Shea trade and ict Nexus Implications for Economic Development in West Africa: The Case of Ghana

Shea trade openness measures how freely a nation can trade shea with other countries. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) innovation has become a vital force for economic growth, especially in developing nations. However, there is limited data on how the shea trade and ICT impact economic development. We examine how the shea trade and ICT adoption interact to affect economic development using data from 2003 to 2023. Our analysis with the static OLS regression model shows that both the shea trade and ICT significantly boost economic development in West Africa. Additionally, ICT adoption enhances the impact of the shea trade on economic development. Therefore, both the shea trade and ICT serve as pathways to economic growth in shea-producing countries in West Africa. The study concludes that the connection between the shea trade and ICT innovation contributes to economic development, which has important policy implications for these countries. This finding could influence the African Continental Free Trade Agreement by promoting shea trade and the development and spread of ICT innovations.