Interaction Effect of Unemployment and International Migration on Sustainable Economic Growth in West Africa

This study examined the interplay between unemployment, international migration, and sustainable economic growth in West Africa using a combination of descriptive and econometric analyses. The research utilizes annual panel data spanning 1991 to 2023, sourced from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators, covering sixteen West African countries. Econometric techniques employed include the panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (p-ARDL) model, and the Difference Generalized Method of Moments (D-GMM) The findings indicate that the interaction between unemployment and migration has a statistically significant positive effect on sustainable economic growth in the region. To mitigate unemployment challenges, West African governments should prioritize job creation through vocational training programmes and private-sector collaborations. Additionally, effective migration policies are necessary to ensure that remittances are directed toward productive investments such as small and medium-sized enterprises, infrastructure development and education.