Advancing Equity in Education: Progress Towards Inclusive and Equal Access for the Vulnerable in South Africa Abieyuwa Ohonba Education Sciences, 2025 This study evaluates South Africa’s progress toward achieving SDG 4.5 by examining disparities in educational access and outcomes for vulnerable groups, including girls, children with disabilities, rural populations, and low-income households. The study recognises multidimensional inequalities and develops strategies that promote inclusive and equitable education. The quantitative approach was employed by constructing a composite Educational Equity Index (EEI) using seven indicators: gender parity in primary and lower secondary completion, location-based attainment among adults, gender parity in adult lower secondary education, disability parity in primary completion, gender parity among the poorest quintile, and wealth parity in youth literacy. These indicators were standardised and aggregated to develop the EEI. The study developed a multivariate regression model to identify the most influential parity factors affecting youth literacy outcomes. Data from UNESCO, the World Bank, and national education statistics were sourced. The findings revealed persistent inequities across gender, disability, geography, and economic status, with particularly pronounced disparities in adult participation, rural attainment, and youth literacy among poorer households. While parity in youth literacy and primary education completion has been largely achieved, inequities persist in secondary education completion and adult education. The findings further revealed that upper secondary completion had a strong positive impact on equity outcomes, whereas disparities in adult participation significantly hindered progress. This study conducted a comprehensive, data-driven examination of educational equity in South Africa. By presenting a novel index approach customised to SDG 4.5, it provided fresh insights into multidimensional inequalities and offered actionable evidence for targeted policy interventions. The study contributes to scholarship on inclusive education while highlighting practical pathways for South Africa to accelerate progress toward equity in line with global education commitments.
The Impact of Trade Liberalization on Economic Growth in South Africa Augustine Adebayo Kutu, Abieyuwa Ohonba International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 2024 The failure of the South African economy to achieve the desired economic expansion raised a serious concern to investigate the potency of trade liberalization policy adopted in the country. This is evidence in macroeconomic indices such as high level of unemployment, poverty and most importantly sluggish economic growth. It is against this back drop that this study was spurred to conduct an analysis of the impact of trade liberalization on economic growth in South Africa covering the period of 1986-2022. The mixed order of integration revealed by the unit root test informed the decision to adopt the ARDL method of estimation. The main findings of interest in this study is the existence of a strong positive relationship between trade liberalization and economic growth in South Africa. Thus, the study concludes that economic integration is healthy for the national economy and hence more liberalization policies should be strategically embrace. The study recommends that the African governments especially South Africa should further open it economic border to allow for free trade with other economies of the world.
Impact of Foreign Capital Inflow on Economic Growth in Nigeria Augustine Adebayo Kutu, Abieyuwa Ohonba Journal of Ecohumanism, 2024 The study examines the impact of foreign capital inflows on economic growth in Nigeria between 1984 to 2020. Four core channels of foreign capital inflows were adopted which consist of foreign direct investment (FDI), official development assistance (ODA), and remittances (REM) as the explanatory variables and GDP as the dependent variable. The overall finding revealed that foreign capital inflows have a long-run impact on economic growth in Nigeria except for official development aids. Specifically, the ARDL long-run result revealed that FDI and REM exert strong positive effects on GDP. This implies that FDI and REM are key factors that promote economic growth in Nigeria. Granger causality shows a uni-directional relationship running only from remittance to GDP, implying that remittance is a predictor of economic growth in Nigeria. Interestingly, a bi-directional causal effect exists between FDI and GDP (both are influencers of each other). This generally implies that international capital inflow is one major promoter of economic growth in Nigeria. Therefore, the study recommends that Nigeria should pursue workable foreign investment policies that are geared towards attracting inflows of foreign capital which is expected to help generate meaningful economic growth by improving the pace of industrialization and creation of more job opportunities for the teeming youths.
The Impact of Crude Oil Price Fluctuation on Revenue Generation in the Oil Dependent Economy: Nigeria Augustine Adebayo Kutu, Abieyuwa Ohonba International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 2024 This study explores the dynamic relationship between crude oil price volatility and revenue generation in Nigeria over a 41-year period from 1981 to 2021. It encompasses an analysis of key variables, including total revenue (REV), oil price (OPV), oil revenue (ORV), non-oil revenue (NRV), and exchange rate (EXCHR). The study employs the Auto Regressive Distributed Lags (ARDL) model to examine the long-term and short-term impacts of oil price volatility on revenue generation. This study reveals that crude oil price volatility (OPV) failed to exert strong impact on total revenue (REV) in Nigeria in the distance period. Oil revenue (ORV) exhibits a strong and positive influence on total revenue, highlighting its pivotal role in revenue generation. Non-oil revenue (NRV) also significantly contributes to total revenue, emphasizing the importance of diversifying revenue sources. Exchange rate (EXCHR) fluctuations do not significantly predict changes in total revenue. Based on the findings, policy recommendations include diversifying revenue sources, enhancing non-oil revenue collection, effective oil revenue management, promoting economic diversification, strengthening tax infrastructure, and adopting prudent budgeting practices.
Exploring the Interactions between Monetary and Macro-prudential Policies for Output Growth in South Africa Journal of Economic Cooperation and Development, 2024