Development Economics

Creating youth employment is not a single intervention, it is a coordinated system. Doors open not because one actor turns a key, but because all actors align and pull in the same direction

Too often, scholars from the Global South are questioned on their "research scope" when they study their own countries. Should this matter? My reflection draws on thinkers such as Donna Haraway, Bent Flyvbjerg, Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Pierre Bourdieu and Loic Wacquant to argue that proximity is not bias, but rather insight, and that personal connection can deepen the quality and relevance of academic research when approached with honesty and reflexivity.

It is obvious that local governments cannot do without central government transfer; however, coupling with internal competition can fix decentralization for Africa’s development. Our recent study in Benin shows that when one local government received funding, its neighbors, were inspired to invest more too. With fair funding and a touch of healthy competition, decentralization can move from promise to power, driving growth, reducing inequality, and facilitating development.

The impact of decentralization is not a yes-or-no question. It is about how reforms are designed and when they are rolled out. Decentralization does not benefit all communes equally, its success depends on the ability to raise more internally generated revenues........

The EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreements promise greater market access and development support for African countries, yet their implementation risks undermining state sovereignty, regional integration, and local industries, raising questions about who truly benefits from these trade deals.

What does “partnership” really mean when power is so unevenly distributed? And when Africa is constantly referred to as “the future”, who gets to own, shape, and benefit from that future?

In the Global South, informality (street vending informal housing etc) is often celebrated as a sign of resilience and agency, a creative response to structural exclusion. In contrast, similar forms of informality in the Global North are frequently labeled as disorder or policy failure. Is the Global South inherently disorderly with spation-economic interations? or should it pride in its micro-level resilience and agency?

Ghana spends more on education than many better-performing countries, yet still lags behind on key outcomes. Our study shows that the problem is not lack of resources, but inefficiency in spending. To meet SDG 4 targets, Ghana must address low completion rates, gender gaps, and poor teacher-pupil ratios, especially at the primary level.

What happens when cost barriers to secondary education are removed? Ghana’s FreeSHS policy, launched in 2017, led to a sharp rise in school completion, especially for girls. Our research shows that while access improved, challenges remain, including declining quality, uneven uptake, and persistent social norms. FreeSHS is not a silver bullet, but it marks a bold move toward inclusive education and offers lessons for designing sustainable public policies.

Male corporate leaders and billionaires may seem financially secure, but many face deep emotional stress linked to money, power, and identity. Research shows that financial distress among elites can manifest as overconfidence, aggression, or risky decisions, often driven by threatened masculinity. Financial therapy, though often overlooked for this group, could help prevent emotionally driven choices that destabilize companies and economies.

In many African countries, social networks shape access to public services. A study by Osei, Konte, and Avenyo shows that connections can help the wealthy avoid bribes and the poor navigate weak systems. But when do relationships become corruption? The line between networking and nepotism blurs in unequal systems. Rather than a moral verdict, the study calls for reforms that balance fairness with the realities of relationship-based access.

Political empowerment of women in Africa. Influence or just a numbers game?