IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/abh/wpaper/19-032.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Renewable Energy, Trade Performance and the Conditional Role of Finance and Institutional Capacity of sub-Sahara African Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Opeyemi Akinyemi

    (CEPDeR, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria)

  • Uchenna Efobi

    (CEPDeR, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria)

  • Simplice A. Asongu

    (Yaoundé, Cameroon)

  • Evans S. Osabuohien

    (CEPDeR, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria)

Abstract

The paper investigates the dynamic relationship between renewable energy usage and trade performance in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), while considering the conditioning role of corruption control, regulatory quality, and the private sector access to finance. Focusing on 42 SSA countries for the period 2004-2016, and engaging the System generalized method of moments (GMM) technique for its estimation, this study found a negative relationship between renewable energy usage and the indicators of trade performance. However, with corruption control, improved regulatory framework, and better finance for the private sector, there are potentials for a positive net impact of renewable energy usage on manufacturing export. For renewable energy and total trade nexus, we find that improved regulatory framework and better finance for the private sector are important conditioning structures. These findings are significant because they highlight the different important structures of SSA countries that improve the effect of renewable energy use on trade outcomes. For instance, the consideration of the financial, institutional and regulatory frameworks in SSA countries in conditioning the renewable energy-trade nexus stipulates a clear policy pathway for countries in this region as the debate for transition to the use of renewable energy progresses.

