Pub Date : 2020-06-30DOI: 10.1177/0975087820924177
O. Ojo
Joseph Yinka Fashagba, Ola-Rotimi Matthew Ajayi and Chiedo Nwankwor, The Nigerian National Assembly, Springer International Publishing, 2019, 198 pp., €83.19 (Hardcover), $67.40 (eBook-PDF), $67.40 (eBook-EPUB), ISBN 978-3-030-11904-1, ISBN 978-3-030-11905-8.
Joseph Yinka Fashagba、Ola Rotimi Matthew Ajayi和Chiedo Nwankwor，《尼日利亚国民大会》，斯普林格国际出版，2019年，198页，83.19欧元（硬封面），67.40美元（电子书PDF），67.40美元（电子书EPUB），ISBN 978-3-030-11904-1，ISBN 978-3-030-11905-8。
{"title":"Book review: Joseph Yinka Fashagba, Ola-Rotimi Matthew Ajayi and Chiedo Nwankwor, The Nigerian National Assembly","authors":"O. Ojo","doi":"10.1177/0975087820924177","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0975087820924177","url":null,"abstract":"Joseph Yinka Fashagba, Ola-Rotimi Matthew Ajayi and Chiedo Nwankwor, The Nigerian National Assembly, Springer International Publishing, 2019, 198 pp., €83.19 (Hardcover), $67.40 (eBook-PDF), $67.40 (eBook-EPUB), ISBN 978-3-030-11904-1, ISBN 978-3-030-11905-8.","PeriodicalId":42199,"journal":{"name":"Insight on Africa","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2020-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0975087820924177","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43033050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-06-19DOI: 10.1177/0975087819891538
M. T. Yalew, Guo Changgang
This article analyses the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its implications for landlocked Ethiopia. Primary and secondary data sources are used to solicit viable information. The BRI is aimed to enhance policy coordination, financial integration, promote trade and investment, cultural exchanges and people-to-people relations across a wide geographical area involving Asia, Europe and Africa. The BRI is the next step in China’s global strategy after the reform and opening-up period, and it is important for job creation, infrastructural development, trade and investment and other related developments for landlocked least developing countries such as Ethiopia. For instance, the construction of the early BRI project of Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway has reduced transport costs and shortened the transport time from 3 days to 10 hours. Besides, the establishment of the East African Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at Djibouti by the Chinese government to facilitate trade in the region. Cumulatively, the BRI contributes to the growth of trade and investment opportunities for landlocked Ethiopia in terms of financing, infrastructure development and regional integration.
{"title":"China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’: Implication for Land Locked Ethiopia","authors":"M. T. Yalew, Guo Changgang","doi":"10.1177/0975087819891538","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0975087819891538","url":null,"abstract":"This article analyses the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its implications for landlocked Ethiopia. Primary and secondary data sources are used to solicit viable information. The BRI is aimed to enhance policy coordination, financial integration, promote trade and investment, cultural exchanges and people-to-people relations across a wide geographical area involving Asia, Europe and Africa. The BRI is the next step in China’s global strategy after the reform and opening-up period, and it is important for job creation, infrastructural development, trade and investment and other related developments for landlocked least developing countries such as Ethiopia. For instance, the construction of the early BRI project of Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway has reduced transport costs and shortened the transport time from 3 days to 10 hours. Besides, the establishment of the East African Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at Djibouti by the Chinese government to facilitate trade in the region. Cumulatively, the BRI contributes to the growth of trade and investment opportunities for landlocked Ethiopia in terms of financing, infrastructure development and regional integration.","PeriodicalId":42199,"journal":{"name":"Insight on Africa","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2020-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0975087819891538","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49172019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-06-12DOI: 10.1177/0975087820923991
Aleksi Ylönen
Historically, China maintained relations with faraway lands. These links included the intercontinental Silk Road and maritime trade routes, which connected China with other continents, including the eastern shores of Africa. However, apart from the exchange of goods, these routes also had a globalising effect through the spread of cultural influences, technology, ideologies and philosophical thought. Following its new push into Africa in the 1990s, China sought to rebuild these connections and has gone further to exert its influence through the Belt and Road Initiative. This article analyses China’s renewed interest in Africa, which increasingly ties the continent to the Indian Ocean economic area. It also reflects on some of the economic effects of Chinese involvement on the continent. The article shows that China initially sought to ensure access to strategic resources but has later moved to safeguard its growing involvement by establishing a physical and increasingly permanent presence in the territories of its key partners. While maintaining a selection of these partners at the core of its Africa policy, the Chinese economic engagement will continue to bring further economic benefits for the collaborating elites and their states. However, ensuring sustained growth and economic equality requires China’s key partners to engage in sound economic planning, policies and management.
