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Economics of Public Expenditures In Nigeria: Professor Dr. Alabi from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria has published two new books being of importance for Nigeria's economic development.
The first book (Link to Cover and Content) analyses the Economics of Public Sector Spending in Nigeria. Professor Alabi has applied a methodology to analyze if public sector spending for education and health is pro-poor which he has developed during his 18-months-stay as an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow at IWIM. Various researchers of his research group in Ekpoma at the Ambrose Alli University have contributed to this volume.
The second book is on Fertilizer Use and Efficiency of Rice Production (Link to Cover and Content). The book analyzes the effect of fertilizer use on rice production using Edo State in Nigeria as a case study.
Professor Alabi is expected to come to IWIM end of June 2012 to stay for a three months period for research on "Aid, Growth and Nigerian Development".
Professor Karl Wohlmuth sprach in der Wissenschaftsmatinee "Wissen um 11" im Haus der Wissenschaft zu dem Thema "Industrialisierung in Afrika auf der Grundlage landwirtschaftlicher Entwicklung - Bericht eines Mitautors über eine neue UN-Studie" (vgl. dazu die Präsentation unter http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/files/dateien/1622_wissen_um_11_3_2012.pdf). Das Thema wurde von der Forschungsgruppe Afrikanische Entwicklungsperspektiven Bremen bereits im Zusammenhang mit dem Band 2 des African Development Perspectives Yearbook für 1990/91 umfassend abgehandelt (Link zum Afrika-Jahrbuch http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/africa/africanyearbook.htm). Die neue UN-Studie greift diese Thematik unter Berücksichtigung aktueller Entwicklungen und neuer Forschungsergebnisse auf (vgl. dazu auch die Infos auf der Projektseite: http://www.karl-wohlmuth.de/agro_industrial_development/ ).
Global Food Price Increases, Speculation, Land Grabbing and Effective Public Policy Interventions:
In a new essay Professor Karl Wohlmuth analyses the impact of the global food price increases on Africa (Link: IWIM Blue Series Discussion Papers Number 123). While the global food price increases have an impact on the domestic food prices in African countries, these impacts depend on country and product characteristics. In this study the impact of speculation on the prices of food products which are traded at global markets is also considered. Speculation is a determining factor of global food prices and has impacts also on domestic African food prices. However, new evidence shows that land grabbing (large-scale land deals in institutionally weak African countries like South Sudan) may be considered as a direct and most serious form of speculation. Land grabbing can lead to land hoarding in case of delayed production, to a replacement of food crops by energy crops and export crops, and to further speculative deals with parts of the originally leased land. Land grabbing is therefore another form of speculation with impacts on domestic food prices of African countries. The obvious concentration of land deals in institutionally weak African countries like South Sudan is a serious matter and requests urgent public action. Public action is therefore needed to respond to the global food price increases and to land grabbing at national, regional and global levels. The essay by Professor Karl Wohlmuth outlines the public policy actions that may be effective at these three levels.
Ökonomische Afrikaforschung an der Universität Bremen: Professor Karl Wohlmuth berichtete in der Ratskelleruniversität der unifreunde über drei aktuelle Projekte der Afrikaforschung in seinem Arbeitsbereich. Näher eingegangen wurde auf eine kürzlich veröffentlichte Studie mit acht Länderbeispielen zur Perspektive von Agroindustrie und Agribusiness in Afrika. Referiert wurde zum Thema "Potentiale von Agroindustrie und Agribusiness in Afrika Ergebnisse einer vergleichenden Länderstudie" (Link zu PDF Vortrag http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/files/dateien/1623_freunde_universit%c3%a4t_bremen_1_2012_2.pdf).
Venue: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Reginal Pacis-Weg 3, HS 1,7,8,9, Bonn, Germany
Date: 23-25 July 2012
Submission of Abstracts for Papers and Proposals for Panels: The International Sudan Studies Conference will take place this year in Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 23-25 July 2012, organized by Dr. Elke Grawert, a former IWIM staff and now working as a senior researcher at BICC in Bonn. The Call for Papers (Link to Call for Papers) invites submissions in line with the general theme of the conference, but also other submissions of interest to researchers on Sudan and South Sudan are welcomed. The three-annual International Sudan Studies Conference of the Sudan Studies Association (SSA) USA and the Sudan Studies Society (SSS) UK will be held at the University of Bonn in Germany. Abstracts of proposed papers, panels and roundtables (please limit to 150-200 words) may be sent to: Dr. Abdullahi A. Gallab, African and African-American Studies, Religious Studies, Arizona State University, Email: abdullahi.gallab@asu.edu. A copy may be sent to Dr. Douglas H. Johnson, Email: douglas@wendoug.free-online.co.uk and to Dr. Elke Grawert, Email: grawert@bicc.de until 31st of March 2012.