Suggested Citation

  • Opeyemi Akinyemi & Uchenna Efobi & Simplice A. Asongu & Evans S. Osabuohien, 2019. "Renewable Energy, Trade Performance and the Conditional Role of Finance and Institutional Capacity of sub-Sahara African Countries," Research Africa Network Working Papers 19/032, Research Africa Network (RAN).
  • Handle: RePEc:abh:wpaper:19/032
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://publications.resanet.org/RePEc/abh/abh-wpaper/Renewable-Energy-Trade-Performance-Finance-and-Institutions.pdf
    File Function: Revised version, 2019
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. La Porta, Rafael & Lopez-de-Silanes, Florencio & Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert, 1999. "The Quality of Government," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 15(1), pages 222-279, April.
    2. Simplice A. Asongu, 2017. "Improving financial access in Africa: insights from information sharing and financial sector development," Research Africa Network Working Papers 17/033, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    3. Vanessa S. Tchamyou & Simplice A. Asongu, 2017. "Information Sharing and Financial Sector Development in Africa," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 24-49, January.
    4. G lden B l k, 2013. "Renewable Energy: Policy Issues and Economic Implications in Turkey," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 3(2), pages 153-167.
    5. Asongu, Simplice A. & Le Roux, Sara & Biekpe, Nicholas, 2017. "Environmental degradation, ICT and inclusive development in Sub-Saharan Africa," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 353-361.
    6. World Economic Forum & World Bank & African Development Bank, 2017. "The Africa Competitiveness Report 2017," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 26520.
    7. Rath, Badri Narayan & Akram, Vaseem & Bal, Debi Prasad & Mahalik, Mantu Kumar, 2019. "Do fossil fuel and renewable energy consumption affect total factor productivity growth? Evidence from cross-country data with policy insights," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 186-199.
    8. Mazzucato, Mariana & Semieniuk, Gregor, 2018. "Financing renewable energy: Who is financing what and why it matters," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 8-22.
    9. Tchamyou, Vanessa S. & Erreygers, Guido & Cassimon, Danny, 2019. "Inequality, ICT and financial access in Africa," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 169-184.
    10. Kaliappa Kalirajan & Yichang Liu, 2016. "Renewable energy trade within Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) countries: an exploratory analysis," ASARC Working Papers 2016-05, The Australian National University, Australia South Asia Research Centre.
    11. Salm, Sarah & Hille, Stefanie Lena & Wüstenhagen, Rolf, 2016. "What are retail investors' risk-return preferences towards renewable energy projects? A choice experiment in Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 310-320.
    12. Uchenna Efobi & Tanankem Belmondo & Emmanuel Orkoh & Scholastica Ngozi Atata & Opeyemi Akinyemi & Ibukun Beecroft, 2018. "Environmental Pollution Policy of Small Businesses in Nigeria and Ghana: Extent and Impact," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 18/050, African Governance and Development Institute..
    13. Stern, Nicholas, 2015. "Why Are We Waiting? The Logic, Urgency, and Promise of Tackling Climate Change," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262029189, April.
    14. Vanessa Simen Tchamyou, 2017. "The Role of Knowledge Economy in African Business," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 8(4), pages 1189-1228, December.
    15. Ji, Qiang & Zhang, Dayong, 2019. "How much does financial development contribute to renewable energy growth and upgrading of energy structure in China?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 114-124.
    16. Raza, Syed Ali & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Nguyen, Duc Khuong, 2015. "Energy conservation policies, growth and trade performance: Evidence of feedback hypothesis in Pakistan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1-10.
    17. Opeyemi E. Akinyemi & Evans S. Osabuohien & Philip O. Alege & Adeyemi A. Ogundipe, 2017. "Energy Security, Trade and Transition to Green Economy in Africa," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 7(3), pages 127-136.
    18. Keček, Damira & Mikulić, Davor & Lovrinčević, Željko, 2019. "Deployment of renewable energy: Economic effects on the Croatian economy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 402-410.
    19. Stephen Oluwatobi & Uchenna Efobi & Isaiah Olurinola & Philip Alege, 2015. "Innovation in Africa: Why Institutions Matter," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 83(3), pages 390-410, September.
    20. Evans S. Osabuohien & John T. Odebiyi & Uchenna R. Efobi & Oluyemi O. Fayomi, 2017. "Financial Development, Trade Costs and Bilateral Trade Flows: Connecting the Nexus in ECOWAS," Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development, in: Diery Seck (ed.), Investment and Competitiveness in Africa, pages 153-175, Springer.
    21. Bulut, Umit & Muratoglu, Gonul, 2018. "Renewable energy in Turkey: Great potential, low but increasing utilization, and an empirical analysis on renewable energy-growth nexus," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 240-250.
    22. Simplice A. Asongu & Jacinta C. Nwachukwu, 2019. "ICT, Financial Sector Development and Financial Access," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 10(2), pages 465-490, June.
    23. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    24. Amavilah, Voxi & Asongu, Simplice A. & Andrés, Antonio R., 2017. "Effects of globalization on peace and stability: Implications for governance and the knowledge economy of African countries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 91-103.
    25. Nabamita Dutta & Russell Sobel, 2016. "Does corruption ever help entrepreneurship?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 179-199, June.
    26. Bradshaw, Amanda & de Martino Jannuzzi, Gilberto, 2019. "Governing energy transitions and regional economic development: Evidence from three Brazilian states," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 1-11.
    27. Gui-Diby, Steve Loris & Renard, Mary-Françoise, 2015. "Foreign Direct Investment Inflows and the Industrialization of African Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 43-57.
    28. Glaeser, Edward L. & Saks, Raven E., 2006. "Corruption in America," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(6-7), pages 1053-1072, August.
    29. Raghuram G. Rajan & Arvind Subramanian, 2008. "Aid and Growth: What Does the Cross-Country Evidence Really Show?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 90(4), pages 643-665, November.
    30. Ebers Broughel, Anna, 2019. "Impact of state policies on generating capacity for production of electricity and combined heat and power from forest biomass in the United States," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 1163-1172.
    31. Adewuyi, Adeolu O. & Adeniyi, Oluwatosin, 2015. "Trade and consumption of energy varieties: Empirical analysis of selected West Africa economies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 354-366.
    32. Obeng-Darko, Nana Asare, 2019. "Why Ghana will not achieve its renewable energy target for electricity. Policy, legal and regulatory implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 75-83.
