IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/adb/adbwps/327.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Working Paper 136 - Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment Inflows to Africa, 1980-2007

Author

Abstract

The central concern of this paper is to respond to the question: what determines FDI inflows to Africa? An understanding of such factors will assist African policymakers to formulate and execute policies for attracting FDI. Our estimation results from a panel of seven five-year non-overlapping windows for the period 1980-2007 indicate that: (i) there is a positive relationship between market size and FDI inflows; (ii) openness to trade has a positive impact on FDI flows; (iii) higher financial development has negative effect on FDI inflows; (iv) high government consumption expenditure attracts FDI inflows to Africa; (v) higher FDI goes where international remittances also goes in Africa; (vi) agglomeration has a strong positive impact on FDI inflows to Africa; (vii) natural resource endowment and exploitation (especially for oil) attracts huge FDI into Africa; (viii) East and Southern African sub-regions appear positively disposed to obtain higher levels of inward FDI. The key policy implications are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • John Anyanwu, 2011. "Working Paper 136 - Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment Inflows to Africa, 1980-2007," Working Paper Series 327, African Development Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:adb:adbwps:327
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/WORKING%20136%20Determinants%20Of%20Foreign%20Direct%20Investment%20Inflows%20To%20Africa%201980-2007%20AS.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kinda, Tidiane, 2010. "Investment Climate and FDI in Developing Countries: Firm-Level Evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 498-513, April.
    2. Asiedu, Elizabeth & Lien, Donald, 2004. "Capital Controls and Foreign Direct Investment," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 479-490, March.
    3. Jeannie Yih Yun Yang & Nicolaas Groenewold & Moonjoong Tcha, 2000. "The Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Australia," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 76(232), pages 45-54, March.
    4. Fathi Ali & Norbert Fiess & Ronald MacDonald, 2010. "Do Institutions Matter for Foreign Direct Investment?," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 201-219, April.
    5. Dorothee J. Feils & Manzur Rahman, 2008. "Regional economic integration and foreign direct investment: The case of NAFTA," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 147-163, April.
    6. Rahim M. Quazi, 2007. "Investment Climate And Foreign Direct Investment: A Study Of Selected Countries In Latin America," Global Journal of Business Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 1(2), pages 1-13.
    7. Calderon, Cesar & Serven, Luis, 2008. "Infrastructure and economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4712, The World Bank.
    8. Kapuria-Foreman, Vibha., 2007. "Economic freedom and foreign direct investment in developing countries," Journal of Developing Areas, Tennessee State University, College of Business, vol. 41(1), pages 143-154, September.
    9. Xose Rodriguez & Julio Pallas, 2008. "Determinants of foreign direct investment in Spain," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(19), pages 2443-2450.
    10. Ali Al-Sadig, 2009. "The Effects of Corruption on FDI Inflows," Cato Journal, Cato Journal, Cato Institute, vol. 29(2), pages 267-294, Winter.
    11. Linda Cotton & Vijaya Ramachandran, 2001. "Foreign Direct Investment in Emerging Economies: Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2001-82, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    12. Klein, Michael W. & Rosengren, Eric, 1994. "The real exchange rate and foreign direct investment in the United States : Relative wealth vs. relative wage effects," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(3-4), pages 373-389, May.
    13. Asiedu, Elizabeth, 2002. "On the Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment to Developing Countries: Is Africa Different?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 107-119, January.
    14. John Anyanwu & Andrew E. O. Erhijakpor, 2010. "Do International Remittances Affect Poverty in Africa?," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 22(1), pages 51-91.
    15. Christian Daude & Ernesto Stein, 2007. "The Quality Of Institutions And Foreign Direct Investment," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(3), pages 317-344, November.
    16. Reiter, S.L. & Steensma, H. Kevin, 2010. "Human Development and Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries: The Influence of FDI Policy and Corruption," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 1678-1691, December.
    17. Elizabeth Asiedu, 2006. "Foreign Direct Investment in Africa: The Role of Natural Resources, Market Size, Government Policy, Institutions and Political Instability," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 63-77, January.
    18. Sufian Eltayeb Mohamed & Moise G. Sidiropoulos, 2010. "Another Look At The Determinants Of Foreign Direct Investment In Mena Countries: An Empirical Investigation," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 35(2), pages 75-95, June.
