Afrikanische Entwicklungsperspektiven (Research Group)
Professor Alabi was granted a second research fellowship from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to do research in Bremen at IWIM on the theme of Sectoral Analysis of the Impact of Foreign Aid in Nigeria: A Dynamic Specification (see the Research Plan). The research programme was prepared in cooperation with Professor Karl Wohlmuth. Professor Alabi will stay for three months from end of June 2012 to early October 2012 at IWIM. He will cooperate in his research with other institutions in Europe (like WIDER, GIGA, OECD Development Centre, DIE, etc.) which are working on the aid-growth link, and he will also give seminars on his research results. Professor Alabi is from the Department of Agricultural Economics, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria. He is associated with IWIM since 2004 and has continuously contributed to the Publications Programme of IWIM (Link: IWIM Blue Series Discussion Papers).
Der Bremer Wirtschaftsprofessor Karl Wohlmuth kooperiert mit dem Publications and Dissemination Programme von CODESRIA (Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa) in Dakar. CODESRIA ist die führende sozialwissenschaftliche Forschungseinrichtung in Afrika (Link CODESRIA: http://www.codesria.org/?lang=en).
Cooperation with CODESRIA, Dakar: Professor Karl Wohlmuth cooperates with the Publications and Dissemination Programme of CODESRIA (Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa) in Dakar. CODESRIA is the leading social science research organization in Africa (Link CODESRIA: http://www.codesria.org/?lang=en).
African Economic Lions: PEGNET (Poverty Reduction, Equity and Growth Network) invites to its Conference 2012 on How to make African Economic Lions: Tapping Africa's Growth and Poverty Reduction Potentials, 6 - 7 September 2012, Dakar, Senegal (see the links to the Initiative, to the Newsletter and to the Call for Papers).
The Research Group on African Development Perspectives Bremen has published two volumes - as the numbers 13 and 14 of the African Development Perspectives Yearbook - on New Growth and Poverty Alleviation Strategies in Africa (Link to Yearbook http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/africa/africanyearbook.htm). International and regional issues were covered in volume 13, while volume 14 has focused on institutional and local issues with regard of new growth and poverty alleviation strategies.
Economics of Public Expenditures In Nigeria: Professor Dr. Alabi from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria has published two new books being of importance for Nigeria's economic development.
The first book (Link to Cover and Content) analyses the Economics of Public Sector Spending in Nigeria. Professor Alabi has applied a methodology to analyze if public sector spending for education and health is pro-poor which he has developed during his 18-months-stay as an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow at IWIM. Various researchers of his research group in Ekpoma at the Ambrose Alli University have contributed to this volume.
The second book is on Fertilizer Use and Efficiency of Rice Production (Link to Cover and Content). The book analyzes the effect of fertilizer use on rice production using Edo State in Nigeria as a case study.
Professor Alabi is expected to come to IWIM end of June 2012 to stay for a three months period for research on "Aid, Growth and Nigerian Development".
Professor Karl Wohlmuth sprach in der Wissenschaftsmatinee "Wissen um 11" im Haus der Wissenschaft zu dem Thema "Industrialisierung in Afrika auf der Grundlage landwirtschaftlicher Entwicklung - Bericht eines Mitautors über eine neue UN-Studie" (vgl. dazu die Präsentation unter http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/files/dateien/1622_wissen_um_11_3_2012.pdf). Das Thema wurde von der Forschungsgruppe Afrikanische Entwicklungsperspektiven Bremen bereits im Zusammenhang mit dem Band 2 des African Development Perspectives Yearbook für 1990/91 umfassend abgehandelt (Link zum Afrika-Jahrbuch http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/africa/africanyearbook.htm). Die neue UN-Studie greift diese Thematik unter Berücksichtigung aktueller Entwicklungen und neuer Forschungsergebnisse auf (vgl. dazu auch die Infos auf der Projektseite: http://www.karl-wohlmuth.de/agro_industrial_development/ ).
