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Causes and cures of oil-related Niger Delta conflicts

Upphovsperson: Ukiwo, Ukoha
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Conflict, Displacement and Transformation | Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2009
Ämnesord: Energy resources, petroleum resources, Transnational corporations, conflicts, Geopolitics, Macroeconomics, Nigeria, Niger Delta, Peace and conflict research, Freds- och konfliktforskning
Nigeria’s political and economic fortunes and the country’s ability to play a stabilizing role in the African region partly depend on the resolution of the lingering Niger Delta conflict. The Niger Delta covers nine out of 36 states and 185 out of 774 local government areas of the Nigerian federation. It occupies a total land area of 75,000 square kilometers and is the world’s third largest wetlands. The 2006 Nigerian population census shows that 30 million out of the country’s 140 million people reside in the Niger Delta region. Nearly all of Nigeria’s oil and gas reserves are located in the region. Oil and gas have accounted for about 40 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) since 1990. Between 2000 and 2004, oil and gas accounted for 75 per cent of total government revenues and 97 per cent of foreign exchange. Apart from being vital to Nigeria’s fiscal viability, the Niger Delta is important to global energy security.

Fertility impact of social transfers in Sub-Saharan Africa - What about pensions

Upphovsperson: Holmqvist, Göran
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Globalization, Trade and Regional Integration | Manchester : Brooks World Poverty Institute
År: 2010
Ämnesord: social protection, social transfers, fertility, old age pension, Sub-Saharan Africa, economics, Nationalekonomi
The potential link between child-related cash transfers and increased fertility is often raised asan issue of concern when debating their use. Old-age pension is a form of cash transfer wheretheory would suggest the opposite impact, i.e. pensions equal decreasing fertility. A handful ofSub-Saharan African countries have introduced non-contributory social pensions that cover thegreat majority of the older population. It makes them into a distinct group in relation to the rest ofthe region where public old-age security arrangements, if existing at all, are largely reserved forthe formal sector. This paper attempts to trace any impact these high-coverage pensionschemes may have had on fertility. Findings suggest that there has been such an impact, in therange of 0,5 to 1,5 children less per woman depending on model specification.

The Starbucks/Ethiopian coffee saga : geographical indications as a linchpin for development in developing countries

Upphovspersoner: Watson, James | Streatfeild, Jeremy
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet | Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2008
Ämnesord: Coffee, Property rights, Trademarks, international trade, Exports, economic development, Geographical aspects, Business and economics, Ekonomi
A coalition of Ethiopian coffee producers and the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) set up a programme to acquire trademarks in important export markets, with a view to increasing the profits on these brands for the producers. In March 2005, the Ethiopian government filed its first US trademark applications for three contested coffee names. After 15 months the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) agreed that the name Sidamo was generic and therefore could not be trademarked. This led to an outcry by some commentators, including NGOs and Intellectual Property Rights professionals. Yet, the arguments in favour of protecting indigenous knowledge under international trade rules as a linchpin for economic development and poverty eradication has been forcefully put forward by African countries and other developing countries in both regional trade negotiations and at the World Trade Organization. With the Ethiopian and Starbucks dispute in mind, James Watson and Jeremy Streatfeild eloquently explain in this piece how geographical indications can be used to enhance the capacity of farmers and economic development in Africa and other least developed countries.

Re-thinking Africa : A Contribution to the Swedish Government White Paper on Africa

Upphovspersoner: Arnfred, Signe | Utas, Mats | Cheru, Fantu | Hammar, Amanda | Havnevik, Kjell | Kamete, Amin Y. | Lindell, Ilda | Myhre, Knut Christian | Ngangjoh Hodu, Yenkong | Obi, Cyril I. | Oinas, Elina | Palmberg, Mai | Thorsen, Dorte
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet | Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2007
Ämnesord: Foreign relations, Development aid, International cooperation, Government policy, Sweden, Africa South of Sahara, Political science, Statsvetenskap
Edited by Signe Arnfred and Mats Utas.

More Tax, Better Governments

Upphovsperson: Hårsmar, Mats
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Globalization, Trade and Regional Integration | Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2010
Ämnesord: Taxation, Tax systems, Tax reform, Tax revenues, Fiscal administration, Governance, Foreign aid, Aid dependency, Business and economics, Ekonomi
It has been argued that aid donors should focus more on supporting low-income countries to broaden their tax base and raise overall taxation. Besides increasing revenue, this has also a political objective. When citizens are taxed without excessive coercion, taxation can contribute considerably to improved governance and accountability, and to state building. Due to the effects of the financial crisis, calls for increased mobilisation of domestic resources are now being renewed. But is broadened taxation a viable strategy? Some signs of progress are visible in sub-Saharan Africa. However, governments and donors need to see taxation as part of the broader framework of social contracts and not to lose sight of the bigger picture.

Labour migration : a child and youth issue

Upphovsperson: Thorsen, Dorte
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet | Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2008
Ämnesord: Labour migration, labour market, youth unemployment, child labour, Rural-urban migration, access to education, educational opportunities, Africa, SOCIAL SCIENCES, SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP
Considerable policy effort has been made to eliminate child labour and is currently being directed towards job-creation for youth. Most programmatic solutions are premised on education being a key component of childhood and education deficits a major impediment to youth employment. Long-term difficulties of finding work at the end of schooling or vocational training are addressed only as ill-suited curricula and economic barriers preventing youth’s entrepreneurship. Children’s work (below 18 years) is contentious per se, whilst youth’s labour migration receive no attention in the most recent Swedish and Danish Africa strategies.By bringing together policy discussions on child labour and your unemployment – usually separated and dealt with by different organisations – this Policy Notes highlights a series of questions for consideration in contextualised policy-making. It argues that- The strong focus on formal education makes working children and the skills they learn outside school invisible.- The focus on technical/vocational training as a means to bring youth into work ignores rural-urban inequalities, as well as how African labour markets work.

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