ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Religious Diversity through the Life Trajectories of Northern Migrants in Madina, Accra

The MIASA Working Paper series serves to disseminate the research results of work in progress prior to publication in order to encourage the exchange of ideas and academic debate. The series aims to publish research findings from the work of the MIASA Interdisciplinary Fellow Groups (IFGs) and other MIASA fellows in an open-access manner. Inclusion of a paper in the MIASA Working Paper Series does not constitute publication and should not limit publication in any other venue. Copyright remains with the authors

Source: UG
Religious Homogamy Affects the Connections of Personality and Marriage Qualities to Unforgiving Motives: Implications for Couple Therapy

In Ghana, collectivism holds people together in marital relationships, even if partners are religiously different. Married partners still hurt, betray, or offend each other and might develop avoidance or vengeful (i.e., unforgiving) motives. We investigated whether religious homogamy moderated connections of personality and marriage variables to unforgiving motives. Heterosexual married couples (N = 176 heterosexual married couples; N = 352 individuals; mean marriage duration 10.89 years) participated. Most identified as Christian (83.5% males; 82.3% females) or Muslim (11.9% males; 14.3% females). Couple religious homogamy was related directly to lower unforgiving motives. Religious homogamy did not moderate the connection between some personality variables (i.e., agreeableness and trait forgivingness) and unforgiving motives. Religiously unmatched couples tended to have greater unforgiveness at higher levels of neuroticism and lower forbearing, marital satisfaction, and marital commitment relative to religiously matched couples. One implication is that couple therapists need to assess partner neuroticism, marriage climate (i.e., satisfaction and commitment), and the general tendency to forbear when offended. Those can combine to produce unforgiving relationships, which might make progress in couple therapy improbable.

Source: UG
Religious Organisations’ Role In Conflict And Peacebuilding In West Africa: A Case Study Of The Catholic Church

Wars, armed conflict, and instability continue to plague Africa, causing human misery and impeding progress across most of the continent. Consequently, preventing and eliminating violent conflict has become a top priority. This study therefore sought to examine religious organisations’ roles in conflict and peacebuilding in West Africa using the Catholic Church as a case study. The study employed a qualitative research approach of data collection and analysis. Ten key informants with at least ten years of experience working on religious, conflict resolution, and peace-building initiatives were purposively sampled. Interviews were conducted with the key informants where thematic analysis was performed for data triangulation and corroboration of qualitative findings. The study found that interfaith tensions suffocate peace throughout the West African Sub-Region as they serve as a conduit for ethnic disputes, mostly between Muslims and Christians. Also, the study found that the Catholic Church adopts a variety of approaches towards conflict resolution and peacebuilding through anticipatory and reconciliatory strategies, which include dialogue meetings, education, and advocacy in conjunction with civil society organisations, strategic meetings with eminent statesmen, mediation, reconciliation, the use of surveillance reports as a basis for dialogue, information dissemination via radio, and the use of Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to mediate disagreements. Furthermore, the study found that the effectiveness of religious organizations’ conflict management initiatives within the Catholic Church is the result of institutional structure, resource allocation, capacity investment, reputation gained over the years, and the mainstreaming of peacebuilding and conflict resolution approaches as part of its routine programmes.

Source: UG
Remittances in Ghana: Origin, destination and issues of measurement

Few studies on remittances have focused on sub-Saharan Africa. This paper analyses a nationwide survey of 5,998 households to determine the characteristics of both internal and overseas remittances in Ghana. Particular attention is paid to the poverty-alleviation potential of remittances. Furthermore, this study uses a smaller scale pilot project with a matched sample of senders and receivers of remittances to identify some problems with using household-level surveys to assess the volume and impact of overseas remittances, and offers some suggestions as to how to handle these problems. The paper estimates that foreign remittances may be three times as large as Bank of Ghana estimates, bringing Ghana on par with large remittance receiving countries such as the Philippines and Mexico. The paper concludes that while foreign remittances are larger in value, locally sent remittances reach poorer segments of the population. Both foreign and local remittances are unevenly geographically distributed, being received more in the centre and southern regions than in northern Ghana where the poorest regions are. The paper argues a need to study multiplier effects of foreign remittances, as these can be large and eventually accrue to rural populations. © 2008 IOM.

