From mines and wells to well-built minds : turning Sub-Saharan Africa's natural resource wealth into human capital

de la Brière,Bénédicte; Filmer,Deon P.; Ringold,Dena; Rohner,Dominic Patrick; Samuda,Karelle Ann Yakini; Denisova,Anastasiya

From mines and wells to well-built minds : turning Sub-Saharan Africa's natural resource wealth into human capital (English)

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa's natural resource-rich countries have poor human development. Children in these countries are more likely to die before their first birthday, more likely to be stunted, and less likely to attend school than children in other countries... See More + Sub-Saharan Africa's natural resource-rich countries have poor human development. Children in these countries are more likely to die before their first birthday, more likely to be stunted, and less likely to attend school than children in other countries with similar income. Despite the current price downturn, extractives will remain an important part of Sub-Saharan Africa's growth story—using resource rents wisely remains a long term challenge.Governments must choose how to allocate resource rents between spending, investing in human or physical capital, or investing in global financial assets. The return to investing in physical and human capital will be high in countries where the capital stock is low. Moreover, higher levels of human capital make investments in physical capital more productive, which suggests that the optimal portfolio will involve investing in both. Human capital should be prioritized in many of Sub-Saharan Africa’s resource-rich countries because of the low starting point. Investing effectively in human capital is hard because it involves delivering services, which means coordinating a large number of actors and activities. Three dimensions of governance are key: institutions, incentives and information. Decentralization and leveraging the private sector are entry points to reforming institutional structures. Revenues from natural resources can fund financial incentives to strengthen performance or demand. Producing information, making it available, and increasing social accountability helps citizens understand their rights and hold governments and providers accountable. Improving the quality of education and health services is central to improving human capital. Two additional areas are promising. First, early child development—mother and newborn health, and early child nutrition, care, and education—improves outcomes in childhood and later on. Second, cash transfers—either conditional or unconditional—reduce poverty, increase household investments in child education, nutrition, and health, and increase the investment in productive assets which foster further income generation. See Less -

Author de la Brière, Bénédicte; Filmer, Deon P.; Ringold, Dena; Rohner, Dominic Patrick; Samuda, Karelle Ann Yakini; Denisova, Anastasiya;
Document Date 2017/05/02 02:54:01
Document Type Publication
Report Number 114770
Volume No 1
Total Volume(s) 1
Country World;
Region The World Region;
Disclosure Date 2017/05/03 14:50:08
Disclosure Status Disclosed
Doc Name From mines and wells to well-built minds : turning Sub-Saharan Africa's natural resource wealth into human capital
Keywords
headcount poverty rate;gender gap in education;rate of return to investment;Infant and Young Child Feeding;resource-rich country;human capital;protection of human;grade ... See More +
Language English
Topics Public Finance Management; Poverty; Education; Education and Health; Health;
Historic Topics Social Development; Gender; Poverty Reduction; Macroeconomics and Economic Growth; Culture and Development; Social Protections and Labor; Rural Development;
Historic SubTopics Health Care Services Industry; Public Sector Economics; Educational Sciences; Educational Populations; Education for Development (superceded); Education For All; Public Financial Management; Public Finance Decentralization and Poverty Reduction; Inequality;
Unit Owning World Development Report (DECWD)
Series Name Directions in Development
ISBN 978-1-4648-1006-0
Digital Object Identifier 10.1596/978-1-4648-1005-3
Version Type Final

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From mines and wells to well-built minds : turning Sub-Saharan Africa's natural resource wealth into human capital (English)

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From mines and wells to well-built minds : turning Sub-Saharan Africa's natural resource wealth into human capital (English)

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