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This study produces the first-ever analysis in Nigeria on the asymmetric response of petroleum product prices to international crude oil prices by employing the hidden cointegration approach on quarterly data spanning from 1973Q1 to 2020Q2. After the preliminary tests of data description, unit root analysis and cointegration test, we find that positive and negative components of both the crude oil and petroleum prices move together in the long run. The result suggests evidence of long-run asymmetry in Nigeria. The empirical findings from both the long-run and short-run results show that petroleum prices in Nigeria respond asymmetrically to changes in crude oil prices. Specifically, the outcomes from the study reveal that positive changes (increase) in crude oil prices produce a larger and stronger effect on petroleum prices than the effect of negative changes (decrease) in crude oil prices indicating evidence of an asymmetric relationship between the two prices in Nigeria. Thus, the findings confirm the existence of the rocket and feather hypothesis in the retail energy market in Nigeria. Overall, the study finds convincing evidence to support the hypothesis of “rocket and feather” in the pass-through effect of crude oil prices on petroleum prices in Nigeria. The study advocates for more government intervention in the energy market to reduce the welfare loss associated with an increase in crude oil prices on the citizens.

This study examines the effects of the different dimensions of globalization on sustainable development with the moderating role of financial development in the relationship between globalization (using overall globalization) and sustainable development in 22 African countries. To ensure the robustness of the estimated results, the study applies both the static (fixed-effects) and dynamic model (system generalized method of moments, SYGMM) in achieving the study’s objective. It is of interest to note that the study conducts a regional analysis on the selected countries using random- and fixed-effects models. The dynamic panel results show that political globalization has a positive impact on sustainable development in the selected African countries, while economic and social globalization negatively influence sustainable development in the sampled countries. Overall globalization has a positive but insignificant effect on sustainable development. In examining the role of financial development, as a moderator, in the globalization-sustainable development nexus, the findings reveal that the interactive effect of financial development and globalization on sustainable development is negative. This suggests that financial development interacts with the globalization index to weaken the impact of the latter on sustainable development. In other words, the weak financial sector in the continent constitutes a leakage that drains the positive impact of globalization on sustainable development in African countries. Thus, the study recommends that African leaders should consciously implement policies that will deepen the current globalization level in the continent to fully enjoy the dividends of globalization in the attainment of sustainable development goals in the region.

Purpose One of the main obstacles to the flourishment of African entrepreneurship is financial constraint. Existing studies on the nexus between entrepreneurship and financial development are inconclusive, while the position of African economies remains unknown. The purpose of this paper is to empirically study the impact of financial development on entrepreneurship in Africa. Design/methodology/approach This study utilizes data of 20 selected countries in Africa over a period of 2006–2017. International Monetary Fund (IMF) data on broad-based financial development were combined with World Bank Entrepreneurship database. This study uses system generalized methods of moments (system GMM) technique and the recently developed dynamic panel threshold based on dynamic panel GMM. Findings The following findings emerged: financial development does not spur entrepreneurship in Africa; there is a threshold at which financial development improves the level of African entrepreneurship; and the tendency of financial development to improve the level of entrepreneurship is conditioned on conducive business regulation and strong institutional quality at a specific threshold value. Originality/value This is one of the few studies that examines the impact of financial development on entrepreneurship in Africa. This study shows that the financial development relies on the effectiveness of regulatory environment to extend loan and other financial services to new firm entrants. In addition, the results of this study reveal that the assumption of linearity in the nexus between finance and entrepreneurship is not tenable for the case of Africa. Therefore, policymakers should keep on developing African financial system to accelerate the pace of entrepreneurship development.

PurposeThis paper investigates the (a)symmetric effects of financial development in the presence of economic growth, energy consumption, urbanization and foreign direct investment on environmental quality of South Africa between 1980 and 2017.Design/methodology/approachA robust measure of financial development is generated using banking institutions and non-banking institutions market-based financial development indicators, while environmental quality is measured using carbon footprint, non-carbon footprint and ecological footprint. The objectives of the study are captured using linear and non-linear autoregressive distributed lag.FindingsThe result from the symmetric analysis suggests that financial development stimulates carbon footprint and ecological footprint in the short run; however, financial development abates non-carbon footprint. In the long run, financial development has a significant negative effect on carbon footprint and ecological footprint. However, the asymmetric analysis established strong asymmetric effect in the short run, while no asymmetric effect is found in the long run. The short run asymmetric analysis reveals that positive shock in financial development increases carbon footprint and ecological footprint; however, positive changes in financial development reduce non-carbon footprint. Negative shocks in financial development, on the other hand, have a positive impact carbon footprint, non-carbon footprint and ecological footprint.Practical implicationsThe study's outcome implies that the concept of “more finance, more growth” could also be applied to “more finance, better environment” in South Africa. The study offers vital policy suggestions for the realization of sustainable development in South Africa.Originality/valueThis empiric adds to the body of knowledge on the influence of financial development on various components of environmental quality (carbon footprint, non-carbon footprint and ecological footprint) in South Africa.

Purpose ― This study differs from previous studies by examining the impact of oil price components, namely oil demand, global oil supply, and oil market-specific demand, on the stock returns of five sectors (Banking, Consumer goods, Industrial, Insurance, and Oil and Gas) listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Design/Method/Approach ― The study employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model on monthly data between January 2000 and December 2019. Findings ― The paper finds evidence of a long-run relationship between sectoral market returns and oil price changes in Nigeria. Further evidence from the study reveals that oil-specific demand and global oil demand have positive and significant effects on the aggregate stock returns and the returns of the sampled sectors. On the other hand, the impact of the global oil supply is inconsequential on the aggregate stock returns and sectoral returns except for the Oil and Gas sector, where the effect of global oil production is positive and significant. Implication ― The study concludes that stock market returns in Nigeria are sensitive and vulnerable to changes in demand-side components of oil price. The study also highlights important policy implications to enhance the performance of the Nigerian stock market. Originality/Value ― The paper examines the impact of disaggregated oil prices on sectoral returns of the five listed sectors on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, which has not been explored in the literature.