Source: UG
Remittances, Banks and Stock Markets: Panel Evidence from Developing Countries

The study investigates dynamic and causal linkages among international remittance inflows, banking sector development and stock market development in a large panel of developing countries. We use two stage least squares and impulse response functions to shed light on the remittance-bank-stock market nexus. We find that remittances promote banking sector development in low remittance receiving countries, but not in high remittance receiving economies. We establish a bi-causal negative link between stock markets and remittances in countries with developed banking systems. In low remittance recipient countries, remittances decrease stock market development; however, in remittance dependent countries, remittances promote stock market development. Again, stock market development promotes remittance inflows in remittance dependent countries, while obstructing it in low remittance recipient countries. We suspect lingering doubts about the quality of developing country stock markets to be behind this latter result, though the fact that most developing countries’ financial systems are bank based could also play a role.

Source: UG
Remittances, ICT and pension income coverage: The international evidence

This study examines the impact of remittances and information and communication technology (ICT) on pension at the country level. Our empirical evidence, based on data from 96 countries, indicate a significant non-linearity between remittances, ICT and pension income coverage. First, we find a convex relation between remittances and pension income coverage, indicating that increases in remittance, initially decreases pension income coverage, but as remittance increases beyond a certain point, so too does pension income coverage. This inflection point, where the effect of remittances turns from negative to positive, is estimated to be around 3.09% of GDP. Second, we document a concave relationship between ICT (i.e. mobile subscription and internet penetration) and pension income coverage. An increase in ICT results in increased pension income coverage. However, when ICT reaches a certain point, any further increase is associated with lower pension income coverage. The estimated optimal point is found to be around 140.14 subscriptions (per 100 people) for mobile phone and 27.93 (per 100 people) for internet penetration, respectively. Other implications are discussed.

Source: UG
Remote Sensing Application for Land Use/Cover Change Studies in the Lower Volta Basin of Ghana

Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) techniques, involving the interpretation of available aerial photographs, SPOT-XS and Landsat — TM images were used to assess the pattern of land use change downstream of the Lower Volta Basin lying within a 5km corridor on either bank along a 95-km stretch downstream from the Kpong dam. The results indicate that the volume of water which was available seasonally in the lagoons, streams and tidal creeks in the study area have reduced considerably. This has led to a reduction in the area under swamp, mangrove and the predominant grassland vegetation. In spite of the large scale out-migration of the population from the area, there is increased agricultural activity involving the planting of both exotic and local tree species. The results demonstrate that Remote Sensing and GIS procedures offer potential tools for understanding the land use/cover change processes in the environment of the Lower Volta basin

Source: UG
Removal of inclusions from solar grade silicon using electromagnetic field

The characteristics of the top-cut solar grade silicon (SoG-Si) scraps produced from SoG-Si ingots were investigated using optical microscope observation, SEM-EDS analysis and automatic inclusion scanning (ASPEX). Particles of SiC and Si3N4 are the main non-metallic inclusions in the SoG silicon top-cut scrap. The deeper into the scrap from the surface, the less and smaller inclusions are found. A laboratory-scale electromagnetic purification unit was used to melt the silicon scraps and remove inclusions from the melt. The experimental results indicated that the electromagnetic (EM) field efficiently pushed the non-metallic particles and less-conductive metallic impurity elements to the boundary layer.

Source: UG
Removal of iron from aluminum: A review

In this paper, the Fe-rich phases in and their detrimental effect on aluminum alloys are summarized. The existence of brittle platelet β-Fe-rich phases lowers the mechanical properties of aluminum alloys. The methods to neutralize the detrimental effect of iron are discussed. The use of high cooling rate, solution heat treatment, and addition of elements such as Mn, Cr, Be, Co, Mo, Ni, V, W, Cu, Sr, or the rare earth elements Y, Nd, La, and Ce are reported to modify the platelet Fe-rich phases in aluminum alloys. The mechanism of the modification is briefly described. Technologies to remove iron from aluminum are reviewed extensively. The precipitation and removal of Fe-rich phases (sludge) are discussed. The dense phases can be removed by methods such as gravitational separation, electromagnetic (EM) separation, and centrifuge. Other methods include electrolysis, electro-slag refining, fractional solidification, and fluxing refining. The expensive three-layer cell electrolysis process is the most successful technique to remove iron from aluminum so far.

Source: UG
Removing barriers to library development in Ghana

The topic, - "Removing Barriers to Library Development in Ghana," presupposes that there are some barriers to library development in the country. And indeed, there are barriers. Fortunately for me, some of the barriers are in the sub-themes for this Congress. This makes my work easier, because specialists in these areas are going to dilate on these issues. All the same, I shall touch on a few of the barriers that have not been highlighted in the sub-themes and then attempt to provide ways of removing the barriers.

