Highlights

• A new spatial pattern of soil organic carbon and soil pH for the cocoa districts and agroecological zones of Ghana.

• Unsuitably low cocoa soil organic and strong acidity.

• A loss of soil organic carbon in a pattern that reflects historic boom-bust cycle of cocoa hot and cold spots transitions.

• Homogeneity of soil organic carbon is moderate within a longer range than soil pH.

This article estimates the effect of financial development on electricity consumption for economies with above and below mean human capital index in 45 African countries. The study applied the simultaneous system GMM estimator (adjusted for cross-sectional dependence) and the Aiken and West slope difference test. We performed further robustness checks, such as sample sensitivity analysis to address potential outlier problem. The result showed that the total effect of financial development on electricity consumption is negative, but the direct and indirect effects are different.

The growth-induced effects of financial development have been well-established in the empirical literature, as well as the significance of financial development to energy demand behavior. However, the empirical evidence on the relationship between financial development and energy intensity remains sparse in the literature. Given the multifaceted nature of the effects of financial development, the proposed relationship seems a complex one and warrants an empirical investigation.

Highlights

• Most African fisheries operate under governance systems with open access incentives.

• African fisheries are scoring lower than the global averages in the three sustainability pillars.

• The largest performance gaps between African fisheries

Abstract