Fiscal policy effectiveness in resource-dependent economies hinges on revenue and expenditure composition, yet limited empirical attention has been devoted to the disaggregated transmission of fiscal shocks in Nigeria. This study investigates the long-run and shock effects of oil revenue, non-oil revenue, capital expenditure, and recurrent expenditure on economic growth using a Vector Error Correction Model with Generalised Impulse Response Functions and Forecast Error Variance Decomposition. Key findings reveal that oil revenue exerts a negative long-run effect on GDP, confirmed by impulse responses showing persistent and deepening GDP contraction following oil shocks. Conversely, non-oil revenue and capital expenditure exhibit positive long-run associations, with capital expenditure shocks generating the largest positive GDP response and ultimately accounting for over 56 percent of forecast error variance at the twentieth horizon. Recurrent expenditure shows no reliable growth relationship; its variance contribution declines sharply over time. Implications underscore the imperative of sterilising oil windfalls, prioritising non-oil revenue mobilisation, and insulating capital budgets from revenue volatility to enhance long-term growth outcomes in Nigeria.
This study investigates the influence of audit committee chair characteristics on earnings management (EM) among 128 non-financial companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange from 2021 to 2025. The characteristics assessed include gender (ACCGEN), race (ACCRM), financial expertise (ACCFE), multiple directorships (ACCMD), squared multiple directorships (ACCMD2), tenure (ACCTEN), and squared tenure (ACCTEN2). Both accruals earnings management (AEM) and real earnings management (REM) were employed to evaluate EM. Data sources included the Who Owns Whom and Osiris databases, as well as integrated annual reports. The fixed-effects model linear regression results indicated that ACCFE has a significant positive effect on REM, whereas ACCGEN exhibits a significant negative effect. Conversely, ACCFE demonstrated a significant negative impact on AEM, aligning with agency and social capital theories. Furthermore, the curvilinear regression analysis revealed an inverted U-shaped relationship between ACCMD and ACCMD2, showing positive effects on AEM and negative effects on REM. Additionally, ACCTEN negatively influenced AEM, while ACCTEN2 had a positive effect, suggesting a U-shaped association. In contrast, REM displayed an inverted U-shaped association, positively influenced by ACCTEN but negatively impacted by ACCTEN2. The observed U-shaped and inverted U-shaped relationships in these curvilinear data underscore the integration of the reputation and busyness hypotheses. Consequently, the results of this study indicate that no single audit committee chair characteristic is universally effective in mitigating proxies of EM.
In the post-pandemic era, enhancing student learning through innovative strategies is critical. Research has shown that formative assessment can be utilised to enhance academic success. Grounded in Assessment for Learning (AFL), Self-Regulated Learning (SRL), Expected-Value Theory, and Goal Setting Theory, this study investigates how formative assessment design and self-regulatory processes jointly shape student academic performance. Secondary data from first-year accounting students were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that formative assessment is not uniformly developmental. Also, goal setting emerges as a significant predictor of examination performance. However, no significant moderation effect is observed, suggesting that regulatory processes operate additively rather than multiplicatively. The study advances an Assessment Ecology Model, demonstrating that academic success depends on the coherence between assessment designs, self-regulation, and circular complexity. The findings provide actionable insights for assessment reform, learning analytics, and equity-oriented curriculum design in emerging higher education contexts.
What determines foreign exchange reserves has increased being a globally over the years. Essentially, Healthy foreign exchange reserves are needed for liquidity and security purposes. Sequel to this, this study examines determinants of foreign exchange reserves in South Africa. The study employed ARDL techniques over the period of 1990-2023 utilizing time series data from World Development Indicator (WDI, 2023). The findings indicate that Economic expansion typically results in higher foreign reserves, which can finance additional investment and savings, strengthening reserves and the current account. Exports have a statistically significant coefficient of −0.05 (P = 0.02). This inverse association implies that a decline in foreign exchange reserves is linked to a decline in export levels. The study recommended that the government ought to continue implementing initiatives designed to boost the export industry's competitiveness, particularly in value-added industries, to ensure a steady flow of foreign exchange. Reserve accumulation should be encouraged since policies that promote a favorable investment environment, those that provide political stability, improve infrastructure, and offer fiscal incentives can stimulate balance interest rates. This study contributes to the literature by empirically established determinants of foreign reserves in South Africa and their intricates in emancipating the economy foreign reserves.
Persons with disabilities, like all employees, should perform their duties competently to be eligible for promotions, irrespective of the type of disability or the nature of the job. This paper aims to determine whether developmental programmes exist to prepare persons with disabilities for promotion at the selected provincial departments in South Africa. The study adopted an exploratory research design and a qualitative approach. It focuses on two provincial departments in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Seventeen respondents were purposively and conveniently sampled, comprising nine individuals with disabilities and eight human resource management officials. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using an interview guide. Thematic analysis was used, and the data are presented in tables and percentages. The findings revealed that there are insufficient developmental programmes for promotion due to budgetary constraints. Persons with disabilities have never been included in developmental programmes to prepare them for promotion.
