Globalisation in Africa: An Overview

Muthoka, Sila and Muthuri, Evan and Oginga, Jared (2015): Globalisation in Africa: An Overview.

Abstract

Globalization is a hot area in the economies of Sub-Saharan Africa, especially considering the unfavorable outcomes of the IMF and World Bank sponsored structural adjustment programs. Pan-Africanism has emerged as a political reaction to feelings that globalization is only a tool topropagate western interests in the region. We survey and compare empirical studies with a view to evaluate the validity of the argument that globalization has minimal benefit to African economies. Using surveys conducted by western as well as African researchers, the study recommends globalization to African economies because it has great benefits in terms of job creation and technical externalities. It also explores some opportunities and gaps that can be harnessed to the benefit of these economies. In this paper, a case is made for cautious and shrewd trade and fiscal policies in order to maneuver the numerous shortcomings that have been cited by other opponents of globalization and liberalization.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: globalization, global value chains, technical externalities
• Subjects: O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O2 - Development Planning and Policy > O24 - Trade Policy ; Factor Movement Policy ; Foreign Exchange Policy; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O2 - Development Planning and Policy > O25 - Industrial Policy

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