Professor Evans Osabuohien, one of Africa’s youngest professors of economics is emerging as one of the continent’s most renowned economists and has recently made significant contributions on diverse platforms.

One of such recent impact-making outings involved Prof Evans Osabuohien serving as the moderator on the Workshop themed Economic Development and Institutions– Perceptions and Constraints, organised by Eduardo Mondlane University (Maputo, Mozambique), University of Copenhagen (Denmark) & United Nations University-World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER). The event which held on 15th March 2022 discussed the recent engagement in the Institutional Diagnostics in Africa focusing on Mozambique. The main goal was to produce an ‘institutional diagnostic’ that allows policymakers to identify institutional weaknesses that constrain economic development, on one hand, and offer possible directions for reforms and change, on the other.

In addition to Professor Evans Osabuohien, other facilitators at the event include: Professor Finn Tarp (University of Copenhagen), Dr Leonardo Simão (Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Health,Mozambique), Dr Johnny Flentø (University of Copenhagen), and Prof. Aldo Sitoe (University of Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique).

On another platform, Professor Evans Osabuohien made a presentation titled Africa’s Development in Post-COVID-19 World: Unlocking the Roles of AfCFTA and FDI at a workshop. The workshop was themed  “Perspectives on Trade and Foreign Development Investment” and held on 8th March 2022. The workshop was jointly organised by the University of Westminster (UK) and Covenant University (Nigeria). Professor Evans Osabuohien speaking at the event emphasised that African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) & foreign direct investment (FDI) have great opportunities, including employment generation and investment which have the potential to transform the African economies. The AfCFTA is projected to establish an African single market for products and services, as well as to open up and simplify the cross-border movement of people, capital, and commerce, all of which are essential for growth. Integration, diversification and industrialisation of African economies form a critical part of the goals of AfCFTA.

The event had Professor Evans Osabuohien and Professor Augustin Fosu (Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research-ISSER, University of Ghana) as the lead speakers while Dr Serena Masino (University of Westminster) was the moderator

To sum up the impact of Professor Evans Osabuohien’s contribution in the first quarter of 2022, the following development concerns pertain to AfCFTA and FDI. That is, building a foundation for foreign direct investment (FDI) and promoting value creation and upgrading. Thus, engaging the public in a meaningful way, human development and social services can only be achieved within a well-established institutional framework that promotes accountability and enables an objective assessment of the development process.

These recent engagements built on previous endeavours in this aspect such as Opportunities amidst Adversities -What’s Next for AfCFTA?