Mark Opoku Amankwa
Biographic Data
| ID | 2400009 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Mark Opoku Amankwa |
| GIVEN NAMES | Mark Opoku |
| FAMILY NAME | Amankwa |
| SIGNATURE | AMANKWA M O |
| AFFILIATIONS | Edith Cowan University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-3271-7538 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 10 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 6 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 10 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Who are roads for? Welfare, rights, and the politics of road infrastructure reframing in Ghana
While infrastructure is widely acknowledged as a catalyst for economic growth and national development, its role in promoting equity, citizenship, and social justice remains underexplored. This paper interrogates the normative and policy dimensions of road infrastructure provision in Ghana by reframing it as both a government obligation and a welfare good. Using historical and policy analysis, it traces the evolution of road infrastructure from t…
Culture, Community, and Development
Using public ethnography anchored in the post‐development theory and interpretivist epistemological paradigm, this study examines what we term the ‘socio‐cultural milieus dynamics’ (SCMD) of the Solomon Islands (SI) and how these shape meaning, discourse, and practice in ways that influence Australia's aid localisation efforts and aid outcomes. The findings indicate that local communities are deeply entrenched in complex SCMD with heterogeneous n…
A bibliometric analysis of the realities of Australian international development aid efforts in the Pacific region
Rhetorics or business as usual?’ A systematic review of the realities of Australian aid localisation efforts in the Pacific region
While Australia increasingly references aid localisation in its programming, implementation remains donor-driven and structurally resistant to local agency. Comprehensive reviews capturing these realities remain scarce. This study synthesises insights from 150 articles obtained from the Web of Science Database to address this gap. Findings reveal persistent donor-driven, hierarchical approaches that marginalise local voices and hinder locally led…
Handling Socio-institutional Traps–Inertia Towards Australia’s Resilient International Development Aid Programs in the Solomon Islands
This study critically examines how donor’s aid delivery approach, entrenched socio-institutional dynamics, and the Solomon Islands’ complex political economy create persistent barriers to Australia’s aid programming. Through a desktop research approach, institutional trap–inertia theory is applied to analyze how Australia’s aid efforts and political structures perpetuate aid inertia. The study critiques both Australia’s aid delivery approach and …
Personal reflection on my fieldwork experience in a small island developing state
This practice paper is a reflexive account of my fieldwork experience in a small island developing state (SIDS). I present some of my lived experiences during the fieldwork through recollected memories of observations, fieldnotes, and personal reflections, and their implications for ethnographic fieldwork. My study explored how aid functioned on the ground in the SIDS, focusing on the interactions between local actors, aid beneficiaries, and dono…
Investigative journalism and anti-corruption
What is the public perception of investigative journalism in Africa? This article seeks to examine the public perception and challenges facing investigative journalism in Africa. It uses the case of an investigative journalist called Anas from Ghana whose works have sought to expose corruption in the country and the continent. The article adopts a mixed-method approach that relies on descriptive, quantitative research design (basic numeral) based…
Democracy and Elections amid the Covid 19 Pandemic
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected democratic processes? This paper seeks to examine the dilemma of public health crises during elections. We investigate how the pandemic and government-adopted measures to curb the spread of the virus have given room for abuse of democratic processes, especially in countries holding elections. Our study focuses on the May 2020 elections in Burundi, as it was one of the first countries to hold an election at t…
Sub-Sahara Africa and the Covid-19 Pandemic
How has Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) experienced the COVID-19 pandemic? This article seeks to examine the challenges faced by a region that was earlier expected to be the epicenter of the pandemic. The study identifies three critical stages that pose challenges for governments and development partners operating in SSA trying to avoid mass infections and the subsequent negative socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic. First, the article begins by examini…
Determinants and convergence of government effectiveness in Africa and Asia
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants and convergence of government effectiveness in African and Asian countries. Design/methodology/approach The study utilizes data from 100 countries in Africa and Asia from 2002 to 2018. The panel-corrected standard error regression is used for the regression analysis, while both beta-convergence and sigma-convergence among the countries are tested. Findings Both beta-convergence and …
Democracy and Elections amid the Covid 19 Pandemic
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected democratic processes? This paper seeks to examine the dilemma of public health crises during elections. We investigate how the pandemic and government-adopted measures to curb the spread of the virus have given room for abuse of democratic processes, especially in countries holding elections. Our study focuses on the May 2020 elections in Burundi, as it was one of the first countries to hold an election at t…
Sub-Sahara Africa and the Covid-19 Pandemic
How has Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) experienced the COVID-19 pandemic? This article seeks to examine the challenges faced by a region that was earlier expected to be the epicenter of the pandemic. The study identifies three critical stages that pose challenges for governments and development partners operating in SSA trying to avoid mass infections and the subsequent negative socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic. First, the article begins by examini…
