Development Economics in Africa A Research Companion

Part I: Conceptual Foundations and Measurements of Economic Development in Africa 1. Introduction and Emerging Themes in African Development 2. Understanding and Measuring Economic Development: Rethinking Metrics through Growth with DEPTH Framework Part II: Structural Transformation, Governance, Inclusive Development and lessons from Institutions 3. Breaking the Poverty Trap: Revisiting the Big Push Theory in African Development 4. Governance, External Debt and Sustainable Development in Ghana, Kenya and Zambia 5. The Nexus of Inequality and Structural Transformation in Africa 6. Co-operatives as Instruments for Reducing Inequality in the Global South: Pathways to Inclusive and Sustainable Development 7.Why Similar Industrial Policies Produce Divergent Outcomes: Developmental Capacity and Lessons for African Countries Part III: Climate Change, Environmental Governance and Sustainable Development 8. Linking the Five Stages of Economic Development to the Environmental Kuznets Curve: Case Studies of Africa and China 9. Weathering Change: Understanding Household Shifts in the Age of Climate Crisis in Malawi 10. Liquefied Petroleum Gas Costs and Ghana’s Rural–Urban Energy Divide 11. Green Investment: Tackling Gas Flaring in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector to Reduce GHG Emissions 12. Disaster Vulnerability and the Welfare of Smallholder Farmers in Tanzania: How Innovation Matters 13. Risk-Sharing and Resilience: The Mediatory Role of Village Banking on Climate-Induced Dietary Diversity in Malawi 14. Examining Corruption Using Gated Recurrent Unit: Evidence from Africa Part IV: Digital Technology and Economic Transformation 15. The Significance of ICT Advancement and International Business in the 21st Century in Southern Africa 16. The Twin Engines of Growth: Industrialisation, Services Sector Transformation, and 21st-Century Development Paths 17. Impact of Digital Transformation on Economic Development in Africa: A Comparative Approach 18. Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation for Economic Development 19. Forging Inclusive Digital Trade Ecosystems Between Africa and the European Union Part V: Rural Development, Women’s Empowerment and Food Security 20. Sustainable Rural Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and Contextual Innovative Strategies 21. Reimagining Rural Agricultural Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa 22. Women’s Empowerment and Household Welfare in Tanzania: Pathways Through Climate-Smart Agriculture Adoption 23. Sustainable Food Production and Resource Management as Avenues for Local Food Security in Zimbabwe Part VI: Conclusion and the Road Ahead: The Future of Economic Development in Africa 24. Conclusion and the Road Ahead: The Future of Economic Development in Africa

Biography

Joseph Phiri is a distinguished Development Economist currently serving as Senior Research Fellow at the Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research and lecturing at the University of Lusaka, African Research University,  and the University of Zambia, including Alisinda Institute of Learning Research and Innovation Ltd where he is the founding Chair.

Evans Osabuohien is a Professor of Economics at Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria, and the Founding Chair of the DePECOS Institutions and Development Research Centre (DIaDeRC).

Neema Kumburu is an Associate Professor of Business Management at Moshi Co-operative University (MoCU), Tanzania, specialising in administration, policy, and human resource management.

Steve Onyeiwu is a tenured full Professor and holder of the Andrew Wells Robertson Endowed Chair in Economics at Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Fulya Ozaksoy Sonustun is an assistant professor of economics at Altinbas University, Istanbul, Turkey, whose academic expertise lies at the intersection of macroeconomics, nonlinear econometrics, energy and environmental economics, political economy, and machine learning.

TESTIMONIALS FOR THE BOOK DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS IN AFRICA

 

"Finally, the most comprehensive coverage for Africa’s development economics has arrived: Development Economics in Africa: A Research Companion. The pent-up demand, in existence for decades, has finally been met. The past and present of the African setting have authoritatively been explored, and the future ventured with confidence. This volume is a must-companion not only for researchers but indeed for all academic and policy actors alike who are truly interested in the economics of African economic development". – Professor Augustin Kwasi FOSU

 

Professor Augustin Kwasi FOSU – Professor of  Development Economics at the University of Ghana & University of Pretoria; Former Director of UNU-WIDER.

 

"Finally a textbook about Africa, by Africans, for Africans, and of course for everyone else who wants to understand Africa. Not since the 1970s and the heydey of African economics at the University of Dar-es-Salaam has such a thing been attempted. This book is a real landmark and the start of a real renaissance of social science thinking in Africa". – Professor. James A. Robinson

 

James A. Robinson – Professor of Economics and Public Policy, co – author of best seller Why Nations Fail Book, and co - recipient of the 2024 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for the works on comparative studies on prosperity between nations.

"Development Economics in Africa: A Research Companion is a timely and intellectually compelling volume that confronts one of the central paradoxes of the continent’s development—sustained economic growth without commensurate improvements in broad-based welfare. By engaging critically with Africa’s historical reliance on externally derived development paradigms, the book advances a more context-sensitive and analytically robust framework for understanding the continent’s economic trajectory. What distinguishes this volume is its emphasis on structural transformation, institutional reform, and the imperative of aligning growth with inclusive and sustainable outcomes. The contributors skilfully bridge theory and practice, drawing on diverse methodologies and rich country-level evidence to illuminate the complex interplay between governance, innovation, climate resilience, and digital transformation in shaping Africa’s development prospects. The editors are to be commended for curating a coherent and forward-looking collection that underscores the need for a developmental state, renewed policy imagination, and human-centred approaches to economic progress. This volume will serve as an indispensable resource for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to deepen their understanding of Africa’s development challenges and opportunities" - Ambassador. Professor. Royson M. Mukwena

Ambassador. Professor. Royson M. Mukwena - Professor of Local Governance Finance and Public Policy and Vice Chancellor of Mulungushi University, and formerly as Zambia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ambassador to the Holy See, Ireland, and Tanzania.

