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Trade in Services for Growth and Structural Transformation in West Africa

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Abstract

The objective of this paper is to identify the categories of services likely to foster structural transformation and economic growth in ECOWAS. This paper seeks to move beyond theoretical exercise by offering policy solutions which could streamline services trade in ECOWAS, thereby allowing it to take advantage of expansion in this sector. For this, we rely on data from ECOWAS countries between 1995 and 2015 from the UNCTAD database and WDI (2016) database. Results from a dynamic panel model show that for each ECOWAS countries there is at least one category of services that promotes structural transformation and/or economic growth. Services trade (imports and/or exports) could be a powerful tool for economic growth, structural transformation and integration if the various countries rely on the appropriate service for this purpose.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Gadrey J. (2003) Socio-économie des Services. La Découverte. Collection Repères; Gallouj C. et Djellal F. (2007), Introduction à L’économie des Services. Presses Universitaires de Grenoble. Collection « Economie en + ». France.

  2. 2.

    Employment shares are calculated using either workers number or hours worked by sector.

  3. 3.

    Typically expressed in current prices (“nominal shares”), they may also be expressed in constant prices (“real shares”).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Yaounde II, Soa, Cameroon

    Françoise Okah Efogo

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  1. Françoise Okah Efogo
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. CREPOL - Center for Research on Political Economy, Dakar, Senegal

    Diery Seck

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Okah Efogo, F. (2019). Trade in Services for Growth and Structural Transformation in West Africa. In: Seck, D. (eds) The External Sector of Africa's Economy. Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97913-7_7

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