Fiscal Policy, Institutional Quality, and Sustainable Development Goals: A Perspective of Anglophone Countries in West Africa

Fiscal policies and their impact on development have received myriad reactions in recent times. The interactive role of Institutional Quality (IQ) in the fiscal policy-Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) nexus in the anglophone countries in West Africa has remained unexplored. This paper examines the nexus between fiscal policy measures and SDGs. To examine the moderating role of IQ in the fiscal policy-SDGs nexus. Using panel data from 2005–2021, the study employed the Ordinary Least Square and Robust Least Square regression techniques for estimations. Findings revealed a negative association between government revenue and SDGs. Similarly, the study found government expenditure negatively affects SDGs. On the other hand, the result showed that the rule of law negatively and significantly moderates the relationship between proxied fiscal policy measures and SDGs. Lastly, the paper discovered that regulatory quality plays a significant positive moderating role in the fiscal policy-SDGs nexus.