Productivity effects of higher education human capital in selected countries of Sub-Saharan Africa

Koye Gerry Bokana and Gbenga Wilfred Akinola ()
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Koye Gerry Bokana: School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, College of Law and Management Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, Durban, South Africa
Gbenga Wilfred Akinola: School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, College of Law and Management Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, Durban, South Africa

Zbornik radova Ekonomskog fakulteta u Rijeci/Proceedings of Rijeka Faculty of Economics, 2017, vol. 35, issue 1, 173-198

Abstract: This study aimed to analyse the productivity effects of higher education enrolment (HEE), higher education output (HEO) and the associated productivity gap (GP) on selected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the period between 1981 and 2014. It was hypothesized in the study that HEE and HEO had statistically significant positive impact on productivity in the selected sub-Saharan Africa countries over the stated period. Fixed effect Least Square Dummy Variable (LSDV) and a robust version of System Generalized Methods of Moment (SYSGMM) were adopted as model estimating techniques. Results from the LSDV model indicated that HEE had no statistically significant positive impact on productivity growth in the twenty-one SSA countries. This non-significance was corrected in the dynamic model, but with negative effects on the growth rate of total factor productivity (TFP). The study further compared the worldwide technological frontier with those of the SSA countries under investigation and discovered that countries like Gabon, Mauritius and Swaziland ranked high, while Burundi needs to improve on its productivity determinants. The major conclusion of this study is therefore that higher education human capital should be supported with strong policy implementation, as this can have a positive impact on productivity growth.

Keywords: total factor productivity; Sub-Saharan Africa; human capital; higher education output; higher education enrolment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C50 I23 I29 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:rfe:zbefri:v:35:y:2017:i:1:p:173-198

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