This study examines the impact of armed conflicts on the fiscal capacity of African governments. It made use of a data set covering 1997–2021 for 50 countries, as well as the system dynamic... Show moreThis study examines the impact of armed conflicts on the fiscal capacity of African governments. It made use of a data set covering 1997–2021 for 50 countries, as well as the system dynamic generalised method of moment estimation technique. The results show that, in the short run, conflicts undermine tax revenue, mount pressure on military expenditure, and force governments to rely more on mineral resource rents for their fiscal needs. As conflicts persist, this fiscal feature changes to a pattern that reflects a decline in mineral resource earnings and an increase in tax revenue. The impact on public health expenditure also changes from an increasing to a decreasing pattern, whereas the positive impact on military expenditure and external borrowing persists over time. The findings suggest that African countries in conflict can address their fiscal challenges by observing these patterns and putting in place policies that protect public resources (e.g., the adoption of digital financial technology protocols to facilitate remote revenue collection and strategic protection of mineral resource-endowed zones from insurgents' control). Overall, enhancing government effectiveness and strengthening the institutions of governance is important to facilitate a quick return to normalcy in the event of conflict and to prevent future conflicts. Show less
Using materials from three relevant archives, this article explores the 1967 Nationalisation of the banking industry in Tanzania with particular focus on the three British banks that dominated the... Show moreUsing materials from three relevant archives, this article explores the 1967 Nationalisation of the banking industry in Tanzania with particular focus on the three British banks that dominated the sector. Although it is widely agreed that prompt, adequate, and effective compensation should be paid for such nationalisations, studies in this arena have rarely focused on the contestations that impact on the definition and operationalisation of what constitutes fair compensation. This article explores the above dynamics using the Obsolescing Bargaining Power Theory. Evidence in this article suggests that the bargaining position of foreign multinational banks is stronger when they are net exporters of capital from their host countries. Also, the negotiating position of the British banks was further strengthened by the overt and covert support they received from the British Government. Show less
In Ethiopia, as elsewhere in Africa, the boundaries of political belonging have always shifted. They continue to do so. Since the 1995 constitution, in a both peculiar and complex manner, ethnicity... Show moreIn Ethiopia, as elsewhere in Africa, the boundaries of political belonging have always shifted. They continue to do so. Since the 1995 constitution, in a both peculiar and complex manner, ethnicity has been included in the apparatus of rights and practices, with often far-reaching consequences for Ethiopian nation-building. Since 1991, citizenship in Ethiopia can hardly be discussed without reference to the post-1991 ethnofederal system, which was the result of the restructuring of domestic politics based on ethnolinguistic criteria. This reformation of the administrative landscape altered interethnic relations, and although justified as an answer to an age-old national question about belonging, and a guarantor for interethnic peace and justice, problems have abounded. In this article, we analyze Ethiopian citizenship in the wider context of global debates on “cultural citizenship.” We examine the bifurcated Ethiopian approach to national and regional citizenship and the language of cultural rights in a historical perspective both as continued subject-making as well as a form of claims-making. Focusing on citizenship and the powers that manifest social boundaries through cultural ascription, we circumvent both the instrumentalist and primordialist gaze on ethnicity and multiculturalism. Ethnicity appears as a reservoir and idiom of political appropriation within an evolving system of state-subject relations that has left the status of citizenship unresolved. Show less