Global Food Price Increases, Speculation, Land Grabbing and Effective Public Policy Interventions:
In a new essay Professor Karl Wohlmuth analyses the impact of the global food price increases on Africa (Link: IWIM Blue Series Discussion Papers Number 123). While the global food price increases have an impact on the domestic food prices in African countries, these impacts depend on country and product characteristics. In this study the impact of speculation on the prices of food products which are traded at global markets is also considered. Speculation is a determining factor of global food prices and has impacts also on domestic African food prices. However, new evidence shows that land grabbing (large-scale land deals in institutionally weak African countries like South Sudan) may be considered as a direct and most serious form of speculation. Land grabbing can lead to land hoarding in case of delayed production, to a replacement of food crops by energy crops and export crops, and to further speculative deals with parts of the originally leased land. Land grabbing is therefore another form of speculation with impacts on domestic food prices of African countries. The obvious concentration of land deals in institutionally weak African countries like South Sudan is a serious matter and requests urgent public action. Public action is therefore needed to respond to the global food price increases and to land grabbing at national, regional and global levels. The essay by Professor Karl Wohlmuth outlines the public policy actions that may be effective at these three levels.
Ökonomische Afrikaforschung an der Universität Bremen: Professor Karl Wohlmuth berichtete in der Ratskelleruniversität der unifreunde über drei aktuelle Projekte der Afrikaforschung in seinem Arbeitsbereich. Näher eingegangen wurde auf eine kürzlich veröffentlichte Studie mit acht Länderbeispielen zur Perspektive von Agroindustrie und Agribusiness in Afrika. Referiert wurde zum Thema "Potentiale von Agroindustrie und Agribusiness in Afrika Ergebnisse einer vergleichenden Länderstudie" (Link zu PDF Vortrag http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/files/dateien/1623_freunde_universit%c3%a4t_bremen_1_2012_2.pdf).
In a new essay Professor Karl Wohlmuth analyses the impact of the global food price increases on Africa (Link: IWIM Blue Series Discussion Papers Number 123). While the global food price increases have an impact on the domestic food prices in African countries, these impacts depend on country and product characteristics. In this study the impact of speculation on the prices of food products which are traded at global markets is also considered. Speculation is a determining factor of global food prices and has impacts also on domestic African food prices. However, new evidence shows that land grabbing (large-scale land deals in institutionally weak African countries like South Sudan) may be considered as a direct and most serious form of speculation.
Land grabbing can lead to land hoarding in case of delayed production, to a replacement of food crops by energy crops and export crops, and to further speculative deals with parts of the originally leased land. Land grabbing is therefore another form of speculation with impacts on domestic food prices of African countries. The obvious concentration of land deals in institutionally weak African countries like South Sudan is a serious matter and requests urgent public action. Public action is therefore needed to respond to the global food price increases and to land grabbing at national, regional and global levels. The essay by Professor Karl Wohlmuth outlines the public policy actions that may be effective at these three levels.
Professor Karl Wohlmuth berichtete in der Ratskelleruniversität der unifreunde über drei aktuelle Projekte der Afrikaforschung in seinem Arbeitsbereich. Näher eingegangen wurde auf eine kürzlich veröffentlichte Studie mit acht Länderbeispielen zur Perspektive von Agroindustrie und Agribusiness in Afrika (Link: Neues Projekt Agroindustrie). Referiert wurde zum Thema "Potentiale von Agroindustrie und Agribusiness in Afrika Ergebnisse einer vergleichenden Länderstudie" (Link zu PDF Vortrag).
A new study by Professor Karl Wohlmuth investigates the impacts of the global financial and economic crisis of 2008/2009 on Africa. The repercussions on Africa 's primary commodity exports, on capital inflows, on remittances and on development aid are investigated. It is obvious that the impacts of the crisis are quite different - category by category, region by region and country by country. Also the growth impacts and the social impacts of the crisis differ. However, the poverty risk and the risk of malnutrition have increased Africa-wide, and women and children were mostly affected.
Interestingly enough, Africa has responded quickly and innovatively to the emerging crisis, with anti-cyclical fiscal policies and even with comprehensive stimulation programmes (packages). Not all countries could go this way, but countries with only moderate budget and current account imbalances could do it. Reducing macroeconomic imbalances over the medium-term has paid off for African countries. Successful in responding and managing the crisis were those countries which have integrated over the years effectively into regional economic communities, which have promoted infrastructure development and which have developed the productive sectors of their economies (agriculture and industry, but also productive services). Nonetheless, the assessment reveals that the national strategies in Africa to strengthen crisis management and crisis prevention can be further improved.