 

 

 

 

"Development Economics in Africa: A Research Companion is a timely, intellectually rigorous, and policy‑relevant synthesis of Africa’s development challenges and opportunities. Combining theory, empirical evidence, and grounded policy insight, the volume moves decisively beyond growth orthodoxies to interrogate structural transformation, institutions, technology, climate change, sustainability, geopolitics, and finance in a rapidly changing global context. It offers a compelling roadmap for understanding and shaping Africa’s development trajectory and is an indispensable resource for scholars, policymakers, and development practitioners alike." – Eric K. Ogunlelye

 

Dr. Eric Ogunleye  - Economist and Director of the African Development Institute (ADI), under the auspices of the African Development Bank Group.

 

"Development Economics in Africa: A Research Companion is a valuable contribution to the ongoing discussion on Africa’s development trajectory. By bringing together rigorous academic research and policy-relevant analysis, the volume offers a comprehensive perspective on some of the continent’s most pressing economic and social challenges, including but not limited to structural transformation, governance, inequality, debt sustainability, industrial policy, rural development, climate change, digitalisation, and resilience in the face of global shocks. From the perspective of Türkiye’s growing and diversifying partnerships with African countries, this book is particularly meaningful and stimulating. Türkiye attaches great importance to sustainable, inclusive, and mutually beneficial development cooperation with the African continent by utilizing its own experiences. In this regard, the emphasis on context-sensitive solutions, institutional capacity, human capital, regional integration, innovation and sustainable structural transformation strongly resonates with the broader objective of building resilient economies and strengthening long-term reliable partnerships. I commend the editors and contributors for bringing together this timely volume. I trust it will serve as a valuable reference for policymakers, researchers, students, diplomats, and development practitioners, and will enrich ongoing conversations on Africa’s inclusive, sustainable, and transformative development". Ambassador Hüseyin Barbaros Dicle

 

Hüseyin Barbaros Dicle - Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Zambia

"At a time when Africa’s role in the global economy is becoming more visible, this book provides a timely and multifaceted analysis of the continent's economic and developmental landscape. Moving beyond traditional GDP metrics, the volume explores a wide variety of essential topics—from the 'Growth with DEPTH' framework and debt governance to the impact of climate shocks and the role of co-operatives. By bridging theory with contemporary challenges, it offers an informative guide for scholars and practitioners seeking to understand the diverse pathways toward structural transformation and economic development in Africa." -  Professor. Murat Yülek Professor Murat Yülek - Economist, Rector of OSTİM Technical University and  author of How Nations Succeed

"This volume offers a brilliant contribution to the advanced discourse on African Economic development. It manages to gather rich appreciation for various perspectives on many of the continent's eternal challenges and possible solutions, ranging from the challenges of structural transformations, governance and the new frontiers of climate, digital and rural development, inclusive growth and governance challenges. This volume offers perspective on policy challenges of Africa’s rapid development and climate challenges; from a digital innovation and climate resilience perspective. It will benefit AERC researchers, graduate students and policy experts.

The chapters appreciate Africa's rich development and offer sophisticated and balanced approaches to enduring challenges on the continent. The book order will appreciate the rich diversity on Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence and Green Investments, combined with other interconnected issues such as Gender, Climate Adaptation and Development, as a low digital and high climate polity that will guide Africa's development over the next decades.

I appreciated reading about the book’s approach towards moving beyond the traditional models of development and engaging with different models that focus on the need for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient societies. The DEPTH framework, governance and debt sustainability, co-operatives as equality tools, and innovation’s contribution to the transformation of the agricultural sector highlight that development, as the editors argue, should be viewed beyond GDP. These concepts are substantiated by well-structured empirical chapters that would prove useful for policymakers, development practitioners, researchers, and students.

The book’s treatment of Africa’s challenges and opportunities is balanced and provides an extensive evaluation of most of these features. The book does not argue that Africa has no challenges. The book does not hide the complexity of structural constraints, vulnerability to climate change, governance deficits, or inequality, but rather provides focus on Africa’s youthful population, and the projects towards integration and innovation. The final chapters are especially valuable, as they lay the foundation for Africa’s dynamic and promising future. I would call the book balanced, responsive, and timely for the discourse around Africa’s development challenges. It provides a critical reflection on development trajectories, and an inspiring example for considering the opportunities for futures that are more inclusive and sustainable for the continent". – Ambassador. Professor. Bitange Ndemo

 

Ambassador. Professor. Bitange Ndemo - Kenya’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union and Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Nairobi

 

"This book offers a clear overview of Africa’s key development issues. I especially applaud the authors of the various chapters for covering contemporary issues, ranging from structural transformation to climate, innovation, technology, and Sino-Africa relations. These issues will likely shape Africa’s future, and this book prepares for it". – Dr. Socrates Kraido Majune

 

Dr. Socrates Kraido Majune – President of the African Finance and Economics Association and Lecturer at the University of Nairobi’s Departments of Economics and Development Studies