Motivation: Higher education is regarded as a key instrument to enhance socioeconomic mobility andreduce inequalities. Recent literature reviews have examined inequalities in the... Show moreMotivation: Higher education is regarded as a key instrument to enhance socioeconomic mobility andreduce inequalities. Recent literature reviews have examined inequalities in the higher education systemsof high-income countries, but less is known about the situation in low- and middle-income countries,where higher education is expanding fast.Purpose: The article reviews the academic literature on higher education in low- and middle-incomecountries using a research framework inspired by social justice and capability approaches. It considers the financial, socio-cultural, human, and political resource domains on which people draw, and how they relate to access, participation, and outcomes in higher education.Methods: A literature search for studies explicitly discussing in-country inequalities in higher education revealed 22 publications. Substantial knowledge gaps remain, especially regarding the political (and decision-making) side of inequalities; the ideologies and philosophies underpinning higher education systems; and the linkages between resource domains, both micro and macro.Findings: The review highlights key elements for policy-makers and researchers: (1) the financial lens alone is insufficient to understand and tackle inequalities, since these are also shaped by human and other non-financial factors; (2) socio-cultural constructs are central in explaining unequal outcomes; and (3) inequalities develop throughout one’s life and need to be considered during, but also before and afterhigher education. The scope of inequalities is wide, and the literature offers a few ideas for short-term fixes such as part-time and online education.Policy implications: Inclusive policy frameworks for higher education should include explicit goals related to (in)equality, which are best measured in terms of the extent to which certain actions or choices are feasible for all. Policies in these frameworks, we argue, should go beyond providing financial support, and also address socio-cultural and human resource constraints and challenges in retention, performance, and labour market outcomes. Finally, they should consider relevant contextual determinants of inequalities. Show less
This paper examines the productive role of secrecy in the nexus of transnational mobility, kinship, and intimate relations among Ghanaian-Dutch and Somali-Dutch in the Netherlands. Whereas secrecy... Show moreThis paper examines the productive role of secrecy in the nexus of transnational mobility, kinship, and intimate relations among Ghanaian-Dutch and Somali-Dutch in the Netherlands. Whereas secrecy is typically understood as one person concealing knowledge from another, implying the latter’s passivity, we argue that secrecy depends on mutually constitutive interactions. Secrecy is explored as the result of an interaction between those who obscure knowledge in creative ways and those who maintain a not-knowing. The paper analyzes how people negotiate moral expectations regarding sexuality, respect, and loyalty, while also manoeuvring to fulfil their personal aspirations. Especially in kinship relations, when people are bound to each other by moral and social obligations, the management of secrecy often makes people mutually dependent. Secrecy is revealed as skillfully choreographing relations by the ebb and flow of information where kinship, respect, or love and (not-) knowing reinforce another. Show less
Building on the limitations of the efforts of aid agencies and non-governmental organisations to pull the poor out of poverty in low- and middle-income countries and declining opportunities for... Show moreBuilding on the limitations of the efforts of aid agencies and non-governmental organisations to pull the poor out of poverty in low- and middle-income countries and declining opportunities for market expansion in high-income countries, microfranchising is being promoted as a pro-poor business model, which promotes entrepreneurship. Sub-Saharan Africa has become a fertile ground for the propagation of this model. However, contemporary studies on microfranchising have not sufficiently explored what motivates people to turn to this method of doing business. Show less
‘Good governance’ has been defined as a necessary condition for (economic) ‘growth’ and ‘development’ not only in in developing world but also in the wealthier, developed nations. This paper seeks... Show more‘Good governance’ has been defined as a necessary condition for (economic) ‘growth’ and ‘development’ not only in in developing world but also in the wealthier, developed nations. This paper seeks to sociologically explore the ‘articulation’ of the ideology of good governance of the post-1991 Ethiopian federal state with versions of legitimate authority, just rule, accountability, economic fairness, etc. with reference to some local ethnic societies in Southern Ethiopia. Similarities and differences will be discussed so as to show that the concept of ‘good governance’ is multi-dimensional and ambivalent, evoking local notions (and expectations) of a just order and the rule of fairness among citizens as well. In the context of Ethiopia, its constant reiteration as a policy aim may thus also have contributed to citizens’ renewed claim-making as well as their rediscovering their own (cultural) notions of just governance. Show less
