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Reproducibility package for Impact of the Diaspora and Institutional Environment on FDI Inflows to the ECOWAS Region

2026
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Reference ID
RR_SSA_2026_589
Author(s)
Nadege D Yameogo, Kouakou Constant Ouattara, Cécile Bastidon
Metadata
JSON
Created on
Apr 03, 2026
Last modified
Apr 03, 2026
  • Overview
  • Reproducibility Package
  • Description
  • Scope and coverage
  • Disclaimer
  • Access and rights
  • Contacts
  • Information on metadata

    • Overview

    Abstract

    This study examines how diaspora communities affect foreign direct investment (FDI) flowing into ECOWAS countries. We use data on international migration to represent the size of the diaspora and estimate their savings using the method from Ratha and Mohapatra (2011). Our analysis covers 14 ECOWAS countries from 2005 to 2020, using system GMM and FGLS methods. The research finds that diaspora members living in Europe help bring in more FDI to their home countries, while diaspora in Asia have a smaller and sector-specific effect, helping attract FDI in extractive industries. Diaspora in North America has little impact, and migration within Africa does not significantly affect FDI. Importantly, strong home country institutions—like good governance, anti-corruption efforts, and political stability—make the positive effects of the diaspora even greater. The study also finds that former British colonies attract more FDI than former French or Portuguese colonies, likely because of stronger property rights under common law systems. Although most FDI continues to target the extractive sector, the study underscores the importance of strengthening institutions and implementing targeted policies in countries of origin. These measures can help harness the potential of diaspora networks to boost investment, particularly in sectors beyond natural resources where transformation can take place.

    Reproducibility Package

    Scripts
    Get Reproducibility Package
    File name
    RR_SSA_2026_589
    Zip package
    RR_SSA_2026_589.zip
    Title
    Reproducibility package for Impact Of The Diaspora And Institutional Environment On FDI Inflows To The Ecowas Region
    Date
    2026-03
    Dependencies
    Stata dependencies are listed in the ado folder.
    Instructions
    See README in reproducibility package.
    Notes
    Computational reproducibility verified by Development Impact (DECDI) Analytics team, World Bank.
    Source code repository
    Repository name URI
    Reproducible Research Repository (World Bank) https://reproducibility.worldbank.org
    Software
    Name
    Stata
    Version
    19.5

    Reproducibility

    Technology environment

    Paper exhibits were reproduced on a computer with the following specifications:
    • OS: Windows 11 Enterprise
    • Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 5218 CPU @ 2.30GHz, 2300 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    • Memory available: 8.15 GB
    • Software version: Stata 19.5 MP
    Technology requirements

    Runtime: 1 minute.
    Reproduction instructions

    To reproduce the findings in this paper, a replicator must:

    • Update the working directory in line 7 of the do-file Codes for regressions diaspora in the rest of the world.
    • Run the code.

