestic policymaking. Donor-driven programmes dominate key areas such as cash transfers (e.g. the World Bank-supported and targeted roductive Social Safety Net programme), and development partners use various policy transfer mechanisms to shape domestic policies and programmes. The scarcity of domestic resources significantly hinders the pursuit of universalist social protection investments. Despite this, the role of domestic actors remains pivotal. Nyerere's legacy continues to inspire social policy thinking, and civil society and political elites actively shape - and sometimes contest - social protection arrangements. At the same time, limited implementation capacity and corruption undermine effectiveness of social protection delivery, particularly in rural regions. The study identifies pathways forward: strengthening domestic financing through better taxation and value-chain participation; enhancing government leadership and coordination; integrating informal, community-based social protection mechanisms; and promoting regionally driven, South-South cooperation. These shifts require reimagining social protection, rooting it in Tanzania's socio-cultural and economic fabric to build a more inclusive and resilient system. |
| Keywords: | International development cooperation, Africa, social security |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:diedps:321872 |
| By: | Matthew Collins; Eleonora Guarnieri; Helmut Rainer |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the causal impact of free primary education (FPE) on fertility decisions among parents in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the interplay between the policy, intra-household bargaining, and cultural norms. Using Demographic and Health Survey data and exploiting the staggered rollout of FPE across 17 countries, we find that FPE reduces fertility by 0.1 children per woman and improves child survival and school enrollment. Linking these data with ethnic-level cultural norms of male dominance, we find that these effects are concentrated among ethnic groups with low male dominance, while high male-dominance groups experience minimal or opposing effects. We further show that FPE strengthens women’s bargaining power in low male-dominance settings, as evidenced by increased contraceptive use, greater influence over reproductive decisions, and higher participation in household decision-making. These changes are accompanied by higher labor force participation, increased media engagement, a higher probability of divorce, and reduced tolerance for intimate partner violence. Such shifts are largely absent in high-male dominance cultures. These findings are consistent with a simple theoretical framework that integrates the canonical quantity–quality trade-off into a household bargaining model with limited commitment, where cultural norms are captured by the extent of women’s veto power over fertility decisions. Our results highlight the critical role of cultural norms in shaping the effects of policy interventions on fertility behavior and broader development outcomes. |
| Keywords: | fertility, gender norms, free primary education |
| JEL: | J13 I25 N37 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11994 |
| By: | Brixiova Schwidrowski, Zuzana (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)); Elbeshbishi, Amal Nagah (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)); Zhao, Jiaxin (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)) |
| Abstract: | Skills gaps, a lack of funding, and social norms continue to keep women and youth in North Africa from engaging in productive entrepreneurship. Using cross-national data and regional indicators from the World Bank and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, this analysis shows how such barriers reinforce each other, leading to the structural exclusion of women and youth. For example, only 1.2% of Egyptian women are business owners, and young people in Tunisia have a significantly lower chance than adults of obtaining business loans. The report estimates that if gender gaps in networks and skills are addressed, up to 7 million more female entrepreneurs could be established in North Africa. Progress requires targeted education, the use of inclusive finance tools, and shifts in public opinion. When supported by policies, the entrepreneurship of women and young people can boost resilience and create job-rich growth. |
| Keywords: | entrepreneurship, North Africa, gender and youth economic empowerment, financial inclusion, skills development, social norms |
| JEL: | L26 J16 J18 O17 |
| Date: | 2025–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izapps:pp217 |