Using the case of Nigeria's Dangote Group and an exploratory research technique, we critique CSR practices in a developing country context based on a three‐pillar model—traditional CSR, strategic... Show moreUsing the case of Nigeria's Dangote Group and an exploratory research technique, we critique CSR practices in a developing country context based on a three‐pillar model—traditional CSR, strategic CSR and strategic business engagements. Our paper makes a unique contribution by revealing how a company can transform its strategic CSR into strategic business engagements that permit it to circumvent public procurement laws and secure public contracts at non‐competitive terms. We show how, in weak institutional and regulatory contexts, strategic CSR could be turned to a tool for rent extraction and profit maximization. We advocate for regulatory measures that impose ex ante and ex post limits on the extent to which firms can go in integrating CSR into their normal business operations. Based on the outcomes from this important African case study, we illustrate and propose the strategic business engagement model as a new framework for analysing the social benefits of strategic CSR practices in developing countries. Show less
Bergh, M. van den; Bruijn, B. de; Dietz, A.J. 2019
Samenvatting: Veel Europese trekvogelpopulaties laten een (sterk) negatieve trend zien. De oorzaken zijn divers en te vinden in broedgebieden, langs trekroutes en in - veelal Afrikaanse -... Show moreSamenvatting: Veel Europese trekvogelpopulaties laten een (sterk) negatieve trend zien. De oorzaken zijn divers en te vinden in broedgebieden, langs trekroutes en in - veelal Afrikaanse - overwinteringsgebieden. In de Sahel vormen met name veranderingen in het landschap een serieuze bedreiging voor veel trekvogelpopulaties. Deze veranderingen zijn zowel een gevolg van, als ook een risico voor de mensen die in deze regio in grote mate afhankelijk zijn van het landschap voor hun levensonderhoud. De door trekvogels en mensen gedeelde afhankelijkheid creëert echter ook mogelijkheden voor oplossingen; duurzaam landgebruik leidt tot behoud van natuurlijke hulpbronnen én tot herstel van biodiversiteit. Naast ecologisch inzicht is daarom ook sociaalgeografische kennis onontbeerlijk voor beschermingswerk. In dit artikel brengen we deze onderzoeksvelden dichter bij elkaar.Summary: Many European migratory bird populations show a (strong) negative trend. The causes are diverse and can be found scattered throughout their breeding grounds, along their migratory routes and in their - mostly African - wintering areas. In the latter category, landscape changes in the Sahel are a serious threat to many migratory bird populations. These landscape changes are both a consequence of, and a risk to, the people that depend to a large extent on the landscape for their livelihood in this region. This dependence shared by migratory birds and people also creates opportunities for solutions; sustainable land use leads to the conservation of natural resources and to the restoration of biodiversity. This appears to be an important strategy for the protection of migratory landbirds, as these species are widespread in the largely cultivated Sahel landscape. So, in addition to ecological insight, socio-geographical knowledge is also essential for this type of conservation work. In this article we strive to bring these fields of expertise closer together.Knowing what our migratory birds do when they are not in the Netherlands’ is usually the strongest drive for researching migratory routes and wintering areas of migratory birds among European researchers. In recent years an enormous amount of knowledge and insight has been generated in that area; insights that are necessary for shaping and prioritizing protection: where and when do which limiting factors occur? But just as important is the insight into the wider context of those limiting factors, for which socioeconomic knowledge is essential. After all, conservation starts with understanding. Show less
This article critiques the second-hand vehicle markets in the West African region, focusing on the triad trading arrangements among Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Niger. These countries are connected by... Show moreThis article critiques the second-hand vehicle markets in the West African region, focusing on the triad trading arrangements among Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Niger. These countries are connected by a number of underlying conflicting interests in the second-hand vehicles trade. Benin and Togo are incentivised by the revenues derived from re-export trade and port operations. Niger provides a proxy market for the illegal re-export of these vehicles to Nigeria, with the latter suffering huge welfare losses as a major consuming nation. We conclude that by offering conflicting benefits to the West African countries, the second-hand vehicle market provides disincentives against true regional integration. Show less
.Responses to the article: "Struggling to be a “happy self”?: psychotherapy and the medicalization of unhappiness in Uganda" written byJulia Vorhölter.
