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The Role of Natural Resources

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Africa's Population: In Search of a Demographic Dividend

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Abstract

Africa has more resource-rich states than any region in the world, and the continent’s economic development will be driven largely by the extraction and monetization of these resources. Governments that develop their resources will extract significant rents and generate substantial fiscal revenues from resource exports. But will these revenues lead to economic growth? The experiences of many countries suggest that natural resources could be a blessing for a country, but are more likely to be a curse, with negative economic impacts, the onset of endemic corruption, increased civil strife, and even resource-driven conflict. This chapter explores the role of natural resources in Africa’s economic development and attempts to answer the question, if natural resource development can help African countries achieve a demographic dividend as their demographic structures change through to 2050.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Daniel J. Mabrey

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  1. Daniel J. Mabrey
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Correspondence to Daniel J. Mabrey .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. World Demographic & Ageing Forum (WDA Forum), St. Gallen, Switzerland

    Hans Groth

  2. Population Reference Bureau (PRB), Washington, DC, USA

    John F. May

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Mabrey, D.J. (2017). The Role of Natural Resources. In: Groth, H., May, J. (eds) Africa's Population: In Search of a Demographic Dividend. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46889-1_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46889-1_24

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-46887-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-46889-1

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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