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Challenges in the Era of Globalization - iaabd

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Proceed<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 12th Annual Conference © 2011 IAABD<br />

With<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> cont<strong>in</strong>ent, <strong>the</strong> distribution <strong>of</strong> FDI flows is also uneven. For example, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> early 2000s, <strong>the</strong><br />

major recipients <strong>of</strong> flows <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> region were South Africa, Morocco, Nigeria, Angola, and Algeria. They<br />

<strong>in</strong>variably accounted for half <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> total <strong>in</strong>flows to <strong>the</strong> region. The primary sector rema<strong>in</strong>s <strong>the</strong> most<br />

important dest<strong>in</strong>ation for FDI flows <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> region, account<strong>in</strong>g for more than 50% <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>flows from major<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestors to Africa over <strong>the</strong> late 1990s and early 2000 period. With<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> primary sector, oil and gas are<br />

<strong>the</strong> most important <strong>in</strong>dustries. S<strong>in</strong>ce 2000, <strong>the</strong>re has been an <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>flows <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> tertiary (service)<br />

sector and sometimes attracted more <strong>in</strong>flows than <strong>the</strong> primary sector. These patterns cont<strong>in</strong>ue today, with<br />

<strong>the</strong> top FDI dest<strong>in</strong>ations for 2008 were Nigeria (USD 20.3 billion), Angola ($15.5 billion), Egypt ($9.5<br />

billion) and South Africa ($9 billion), this is followed by Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Democratic Republic <strong>of</strong><br />

Congo (DRC) and Sudan. As ever, <strong>the</strong> most attractive countries for <strong>in</strong>vestment tend to hold significant<br />

natural resource endowments, active privatization programmes, liberalized FDI policies and vigorous<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestment promotion activities.(African Economic Outlook 2010; UNCTAD 2010)<br />

This growth <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> FDI <strong>in</strong> many African countries can compare only with <strong>the</strong> high expectations <strong>of</strong><br />

what FDI can achieve <strong>in</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> its contribution to economic and social development. The effect <strong>of</strong> FDI<br />

and its quality depend significantly on domestic policies, especially measures to develop human capital,<br />

and social, physical and <strong>in</strong>stitutional <strong>in</strong>frastructure. The recent surge <strong>of</strong> FDI <strong>in</strong>flows to <strong>the</strong> Africa region,<br />

particularly over <strong>the</strong> period 2001-2007, followed from, among o<strong>the</strong>r th<strong>in</strong>gs, a more positive climate for<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestments. These changes got support from reforms <strong>of</strong> policy frameworks for FDI, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g changes <strong>in</strong><br />

regulations related to natural resource exploitation. A number <strong>of</strong> African countries also have received<br />

commitments for <strong>in</strong>creased aid from <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational community. International donors have also <strong>of</strong>fered<br />

support to regional development <strong>in</strong>itiatives that boost <strong>in</strong>frastructure development and provide more<br />

market access, all <strong>of</strong> which contribute to FD <strong>in</strong>flows. (UNCTAD 2008)<br />

The objective <strong>of</strong> this paper is threefold; firstly, it identifies <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> human capital, among o<strong>the</strong>r factors,<br />

<strong>in</strong> determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> size <strong>of</strong> FDI. Secondly, which measure <strong>of</strong> human capital is best suited to <strong>the</strong> structure<br />

and characteristics <strong>of</strong> SSA, <strong>the</strong> target area <strong>of</strong> this research? Thirdly, <strong>the</strong> study tries to identify whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong><br />

location requirements for FDI <strong>in</strong>flows have changed over time, and <strong>in</strong> which direction.<br />

The rest <strong>of</strong> this paper is presented as follows: Section two reviews <strong>the</strong> role and determ<strong>in</strong>ants <strong>of</strong> FDI <strong>in</strong><br />

SSA; section three presents <strong>the</strong> model to be analysed, describes <strong>the</strong> data, data sources and <strong>the</strong> variables to<br />

be analysed; section four analyses <strong>the</strong> empirical results; and <strong>the</strong> conclusions are presented <strong>in</strong> section five.<br />

FDI determ<strong>in</strong>ants <strong>in</strong> Sub-Saharan Africa<br />

There is a vast literature on <strong>the</strong> factors that determ<strong>in</strong>e <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>flow <strong>of</strong> FDI <strong>in</strong>to countries, depend<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

levels <strong>of</strong> economic, social and political development. The direction <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>fluence and levels <strong>of</strong> significance<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se factors might prove decisive for countries with slow or stagnant growth <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir economic<br />

development, like those <strong>in</strong> Sub-Saharan Africa.<br />

These factors and <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>in</strong>fluence tend to change over time and with development (see for example<br />

Dunn<strong>in</strong>g 1998). Also <strong>of</strong> importance is <strong>the</strong> mode <strong>of</strong> entry <strong>of</strong> mult<strong>in</strong>ational enterprises (MNEs). This may<br />

determ<strong>in</strong>e which factors play significant roles <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> size FDI <strong>in</strong>flows, particularly as <strong>the</strong> pattern and<br />

requirements <strong>of</strong> FDI/MNEs change over time. In terms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> composition <strong>of</strong> FDI flows, <strong>the</strong>re is a<br />

grow<strong>in</strong>g body <strong>of</strong> evidence, which <strong>in</strong>dicate that, <strong>in</strong> recent years, <strong>the</strong> composition <strong>of</strong> flows is shift<strong>in</strong>g away<br />

from countries with large oil and m<strong>in</strong>eral reserves towards <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>dustrial and service sectors, such as<br />

textiles, telecommunications and bank<strong>in</strong>g. This <strong>in</strong> itself means that <strong>the</strong> factors that determ<strong>in</strong>e FDI <strong>in</strong> SSA<br />

are also chang<strong>in</strong>g, away from market and resource seek<strong>in</strong>g to a more efficiency seek<strong>in</strong>g type.<br />

FDI has grown <strong>in</strong>to a major source <strong>of</strong> capital <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> region thanks to SSA governments’ significant policy<br />

efforts. Attract<strong>in</strong>g FDI has required governments’ commitment to improv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>stitutional frameworks,<br />

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