Skip to main content

Introduction and Overview

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Rwandan Economy at the Crossroads of Development

Part of the book series: Frontiers in African Business Research ((FABR))

  • 322 Accesses

Abstract

At the heart of Rwanda’s capital sits the Kigali Convention Centre, a $300m monument that lights up the night with the national colours of blue, yellow and green. It symbolizes modernity and prosperity in a country that has bounced back from a genocide in 1994 when perhaps 500,000 people, mostly Tutsis, were killed. As impressive as the skyline are Rwanda’s economic statistics. In the past decade the economy has expanded by 8% a year. The share of people classified as poor has fallen by seven percentage points since 2011, to 38% in 2017,The Economist (August 17, 2019).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2019/06/25/rwanda-economic-update.

  2. 2.

    https://www.afdb.org/en/countries/east-africa/rwanda/rwanda-economic-outlook.

  3. 3.

    https://www.afdb.org/en/countries/east-africa/rwanda/rwanda-economic-outlook.

  4. 4.

    https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2019/06/25/rwanda-economic-update.

  5. 5.

    Michael Kremer is one of the three recipients of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2019.

  6. 6.

    https://atlas.cid.harvard.edu/explore?country=187&product=undefined&year=2017&productClass-HS&target=Product&partner=undefined&startYear=undefined.

References

  • Acemoglu, D., & Robinson, J. (2012). Why nations fail. USA: Crown Business.

    Google Scholar 

  • Achtenhagen, L., & Brundin, E. (Eds.). (2016). Entrepreneurship and SME management across Africa: Context, challenges, cases. Singapore: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aghion, P., & Howitt, P. (2009). The economics of growth. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • AfDB. (2017). Africa economic outlook 2017: Entrepreneurship and industrialization. Abidjan: African Development Bank Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • AfDB (2019). Africa economic outlook 2019. Macroeconomic performance and prospects. Jobs, growth, and firm dynamism.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barro, R. J. (1997). Determinants of growth: A cross country empirical study. Cambridge MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barro, R. J., & Sala-i-Martin, X. (2004). Economic growth (2nd ed.). Cambridge MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bardhan, P. (November 4, 2019). Development economics after the Nobel Prize. Retrieved November 5, 2019, from https://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2019/11/development-economics-after-the-nobel-prize.html.

  • Basu, K. (2001). On the goals of development. In G. Meier & J. Stiglitz (Eds.), Frontiers of development economics: The future in perspective. Washington, DC: The World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharyya, S. (2009). Root causes of African under development. Journal of African Economies, 18(5), 745–780.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Binns, T., Dixon, A., & Nel, E. (2012). Africa: Diversity and development. London: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, G. (2007). A farewell to alms: A brief economic history of the world. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Chitonge, H. (2014). Economic growth and development in Africa: Understanding trends and prospects. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collier, P. (2007). The bottom billion: Why the poorest countries are failing and what can be done about it. New York, USA: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collier, P. (2009). Wars, guns, and votes: Democracy in dangerous places. New York, USA: Harper Collins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Das, G. G. (2012) Globalization, socio-institutional factors and North-South knowledge diffusion: Role of India and China as southern growth progenitors. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, 79(4), 620–637.

    Google Scholar 

  • Das, G. G. (2015). Why some countries are slow in acquiring new technologies? A model of trade-led diffusion and absorption. Journal of Policy Modeling, 37(1), 65–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Das, G. G., & Drine, I. (forthcoming, 2020). Distance from the technology frontier: How could Africa catch-up via socio-institutional factors and human capital? Technological Forecasting and Social Change. Elsevier, 150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.119755.

  • Deaton, A., & Cartwright, N. (2018). Understanding and misunderstanding randomized controlled trials. Social Science and Medicine, 210, 2–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deaton, A. (2019). Randomization in the tropics revisited: A theme and eleven variations. In Forthcoming in F. Bédécarrats, I. Guérin, & R. François (Eds.), Randomized controlled trials in the field of development: A critical perspective (pp. 1–25). Oxford University Press. https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/deaton/files/deaton_randomization_revisited_v2_2019_01.pdf.

  • Drine, I., Nabi, M. S., & Aissa, M. S. B. (2013). Financial openness and technology catch-up: Empirical evidence from the mediterranean basin. Review of Market Integration, 5(1), 43–69. https://doi.org/10.1177/0974929213496503.