Programme: The conference will open with an emphasis on identity, especially issues of gender, citizenship, integration, history, memory and the geographical challenges of the separation. Its second day will be devoted to economic issues, particularly economic development prospects, urbanization and social transformation in Sudanand South Sudan and issues regarding oil, water and other resources. The conference's final day will examine both internal and external power relationships including Sudan-South Sudan relations, old and new conflicts, party formation and strategic and security issues.
In a new essay Professor Karl Wohlmuth analyses the impact of the global food price increases on Africa (Link: IWIM Blue Series Discussion Papers Number 123). While the global food price increases have an impact on the domestic food prices in African countries, these impacts depend on country and product characteristics. In this study the impact of speculation on the prices of food products which are traded at global markets is also considered. Speculation is a determining factor of global food prices and has impacts also on domestic African food prices. However, new evidence shows that land grabbing (large-scale land deals in institutionally weak African countries like South Sudan) may be considered as a direct and most serious form of speculation.
Land grabbing can lead to land hoarding in case of delayed production, to a replacement of food crops by energy crops and export crops, and to further speculative deals with parts of the originally leased land. Land grabbing is therefore another form of speculation with impacts on domestic food prices of African countries. The obvious concentration of land deals in institutionally weak African countries like South Sudan is a serious matter and requests urgent public action. Public action is therefore needed to respond to the global food price increases and to land grabbing at national, regional and global levels. The essay by Professor Karl Wohlmuth outlines the public policy actions that may be effective at these three levels.
Professor Karl Wohlmuth berichtete in der Ratskelleruniversität der unifreunde über drei aktuelle Projekte der Afrikaforschung in seinem Arbeitsbereich. Näher eingegangen wurde auf eine kürzlich veröffentlichte Studie mit acht Länderbeispielen zur Perspektive von Agroindustrie und Agribusiness in Afrika (Link: Neues Projekt Agroindustrie). Referiert wurde zum Thema "Potentiale von Agroindustrie und Agribusiness in Afrika Ergebnisse einer vergleichenden Länderstudie" (Link zu PDF Vortrag).
Economics Professor Karl Wohlmuth and UNIDO Director for West Africa Patrick M. Kormawa have released the new report Agribusiness for Africa's Prosperity, Country Case Studies. The report contains eight case studies (Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Zambia). Throughout these country case studies analyze the following issues: the case for agro-industrial development; the structure and dynamics of agro-industries; the policies for developing agro-industries; the key policy factors for promoting agribusiness; and the visions, plans, and way forward.
Professor Karl Wohlmuth and UNIDO Director Kormawa highlight the issues and give an overview of the study in the first chapter on Context of Agro-industry in Africa. The country cases are reviewed and assessed. Interesting results for policymakers emerged from the case studies: the ranking of the eight countries according to the actual transformation stage of agro-industry and agribusiness reveals that landlocked and least developed countries can develop these branches of industry with positive effects on employment, poverty reduction, value addition and trade creation, and with sustainable effects on agricultural development and industrialization.
In the final chapter Conclusions the two editors of the report give lessons of more general developmental importance that were derived from the study; as well recommendations for policymakers are presented so as to enable them to modify agro-industrial development policies. Also there are views presented in the report on necessary changes and refinements for UNIDO projects and programs in the eight countries. A New Industrial Policy Framework is proposed and outlined in some detail.
The report gives evidence on the state of agribusiness in these eight countries and is intended to equip policymakers with new analysis, new facts, innovative solutions and comparative insights. The Report is part of the UNIDO project Value Addition to African Industry/Agribusiness for Africa's Prosperity that was guided by the UNIDO Director General Kandeh K. Yumkella and executed by Patirck M. Kormawa, UNIDO Director for West Africa. Professor Karl Wohlmuth has worked as an International Consultant in this Project (see details about the New Project Agro-industries: http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/Agro-IndustrialDevelopment.htm and for bibliographic reference the Publications Karl Wohlmuth: http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/publikationen/pub-wohlmuth.htm)
After six years of research and training the Project "Governance and Social Action in Sudan after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of January 9, 2005" has ended. The interdisciplinary Research Project covering economics, political science, history and geography disciplines had two components, a research component and a training component.