Intensified and competing claims over land are crucial to understanding current urban transformations in Africa. This paper aims to highlight the role of transnational migrants in urban land... Show moreIntensified and competing claims over land are crucial to understanding current urban transformations in Africa. This paper aims to highlight the role of transnational migrants in urban land investments and claim making on urban land. While the relationship between urbanization in Africa and migration has long been a focus of research and policy, attention had mainly focused on the intertwinement between rising urbanization and the in flux of rural migrants, internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees struggling to survive and gain access to urban space and services. More recently, the African city has gained a more positive image as a consequence of Africa's economic boom and has come to be seen as a pillar of development, rather than a place of chaos and poverty. In this 'urban turn' in development thinking and concomitant technocratic and infrastructural policy approaches, the link between urbanization and migration has been largely overlooked. We argue, however, that transnational migrants in particular are an important category in claim-making processes over urban land and real estate and add to these in specific ways. Using case studies in Khartoum and Dakar, we investigate the ways in which transnational migrants contribute to speculation, rising land values and processes of socio-spatial inclusion and exclusion. Rather than making a comparative analysis, we use two concrete cases to gain an empirical understanding of the processes associated with these diaspora investments, including the question of whether these transnational migrants can be considered as contributing to urban 'land grabs' or not. Show less
This article sets the scene for a special issue on why frugal innovations are increasingly important for development research. While the top-down business and management literature on frugal... Show moreThis article sets the scene for a special issue on why frugal innovations are increasingly important for development research. While the top-down business and management literature on frugal innovation has claimed developmental relevance, we give at least equal importance to much longer-standing bottom-up development studies discourses on grass-root innovation, bricolage, and livelihood strategies. We argue that we need both literatures for a better understanding of how frugal innovations relate to development. Accordingly, we position the articles in this special issue in the frugal innovation and development debate. Finally, we discuss the relevance of a frugal innovation lens in how two major global trends are impacting upon global development opportunities: the global diffusion of 3rd and 4th Industrial Revolution digital technologies and global population dynamics. We consider these two trends to be major entries for future research on frugal innovation and development.Résumé: Cet article pose le décor pour un numéro spécial sur les raisons pour lesquelles les innovations frugales sont de plus en plus importantes pour la recherche sur le développement. Tandis que la littérature “top-down” du monde des affaires et de la gestion au sujet de l’innovation frugale a revendiqué une pertinence dans le monde du développement, nous donnons au moins autant d’importance aux messages bien plus anciens, portés par les études “bottom-up “sur le développement, à propos d’innovation à base communautaire, de bricolage et de stratégies de subsistance. Par conséquent, nous placerons les articles de ce numéro spécial dans le débat sur l’innovation frugale et le développement. Nous soutiendrons que nous avons besoin des deux littératures pour mieux comprendre comment les innovations frugales sont liées au développement. En outre, nous discuterons brièvement de la pertinence d’adopter une perspective d’innovation frugale dans l’analyse de la façon dont deux grandes tendances mondiales impactent les opportunités de développement international : la diffusion mondiale des technologies de la 3ème et 4ème révolution industrielle et la dynamique démographique mondiale. Nous considérions ces deux tendances comme thèmes majeurs pour de futures recherches en matière de innovations frugales et développement. Show less
This paper critiques the emergence of Dangote Cement as the dominant player in cement manufacturing in Nigeria. It argues that the changed economic environment General Obasanjo met when he became... Show moreThis paper critiques the emergence of Dangote Cement as the dominant player in cement manufacturing in Nigeria. It argues that the changed economic environment General Obasanjo met when he became president of Nigeria for a second time in 1999 made it difficult for him to continue the nationalisation policies and the expansion of government involvement in several spheres of economic activity that he helped to promote in the 1970s. The realisation that this strategy, which created numerous crony capitalists, was unsustainable resulted in Obasanjo allying with Dangote and promulgating the Backward Integration Programme (BIP) for the local cement industry. This made it possible for Dangote to risk aggressive investment in the capital-intensive cement production business. This strategy achieved public good by rapidly making Nigeria, an oil rent- and import-dependent economy with enormous limestone reserves, self-sufficient in cement production. Show less
By far the most contentious issue in the postcolonial relationship between the UK and Uganda was the 1972 expulsion of British Asians by President Amin. Although it is well documented that Idi Amin... Show moreBy far the most contentious issue in the postcolonial relationship between the UK and Uganda was the 1972 expulsion of British Asians by President Amin. Although it is well documented that Idi Amin refused to bow to international pressure to reverse this decision or extend its compliance period, our knowledge of the numerous schemes, especially the covert ones, that were considered and/or operationalized by the British government in order to influence a revision of this decision remains limited. This essay, using newly available evidence mainly from the British National Archives in London, attempts to fill this gap. Such insights enhances the utility value of this episode for our understanding of bilateral and multilateral relations among states. Show less
