CALL FOR CHAPTER ABSTRACTS

Socioeconomic Shocks and Africa’s Development: Lessons and Policy Directions

Background

The global impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic seems to have further revealed the depth of Africa’s structural weaknesses in terms of its weak response to socioeconomic shocks and the associated supply chain and logistics complexities. In spite of the restrictions in immigration and across border trade in goods and services, the challenges posed by COVID-19 outbreak spread across national boundaries in Africa as well as within the global community. These range from food, business, sanitary, health-related complications, and threats to humanity. While the global community have continued to contend and strive for suitable means to addressing the various challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, countries in Africa have also begun to muster the lean resources to develop resilience to address complex challenges associated with the COVID-19.

Objective

The proposed edited book aims at exploring the nature and effects of non-health-related challenges as well as environmental complexities, and possible solutions to socioeconomic shocks caused by COVID-19 as well as other social, political and economic distortions. It aims to offer an in-depth understanding of the critical societal consequences of these challenges in Africa as well as macroeconomic policy space adopted by governments and non-governmental organisations to boost post-COVID-19 recovery and as well enhance a systemic process to boost the prospects for addressing social economic shocks across the continent. Therefore, the edited book is hoped to also project a culture of ownership mentality that can sustain a joint platform to yield socioeconomic emancipation for African countries. The research further provides the development of the critical understanding of the above issues across various critical sectors in African economies.

Sub-themes

The following sub-themes will guide the research:

  1. COVID-19, health sector performance and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa.
  2. Disruptive effects of COVID-19 and health challenges on the attainment of national policies and public service provisions in African countries.
  3. The socioeconomic pressures due to the effects of the crash in commodity prices on the national budgeting process in African countries.
  4. The coping strategies and the opportunity costs of the broad disruptive effects of COVID-19 on micro, small, medium enterprises (MSMEs) and informal economies in Africa.
  5. Innovative finance, remittances and similar policy tools for overcoming socioeconomic shocks
  6. Indigenous and foreign direct investments, trade and regional cooperation strategies towards absorbing socioeconomic shocks in Africa
  7. Social, economic and security complexities across Africa occasioned by socioeconomic shocks.
  8. Systemic hindrances of socioeconomic shocks on supply and value chain development in Africa.
  9. Socioeconomic shocks, agribusiness and private sector development in Africa;
  10. Socioeconomic shocks and human capital development in Africa
  11. Socioeconomic shocks, energy sector performance and economic development in Africa
  12. Paradigm Shift in educational systems in post-COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa.
  13. Social protection and shocks mitigation in African countries.
  14. Urbanisation, smart cities, infrastructure connectivity and Africa’s readiness for the post-COVID world.
  15. Climate change, environmental management and socioeconomic shocks in Africa
  16. Socioeconomic shocks and implications for ethnic diversity among vulnerable populations

In addition to the listed sub-themes, other relevant issues that are related to the broad topic are welcome.

Target Audience

Given its focus on how to tackle the socioeconomic shocks and to provide policy response for the African continent on the path of development, the book will be of immense benefits to students, academics, researchers, policymakers, international agencies both within and outside Africa. It is also germane given the topical and current nature of the issues that the book is addressing. The book will be needed in libraries, higher educational institutions, research institutes, government parastatals and international development agencies.

Mode of Submission

The edited book will be published by Globally Renowned Publisher. To this end, interested researchers and practitioners are welcomed to submit chapter proposals between 750 to 1500 words on or before August 14, 2020. The chapter proposals should clearly explain the research/socioeconomic issue, objectives, proposed methodology and anticipated results/policy relevance. The title of the proposed chapter, full name of authors, affiliations and contact information should be indicated clearly.  The chapter proposal should be emailed to [email protected] and copy [email protected][email protected]; and [email protected].

Important Timelines

August 14, 2020: Chapter Proposal Submission

August 27, 2020: Notification on Submitted Chapter Proposal

November 5, 2020: Full Chapter Submission

December 10, 2020: Review Results Returned

December 21, 2020: Final Notification to Authors

January 25, 2021: Final Chapter Submission

 

OUTCOMES

One of the outcomes of the research project was published May 2022 as COVID-19 in the African Continent: Sustainable Development and Socioeconomic Shocks Emerald Publishing Limited.

 

Brief Profile of the Editors

Evans OSABUOHIEN is a Professor of Economics, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria. Recently, he has been recognised as One of the 6 Youngest Professors in Nigeria. He is the Pioneer Chair, Centre for Economic Policy and Development Research (CEPDeR) as well as Regional Centre of Expertise, Ogun State (RCE Ogun). He is an Alexander von Humboldt Visiting Professor, Witten/Herdecke University, Germany, and a Visiting Scholar, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He has published two books and over 110 scholarly articles. He is a member of numerous Professional Associations, a reviewer and editorial board member for many journals.

Gbadebo ODULARU is affiliated with Bay Atlantic University (BAU) Socio-Economic Research Applications & Projects (SERAP), and Nexford University (NXU), Washington D. C, USA. He holds a PhD degree from the University of Sunderland, UK. He was formerly a regional policy and markets analyst at the continental Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Accra, Ghana. In addition to his great passion in advancing the frontiers of knowledge, he currently collaborates with national, continental, and international partners and governments to provide evidence-based policy and implementation tools for enhancing post-COVID-19 socio-economic recovery amongst vulnerable communities [[email protected]]

Daniel UFUA is a lecturer in the Department of Business Management and a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Research and Policy Development (CEPDeR), Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. He holds a Masters and PhD in Management Science from University of Hull, UK. His core research interest is on systems thinking and general management studies. He has a preference for the use of systemic intervention and broad stakeholder engagement as a key methodology for his research practice. He has published several research materials on international outlets, some of which were done independently and others on collaboration with his colleagues [[email protected]]

Romanus OSABOHIEN is a Lecturer in the Department of Economics and Development Studies and a Research Fellow, Centre for Economic Policy and Development Research (CEPDeR), Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria. His main research focus is on Social Security, Food Security, Agricultural and Development Economics. He has attended and presented research findings in both international and local conferences/workshops and has published peer-reviewed papers in rated journals. He is also a guest reviewer for many journals.[[email protected]]