    Data

    Datasets
    Name
    World Development Indicators
    Note
    Source: World Bank's World Development Indicators. The data used in this study were constructed from publicly available indicators. The following indicators were retrieved and manually compiled by the authors to produce the original dataset used in this study (stored in Data/Database ECOWAS): Indicators used: CPIA transparency, accountability, and corruption in the public sector rating (1=low to 6=high) | URL: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IQ.CPA.TRAN.XQ Total natural resources rents (% of GDP) | URL: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.TOTL.RT.ZS Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | URL: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) | URL: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.KD Labor force, total | URL: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.TOTL.IN Population ages 0-14, total | URL: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.0014.TO Population ages 65 and above, total | URL: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.65UP.TO GDP (constant 2015 US$) | URL: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD Population, total | URL: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP) | URL: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP) | URL: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.IND.MANF.ZS Services, value added (% of GDP) | URL: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.SRV.TOTL.ZS
    Access policy
    Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.
    License
    Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY 4.0)
    License URL
    https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/int/public-licenses#cc-by
    Data URL
    https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators
    Citation
    World Bank. (2023). World Development Indicators [Dataset]. World Bank. Available at https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators
    Name
    Worldwide Governance Indicators
    Note
    Source: World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators. The data used in this study were constructed from publicly available indicators. The following indicators were retrieved and manually compiled by the authors to produce the original dataset used in this study (stored in Data/Database ECOWAS): Indicators used: Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism: Percentile Rank | URL: https://databank.worldbank.org/source/worldwide-governance-indicators
    Access policy
    Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.
    License
    Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY 4.0)
    License URL
    https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/int/public-licenses#cc-by
    Data URL
    https://databank.worldbank.org/source/worldwide-governance-indicators
    Citation
    World Bank. (2023). Worldwide Governance Indicators [Dataset]. World Bank. Available at https://databank.worldbank.org/source/worldwide-governance-indicators
    Name
    International Migrant Stock 2020
    Note
    Source: UNDESA. The data used in this study were constructed from publicly available indicators. The following indicators were retrieved and manually compiled by the authors to produce the original dataset used in this study (stored in Data/Database ECOWAS): Indicators used: International Migrant Stock 2020: Destination and origin (used for diaspora size) | URL: https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/international-migrant-stock International Migrant Stock 2020: Destination and origin (used for diaspora savings estimation, Ratha & Mohapatra 2011 method) | URL: https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/international-migrant-stock
    Access policy
    Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.
    License
    Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0 IGO)
    License URL
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
    Data URL
    https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/international-migrant-stock
    Citation
    United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2023). International Migrant Stock 2020 [Dataset]. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Available at https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/international-migrant-stock
    Name
    Freedom in the World 2025: Country and Territory Ratings and Statuses, 1973-2025
    Note
    Source: Freedom House. The data used in this study were constructed from publicly available indicators. The following indicators were retrieved and manually compiled by the authors to produce the original dataset used in this study (stored in Data/Database ECOWAS): Indicators used: Political Rights and Civil Liberties scores | URL: https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world#Data
    Access policy
    Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.
    License
    Freedom House Content Permissions
    License URL
    https://freedomhouse.org/about-us/content-permissions
    Data URL
    https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world#Data
    Citation
    Freedom House. (2023). Freedom in the World 2025: Country and Territory Ratings and Statuses, 1973-2025 [Dataset]. Available at https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world#Data
    Name
    Goods and Services Trade Openness (BPM6)
    Note
    United Nations Conference on Trade and Development United United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The data used in this study were constructed from publicly available indicators. The following indicators were retrieved and manually compiled by the authors to produce the original dataset used in this study (stored in Data/Database ECOWAS): Indicators used: Sum of imports and exports - Total trade in goods (% of GDP) | URL: https://unctadstat.unctad.org/datacentre/dataviewer/US.GoodsAndServTradeOpennessBpm6 Foreign direct investment: Inward and outward flows and stock, annual — Inward flow (US$ current prices, millions) | URL: https://unctadstat.unctad.org/datacentre/dataviewer/US.FdiFlowsStock Gross domestic product: Total and per capita, current and constant (2015) prices (US$ current prices, millions) | URL: https://unctadstat.unctad.org/datacentre/dataviewer/US.GDPTotal
    Access policy
    Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.
    License
    Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO
    License URL
    https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/deed.en
    Data URL
    https://unctadstat.unctad.org/datacentre/dataviewer/US.GoodsAndServTradeOpennessBpm6
    Citation
    United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. (2023). Goods and Services Trade Openness (BPM6) [Dataset]. UNCTAD Data Hub. Available at https://unctadstat.unctad.org/datacentre/dataviewer/US.GoodsAndServTradeOpennessBpm6
    Data statement

    All data sources are publicly available and included in the reproducibility package. For more details, refer to the README file.

    Description

    Output
    Type
    Working Paper
    Title
    Impact of the Diaspora and Institutional Environment on FDI Inflows to the ECOWAS Region
    Authors
    Kouakou Constant Ouattara, Cécile Bastidon, and Nadège Désirée Yameogo
    Description
    Policy Research Working Papers (PRWP)
    Authors
    Author Affiliation Email
    Nadege D Yameogo WBG- Knowledge Bank nyameogo@ifc.org
    Kouakou Constant Ouattara University of Toulon momoouattara81@yahoo.fr
    Cécile Bastidon University of Toulon cecile.bastidon-gilles@univ-tln.fr
    Date of production

    2026-03-27

    Scope and coverage

    Geographic locations
    Location Code
    Sub-Saharan Africa SSA
    Keywords
    Diaspora Migrants Diaspora Savings Institutions Foreign Direct Investment Africa Economic Community Of West African States
    Topics
    ID Topic Parent topic ID Vocabulary Vocabulary URI
    E02 Institutions and the Macroeconomy E0 JEL Classifications
    F21 International Investment; Long-term Capital Movements F2 JEL Classifications
    O11 Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development O1 JEL Classifications

    Disclaimer

    Disclaimer

    The materials in the reproducibility packages are distributed as they were prepared by the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this event do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank, the Executive Directors of the World Bank, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the materials included in the reproducibility package.

    Access and rights

    License
    Name URI
    Modified BSD3 https://opensource.org/license/bsd-3-clause/

    Contacts

    Contacts
    Name Affiliation Email
    Nadege D Yameogo WBG- Knowledge Bank nyameogo@ifc.org
    Reproducibility WBG World Bank reproducibility@worldbank.org

    Information on metadata

    Producers
    Name Abbreviation Affiliation Role
    Reproducibility WBG DECDI World Bank - Development Impact Department Verification and preparation of metadata
    Date of Production

    2026-03-27
    Document version

    1
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