Source: UG
The Renaming of the Library School in Ghana – Any Lessons for Administrators?

Die study examines the implications of the name change of the Ghana library school from the Department of Library and Archival Studies to the Department of Information Studies, University of Ghana. It also explores the relationship between the name change and the sudden increase in enrolment of students in the department. A cross-sectional survey approach was used to elicit information from some fourth year (level 400) Information Studies students of the 2006-2007 graduating year An in-depth interview was also conducted with the Head of Department who initiated the name change. This was to find out the reasons why the change in name was recommended, the challenges encountered in soliciting this change and finally, with the benefit of hindsight, whether the change has been worthwhile. Findings from the study showed that the students were attracted to the Department by its name, and, they were anticipating studying computer-related courses. This perception has many implications for administrators of the Department. The study recommends, among others, a review of the curriculum and strengthening of the human and technical resources of the department.

Source: UG
Rendition of Proper Names in Translation: Transcription or Transliteration?

All human languages have complex history with individual words. Speakers of any given language will often have occasion to self-consciously utilize another language’s terms within their speech. The paper deals with rendition of proper names in the process of translation. Our examples include personal first names, surnames, as well as general words which cause difficulties in the process of translation. In fact, the incorporation of foreign words into a language, has significant differences in terms of the different types of words, and different languages in different socio-political circumstances. We analyze this phenomenon in order to find out whether transliteration or transcription should be used in the process of translation. The transliteration system must be able to indicate graphical peculiarities that occur in translation process. It should be noted that many languages don’t have traditions of using their own script to represent foreign language words, but rather only represent these words phonetically. An international standard has evolved for precise phonetic transcription that goes by the abbreviation IPA, or International Phonetic Alphabet. Representing sound with scripts leaves room for disagreement as to the best representation in any given context. Each language is characterized by diverse spoken practices based upon regional location and social class. Thus, any phonetic scheme must be capable of representing the full spectrum of sounds possible in all variations. Any transcription scheme cannot possibly represent the language in general, but rather can only represent a specific dialect of the language at a specific time period. We came to conclusion that written sources are overall inconsistent in the degree to which they employ systematic transliteration or transcription schemes. With this regard, we consider three broad tendencies: inconsistency, term-based consistency, systematic consistency.

Source: UG
Renewable electricity and sustainable development goals in the EU

Renewable energy (RE) has a strong synergy with some of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), thus its successful deployment can potentially result in an impact on these SDGs. In this study, we examine the synergy effect of renewable electricity on selected SDGs via the electricity prices for the European Union (EU) countries. Using panel data and a two-step estimation approach, our findings indicate a strong synergy effect between renewable electricity prices, SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) and SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth). The results further reveal that SDG 12 (responsible production and consumption) accounts for most of the future renewable electricity price variation (excluding selfeffect), whereas future variation in SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) and SDG 13 (climate action) are explained mostly by SDG 8 and SDG 12, respectively

Source: UG
Renewable electricity generation target setting in developing countries: Modeling, policy, and analysis

Many countries have set renewable energy targets in their electricity supply mix to encourage investments in re newable energy technologies. In developing countries, however, many of such targets are either abandoned or fall far short of the target date, primarily due to issues of financing, cost of electricity, and level of unmet demand. This paper presents a Generation Expansion Planning model that can be used to assess such issues when setting a renewable electricity generation target. In particular, the model can be used by developing countries to set re newable electricity generation targets that are in line with their financial ability and thus, stand a higher chance of being achieved. Additionally, the analysis offered can inform developing countries of the cost and benefits of a renewable electricity generation target policy. The usefulness of the model is demonstrated using Ghana as a case. The results indicate that Ghana will need a budget of not less than 1% of its GDP for generation capacity in vestment if it desires to achieve its 10% renewable electricity generation target by 2030 while keeping unmet de mand at reasonable levels. If Ghana however enforces the target at its current capacity investment levels, it risks raising unmet demand levels by an average of 4% per year and cost of electricity provision by about US$224 mil lion annually between 2019 and 2030 when compared to the absence of a renewable electricity generation target.