Personal reflection on my fieldwork experience in a small island developing state
This practice paper is a reflexive account of my fieldwork experience in a small island developing state (SIDS). I present some of my lived experiences during the fieldwork through recollected memories of observations, fieldnotes, and personal reflections, and their implications for ethnographic fieldwork. My study explored how aid functioned on the ground in the SIDS, focusing on the interactions between local actors, aid beneficiaries, and dono…
Determinants and convergence of government effectiveness in Africa and Asia
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants and convergence of government effectiveness in African and Asian countries. Design/methodology/approach The study utilizes data from 100 countries in Africa and Asia from 2002 to 2018. The panel-corrected standard error regression is used for the regression analysis, while both beta-convergence and sigma-convergence among the countries are tested. Findings Both beta-convergence and …
Determinants and convergence of government effectiveness in Africa and Asia
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants and convergence of government effectiveness in African and Asian countries. Design/methodology/approach The study utilizes data from 100 countries in Africa and Asia from 2002 to 2018. The panel-corrected standard error regression is used for the regression analysis, while both beta-convergence and sigma-convergence among the countries are tested. Findings Both beta-convergence and …
Democracy and Elections amid the Covid 19 Pandemic
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected democratic processes? This paper seeks to examine the dilemma of public health crises during elections. We investigate how the pandemic and government-adopted measures to curb the spread of the virus have given room for abuse of democratic processes, especially in countries holding elections. Our study focuses on the May 2020 elections in Burundi, as it was one of the first countries to hold an election at t…
Sub-Sahara Africa and the Covid-19 Pandemic
How has Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) experienced the COVID-19 pandemic? This article seeks to examine the challenges faced by a region that was earlier expected to be the epicenter of the pandemic. The study identifies three critical stages that pose challenges for governments and development partners operating in SSA trying to avoid mass infections and the subsequent negative socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic. First, the article begins by examini…
Investigative journalism and anti-corruption
What is the public perception of investigative journalism in Africa? This article seeks to examine the public perception and challenges facing investigative journalism in Africa. It uses the case of an investigative journalist called Anas from Ghana whose works have sought to expose corruption in the country and the continent. The article adopts a mixed-method approach that relies on descriptive, quantitative research design (basic numeral) based…
Rhetorics or business as usual?’ A systematic review of the realities of Australian aid localisation efforts in the Pacific region
While Australia increasingly references aid localisation in its programming, implementation remains donor-driven and structurally resistant to local agency. Comprehensive reviews capturing these realities remain scarce. This study synthesises insights from 150 articles obtained from the Web of Science Database to address this gap. Findings reveal persistent donor-driven, hierarchical approaches that marginalise local voices and hinder locally led…
Handling Socio-institutional Traps–Inertia Towards Australia’s Resilient International Development Aid Programs in the Solomon Islands
This study critically examines how donor’s aid delivery approach, entrenched socio-institutional dynamics, and the Solomon Islands’ complex political economy create persistent barriers to Australia’s aid programming. Through a desktop research approach, institutional trap–inertia theory is applied to analyze how Australia’s aid efforts and political structures perpetuate aid inertia. The study critiques both Australia’s aid delivery approach and …
Personal reflection on my fieldwork experience in a small island developing state
This practice paper is a reflexive account of my fieldwork experience in a small island developing state (SIDS). I present some of my lived experiences during the fieldwork through recollected memories of observations, fieldnotes, and personal reflections, and their implications for ethnographic fieldwork. My study explored how aid functioned on the ground in the SIDS, focusing on the interactions between local actors, aid beneficiaries, and dono…
Who are roads for? Welfare, rights, and the politics of road infrastructure reframing in Ghana
While infrastructure is widely acknowledged as a catalyst for economic growth and national development, its role in promoting equity, citizenship, and social justice remains underexplored. This paper interrogates the normative and policy dimensions of road infrastructure provision in Ghana by reframing it as both a government obligation and a welfare good. Using historical and policy analysis, it traces the evolution of road infrastructure from t…
Culture, Community, and Development
Using public ethnography anchored in the post‐development theory and interpretivist epistemological paradigm, this study examines what we term the ‘socio‐cultural milieus dynamics’ (SCMD) of the Solomon Islands (SI) and how these shape meaning, discourse, and practice in ways that influence Australia's aid localisation efforts and aid outcomes. The findings indicate that local communities are deeply entrenched in complex SCMD with heterogeneous n…
A bibliometric analysis of the realities of Australian international development aid efforts in the Pacific region
Political science (6 works) · Development economics (4 works) · Economics (4 works) · Island Studies and Pacific Affairs (4 works) · Economic growth (3 works) · Law (3 works) · Law (3 works) · Sociology (3 works) · Climate Change, Adaptation, Migration (2 works) · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts (2 works)