Is income inequality – conflicts nexus moderated by the quality of governance? Insight from sub-Saharan Africa

Purpose The aim of this study is twofold. First, the study examines the effect of income inequality on conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Second, the study unveils the role of governance in income inequality – conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Design/methodology/approach The study adopts the ordinary least square estimation technique (OLS) as the baseline model. However, given that so many panel data models exhibit some form of cross-sectional and temporal dependence, the study also adopts the Driscoll–Kraay cross-sectional and spatial-consistent covariance matrix estimator. Findings The study finds that income inequality fuels conflicts in SSA. Similarly, the results show that an increase in the quality of governance reduces conflicts. Importantly, the result shows that the quality of governance mitigates the negative effects of income inequality on conflicts in SSA. The research and policy implications are discussed. Originality/value The study examines the role governance in income inequality – conflicts nexus in SSA. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-01-2024-0055