Source: UG
Renewable energy consumption in Africa: Evidence froma bias corrected dynamic panel

Our study investigates the determinants of renewable energy consumption in Sub-Sahara Africa. We explore the driving factors of renewable energy consumption in the context of carbon intensity for 32 Sub-Saharan African countries from1990 to 2015. Using carbon emission intensity to identify group-specific heterogeneity,we recognize carbon-efficient and least carbon-efficient countries in the region. By relying on the corrected least squares dummy variable estimator (LSDVC), we provide evidence on the driving factors of renewable energy consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently, the findings point to varying degrees of impact on renewable energy consumption inthe region. For instance,we observe advancement intechnology, quality of governance, economic progress, biomass consumption, and climatic conditions influence renewable energy consumption. With a common occurrence across all groups, the implications indicate environmental, socio-economic, and climatic factors playing an important role in renewable energy consumption. The study further shows that urbanization and economic globalization depress efforts towards renewable energy consumption. Apart from these common factors, other controlling variables including; GDP per capita, environmental awareness, and biomass affect each group differently.We conclude that, policy implications can be drawn from common factors towards harmonization of clean energymarkets and developing a policy mix that combines environmental, economic, and social factors in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.

Source: UG
Rent-seeking resource and institutional challenges in Ghana’s nascent oil economy

Purpose – The paper aims to assess the institutional readiness of Ghana prior to and after the production of her first oil. The paper also assesses the influence of politics in directing the appropriate use of the oil rents in facilitating the developmental needs of the country. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a literature review of the main theories regarding national politics and institutional policies in explaining the economic demise of a country due to a natural resource find. It also uses the natural resource find in Norway as a case study, drawing lessons from the effectiveness of Norway’s institutional policies in harnessing maximum benefits from their oil find and how developing nations such as Ghana can do same. Findings – The paper establishes that Ghana’s institutional architecture as regards the production of oil and gas is fraught with inadequacies on all fronts as regards regulations, regulators and the needed logistics. Additionally, the paper also highlights the role of Ghana’s political elite in perpetuating these institutional inadequacies. Originality/value – The paper highlights the insufficiencies in the institutional readiness for Ghana’s oil find and brings to the fore the influence of Ghana’s politics in contributing to these inadequacies.

Source: UG
Reorienting research investments toward under-researched crops for sustainable food systems

The dominance of a few staple crops (maize, rice, and wheat) in most agricultural systems hampers the application of interventions to improve food security and nu trition. Research and development attention has focused on improving the pro duction and utilization of these crops, leaving other crops under-researched and underutilized. Subsequently, there have been high malnutrition rates due to poor diet diversity, yet there are “opportunity crops” that remain under researched. The opportunity crops can unlock solutions to food insecurity, malnutrition, a lack of biodiversity, and indeed poor climate adaptation. The study explored diversifica tion in agricultural systems to analyze whether reorientation of research invest ment to include under-researched crops can increase nutrient gain and enhance dietary diversity. Research outputs benchmarked as the number of publications from three leading African universities, Nairobi, Pretoria, and Ghana, were related to crop diversity and nutrition of crops in five clusters: cereals, vegetables, leg umes, roots and tubers, and nuts. The findings show that maize was the predomi nantly researched crop across the three institutions. Low research outputs were observed for pearl millet, finger millet, and yam across the three institutions: ama ranth and nightshade (Pretoria), sweet potatoes (Pretoria and Ghana), Marama bean (Nairobi), and soya bean (Nairobi and Ghana). There was nutrient gain across all five clusters, particularly from under-researched indigenous crops such as finger millet, amaranth, nightshade, yam, sweet potatoes, Marama bean, and soybean. Nutrient gain was contributed more by cereals and root and tuber crops from Pretoria, vegetables and nuts (Ghana), as well as legumes (Nairobi). The find ings demonstrate that incorporating research on the least researched crops with successful integration of other research and development initiatives (policy and dissemination) can increase nutrition and improve dietary diversity. The nutrient gain will positively affect food security and nutrition, contributing to the achieve ment of Africa Agenda 2063, the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals,and reducing food imports. The findings can inform research investment and decision across different institutions within the African continent. Research in vestment targeting crops such as finger millet, amaranthus, sweet potatoes, soya beans, and cashew nuts is needed considering the nutritional contribution, cli mate change adaptability, market potential, and biodiversity contribution. Further analysis should explore production, socio-economic (marketability and income generation), and environmental gains (adaptive ability to climate change) for spe cific crops. The development of frameworks to guide the analysis of the nature and scope of factors affecting the contribution of these crops to food security and nutri tion, as well as research on specific crops considering geographic distribution and institutional involvement, is also needed.

Source: UG