No abstract

This study assesses the impact of trade openness on economic growth among ECOWAS countries uses secondary data from 1975 to 2017. The study uses non-stationary heterogeneous dynamic panel models through the application of Pooled Mean Group (PMG) and Mean Group (MG) estimators since time dimension was more than cross-sections. Using the Hausman test, PMG estimator was preferred. Results show that trade openness has positive effects on growth in ECOWAS countries in the long-run but mixed effects in the short-run. The study therefore recommends that ECOWAS member countries improve cooperation among economic actors by using export consortia so as to help SMEs in the region access international markets and to pursue a twin strategy of trade and competitiveness.

This paper employs dynamic panel models; Pooled Mean Group (PMG) and Mean Group (MG) estimators to assess the growth-differential effects of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Domestic Investment (DI) among 41 selected African countries from 1970 to 2017. The result of Hausman test shows that PMG estimator is preferred. The study found that FDI and DI are important grease for growth of African countries in the long-run. The study also found that inflows of FDI crowds-in DI in Africa and that there is significant difference in the growth effects of foreign direct investment and domestic investment while the joint effects of foreign direct investment and domestic investment on growth of African countries is found to be statistically significant. In the short-run, estimates show that foreign direct investment has negative influence on growth of 24 countries out of which four (Benin, Madagascar, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea) are highly significant at 5% level, while the estimated influence of domestic investment on growth of most African countries was positive. This shows that foreign direct investment in Africa has negative effects on growth of host economies in the short-run. The study recommends that African governments should continually encourage domestic savings and investment as major source of growth and only consider FDI as a growth supplement.

The results of unit root suggested that index of trade openness and inflation rate was stationary at a level while real gross domestic product, real exchange rate and real agricultural exports were integrated at order one. The co-integration test showed that, long-run equilibrium relationship exist among the variables. The findings from the error correction method show that Agricultural Export has contributed positively to the Nigerian economy. The study recommended that, the government reform agenda should be systematic and sustained irrespective of the professional background of the successive presidents of the country and that; Agricultural production should be more desired than other sectors that are exhaustive in nature (oil) evidenced to the recent fall in price of crude oil which has rendered Nigeria in economic shambles.

No abstract