In the Research Component the project partners (professors of the partner universities in Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Germany who were funded in their research programmes related to the project) and the students (PhD and Master students who were financed by the project) worked on specific issues of governance, reconstruction and development after more than two decades of civil war in Sudan. The purpose was to investigate into the conditions of reconstruction, development and governance reforms after the conclusion of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. This was done in order to follow up the actions and policies in Sudan in the transition period to the Referendum in South Sudan on Independence and then the Independence Declaration of South Sudan. Major issue was to derive lessons from the two peaceful periods of Sudan for future cooperation and development in Sudan - the period of 1972 - 1983 after the Addis Ababa Agreement and the transition period of 2005 2011 which started after the CPA of January 9, 2005. These were the only peaceful periods in the history of independent Sudan. Since the Independence Declaration of South Sudan on July 9, 2011 the hostilities between Sudan and South Sudan have intensified again (parallel to conflicts within the two countries).
In the Training Component the PhD and Master students participated in altogether 15 workshops in Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia and in Bremen, Germany to discuss research topics, methodologies and draft papers and chapters. New research methodologies and research concepts related to governance, development and the reconstruction of institutions were presented. Major results of the workshop presentations and of PhD and Master researches were published in the IWIM Book Series as numbers 15 and 18 (Link: IWIM Book Series) and in the IWIM Report Series as number 40 (Link: IWIM White Series Papers). With the exception of the Report Series Number 40 all other books are sales publications. Other research results from the workshops were published with James Currey (Link: http://www.jamescurrey.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=13477). A further volume will be published on the results of the final workshops of the research project in Juba and Khartoum. Beside of the joint studies numerous publications were done by the Project Partners and by the Project Students on an individual basis. They will be listed in the Final Project Report.
The project was directed by Professor Karl Wohlmuth and by Dr. Elke Grawert, a former IWIM staff. The Project was funded generously by the Volkswagen Foundation with around € 800,000. The Project Coordinator over the six year period, Dr. Elke Grawert, is now preparing the Final Report on behalf of the Project Partners from Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia and Germany.
Dr. Elke Grawert, now working as a Senior Expert at BICC in Bonn, is organizing the next International Sudan Studies Conference to be held at the Rheinisch-Westfälische Universität in Bonn which is planned for July 2012. Professor Wohlmuth continues with a new Research Project on "Economic Policies in Sudan after the Referendum of 2011" (Link: http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/files/dateien/1666_neues_projekt_eco_pol_sudan.pdf). The purpose is to reflect on sustainable economic policies but also to investigate into new models of economic cooperation between Sudan and South Sudan.
A new study by Professor Karl Wohlmuth investigates the impacts of the global financial and economic crisis of 2008/2009 on Africa. The repercussions on Africa 's primary commodity exports, on capital inflows, on remittances and on development aid are investigated. It is obvious that the impacts of the crisis are quite different - category by category, region by region and country by country. Also the growth impacts and the social impacts of the crisis differ. However, the poverty risk and the risk of malnutrition have increased Africa-wide, and women and children were mostly affected.
Interestingly enough, Africa has responded quickly and innovatively to the emerging crisis, with anti-cyclical fiscal policies and even with comprehensive stimulation programmes (packages). Not all countries could go this way, but countries with only moderate budget and current account imbalances could do it. Reducing macroeconomic imbalances over the medium-term has paid off for African countries. Successful in responding and managing the crisis were those countries which have integrated over the years effectively into regional economic communities, which have promoted infrastructure development and which have developed the productive sectors of their economies (agriculture and industry, but also productive services). Nonetheless, the assessment reveals that the national strategies in Africa to strengthen crisis management and crisis prevention can be further improved.
The study also looks at the lessons that can be derived for national economic policies in Africa, for regional economic communities in Africa, and for international financial organisations and actors in development assistance in their Africa policy. Important lessons for policies emerge. National governments should concentrate on a further consolidation of their macroeconomic policies, but should also focus on agricultural and agro-industrial development as well as on moves towards deeper regional integration and the establishment of minimum social safety nets. Regional African and international actors can support such policies by innovative programmes and by long-term-oriented policies. Various examples are given that show how regional and international actors effectively can adapt conventional programmes, develop new programmes and create financial facilities that are instrumental for quickly responding to the needs of the African countries being affected by financial crises and exogenous shocks.
The study by Professor Karl Wohlmuth appeared in the Journal Berichte, Volume 22, Number 194/195, January/February 2012, which is published by the International Scientific Association for World Economy and World Politics in Berlin (see Publications Karl Wohlmuth). An extended version of the study with an English Summary can be found in the IWIM Blue Series Discussion Papers for downloading (see IWIM Blue Series Discussion Papers).