Managerial ownership has been identified as a mechanism to align the interests of the principal and agent and to guarantee superior returns to the principal. This study aims to explore the moderating role of board characteristics on the relationship between managerial ownership and the firm performance of the listed commercial banks in South Africa between 2017 and 2022. To ensure the consistency and robustness of the outcomes, the study applies the pool OLS, fixed effect, robust standard error approach, and fully modified OLS to control for serial correlation, cross-sectional dependence and endogeneity issues. The results show that managerial ownership has a significant and negative effect on the return of equity while its effect on Tobin’s Q is negative but not significant. This outcome supports the existence of the entrenchment hypothesis in the South African banking sector where the impact of managerial ownership is found to hurt firm performance. However, additional findings from the study reveal that board size, independence and diversity mitigate and reduce the detrimental effect of managerial ownership on firm performance. This study provides fresh insight into the importance of board characteristics as vital governance instruments that can be employed to align the interests of owners and managers toward optimal performance.

Urbanization has been argued to be having an impact on several other development challenges. To this end, this paper aims to contribute to the empirical literature by exploring the effect of urbanization and its' magnitude on poverty, both in the short run and long run in Nigeria. The macroeconomic analysis was conducted using data from 1982 to 2017 which was obtained from the World Bank. Bound Test and autoregressive distributed-lag (ARDL) estimation techniques were used to test the existence of a cointegration relationship and to estimate the short and long-run effect of urbanization and other variables on poverty reduction. Results from the study and an economic standpoint, provide strong evidence that urbanization remains an important factor in poverty reduction in Nigeria. The analysis further shows that while international remittances have a positive and significant effect, foreign aid and government expenditure have significant negative effects on poverty reduction in the long-term period. While findings from this study suggest that urbanization remains a valid tool in the fight against poverty, the need for sustainable urbanization policies and efforts by the Nigerian government is highly imperative.

The overall objective of the Sustainable Development Goals is to end poverty in all its manifestations by 2030. To achieve this, international remittance inflows have been identified as crucial external financing, especially for developing countries, to secure the resources needed to improve the living conditions of the poor in these countries. It is on this premise that this study investigates the nexus between remittances and poverty in selected countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, given that these regions receive the highest amount of remittances globally. The study uses annual data on 38 top recipients of remittances between 1990 and 2021. To ensure the robustness of the results, the study employs two indicators of poverty: household consumption expenditure and poverty headcount. On the methodological front, the study addresses the issue of cross-sectional dependence in a panel study and also corrects for endogeneity, using both static and dynamic methods of analysis, respectively. Empirical findings from the cross-sectional dependence test confirm the interdependence of countries in the study. Interestingly, the study confirms the optimistic view that remittance reduces poverty in the selected countries. This finding is consistent for the two poverty indicators regardless of the methodology adopted. The study concludes that remittance inflows play a pivotal role in alleviating poverty in the selected countries. Based on the findings, governments in the three regions are advised to devise appropriate policies and structures that can support and channel the proceeds from remittances to productive ventures to reduce the incidence of poverty in their respective countries.

Striking a balance between economic growth and environmental protection remains a crucial component of the sustainable development agenda. This study defines economic efficiency using an ecological efficiency approach, which measures the overall economic output generated per global hectare of ecological productive resources utilized. Examining the Egyptian economy from 1980 to 2018, the study investigates two prominent trends: the decreasing reliance on natural resource rents and the increasing growth of technological innovation. By employing the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test, the presence of cointegration is confirmed in all models, indicating that the variables converge in the long run. Additionally, the Spectral Granger-causality test is used to determine the causality direction across the permanent, intermediate, and temporary frequency domains. The results indicate that oil, coal, and natural gas impede eco-efficiency in Egypt, and the causality is unidirectional in the medium and long term, running from economic dependence on their extraction to eco-efficiency. As for the impact of technological innovation, the long-term analysis demonstrates that both domestically created and foreign (transferred) innovations significantly enhance eco-efficiency. The causality is unidirectional as well, with innovation leading to improvements in the eco-efficiency indicator. The study concludes that technological innovation offers essential economic and environmental benefits necessary for building an eco-efficient economy in Egypt. As a result, the study puts forth several policy recommendations aimed at facilitating well-informed decision-making.

This study aims to explore the economic importance of board gender diversity for the likelihood of firm failure among state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in South Africa between 2011 and 2022. This study employs a binary logistic regression technique as the primary estimation technique. To corroborate the outcomes from the logistic model, the study also utilises panel regression approaches such as probit and feasible generalised least squares to control for nonlinearity, heteroscedasticity, autocorrelation and heterogeneity. The key finding from the study reveals that female board representation significantly reduces the odds of corporate failure. A further outcome from the study reveals that women directors must constitute a critical mass of at least 50% of the boardroom to significantly mitigate business failure among the selected SOEs. The outcome provides solid support for board gender diversity, inclusivity and equity as effective governance mechanisms to promote the financial health of SOEs. The study thus offers proof in favour of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5, which aims to attain gender equality, particularly in positions of leadership and decision-making in the public and private sectors, and the King IV Code of corporate governance for firms in South Africa on board gender diversity.