    33. Jahangoshai Rezaee, Mustafa & Yousefi, Samuel & Hayati, Jamileh, 2019. "Root barriers management in development of renewable energy resources in Iran: An interpretative structural modeling approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 292-306.
    34. Ahmadov, Anar Kamil & van der Borg, Charlotte, 2019. "Do natural resources impede renewable energy production in the EU? A mixed-methods analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 361-369.
    35. Njoh, Ambe J. & Etta, Simon & Essia, Uwem & Ngyah-Etchutambe, Ijang & Enomah, Lucy E.D. & Tabrey, Hans T. & Tarke, Mah O., 2019. "Implications of institutional frameworks for renewable energy policy administration: Case study of the Esaghem, Cameroon community PV solar electrification project," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 17-24.
    36. Johann Graf Lambsdorff, 2003. "How Corruption Affects Productivity," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(4), pages 457-474, November.
    37. Isaac Ehrlich & Francis T. Lui, 1999. "Bureaucratic Corruption and Endogenous Economic Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 107(S6), pages 270-293, December.
    38. Treisman, Daniel, 2000. "The causes of corruption: a cross-national study," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(3), pages 399-457, June.
    39. Ebers Broughel, Anna & Hampl, Nina, 2018. "Community financing of renewable energy projects in Austria and Switzerland: Profiles of potential investors," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 722-736.
    40. Washburn, C. & Pablo-Romero, M., 2019. "Measures to promote renewable energies for electricity generation in Latin American countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 212-222.
    41. Gennaioli, Caterina & Tavoni, Massimo, 2016. "Clean or dirty energy: evidence of corruption in the renewable energy sector," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 65173, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    42. Hannu Tanninen, 1999. "Income inequality, government expenditures and growth," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(9), pages 1109-1117.
    43. Evans S. Osabuohien & Uchenna R. Efobi & John T. Odebiyi & Oluyemi O. Fayomi & Adeleke O. Salami, 2019. "Bilateral Trade Performance in West Africa: A Gravity Model Estimation," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 31(1), pages 1-14, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2019. "Governance, capital flight and industrialisation in Africa," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 8(1), pages 1-22, December.
    2. Abdulqadir, Idris A. & Asongu, Simplice A., 2022. "The asymmetric effect of internet access on economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 44-61.
    3. Asongu, Simplice A & Odhiambo, Nicholas M, 2019. "Governance,CO2 emissions and inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers 25253, University of South Africa, Department of Economics.
    4. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2019. "Inclusive development in environmental sustainability in sub‐Saharan Africa: Insights from governance mechanisms," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(4), pages 713-724, July.
    5. Simplice A. Asongu & Joseph Nnanna, 2021. "Globalization, Governance, and the Green Economy in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Policy Thresholds," World Affairs, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 184(2), pages 176-212, June.
    6. Abdulqadir, Idris & Asongu, Simplice, 2021. "The asymmetric effect of internet access on economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa: Insight from a dynamic panel threshold regression," MPRA Paper 109904, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Simplice A. Asongu & Rexon T. Nting & Joseph Nnanna, 2020. "Linkages between Globalisation, Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Governance in Sub-Saharan Africa," International Journal of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(11), pages 949-963, August.
    8. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2021. "Income Levels, Governance and Inclusive Human Development in Sub-Saharan Africa," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(1), pages 71-103, February.
    9. Asongu, Simplice & Odhiambo, Nicholas, 2020. "The role of Globalization in Modulating the Effect of Environmental Degradation on Inclusive Human Development," MPRA Paper 103143, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Simplice A. Asongu, 2020. "Financial Access and Productivity Dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa," International Journal of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(12), pages 1029-1041, September.
    11. Simplice Asongu & Rexon Nting, 2021. "The mobile phone in governance for environmental sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 39(1), pages 225-243, June.
    12. Simplice A. Asongu & Joseph Nnanna & Paul N. Acha-Anyi, 2020. "On the simultaneous openness hypothesis: FDI, trade and TFP dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 9(1), pages 1-27, December.
    13. Meniago, Christelle & Asongu, Simplice A., 2018. "Revisiting the finance-inequality nexus in a panel of African countries," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 399-419.
    14. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2019. "The sustainability of tourism: global comparative evidence," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 19/094, African Governance and Development Institute..
    15. Simplice A. Asongu & Joseph Nnanna, 2020. "Governance and the Capital Flight Trap in Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 20/024, African Governance and Development Institute..
    16. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2019. "Basic formal education quality, information technology, and inclusive human development in sub‐Saharan Africa," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(3), pages 419-428, May.
    17. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2023. "Foreign Direct Investment, Information Technology, And Total Factor Productivity Dynamics In Sub‐Saharan Africa," World Affairs, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 186(2), pages 469-506, June.
    18. Simplice A. Asongu & Joseph Nnanna, 2019. "Foreign aid, instability and governance in Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 19/022, African Governance and Development Institute..
    19. Simplice A. Asongu & Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2020. "Foreign aid volatility and lifelong learning," International Journal of Education Economics and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 11(4), pages 370-406.
    20. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2019. "Enhancing Governance for Environmental Sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 19/090, African Governance and Development Institute..

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Environment; Green growth; Trade performance; Pollution; Renewable energy; sub-Saharan Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C5 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling
    • F1 - International Economics - - Trade
    • Q4 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy
    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:abh:wpaper:19/032. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Anutechia Asongu Simplice (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.resanet.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.