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Foreign direct investment and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa: does environmental degradation matter?

Author

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  • James Temitope Dada

    (Obafemi Awolowo University)

  • Taiwo Akinlo

    (Adeyemi College of Education)

Abstract

This paper investigates the threshold effect of environmental degradation on the FDI-poverty nexus in sub-Saharan Africa for the period 1986–2018. The study used panel threshold regression for the empirical analysis. The evidence from threshold regression using different measures of poverty and environmental degradation shows that the poverty reduction effect of FDI is not eroded by environmental degradation. The study found overwhelming evidence that at the higher level of environmental degradation, FDI contributes significantly to poverty reduction except when Household final consumption is used to proxy poverty and FDI produces an insignificant effect on poverty reduction at the higher level of methane emissions and nitrous oxide emission. Based on this finding, any attempts to reduce environmental degradation by reducing the inflow of FDI will worsen poverty rates in the region.

Suggested Citation

  • James Temitope Dada & Taiwo Akinlo, 2021. "Foreign direct investment and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa: does environmental degradation matter?," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:futbus:v:7:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1186_s43093-021-00068-7
    DOI: 10.1186/s43093-021-00068-7
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    Cited by:

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    3. Tang, Jianjun & Gong, Jiaowei & Ma, Wanglin & Rahut, Dil Bahadur, 2022. "Narrowing urban–rural income gap in China: The role of the targeted poverty alleviation program," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 74-90.
    4. James Temitope Dada & Adams Adeiza & Noor Azizi Ismail & Arnaut Marina, 2022. "Investigating the link between economic growth, financial development, urbanization, natural resources, human capital, trade openness and ecological footprint: evidence from Nigeria," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 153-179, July.
    5. Eric Amankwaah & Nicholas Mensah & Nana Okyir Baidoo, 2022. "The impact of location tax incentives on the growth of rural economy: evidence from Ghana," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 1-19, December.
    6. Dada James Temitope & Awoleye Emmanuel Olayemi & Arnaut Marina & Al-Faryan Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh, 2023. "Revisiting the Military Expenditure-Growth Nexus: Does Institutional Quality Moderate the Effect?," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 29(1), pages 19-42, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    FDI; Poverty; Threshold regression; Environmental degradation; Sub-Saharan Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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