Eric is a lecturer in Economics at LUG. Prior to his appointment, Eric worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at The University of Leicester, where he won the 2015 award for outstanding teaching. Eric’s particular interests are in poverty, household consumption, migration and remittances, financial development, and institutions.
Before his research career, Eric worked as a Principal Budget Analyst at the Ghana Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. He coordinated several development interventions including the Ghana AIDS Response Project, World Bank’s Community Based Rural Development Project, Africa Development Bank’s Urban Poverty Reduction Project and UNFPA’s Adolescent Reproductive Health Project. He is an alumnus of the Universities of Ghana (Legon) and Manchester (UK). He obtained his PhD in Economics from the University of Leicester in the UK. He has published in renowned peer-reviewed journals including Journal of Economic Studies, the Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Journal of Economic Policy Reform, South African Journal of Economics, African Development Review, and International Journal of Social Economics.
Eric is an active referee for the World Development, Journal of Economic Studies, Journal of Applied Economics, Economic Modelling, Agricultural Economics, African Development Review, South African Journal of Economics, and International Journal of Social Economics.
Refereed Journal Publications
- Akobeng, Eric (2020). ‘Harnessing Foreign Aid for the Poor: Role of Institutional Democracy.’ Journal of Economic Studies, Vol. 48 Issue 1, pp. 1-22, Emerald (doi: 10.1108/JES-05-2019-0225).
- Akobeng, Eric (2017). ‘The invisible hand of rain in spending: Effect of agricultural income on per capita expenditure in Ghana.’ South African Journal of Economics, Vol. 85 Issue 1, pp. 1-25, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (doi: 10.1111/saje.12131) .
- Akobeng, Eric (2017). ‘Safety net for agriculture: Effect of idiosyncratic income shock on remittance payments.’ International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 44 Issue 1, pp. 1-25, Emerald (doi: 10.1108/IJSE-12-2014-0271).
- Akobeng, Eric (2016). ‘Out of inequality and poverty: Evidence for the effectiveness of remittances in Sub-Saharan Africa.’ Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Vol. 60, Issue 1, pp. 207- 223, Elsevier (doi: 10.1016/j.qref.2015.10.008) .
- Akobeng, Eric (2016). ‘Growth, and institutions: A potential medicine for the poor in Sub-Saharan Africa.’ African Development Review, Vol. 28, Issue 1, pp. 1-17, Blackwell Publishing Limited (doi: 10.1111/1467-8268.12163).
- Akobeng, Eric (2016). ‘Fixed capital formation, institutions and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa.’ Journal of Economic Policy Reform, pp. 1-29 / Taylor and Francis Group (doi:10.1080/17487870.2015.1128833).
- Akobeng, Eric (2015). ‘An insight into aid and Economic performance under the structural adjustment and heavily indebted poor countries initiative: A case study of Ghana.’ International Journal of Development Research, Vol. 5, Issue 5, pp. 4507-4518 (ISSN: 2230-9926).
- Akobeng, Eric. ‘ICT, Governance and Inequality in Africa’ (With Professor Samuel Adam – GIMPA), Under Review, Journal of Technological Forecasting and Social Change. Manuscript ID: TFS-D-20-01031.
- Akobeng, Eric. ‘Harnessing Remittances for the poor: The role of institutions.’ Revision Submitted – Forthcoming, Journal of Economic Policy Reform/Taylor and Francis Group. Manuscript ID: GPRE-2020-0049R1.
- Akobeng, Eric. ‘Remittances and Consumption Expenditure under Rain-fed Agricultural Income: Micro-level Evidence from Ghana.’ Under Review, Oxford Development Studies/Taylor and Francis Group. Manuscript ID: CODS-2020-0202.
- Akobeng, Eric. ‘From income to education expenditure: A link under the weather’ Under Review, Journal of Agricultural Economics. Manuscript ID: JAE-OA-06-20-0215.
- `Age Dependency, Population, Poverty and Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa’ (With Professor William Baah Boateng – University of Ghana), Under Review, Population Studies. Manuscript ID: RPST-2021-2259.
Media Publications
1. Eric Akobeng, Ghanaweb featured “Lockdown – A Balance between Health and Socio-economic Considerations”, 29 March 2020.
2. Eric Akobeng, Modern Ghana featured “The Economic Impact of COVID-19 and Ghana’s Response”, 20 March 2020.
3. Eric Akobeng, Modern Ghana featured “Empower Unit Committees Beyond Elections”, 27 January 2020.
4. Eric Akobeng, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) news commentary featured “Expectations of the 2020 Budget Statement”, 12 November 2019.
5. Eric Akobeng, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) news commentary featured “Need for Government to Maintain Fiscal Discipline”, 3 July 2019.
6. Eric Akobeng, Modern Ghana featured “Make Town Hall Deliberations More People-Centered”, 11 April 2019.
7. Eric Akobeng, Ghana News Commentary featured “Mobile Money Revolution in Ghana”, February 18 2019.
8. Eric Akobeng, Modern Ghana featured “Ghana Beyond Aid and Infrastructural Financing”, 14 November 2018.
9. Eric Akobeng, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) news commentary featured “Ghana’s Development Plans and Implementation Challenges”, 20 September 2018.
10. Eric Akobeng, Modern Ghana featured “Explore Remittances for Ghana’s Development”, 6 September 2018.
11. Eric Akobeng, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) news commentary featured “Strengthen the Assemblies Structures for Participatory Development”, 5 September 2018.
12. Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) news commentary featured “Ghana’s Growth and the Missing Jobs”, 13 August 2018.
13. Eric Akobeng, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) news commentary featured “Protect the Banking Sector Against Crisis”, 13 August 2018
14. Eric Akobeng, Modern Ghana featured “Set Realistic Revenue Targets”, 6 August 2018.
15. Eric Akobeng, Post-publication international press release by the University of Leicester (United Kingdom) Press Office entitled “Migrant Money Puts Aid in the Shade”, 12 May 2016.
16. Eric Akobeng Ghana News Agency Featured “Set Baseline Poverty Indicators for Districts”, Press/Media Expert Comment, 8 July 2005.
17. Eric Akobeng, “Remove the Mote in Your Eyes for Development” Article published on 8 April 1996, Free Press Newspaper, Accra.
Working Papers
- ‘New technologies for mobile money, financial inclusion and economic growth in Kenya and Ghana’ (With Professor Victor Murinde and Dr Ayse Demir – Research Centre for Global Finance – SOAS University of London).
- `Exploring the Dynamics of Ageing in Africa’ (With Dr Ceu Mateus and Dr Vincent O’Sullivan (Lancaster University UK).
- `Remittances-senders motivation and welfare: Theory and evidence.'(With Dr Rui Luo – University of Leicester).
- ‘FDI, institutions and poverty’ (with Dr Priscilla Twumasi and Samiratu Wahab – University of Ghana).
