Modelling the Behaviour of Government Spending and Economic Growth in Six ECOWAS Countries (1981-2013)

Abstract

This study examined the behaviour of government spending and economic growth in six ECOWAS countries using ARDL and UVAR-based modified granger non-causality approach. Secondary data covering1981-2013 were sourced on key variables from (WDIs) 2014 edition. The result of Johansen and ARDL bound test suggests a long run equilibrium relationship be-tween government spending and economic growth in all the six countries. The result of the modified ARDL indicates that variables adjust to a long run equilibrium path after a short run deviation. The ECM coefficient is negatively signed and significant at 5 and even at 1 percent in line with a priori expectation. This provides strong support for the long run equilibrium rela-tionship. However, the speed of adjustment to long run equilibrium path varies across the six countries. The causality test result suggests that bidirectional causality exists for Gambia, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and Burkina Faso while unidirectional causality running from economic growth to government spending was found for Nigeria and Ghana. There is no support for the feedback hypothesis. Policy makers in this region are enjoined to caution on the call for fiscal consolidation but rather consider the fiscal space alternative to advance the developing econo-mies in this sub-region. The study therefore concluded that there is a cause-effect relationship between government spending among other variables and economic growth in the developing ECOWAS countries.