The study also looks at the lessons that can be derived for national economic policies in Africa, for regional economic communities in Africa, and for international financial organisations and actors in development assistance in their Africa policy. Important lessons for policies emerge. National governments should concentrate on a further consolidation of their macroeconomic policies, but should also focus on agricultural and agro-industrial development as well as on moves towards deeper regional integration and the establishment of minimum social safety nets. Regional African and international actors can support such policies by innovative programmes and by long-term-oriented policies. Various examples are given that show how regional and international actors effectively can adapt conventional programmes, develop new programmes and create financial facilities that are instrumental for quickly responding to the needs of the African countries being affected by financial crises and exogenous shocks.
The study by Professor Karl Wohlmuth appeared in the Journal Berichte, Volume 22, Number 194/195, January/February 2012, which is published by the International Scientific Association for World Economy and World Politics in Berlin (see Publications Karl Wohlmuth). An extended version of the study with an English Summary can be found in the IWIM Blue Series Discussion Papers for downloading (see IWIM Blue Series Discussion Papers).
In einer neuen Studie untersucht Professor Karl Wohlmuth zunächst die ökonomischen und die sozialen Auswirkungen der globalen Finanz- und Wirtschaftskrise von 2008/2009 auf Afrika. Eine differenzierte Sicht ist dabei notwendig. Die Übertragung der Krisenfolgen auf Afrika erfolgte über verschiedene Kanäle, insbesondere über die Primärgüterexporte (Öl und mineralische Rohstoffe, Agrarprodukte und agrarische Rohmaterialien), aber auch über die Kapitalzuflüsse (Direktinvestitionen und Portfolioinvestitionen), die Gastarbeiterüberweisungen (bzw. Überweisungen von der Diaspora) und die Entwicklungshilfe (bilateral und multilateral, OECD-DAC und Nicht-OECD). Die sozialen Auswirkungen der Krise sind gravierend gewesen, denn für weite Teile der Bevölkerung hat sich das Armutsrisiko erhöht, und für Teile der Bevölkerung auch das Unterernährungsrisiko; besonders betroffen waren Frauen und Kinder. Zudem sind die Bildungs- und Gesundheitssysteme in Afrika durch die Krise beeinträchtigt worden, aber auch die Leistungsfähigkeit der Infrastruktur im Verkehrs- und Kommunikationsbereich nahm Schaden.
Dennoch hat Afrika es vermocht, durch antizyklische Fiskalpolitik und durch innovative Stimulierungsprogramme gestaltend auf die Krise zu reagieren, und auch Kernbereiche der sozialen Sektoren zu schützen. In diesem Beitrag werden auch die Lehren für die nationale, regionale und internationale Wirtschaftspolitik gezogen. Es geht also darum, wie afrikanische Regierungen, regionale Wirtschaftsgemeinschaften in Afrika und internationale Finanz- und Wirtschaftsorganisationen bzw. die Institutionen der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit in ihrem Afrikaengagement tätig werden können, um Krisenfolgen für Afrika zukünftig abzumildern und das Krisenmanagement insgesamt zu verbessern. Auf nationaler Ebene sind die Fortführung der makroökonomischen Konsolidierungspolitik und die Ausrichtung der Politik auf Landwirtschaftsförderung und Agroindustrie, auf vertiefte regionale Integration und auf soziale Sicherung wichtige Eckpfeiler einer neuen Strategie. Auf regionaler Ebene und auf internationaler Ebene können diese neuen Prioritäten gezielt unterstützt werden. Auch diesbezüglich werden in der Studie konkrete Vorschläge gemacht und Beispiele gegeben.
Die Studie ist in der Zeitschrift Berichte, 22. Jg., Nr. 194/195, Januar/Februar 2012, herausgegeben von der Internationalen Wissenschaftlichen Vereinigung Weltwirtschaft und Weltpolitik/IWVWW Berlin, erschienen. Eine etwas erweiterte Fassung der Studie findet sich in der Blauen Reihe der Diskussionspapiere des IWIM (vgl. IWIM Blaue Reihe Diskussionspapiere).