    19. Kinoshita, Yuko & Campos, Nauro, 2003. "Why Does FDI Go Where it Goes? New Evidence from the Transitional Economies," CEPR Discussion Papers 3984, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    20. repec:kap:iaecre:v:14:y:2008:i:1:p:90-100 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Tony Addison & Almas Heshmati, 2003. "The New Global Determinants of FDI Flows to Developing Countries: The Importance of ICT and Democratization," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2003-45, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    22. Roghieh Gholami & Sang‐Yong Tom Lee & Almas Heshmati, 2006. "The Causal Relationship Between Information and Communication Technology and Foreign Direct Investment," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 43-62, January.
    23. Yulin Ning & Michael R. Reed, 1995. "Locational determinants of the US direct foreign investment in food and kindred products," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(1), pages 77-85.
    24. Fan, Joseph P.H. & Morck, Randall & Xu, Lixin Colin & Yeung, Bernard, 2009. "Institutions and Foreign Direct Investment: China versus the Rest of the World," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 852-865, April.
    25. Yohane Khamfula, 2007. "Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in EP and IS Countries: The Role of Corruption," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(12), pages 1843-1854, December.
    26. Timothy J. Goodspeed & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Li Zhang, 2006. "Attracting FDI: Are Other Government Policies More Important than Taxation in Attracting FDI?," Economics Working Paper Archive at Hunter College 414, Hunter College Department of Economics.
    27. John Anyanwu, 2006. "Promoting of Investment in Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 18(1), pages 42-71.
    28. Yingqi A. Wei & V. N. Balasubramanyam (ed.), 2004. "Foreign Direct Investment," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3169.
    29. James R. Markusen, 2004. "Multinational Firms and the Theory of International Trade," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262633078, December.
    30. John H. Dunning, 1977. "Trade, Location of Economic Activity and the MNE: A Search for an Eclectic Approach," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Bertil Ohlin & Per-Ove Hesselborn & Per Magnus Wijkman (ed.), The International Allocation of Economic Activity, chapter 12, pages 395-418, Palgrave Macmillan.
    31. Kevin Honglin Zhang, 2001. "What Attracts Foreign Multinational Corporations To China?," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 19(3), pages 336-346, July.
    32. Emmanuel Cleeve, 2008. "How effective are fiscal incentives to attract FDI to Sub-Saharan Africa?," Journal of Developing Areas, Tennessee State University, College of Business, vol. 42(1), pages 135-153, September.
    33. Dupasquier, Chantal & Osakwe, Patrick N., 2006. "Foreign direct investment in Africa: Performance, challenges, and responsibilities," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 241-260, April.
    34. Daniel Lederman & Taye Mengistae & Lixin Colin Xu, 2013. "Microeconomic consequences and macroeconomic causes of foreign direct investment in southern African economies," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(25), pages 3637-3649, September.
    35. Alsan, Marcella & Bloom, David E. & Canning, David, 2006. "The effect of population health on foreign direct investment inflows to low- and middle-income countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 613-630, April.
    36. Schneider, Friedrich & Frey, Bruno S., 1985. "Economic and political determinants of foreign direct investment," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 161-175, February.
    37. Cushman, David O, 1985. "Real Exchange Rate Risk, Expectations, and the Level of Direct Investment," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 67(2), pages 297-308, May.
    38. Marco Sanfilippo, 2010. "Chinese FDI to Africa: What Is the Nexus with Foreign Economic Cooperation?," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 22(S1), pages 599-614.
    39. Nuno Carlos LEITÃO, 2010. "Localization Factors and Inward Foreign Direct Investment in Greece," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 6(6(547)), pages 17-26, June.
    40. Morisset, Jacques, 2000. "Foreign direct investment in Africa : policies also matter," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2481, The World Bank.
    41. Noorbakhsh, Farhad & Paloni, Alberto & Youssef, Ali, 2001. "Human Capital and FDI Inflows to Developing Countries: New Empirical Evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(9), pages 1593-1610, September.
    42. Abdur Chowdhury & George Mavrotas, 2006. "FDI and Growth: What Causes What?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 9-19, January.
    43. Mohsin Habib & Leon Zurawicki, 2002. "Corruption and Foreign Direct Investment," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(2), pages 291-307, June.
    44. Khalid Sekkat & Marie‐Ange Veganzones‐Varoudakis, 2007. "Openness, Investment Climate, and FDI in Developing Countries," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(4), pages 607-620, November.
    45. Koji Miyamoto, 2008. "Human capital formation and foreign direct: Investment in developing countries," OECD Journal: General Papers, OECD Publishing, vol. 2008(1), pages 1-40.
    46. Timothy Goodspeed & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & JLi Zhang, 2006. "Are Government Policies More Important Than Taxation in Attracting FDI," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper0614, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    47. W. A. Naude & W. F. Krugell, 2007. "Investigating geography and institutions as determinants of foreign direct investment in Africa using panel data," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(10), pages 1223-1233.
