Journal of International Economics and Finance

This study investigates the impact of digital transformation on sustainability reporting practices in Rivers State Government Ministries, Nigeria. In an era where accountability and transparency in public governance are increasingly demanded, sustainability reporting encompassing environmental, social, and economic disclosures has become a crucial mechanism for showcasing responsible public administration. However, in many developing contexts, including Rivers State, these reporting practices remain underdeveloped or inconsistently implemented. The study focuses on three key dimensions of digital transformation: ICT infrastructure, process automation, and e-government systems, and evaluates how these influence the effectiveness of sustainability reporting. The research adopted a descriptive survey design, drawing data from 138 respondents across selected ministries using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were employed to analyse the data. The findings revealed that digital transformation significantly enhances sustainability reporting practices, with ICT infrastructure having the strongest influence, followed by process automation and e-government systems. However, challenges such as inadequate digital skills, insufficient infrastructure, and lack of unified reporting frameworks were identified as limiting factors. The study concludes that digital transformation is a critical enabler of effective sustainability reporting in the public sector. It recommends the strengthening of ICT infrastructure, institutionalization of process automation, development of centralized digital reporting frameworks, capacity-building initiatives, and improved budgetary allocation for digital  governance. These efforts are necessary to improve transparency, support the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and foster trust between government and citizens in Rivers State.

Keywords: Digital Transformation, Sustainability Reporting, ICT Infrastructure, E-Government, Process Automation, Public Sector, Environmental disclosure, Social Responsibility Reporting ,Economic Performance disclosure,

Most Nigerian States’ internally generated income (IGR) cannot cover their operational costs without federal allocations. The administration of Value-Added Tax (VAT), a consumption tax, is vested in the Federal Government. This paper, therefore, examined how the over-concentration of taxing powers in the federal government affects States’ ability to expand their tax base. The research design adopted for the study was an Ex Post Facto Design. The data generated for the study is secondary, and trend and descriptive techniques were employed for the analysis. The study is guided by the theories of optimal taxation and fiscal federalism. The theory of optimal taxation assumes that the government implement tax policies that improve the well-being of the citizenry, while the theory of fiscal federalism assumes that powers and responsibilities are shared among the tiers of government. The study revealed that the taxing power to administer VAT by the Federal Government has a significant effect on the ability of States to expand their tax base, thereby limiting their ability to improve their revenue. The implication is that the States will be overburdened with debts and unable to reduce unemployment crises. To enable States to explore other alternative means of improving their revenue generation, it is recommended that true fiscal federalism should be encouraged and given the powers to collect VAT, which is a consumption tax, to the States.

Keyword: VAT Administration, States, Subnational Governments, Federal Government, Fiscal Federalism.

This study assessed how exchange rate volatility and institutional quality determined capital flight from Nigeria between 1991 and 2023. The research applied the dynamic ordinary least square estimation and the Toda-Yamamoto causality techniques. Hence, the research showed that exchange rate fluctuations impacts capital flight in the long term for Nigeria. This phenomenon is due to the empirical affirmation that increase in currency depreciation motivates more capital outflow. However, currency appreciation substantially reduces capital flight from Nigeria, since a strong currency encourages more capital retention within the economy. Also, while corruption has an insignificant effect, governance effectiveness and political violence substantially promote more capital flight, implying that weak institutions play significant role in the growth of capital flight from Nigeria. Furthermore, a substantial causal relationship between exchange rate volatility, institutional quality, and capital flight was found. Particularly, while a bidirectional nexus exist between currency depreciation and capital flight, a unidirectional impact from currency appreciation to capital flight was validated. Similarly, a unidirectional causal association exist from corruption and government effectiveness to capital flight in Nigeria. Based on this findings, the study recommended relevant policy measures to mitigate capital flight in Nigeria.

Keywords: Capital flight; Exchange rate fluctuation; Corruption; Political violence; Governance effectiveness; Nigeria.
JEL Classification: E20, F21, N17.

Most Nigerian States’ internally generated income (IGR) cannot cover their operational costs without federal allocations. The administration of Value-Added Tax (VAT), a consumption tax, is vested in the Federal Government. This paper, therefore, examined how the over-concentration of taxing powers in the federal government affects States’ ability to expand their tax base. The research design adopted for the study was an Ex Post Facto Design. The data generated for the study is secondary, and trend and descriptive techniques were employed for the analysis. The study is guided by the theories of optimal taxation and fiscal federalism. The theory of optimal taxation assumes that the government implement tax policies that improve the well-being of the citizenry, while the theory of fiscal federalism assumes that powers and responsibilities are shared among the tiers of government. The study revealed that the taxing power to administer VAT by the Federal Government has a significant effect on the ability of States to expand their tax base, thereby limiting their ability to improve their revenue. The implication is that the States will be overburdened with debts and unable to reduce unemployment crises. To enable States to explore other alternative means of improving their revenue generation, it is recommended that true fiscal federalism should be encouraged and given the powers to collect VAT, which is a consumption tax, to the States.

Keyword: VAT Administration, States, Subnational Governments, Federal Government, Fiscal Federalism.

The study investigates the connection between the currency rate and the Nigeria’s industrial sector performance. Data were obtained from the secondary sources from 1986 to 2024. It employed Kwiatkowski-Phiilips-Schmidt-Shin Ordinary Least Squares, Augmented Dickey Fuller, and the unit root test to analyze the data. The Industrial Sector Performance, being the Independent Variable was affected by the variables, namely; monetary policy rate, exchange rate, and inflation. Optimal Currency Area and Purchasing Power Parity theories anchored the theoretical framework of the study. The Causality test proved that exchange asymmetry, rate of monetary policy and inflation do not influence Industrial Sector Performance in Nigeria. However, the Modified Analysis using Ordinary Least Squares unveiled that rate of exchange instability has favorable but negligible impact on Industry Performance. Similarly, Monetary policy has negative and insignificant effect while, inflation have adverse and substantial impact on industrial performance. The study concluded that unpredictability in currency rates does not explain the variation within the industrial sector Performance in Nigeria. However, it advised amongst others, strict and regulated foreign exchange rate measures be pursued in order to pave the way for increase performance of the industries and boost economic growth.

Keywords: Industrial Sector Performance, Exchange Rate asymmetry, Monetary Policy Rate, Inflation.
JEL: F31, F41, E32,

This paper is part of this dynamic, seeking to enrich the debate on urbanization and inclusive human development by analyzing the crucial role of structural transformation. Using a panel of 45 countries for the period 2010-2022, estimates were made applying several approaches. Our results highlight three distinct regimes of inclusive human development. The level of structural transformation in each regime determines the extent to which urban influence affects equitable well-being. Consequently, these findings suggest the implementation of urban policies backed by structural transformation, tailored to the specific characteristics of each level of inclusive human development in Africa.

Keywords: Urbanization, Structural Transformation, Inclusive Human Development.
JEL Code: R23 – O14 – I30 – C33 – O55.