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Natural resource revenues and public investment in resource-rich economies in sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Amin Karimu
  • George Adu
  • George Marbuah
  • Justice Tei Mensah
  • Franklin Amuakwa-Mensah

Abstract

The general policy prescription for resource-rich countries is that, for sustainable consumption, a greater percentage of the windfall from resource rents should be channelled into accumulating foreign assets such as a sovereign public fund as done in Norway and other developed but resource-rich countries. This might not be a correct policy prescription for resource-rich sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, where public capital is very low to support the needed economic growth. In such countries, rents from resources serve as opportunity to scale-up the needed public capital.

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  • Amin Karimu & George Adu & George Marbuah & Justice Tei Mensah & Franklin Amuakwa-Mensah, 2016. "Natural resource revenues and public investment in resource-rich economies in sub-Saharan Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-24, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2016-24
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    2. Rian Hilmawan & Jeremy Clark, 2021. "Resource dependence and the causes of local economic growth: An empirical investigation," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 65(3), pages 596-626, July.
    3. Oduyemi, Gabriel Olusegun & Owoeye, Taiwo & Adekoya, Oluwasegun Babatunde, 2021. "Health outcomes and the resource curse paradox: The experience of African oil-rich countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    4. Arsham Reisinezhad, 2020. "Absorption capacity and Natural Resource Curse," Working Papers halshs-03012661, HAL.
    5. Wolde-Rufael, Yemane & Mulat-Weldemeskel, Eyob, 2023. "Is natural capital a blessing or a curse for capital accumulation in low income countries?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    6. Chen, Fu & Xu, Jie & Zhang, Weiwei & Wei, Bowen & Li, Tingting, 2023. "Capital formation and natural resources extraction: A source of sustainable development or a curse for the economy?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    7. Peres-Cajías, José & Torregrosa-Hetland, Sara & Ducoing, Cristián, 2022. "Resource abundance and public finances in five peripheral economies, 1850s–1930s," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    8. Taner Turan & Halit Yanıkkaya, 2020. "Natural resource rents and capital accumulation nexus: do resource rents raise public human and physical capital expenditures?," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 22(3), pages 449-466, July.
    9. Elwasila Saeed Elamin Mohamed, 2020. "Resource Rents, Human Development and Economic Growth in Sudan," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-21, November.

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