Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in West Africa. Prevalence among the most productive age group in West and Central Africa stood at 1.5%, 3.4.0%, 2.5%, and 2.1% in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2015 respectively. This study examined the effect of HIV/AIDS on economic growth in West Africa with focus on 11 countries. The augmented Solow model, rooted in the neoclassical growth theory, was used, which was operationalized using dynamic panel data modeling approach. Incidence, prevalence, number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), and AIDS-related deaths were used to measure HIV/AIDS. Estimations using system GMM returned statistically significant results while those of first difference and difference GMM were not. From the outcome of system GMM analysis, a percentage increase in incidence, prevalence, PLWHA, and AIDS deaths correspondingly reduced growth significantly through their effects on life expectancy by 0.15%, 0.02%, 0.004%, and 0.03%. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome deaths and PLWHA lowered economic growth through enrolment but not significantly. The import of the findings is that HIV/AIDS threatens growth through life expectancy in West Africa. Therefore, its spread in the subregion should be effectively contained while proper treatment should be provided for all infected persons.
The literature about the poverty and growth nexus maintains that economic growth possesses the capacity to reduce poverty, and empirical findings generally support this view. However, the situation in Nigeria runs counter to this position, giving high and persistent poverty in the face of growth. This chapter assesses the paradox of persistent poverty amid high growth in Nigeria. It compares growth and poverty trends, and presents growth elasticities of poverty. It also suggests a number of explanations for the paradox, including jobless growth, high and rising inequality, inadequate public expenditure on social services, poor governance and corruption, overconcentration on the oil sector, and environmental degradation. The study therefore recommends that critical attention should be paid to measures such as promoting good governance, increasing public expenditure on social services, and diversifying the economy from its overdependence on oil.
This study assessed employment intensity of growth (EIG) in the agriculture, industry and service sectors in Nigeria from 1991 to 2019 within the context of Okun’s theory/law. Data from the 2020 World Development Indicators were employed for analysis, using elasticity procedure after decomposing the scope into different periods and regimes. The findings showed negative EIG in the agriculture and industrial sectors while the service sector returned positive EIG. Therefore, government should invest significantly in the service sector while the agricultural sector should be mechanized to boost output and supply of raw materials to industries to enhance employment generation.
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