Determinants of financial development in Africa: How robust is the interactive effect of trade openness and human capital?

Muazu Ibrahim and Yakubu Awudu Sare

Economic Analysis and Policy, 2018, vol. 60, issue C, 18-26

Abstract: This study examines the determinants of financial sector development in Africa relying on data for 46 countries spanning 1980–2015 using the system generalized method of moments. More importantly, we investigate the issue of whether the interaction of trade openness and human capital can explain financial development. Our findings show that, while human capital robustly influence financial development, trade openness robustly matter more for private credit than domestic credit. The interactive terms of openness and human capital are significantly related to financial development. Evaluation of the marginal effects reveal that trade openness (human capital) has greater impact on private (domestic) credit than human capital (trade openness). Our evidence largely suggests that human capital accumulation and trade openness are substitutable in influencing financial development in Africa.

Keywords: Financial development; Trade openness; Human capital; GMM; Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G20 J19 K42 K49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (66)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecanpo:v:60:y:2018:i:c:p:18-26

DOI: 10.1016/j.eap.2018.09.002

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