{"title":"The Dragon and the Horn: Reflections on China–Africa Strategic Relations","authors":"Aleksi Ylönen","doi":"10.1177/0975087820923991","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0975087820923991","url":null,"abstract":"Historically, China maintained relations with faraway lands. These links included the intercontinental Silk Road and maritime trade routes, which connected China with other continents, including the eastern shores of Africa. However, apart from the exchange of goods, these routes also had a globalising effect through the spread of cultural influences, technology, ideologies and philosophical thought. Following its new push into Africa in the 1990s, China sought to rebuild these connections and has gone further to exert its influence through the Belt and Road Initiative. This article analyses China’s renewed interest in Africa, which increasingly ties the continent to the Indian Ocean economic area. It also reflects on some of the economic effects of Chinese involvement on the continent. The article shows that China initially sought to ensure access to strategic resources but has later moved to safeguard its growing involvement by establishing a physical and increasingly permanent presence in the territories of its key partners. While maintaining a selection of these partners at the core of its Africa policy, the Chinese economic engagement will continue to bring further economic benefits for the collaborating elites and their states. However, ensuring sustained growth and economic equality requires China’s key partners to engage in sound economic planning, policies and management.","PeriodicalId":42199,"journal":{"name":"Insight on Africa","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2020-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0975087820923991","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44884231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-06-03DOI: 10.1177/0975087820923995
Akorkor Kehinde Awoonor, J. Forson
Studies on perception in both development studies and international relations have shown that most nations have mutual perceptions predicated on and influenced by either fact, biases or stereotypes, or a combination of other identifiable qualitative variables. In this study, we explore and demonstrate that African perceptions differ from country to country and are well influenced by factors such as the country of origin, the knowledge base and orientation towards China. The connection between Africa and China is long etched in history (206 bce to 220 ce) evidenced by a series of cultural and trade exchanges between China and Egypt, and long since antiquated in historical records by the Chinese traveller, Du Huan, of the Tang Dynasty. With a combination of primary and secondary data collected via social survey using google forms with questionnaires administered to participants of 10 and 6 tertiary institutions in Ghana and Togo, respectively, and bolstered with documentary evidence, we find that there are no singular overarching African perceptions of China, as the African continent is a 55-state region with diverse conflicting political, economic and sociocultural proclivities. The study further observed that compared to Togolese, more Ghanaians perceive China to be a goodwill partner predicated on its involvement on public health emergencies of international concerns (PHEIC) and influence on national economies through debt reliefs and other form of assistance.
{"title":"African Perceptions of Trade Partners: A Ghanaian and Togolese Perspective of Sino-African Relations","authors":"Akorkor Kehinde Awoonor, J. Forson","doi":"10.1177/0975087820923995","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0975087820923995","url":null,"abstract":"Studies on perception in both development studies and international relations have shown that most nations have mutual perceptions predicated on and influenced by either fact, biases or stereotypes, or a combination of other identifiable qualitative variables. In this study, we explore and demonstrate that African perceptions differ from country to country and are well influenced by factors such as the country of origin, the knowledge base and orientation towards China. The connection between Africa and China is long etched in history (206 bce to 220 ce) evidenced by a series of cultural and trade exchanges between China and Egypt, and long since antiquated in historical records by the Chinese traveller, Du Huan, of the Tang Dynasty. With a combination of primary and secondary data collected via social survey using google forms with questionnaires administered to participants of 10 and 6 tertiary institutions in Ghana and Togo, respectively, and bolstered with documentary evidence, we find that there are no singular overarching African perceptions of China, as the African continent is a 55-state region with diverse conflicting political, economic and sociocultural proclivities. The study further observed that compared to Togolese, more Ghanaians perceive China to be a goodwill partner predicated on its involvement on public health emergencies of international concerns (PHEIC) and influence on national economies through debt reliefs and other form of assistance.","PeriodicalId":42199,"journal":{"name":"Insight on Africa","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2020-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0975087820923995","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48733983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-06-03DOI: 10.1177/0975087820909333
Mpho Rakhare, T. Coetzee
The article acknowledges that Lesotho governance has been characterised by unstable democracy since its attainment of independence in 1966, which makes civil society and other democratic institutions unable to pursue their roles as expected. The proposed solution to overcome predicaments that Lesotho faces was to have active and vibrant democratic institutions such as civil societies, ombudsman, political parties, independent media, independent electoral commissions and the legislative, executive and judiciary. The article aims to bridge the gap by examining published literature and documentary review, which clearly elucidate how good governance can be achieved in a democratic country with the help of active democratic institutions. The article highlights the importance of active and vibrant civil society in governance and public policy. The article concludes by justifying that in deed the government of Lesotho should accept and allow participation of civil society so as to be able to realise its contribution and the important role played by it. Also, civil society in Lesotho must distance themselves from suspicions that they are political parties in disguise.
