This article analyses the gap between the deceleration of official inflation in Angola (14.56% in January 2026) and the persistence of high prices for essential goods: the Cost-of-Living Paradox. The ARIMA(0,2,2) model is submitted to external validation on the IPCN series from December 2015 to August 2026, under a declared protocol. In the recursive validation (n = 56) the mean absolute error was 0.30 percentage points and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) 1.63%, outperforming six naive benchmarks (Diebold-Mariano, p < 0.001); strictly out of sample (n = 8, information fixed in December 2025) the MAPE rises to 4.58%, with the coverage of all eight intervals and a bias of +0.52 percentage points. The cost of living in Luanda is then characterised with Numbeo unit prices (6 October 2026): the rent of a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre absorbs 152.0% of the average net salary and the budget of a family of four excluding rent amounts to 161.4% of that salary. The deceleration of inflation coexists with a price level that a single average net salary does not cover in the reference budget of a middle-income household, and independent modelling subjected to validation is useful but limited in scope.
The research analyzed the incidence of microcredit and productive credit granted by the Popular and Solidarity Financial System on the growth of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in Zone 7 of Ecuador during the period 2015-2024. A quantitative approach with a correlational typology and a non-experimental design was applied, working with longitudinal data collected from the SEPS and the INEC, structured in a balanced panel of 3 provinces observed annually. Given the reduced number of cross-sectional units, an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model was chosen over fixed- or random-effects alternatives, a decision supported by the Breusch and Pagan Lagrange Multiplier Test, transforming the variables into their logarithmic form to facilitate interpretation in terms of elasticities. The results showed a statistically significant association between solidarity financing and the growth of MSEs, with an elasticity of 0.92% for microcredit and 0.15% for productive credit, suggesting that business growth is more sensitive to microcredit, with these coefficients being supported by the fulfillment of the OLS assumptions of linearity, normality, homoscedasticity, no multicollinearity, and no autocorrelation. Based on these findings, the relevance of both credit instruments as mechanisms for driving business development in this strategic zone is highlighted.
Plant diseases represent a significant challenge for agricultural production, directly affecting plant productivity and quality. Local species of Amaranthus blitum and viridis possess high commercial potential, driven by growing demand and initiatives to combat rural poverty. However, limited diagnostic capacity and the absence of effective control methods have hindered the phytosanitary management of these crops. Between April and June 2024, field trials were conducted at the Agrijovem Cooperative in Quicombo, funded by PDCT-MESCTI, with the aim of identifying the main diseases with economic impact on the production of these species. The plants were visually inspected with a magnifying glass, photographed, and samples of the affected parts collected. Microscopic analyses at the ISPCS Biology Laboratory, combined with morphological identification keys and the Agrio Software, allowed for the identification of white rust as the most prevalent disease. This foliar disease was favored by specific climatic conditions relative humidity of 80% and an average temperature of 25 °C reaching an incidence rate exceeding 50%. The leaf spots caused by the fungus impair the appearance of the vegetables, making their commercialization unfeasible. Identifying white rust makes it possible to adopt effective control strategies, aiming to protect production and ensure the quality required by the market.
Gender equality is considered fundamental to the social, economic, and cultural development of any country. Educational systems are a basic foundation for achieving this goal. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESCTI), and consequently the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), is committed to the United Nations 2030 Agenda, specifically to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. In this context, the following question arises: What progress has been made regarding gender equality in access to higher education courses in Angola? This study aims to identify the evolution of gender parity in university admissions. To this end, a literature review and documental research were conducted, the main source being the last published Statistical Yearbooks of MESCTI (2019-2022). The main result is the evolution of the indicator's behavior, with the identification of the gender parity index and the distribution of girls across knowledge areas classified by UNESCO. This study could help, especially higher education managers, in making strategic decisions to better promote gender equality and contribute more to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. Despite the results achieved, a certain deficit of national data was noted, hindering further studies in this area. This limitation is a challenge to overcome in order to provide better strategic support in the pursuit of gender equality in and through higher education.
Unequal access to scientific knowledge constitutes one of the main barriers to human development in Angola, especially in rural communities. This study proposes the implementation and evaluation of a Community Virtual Library supported by the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a digital inclusion strategy. The research covers two rural communities, involving approximately 400 students, 40 teachers, and 20 community leaders, using two hubs per community equipped with 10–20 tablets and 5–10 e-readers, over a 15–16-month time horizon. The quasi-experimental design (intervention community vs. comparison community) will be analyzed using DiD/GLMM models, with impact targets of +40 percentage points in weekly access to digital materials; SUS ≥ 70 (usability); energy autonomy ≥ 8 hours/day; and MAU ≥ 70% by month 6. Key limitations include reliance on solar energy, intermittent LTE connectivity, and a novelty effect. The study is aligned with SDGs 4, 9, and 10, offering a replicable and sustainable model for informational inclusion.
