The study examines the long run relationship between public health expenditure and under-five mortality rate in 15 West African countries over the period of 1991-2015 with the use of panel fully modified least square (FMOLS). The empirical analysis is made up of both aggregate and disaggregated model. Based on the findings, long run relationship between per capita health expenditure and under-five mortality rate is confirmed. Further evidence indicates that public health expenditure has a significant impact on the rate of under-five mortality. Thus, it is revealed that an increase in health expenditure among West African countries would lead to a drastic reduction in infant mortality rate in the region. Furthermore, it is asserted that institutional quality, female literacy rate and immunization are central for reducing under-five mortality rate in the region. Hence, it is suggested that the quality of institutions, female literacy rate and immunizations which are often neglected in the literature should be accorded considerable priority in policy formulations. Also, governments of West African countries should increase the rate of health expenditure in their respective countries. Funding: This study received no specific financial support Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Acknowledgement: Both authors are very grateful for the comments of anonymous referees, which have significantly enhanced the quality of the paper. We specially thank the editorial team of the journal for their exceptional support and guide. The usual disclaimer applies and views are solely expressed by the authors.

A study of the property of laterite bricks stabilized with Egg Shell Ash (ESA) and Saw Dust Ash (SDA) in relation to that stabilized with cement was conducted, this was with a view to obtaining an economic replacement for cement. Laterite was stabilized using 0, 2, 4, 8 and 16% (by weight of dry soil) of a mixture of ESA and SDA. The laterite was also stabilized with 5% (by weight of dry soil) of cement to serve as control. For each of these mixes, OMC and MDD of stabilized laterite and compressive strength (qu) of bricks made from stabilized laterite were determined. The results obtained were 47% calcium oxide in ESA, 59.8% silica in SDA, optimum MDD of 1.75 kg/m 3 , OMC of 19.0% for laterite and optimum of 1.2 N/mm 2 for ash stabilized laterite bricks. The optimum results were obtained for ash content of 2 and 4%. The maximum qu obtained for cement stabilized brick was however 2.1 N/mm 2. In conclusion, SDA and ESA can be a substitute for cement in low cost housing.

It is increasingly recognized that good understanding on the corruption-related causes and remedies of the modern fiscal crisis would bolster informed decisions and key governance standards. Many of the governance weaknesses have been exacerbated by ingrained fiscal indiscipline and lack of effective bureaucratic provisions.  These concerns necessitate ongoing research efforts aimed at galvanizing the best compilation of perspectives on the role of public institutions in debt accumulation process. Hence, this study examines the long run and short run effect of corruption on public debt in Nigeria over the period of 1996 to 2017 using ARDL bound test to cointegration analysis. Empirical evidence reveals that both corruption index and control of corruption have an insignificant adverse effect on public debt in the long run, but with a significant influence in the short run. Considering the long-term implication, current anti-corruption efforts might be ineffective in enhancing strategic monitoring and sustainable fiscal standards. Nonetheless, it is emphasized that effective corruption control measures could mitigate spiralling incidence of government debt. Further findings indicate that there exists bi-directional causality between corruption index and public debt, whereas none is found between control of corruption and public debt. The study suggests that strong corruption-based control mechanisms are fundamentals to decreasing fiscal deficits and debt reduction. Overall, a significant insight distills from the study is that the goal of attaining global financial stability and fiscal sustainability through sound regulatory framework has embodied the provisions that enhance corruption-reducing measures and institutional standards to curb persistent debt accumulation.

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In the face of unusual global health crisis, governments would strive to foster right conditions through maintenance of broad-based macro-economic management for businesses to thrive. However, the COVID-19 pandemic response measures have put a disproportionate burden on most economies, especially in the region with high economic vulnerabilities. Between 2020 and 2021, the outbreak of COVID-19 has not only upended normal economic and social pattern but also distorted the development trajectory in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Hence, this study reveals how lack of economic resilience weakened policymakers’ capacity to maintain an inclusive and sustainable policy approach across African countries, which has accentuated underdevelopment and unemployment crisis. Through the conceptual coverage of the economic impact of COVID-19 policy measures in the SSA region, the adverse effect of the pandemic on employment is further confirmed. The effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on unemployment seems to have outweighed the resulting morbidity and fatality. Furthermore, the impact of COVID-19 policy responses on unemployment was found to be pervasive in key SSA economies like Nigeria and South Africa. This has led to entrenched social crisis and pandemic-induced economic challenges in the region. It is therefore suggested that maintaining appropriate policy measures is critical to offsetting the structural characteristics that have given rise to unemployment crisis in the region. In addition, with the support of international organizations, the use of COVID-19 vaccines with effective treatments should be encouraged across African countries.