{"title":"The Impact of Civil Society on Governance in Lesotho","authors":"Mpho Rakhare, T. Coetzee","doi":"10.1177/0975087820909333","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0975087820909333","url":null,"abstract":"The article acknowledges that Lesotho governance has been characterised by unstable democracy since its attainment of independence in 1966, which makes civil society and other democratic institutions unable to pursue their roles as expected. The proposed solution to overcome predicaments that Lesotho faces was to have active and vibrant democratic institutions such as civil societies, ombudsman, political parties, independent media, independent electoral commissions and the legislative, executive and judiciary. The article aims to bridge the gap by examining published literature and documentary review, which clearly elucidate how good governance can be achieved in a democratic country with the help of active democratic institutions. The article highlights the importance of active and vibrant civil society in governance and public policy. The article concludes by justifying that in deed the government of Lesotho should accept and allow participation of civil society so as to be able to realise its contribution and the important role played by it. Also, civil society in Lesotho must distance themselves from suspicions that they are political parties in disguise.","PeriodicalId":42199,"journal":{"name":"Insight on Africa","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2020-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0975087820909333","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48114231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-04-06DOI: 10.1177/0975087819898582
C. Kumar, Nalin Bharti
India and Africa have experienced the rapid expansion of bilateral trade during the last two decades. The India–Africa trade is understudied in general and in the agriculture sector. Very few considerable efforts have been made to study the agro-trade restrictions between both the economies. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the recent evidence of non-tariff measures (NTMs) imposed on the agro-products between India and Africa, which also work as non-tariff barriers. It is perceived that India being one of the frequent users of NTMs in the world poses many challenges for its trading partners. Based on the Revealed Trade Barrier (RTB) index, using 28 agro-products (HS-4 digit level), this paper assesses bilateral agro-trade barriers. The frequency index (Fi) and coverage ratio (Cr) were used to analyse the complex nature of NTMs. The study findings show that both trading partners imposed a wide range of NTMs on each other’s agro-products, which resulted in the discriminatory effects on trade. Comparatively, India has imposed the lesser number of NTMs on Africa’s agro-products. Despite the recent bilateral trade agreements between both the economies, trade barriers were frequently noticed. The paper suggests applying strategic trade policies and reduction of NTMs along with harmonisation of standards to flourish the bilateral agro-trade.
{"title":"Why NTM is a Challenge in Trade Relations? Evidence from India–Africa Agricultural Trade","authors":"C. Kumar, Nalin Bharti","doi":"10.1177/0975087819898582","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0975087819898582","url":null,"abstract":"India and Africa have experienced the rapid expansion of bilateral trade during the last two decades. The India–Africa trade is understudied in general and in the agriculture sector. Very few considerable efforts have been made to study the agro-trade restrictions between both the economies. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the recent evidence of non-tariff measures (NTMs) imposed on the agro-products between India and Africa, which also work as non-tariff barriers. It is perceived that India being one of the frequent users of NTMs in the world poses many challenges for its trading partners. Based on the Revealed Trade Barrier (RTB) index, using 28 agro-products (HS-4 digit level), this paper assesses bilateral agro-trade barriers. The frequency index (Fi) and coverage ratio (Cr) were used to analyse the complex nature of NTMs. The study findings show that both trading partners imposed a wide range of NTMs on each other’s agro-products, which resulted in the discriminatory effects on trade. Comparatively, India has imposed the lesser number of NTMs on Africa’s agro-products. Despite the recent bilateral trade agreements between both the economies, trade barriers were frequently noticed. The paper suggests applying strategic trade policies and reduction of NTMs along with harmonisation of standards to flourish the bilateral agro-trade.","PeriodicalId":42199,"journal":{"name":"Insight on Africa","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2020-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0975087819898582","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47490322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-01-01DOI: 10.1177/0975087819899342
Yayew Genet Chekol
This paper aimed at investigating the rationalities, Challenges and prospects of Africa Union institutional reforms agendas. The paper has been analysed by using the documentary source of data. The institutional reforms of the African Union (AU) have gained significant prominence in recent years within the framework of promoting regional integration and strengthening the African collective action. Africa has witnessed significant changes over the past two decades on several fronts, which has made reforming the AU more urgent than ever before. The main attention of the institutional reform is its focus on key priorities with continental scope, realign AU institutions to deliver against those priorities, manage the AU efficiently at both political and operational levels and finance the AU ourselves and sustainably. However, having these focus areas with prospects, challenges facing the institutional reform agenda are prevailed and needs homogenous intervention amongst member State for real implementation of the AU reform.