    48. Marcella Alsan & David E. Bloom & David Canning, 2004. "The Effect of Population Health on Foreign Direct Investment," NBER Working Papers 10596, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    49. John H Dunning, 1980. "Towards an Eclectic Theory of International Production: Some Empirical Tests," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 11(1), pages 9-31, March.
    50. Baek, In-Mee & Okawa, Tamami, 2001. "Foreign exchange rates and Japanese foreign direct investment in Asia," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 69-84.
    51. Jiangyan Yu & Mr. James P Walsh, 2010. "Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment: A Sectoral and Institutional Approach," IMF Working Papers 2010/187, International Monetary Fund.
    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. John C. Anyanwu, 2012. "Why Does Foreign Direct Investment Go Where It Goes?: New Evidence From African Countries," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 13(2), pages 425-462, November.
    2. Yapatake Kossele Thales Pacific, 2015. "Foreign Direct Investment in Anglophone and Francophone African Countries," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 5(11), pages 337-350, November.
    3. Olawumi D Awolusi & Theuns G Pelser & Adedeji Saidi Adelekan, 2016. "Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment: New Granger Causality Evidence from Asian and African Economies," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 8(1), pages 104-119.
    4. Makun, Keshmeer Kanewar, 2016. "Direct Foreign Investment and its Determinants: A Case Study - Gli investimenti diretti esteri e loro determinanti : studio di un caso," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 69(2), pages 151-174.
    5. Akhtaruzzaman, M. & Berg, Nathan & Hajzler, Christopher, 2017. "Expropriation risk and FDI in developing countries: Does return of capital dominate return on capital?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 84-107.
    6. Kimiagari, Salman & Mahbobi, Mohammad & Toolsee, Tushika, 2023. "Attracting and retaining FDI: Africa gas and oil sector," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    7. Toure Mamoudou & Cédric Achille Mbeng Mezui, 2017. "Working Paper 271 - Facteurs déterminants des IDE en Afrique," Working Paper Series 2388, African Development Bank.
    8. George Owusu-Antwi & Dwobeng Owusu Nyamekye & Patrick Ofei & Frederick A. Aikens, 2019. "Foreign Direct Investment: Is Natural Resources the Rejoin? Evidence from Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo: Fixed Effect Approach," International Journal of Asian Social Science, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 9(12), pages 588-606, December.
    9. Akinleye Simeon Oludiran & Laleye Nicaise Abimbola, 2018. "Major Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in the West African Economic and Monetary Region," Iranian Economic Review (IER), Faculty of Economics,University of Tehran.Tehran,Iran, vol. 22(1), pages 121-162, Winter.
    10. Olawumi Dele Awolusi, 2019. "Policy and Non-Policy Factors: What Determines Foreign Direct Investments in Africa?," Journal of Social and Development Sciences, AMH International, vol. 9(4), pages 49-61.
    11. Zaneta Kubik, 2023. "The role of agricultural sector performance in attracting foreign direct investment in the food and beverages sector. Evidence from planned investments in Africa," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(3), pages 875-903, July.
    12. Alfalih, Abdullah Abdulmohsen & Bel Hadj, Tarek, 2020. "Foreign direct investment determinants in an oil abundant host country: Short and long-run approach for Saudi Arabia," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    13. Cleeve, Emmanuel A. & Debrah, Yaw & Yiheyis, Zelealem, 2015. "Human Capital and FDI Inflow: An Assessment of the African Case," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 1-14.
    14. Fosu, Prince, 2016. "Infrastructure and Foreign Direct Investment Inflows: Evidence from Ghana," MPRA Paper 100375, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 13 May 2020.
    15. Céline Azémar & Rodolphe Desbordes, 2009. "Public Governance, Health and Foreign Direct Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 18(4), pages 667-709, August.
    16. Fofana Mory Fodé, 2014. "The Influence of Measures of Economic Freedom on FDI: A Comparison of Western Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa," Global Economy Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 14(3-4), pages 1-26, October.
    17. Bailey, Nicholas, 2018. "Exploring the relationship between institutional factors and FDI attractiveness: A meta-analytic review," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 139-148.
    18. Manamba Epaphra, 2018. "An Econometric Analysis of the Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Africa," Romanian Economic Journal, Department of International Business and Economics from the Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest, vol. 21(67), pages 63-97, March.
    19. Mina, Wasseem, 2020. "Do GCC market-oriented labor policies encourage inward FDI flows?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    20. Godwin Okafor & Jenifer Piesse & Allan Webster, 2017. "FDI Determinants in Least Recipient Regions: The Case of Sub†Saharan Africa and MENA," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 29(4), pages 589-600, December.

    More about this item

    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:adb:adbwps:327. 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: Adeleke Oluwole Salami (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/afdbgci.html .

    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.