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Since the discovery of crude oil in Nigeria in 1957, the Nigerian economy has remained a mono-product economy largely impacted by the effects of oil price volatility with its attendant adverse consequences on the nation's revenue profile and infrastructural growth. Accordingly, this paper attempts to investigate the nexus between oil price volatility and infrastructural growth in Nigeria, utilizing cointegration and error correction modeling approach for the period 1981-2015. The data for this study were sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin, 2014 and 2016 editions. The results suggest that both oil price volatility and inflation rate tend to exert negative impact on infrastructural growth, while the appreciation of real exchange rate tend to trigger investment in infrastructure. Accordingly, we recommend, among others, the need to design and implement effective diversification policies with a view to raising the nation's revenue trajectory, while strengthening local crude oil refining capacity so as to minimize the adverse consequences of such external shocks on the domestic economy.

The role of infrastructure in promoting economic development has long been acknowledged in the economic literature. In Nigeria, the basic physical infrastructure deficit has been identified as a major drag in the country's prospects for development. One major source of infrastructure financing is government capital expenditure. Unfortunately, capital expenditure over the years has been characterized by wide fluctuations, with attendant consequences on the level of infrastructural development. Thus, this study seeks to investigate the nexus between capital expenditure dynamics and infrastructural performance within the Nigerian context, utilizing the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) and Error correction procedure (ECM) and data from 1981 to 2018. Findings suggest that both capital expenditure dynamics and inflation rate have a negative and statistically significant impact on the level of infrastructure while the impact of foreign aid on infrastructural development was positive and significant. Accordingly, we recommend among others, the need for a suitable macroeconomic and regulatory framework that will encourage active private sector participation to sustainably support infrastructure investment. The monetary authorities can complement such efforts by implementing policies that will guarantee at most single-digit inflation rate in the economy.

The level of corruption in West Africa has become very worrisome based on the data from the corruption perception index of transparency international. Corruption may subvert due process; reduce accountability; lead to unequal distribution of goods and services and limit the reliance of the masses on government. The objective of the paper was to examine the link between corruption and economic growth in West Africa. Data used span from 2000 to 2018 with a cross section of fifteen West Africa countries and the use of panel fully modified ordinary least squares. With the use of the Im, Pesaran, and Shin stationarity which allows for heterogeneous version of the Dickey Fuller test, it was found that the variables used were integrated of order one and long run equilibrium relationship existed based on the Pedroni cointegration method. Only foreign direct investment did not meet the a priori expectation. The result supports the 'grease on the wheel hypothesis'. This implies that corruption and economic growth have direct relationship in West Africa. Corruption and economic growth were found to also support the U-shaped hypothesis which means that different corruption level affect economic growth in different ways. However, corruption does not lead to efficient and effective outcomes hence should not be allowed at any level of governance.

This study examined migrants' remittances, public expenditure on education and their implications for educational development in Nigeria, using Secondary School enrolment rates (SSER) as a proxy for the latter for the period 1981 to 2017. The study utilised Cointegration and error correction modelling approach in order to minimise the likelihood of producing explosive regression estimates. The empirical findings of the study indicate that Migrants' remittances received, Public expenditures on Education and Per Capita Income growth rate exert statistically significant positive impacts on educational development in the country, while the association turned negative in the case of population growth rate. The fundamental role played by both migrant's remittances received and Public expenditures on Education in stimulating educational development was evidently established in the study. The study therefore recommends, among others, the adoption of strategic measures that will help boost the rate of school enrolment in the country by encouraging migrants' remittances through continuous engagement of Nigerians in the Diaspora in the country's political and socio-economic affairs, progressive increment in budgetary allocations to the nation's education sector, as well as enhancing the per capita income of the country through investments in key sectors of the nation's economy.

This paper attempts to empirically examine the Reverse Causality hypothesis within the Nigerian context during the period 1980 – 2011. Employing Vector Error Correction Methodology (VECM), causality was found between inflation and government stocks, with causality running from government stocks to inflation, thus providing evidence in support of the reverse causality hypothesis. The results from the forecast error variance decomposition (FEVD) and impulse response functions tend to further lend credence to this finding. Accordingly, this study suggests, in part, the need for a tight monetary policy which would help to reduce inflation and stock prices, as such measures would leave the individuals with less money to buy stocks. Such efforts should be complemented by augmenting domestic production and encouraging investment through inexpensive bank finance.

This paper attempts to empirically examine the Reverse Causality hypothesis within the Nigerian context during the period 1980 – 2011. Employing Vector Error Correction Methodology (VECM), causality was found between inflation and government stocks, with causality running from government stocks to inflation, thus providing evidence in support of the reverse causality hypothesis. The results from the forecast error variance decomposition (FEVD) and impulse response functions tend to further lend credence to this finding. Accordingly, this study suggests, in part, the need for a tight monetary policy which would help to reduce inflation and stock prices, as such measures would leave the individuals with less money to buy stocks. Such efforts should be complemented by augmenting domestic production and encouraging investment through inexpensive bank finance.

Abstract. This research examined the impact of Human Capital Development (HCD) on economic growth among the ten French-Speaking West African Countries. In carrying out the empirical research, data were collected on human capital development and growth indices from countries in the sub region and panel data analysis was conducted. The period of analysis covered was between 1995 and 2017. Panel data analysis was used in capturing the relationship between human capital development and economic growth in the West Africa sub region. The endogeneity problem often associated with panel data analysis was accounted for through the use of the Generalized Method of Moments. From the Arellano-bond dynamic panel estimation, it revealed that secondary school levers (SSE6), those who enrolled for a minimum of four years at the tertiary school level (TSE4) and gross capital formation (GCF) were statistically significant in determining economic growth among the Francophone countries in West Africa. The Arellano-Bond dynamic panel results show the acceptance of the null hypotheses, which indicate that there is no significant relationship between economic growth and secondary school and tertiary school enrolment in Francophone West African sub region. From the result, emphasis should be devoted to vocational and functional technical education as well as Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and increase in government expenditure on health in the French-speaking West Africa sub region.Keywords. Human capital development, ICT, Economic growth, Generalized methods of moments, Variance inflation factor.JEL. F43, J24, O11.