{"title":"African Union Institutional Reform: Rationales, Challenges and Prospects","authors":"Yayew Genet Chekol","doi":"10.1177/0975087819899342","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0975087819899342","url":null,"abstract":"This paper aimed at investigating the rationalities, Challenges and prospects of Africa Union institutional reforms agendas. The paper has been analysed by using the documentary source of data. The institutional reforms of the African Union (AU) have gained significant prominence in recent years within the framework of promoting regional integration and strengthening the African collective action. Africa has witnessed significant changes over the past two decades on several fronts, which has made reforming the AU more urgent than ever before. The main attention of the institutional reform is its focus on key priorities with continental scope, realign AU institutions to deliver against those priorities, manage the AU efficiently at both political and operational levels and finance the AU ourselves and sustainably. However, having these focus areas with prospects, challenges facing the institutional reform agenda are prevailed and needs homogenous intervention amongst member State for real implementation of the AU reform.","PeriodicalId":42199,"journal":{"name":"Insight on Africa","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0975087819899342","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47424451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-01-01DOI: 10.1177/0975087819899511
Jashobanta Pan
Tsega Etafa, The Origins of Ethnic Conflict in Africa: Politics and Violence in Darfur, Oromia, and the Tana Delta, African Histories and Modernities. Switzerland AG: Springer Nature, 2019, p. 271, Hardback, ISBN: 978-3-030-10539-6.
{"title":"Book review: Tsega Etafa, The Origins of Ethnic Conflict in Africa: Politics and Violence in Darfur, Oromia, and the Tana Delta, African Histories and Modernities","authors":"Jashobanta Pan","doi":"10.1177/0975087819899511","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0975087819899511","url":null,"abstract":"Tsega Etafa, The Origins of Ethnic Conflict in Africa: Politics and Violence in Darfur, Oromia, and the Tana Delta, African Histories and Modernities. Switzerland AG: Springer Nature, 2019, p. 271, Hardback, ISBN: 978-3-030-10539-6.","PeriodicalId":42199,"journal":{"name":"Insight on Africa","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0975087819899511","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49475034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-01-01DOI: 10.1177/0975087819848914
F. abdullah
This article discusses the application of the resource mobilisation theory (RMT) to clarify the activities of certain key socio-political movements in Egypt. It contends that the political movements in Egypt have utilised social networking sites (SNSs) as a tool for mobilising people and co-ordinating anti-regime activities. It deals with certain political groups prior to and throughout the revolution in Egypt, which played significant roles in recent political changes taking place in the country. This work confirmed that SNSs have become a crucial resource for political groups to bringing about collective and co-ordinated actions. Thus, the article elucidates the importance of RMT in the context of socio-political movements in Egypt and their subsequent influence by looking at the utilisation of social media throughout political uprisings in the country. As per the RMT, the SNSs could be used as a resource for promoting and succeeding anti-government political groups, which subsequently ended the regime.
{"title":"Revolution in Egypt: Political Movements and Mobilisation of Resources","authors":"F. abdullah","doi":"10.1177/0975087819848914","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0975087819848914","url":null,"abstract":"This article discusses the application of the resource mobilisation theory (RMT) to clarify the activities of certain key socio-political movements in Egypt. It contends that the political movements in Egypt have utilised social networking sites (SNSs) as a tool for mobilising people and co-ordinating anti-regime activities. It deals with certain political groups prior to and throughout the revolution in Egypt, which played significant roles in recent political changes taking place in the country. This work confirmed that SNSs have become a crucial resource for political groups to bringing about collective and co-ordinated actions. Thus, the article elucidates the importance of RMT in the context of socio-political movements in Egypt and their subsequent influence by looking at the utilisation of social media throughout political uprisings in the country. As per the RMT, the SNSs could be used as a resource for promoting and succeeding anti-government political groups, which subsequently ended the regime.","PeriodicalId":42199,"journal":{"name":"Insight on Africa","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0975087819848914","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47958585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：