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Foreign direct investment and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa: does environmental degradation matter?

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  • James Temitope Dada

    (Obafemi Awolowo University)

  • Taiwo Akinlo

    (Adeyemi College of Education)

Abstract

This paper investigates the threshold effect of environmental degradation on the FDI-poverty nexus in sub-Saharan Africa for the period 1986–2018. The study used panel threshold regression for the empirical analysis. The evidence from threshold regression using different measures of poverty and environmental degradation shows that the poverty reduction effect of FDI is not eroded by environmental degradation. The study found overwhelming evidence that at the higher level of environmental degradation, FDI contributes significantly to poverty reduction except when Household final consumption is used to proxy poverty and FDI produces an insignificant effect on poverty reduction at the higher level of methane emissions and nitrous oxide emission. Based on this finding, any attempts to reduce environmental degradation by reducing the inflow of FDI will worsen poverty rates in the region.

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  • James Temitope Dada & Taiwo Akinlo, 2021. "Foreign direct investment and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa: does environmental degradation matter?," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:futbus:v:7:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1186_s43093-021-00068-7
    DOI: 10.1186/s43093-021-00068-7
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    FDI; Poverty; Threshold regression; Environmental degradation; Sub-Saharan Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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