In einer neuen Studie untersucht Professor Karl Wohlmuth zunächst die ökonomischen und die sozialen Auswirkungen der globalen Finanz- und Wirtschaftskrise von 2008/2009 auf Afrika. Eine differenzierte Sicht ist dabei notwendig. Die Übertragung der Krisenfolgen auf Afrika erfolgte über verschiedene Kanäle, insbesondere über die Primärgüterexporte (Öl und mineralische Rohstoffe, Agrarprodukte und agrarische Rohmaterialien), aber auch über die Kapitalzuflüsse (Direktinvestitionen und Portfolioinvestitionen), die Gastarbeiterüberweisungen (bzw. Überweisungen von der Diaspora) und die Entwicklungshilfe (bilateral und multilateral, OECD-DAC und Nicht-OECD). Die sozialen Auswirkungen der Krise sind gravierend gewesen, denn für weite Teile der Bevölkerung hat sich das Armutsrisiko erhöht, und für Teile der Bevölkerung auch das Unterernährungsrisiko; besonders betroffen waren Frauen und Kinder. Zudem sind die Bildungs- und Gesundheitssysteme in Afrika durch die Krise beeinträchtigt worden, aber auch die Leistungsfähigkeit der Infrastruktur im Verkehrs- und Kommunikationsbereich nahm Schaden.
Dennoch hat Afrika es vermocht, durch antizyklische Fiskalpolitik und durch innovative Stimulierungsprogramme gestaltend auf die Krise zu reagieren, und auch Kernbereiche der sozialen Sektoren zu schützen. In diesem Beitrag werden auch die Lehren für die nationale, regionale und internationale Wirtschaftspolitik gezogen. Es geht also darum, wie afrikanische Regierungen, regionale Wirtschaftsgemeinschaften in Afrika und internationale Finanz- und Wirtschaftsorganisationen bzw. die Institutionen der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit in ihrem Afrikaengagement tätig werden können, um Krisenfolgen für Afrika zukünftig abzumildern und das Krisenmanagement insgesamt zu verbessern. Auf nationaler Ebene sind die Fortführung der makroökonomischen Konsolidierungspolitik und die Ausrichtung der Politik auf Landwirtschaftsförderung und Agroindustrie, auf vertiefte regionale Integration und auf soziale Sicherung wichtige Eckpfeiler einer neuen Strategie. Auf regionaler Ebene und auf internationaler Ebene können diese neuen Prioritäten gezielt unterstützt werden. Auch diesbezüglich werden in der Studie konkrete Vorschläge gemacht und Beispiele gegeben.
Die Studie ist in der Zeitschrift Berichte, 22. Jg., Nr. 194/195, Januar/Februar 2012, herausgegeben von der Internationalen Wissenschaftlichen Vereinigung Weltwirtschaft und Weltpolitik/IWVWW Berlin, erschienen. Eine etwas erweiterte Fassung der Studie findet sich in der Blauen Reihe der Diskussionspapiere des IWIM (vgl. IWIM Blaue Reihe Diskussionspapiere).
Economics Professor Karl Wohlmuth and UNIDO Director for West Africa Patrick M. Kormawa have released the new report Agribusiness for Africa's Prosperity, Country Case Studies. The report contains eight case studies (Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Zambia). Throughout these country case studies analyze the following issues: the case for agro-industrial development; the structure and dynamics of agro-industries; the policies for developing agro-industries; the key policy factors for promoting agribusiness; and the visions, plans, and way forward.
Professor Karl Wohlmuth and UNIDO Director Kormawa highlight the issues and give an overview of the study in the first chapter on Context of Agro-industry in Africa. The country cases are reviewed and assessed. Interesting results for policymakers emerged from the case studies: the ranking of the eight countries according to the actual transformation stage of agro-industry and agribusiness reveals that landlocked and least developed countries can develop these branches of industry with positive effects on employment, poverty reduction, value addition and trade creation, and with sustainable effects on agricultural development and industrialization.
In the final chapter Conclusions the two editors of the report give lessons of more general developmental importance that were derived from the study; as well recommendations for policymakers are presented so as to enable them to modify agro-industrial development policies. Also there are views presented in the report on necessary changes and refinements for UNIDO projects and programs in the eight countries. A New Industrial Policy Framework is proposed and outlined in some detail.
The report gives evidence on the state of agribusiness in these eight countries and is intended to equip policymakers with new analysis, new facts, innovative solutions and comparative insights. The Report is part of the UNIDO project Value Addition to African Industry/Agribusiness for Africa's Prosperity that was guided by the UNIDO Director General Kandeh K. Yumkella and executed by Patirck M. Kormawa, UNIDO Director for West Africa. Professor Karl Wohlmuth has worked as an International Consultant in this Project (see details about the New Project Agro-industries: http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/Agro-IndustrialDevelopment.htm and for bibliographic reference the Publications Karl Wohlmuth: http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/publikationen/pub-wohlmuth.htm)