Can West African countries catch up with Nigeria? Evidence from smooth nonlinearity method in fractional unit root framework

West African countries have long promoted economic integration and income convergence. In recent trends, Nigeria has recorded the highest GDP per capita, and its neighbouring countries are yet to catch up with this economic growth. The paper examines the convergence of West African countries to catc...

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Main Authors: Yaya, OlaOluwa S., Pui, Kiew Ling, Furuoka, Fumitaka, Rose Ezeoke, Chinyere Mary, Jacob, Ray Ikechukwu
Format: Article
Published: Elsevier 2019
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Online Access:http://eprints.um.edu.my/23111/
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inteco.2019.02.004
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author Yaya, OlaOluwa S.
Pui, Kiew Ling
Furuoka, Fumitaka
Rose Ezeoke, Chinyere Mary
Jacob, Ray Ikechukwu
author_facet Yaya, OlaOluwa S.
Pui, Kiew Ling
Furuoka, Fumitaka
Rose Ezeoke, Chinyere Mary
Jacob, Ray Ikechukwu
author_sort Yaya, OlaOluwa S.
building UM Library
collection Institutional Repository
content_provider Universiti Malaya
content_source UM Research Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
description West African countries have long promoted economic integration and income convergence. In recent trends, Nigeria has recorded the highest GDP per capita, and its neighbouring countries are yet to catch up with this economic growth. The paper examines the convergence of West African countries to catch up with Nigeria in terms of real per capita income. For the estimation, the paper employs fractional unit root approach to model simultaneously smooth breaks by means of flexible Fourier function in time. This approach is novel and has not been widely applied in the study of economic convergence across countries. The findings show that, while there is evidence of economic convergence and catching up in West Africa, only Ghana is likely to catch up with Nigeria in the region. As a policy recommendation, the West African countries should strengthen their human resource capacities through acquisition of relevant skills and technology transfers. This would promote income convergence and equitable economic growth. © 2019 CEPII (Centre d'Etudes Prospectives et d'Informations Internationales), a center for research and expertise on the world economy
format Article
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institution Universiti Malaya
publishDate 2019
publisher Elsevier
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spelling my.um.eprints-231112019-11-27T04:47:54Z http://eprints.um.edu.my/23111/ Can West African countries catch up with Nigeria? Evidence from smooth nonlinearity method in fractional unit root framework Yaya, OlaOluwa S. Pui, Kiew Ling Furuoka, Fumitaka Rose Ezeoke, Chinyere Mary Jacob, Ray Ikechukwu HC Economic History and Conditions West African countries have long promoted economic integration and income convergence. In recent trends, Nigeria has recorded the highest GDP per capita, and its neighbouring countries are yet to catch up with this economic growth. The paper examines the convergence of West African countries to catch up with Nigeria in terms of real per capita income. For the estimation, the paper employs fractional unit root approach to model simultaneously smooth breaks by means of flexible Fourier function in time. This approach is novel and has not been widely applied in the study of economic convergence across countries. The findings show that, while there is evidence of economic convergence and catching up in West Africa, only Ghana is likely to catch up with Nigeria in the region. As a policy recommendation, the West African countries should strengthen their human resource capacities through acquisition of relevant skills and technology transfers. This would promote income convergence and equitable economic growth. © 2019 CEPII (Centre d'Etudes Prospectives et d'Informations Internationales), a center for research and expertise on the world economy Elsevier 2019 Article PeerReviewed Yaya, OlaOluwa S. and Pui, Kiew Ling and Furuoka, Fumitaka and Rose Ezeoke, Chinyere Mary and Jacob, Ray Ikechukwu (2019) Can West African countries catch up with Nigeria? Evidence from smooth nonlinearity method in fractional unit root framework. International Economics, 158. pp. 51-63. ISSN 2110-7017, DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inteco.2019.02.004 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inteco.2019.02.004>. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inteco.2019.02.004 doi:10.1016/j.inteco.2019.02.004
spellingShingle HC Economic History and Conditions
Yaya, OlaOluwa S.
Pui, Kiew Ling
Furuoka, Fumitaka
Rose Ezeoke, Chinyere Mary
Jacob, Ray Ikechukwu
Can West African countries catch up with Nigeria? Evidence from smooth nonlinearity method in fractional unit root framework
title Can West African countries catch up with Nigeria? Evidence from smooth nonlinearity method in fractional unit root framework
title_full Can West African countries catch up with Nigeria? Evidence from smooth nonlinearity method in fractional unit root framework
title_fullStr Can West African countries catch up with Nigeria? Evidence from smooth nonlinearity method in fractional unit root framework
title_full_unstemmed Can West African countries catch up with Nigeria? Evidence from smooth nonlinearity method in fractional unit root framework
title_short Can West African countries catch up with Nigeria? Evidence from smooth nonlinearity method in fractional unit root framework
title_sort can west african countries catch up with nigeria? evidence from smooth nonlinearity method in fractional unit root framework
topic HC Economic History and Conditions
url http://eprints.um.edu.my/23111/
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inteco.2019.02.004
url_provider http://eprints.um.edu.my/