  • Duflo, E. (2017). The economist as plumber. Richard T. Ely Lecture. American Economic Review, B.107(5), 1–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fofack, H. (2014). The idea of economic development: Views from Africa. WIDER working paper 2014/093.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fosu, A. K. (2012). The African economic growth record, and the roles of policy syndromes and governance. In A. Noman, K. Botchwey, H. Stein, & J. Stiglitz (Eds.), Good growth and governance in Africa: Rethinking development strategies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fosu, A. (2013). Country role models for development success: The Ghana case. In A. Fosu (Ed.), Achieving development success. Strategies and lessons from the developing world (pp. 265–283). UK: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fosu, A. K. (2015). Growth and institutions in African development. In K. Augustin (Ed.), Growth and institutions in African development ( Chapter 1, pp. 1–17). New York: Routledge Studies in Development Economics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frazer, G., & Van Biesebroeck, J. (2019). The extent of engagement in global value chains by firms in Rwanda (English). Policy Research working paper; no. WPS 8979. Washington, DC: The World Bank Group. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/617871565698066427/The-Extent-of-Engagement-in-Global-Value-Chains-by-Firms-in-Rwanda.

  • Galor, O. (2012). Unified growth theory. NJ, USA: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ggombe, K., & Newfarmer, R. (2017). Rwanda: From devastation to services-first transformation. WIDER working paper 2017/84. Helsinki: UNU-WIDER.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hausmann, R., & Chauvin, J. (2015). Moving to the adjacent possible: Discovering paths for export diversification in Rwanda. http://www.tinyurl.com/y5xbtsp7.

  • Heshmati, A. (Ed.). (2017). Studies on economic development and growth in selected African countries. Singapore: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heshmati, A., Maasoumi, E., & Wan, G. (Eds.). (2015). Poverty reduction policies and practices in developing Asia. Singapore: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hickey, S., Lavers, T., Seekings, J., & Niño-Zarazúa, M. (2019). The politics of social protection in Eastern and Southern Africa. UK: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Islam, N. (1995). Growth empirics: A panel data approach. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 110(4), 1127–1170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, O. E. G. (2016). Economic diversification and growth in Africa: Critical policy making issues. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lavers, T. (2016). Understanding elite commitment to social protection. Rwanda’s Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme. UNU-WIDER working paper 2016/093. Forthcoming in Hickey et al. (eds.) 2019 See above.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, A. (1954). Economic development with an unlimited supply of labour. The Manchester School, 22, 139–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, A. (1955). Theory of economic growth. Milton Park: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, J., & Monga, C. (2011). Growth identification and facilitation: The role of the state in the dynamics of structural change. Development Policy Review, 29(3), 264–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nayyar, D. (2013). Catch up: Developing countries in the world economy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Nayyar, D. (2019). Resurgent Asia: Diversity in development. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Nweze, C. (August 2018). The unprecedented economic growth and development of Rwanda. Policy Brief. Institute for Politics and Society. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from www.politikaspolecnost.cz.

  • Ndulu, B. J., O’Connell, S. A., Bates, R. H., Collier, P., & Soludo, C. C. (Eds.). (2008). Political economy of growth in Africa, 1960–2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2018). Beyond GDP: Measuring what counts for economic and social performance. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okonjo-Iwela, N. (2014). Reforming the unreformable. Lessons from Nigeria. MA, Cambridge, USA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pritchett, L., Sen, K., & Werker, E. (2017). Deals and development: The political dynamics of growth episodes. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ramirez-Pacillias, M., Brundin, E., & Markowska, M. (2017). Contextualizing entrepreneurship in emerging economies and developing countries. London: Edward Elgar.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, S. G. (2013). Randomise this! On poor economics. Review of Agrarian Studies, 2(2). http://www.ras.org.in/randomise_this_on_poor_economics.

  • Robson, P., & Lury, D. A. (2011). The economies of Africa. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodrik, D. (2005). Growth strategies. Handbook of Economic Growth, 1(1), 967–1014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrik, D. (2008). One economics, many recipes: Globalization, institutions and economic growth. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Rusuhuzwa, T. K. (2012). Rwanda: Leadership for economic growth and development. In E. Aryeetey, S. Devarajan, R. Kanbur, & L. Kasekende (Eds.), (2012). The Oxford companion to the economics of Africa. New York, USA: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen, A. (1988). The concept of development. In H. Chenery, & T. N. Srinivasan (Eds.), Handbook of development economics (Vol. 1). North Holland: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A. (1755). Lecture in 1755, quoted in Dugald Stewart, Account of the life and writings of Adam Smith LLD, Section IV, 25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiglitz, J. (1998). An agenda for development in the twenty-first century. In B. Pleskovic & J. E. Stiglitz (Eds.), Annual World Bank Conference on Development Economics 1997. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiglitz, J., & Lin, J. (Eds.). (2013). The industrial policy revolution I: The role of government beyond ideology. Palgrave Macmillan: New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiglitz, J., Lin, J., Monga, C., & Patel, E. (2013). Industrial policy in the African context. Policy research working paper 6633. Washington, DC: The World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tausch, A., & Heshmati, A. (2012). Globalization, the human condition and sustainable development in the 21st century: Cross-national perspectives and European implications. London: Anthem Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • The Economist (August 17, 2019). The devil in the details. https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2019/08/15/has-rwanda-been-fiddling-its-numbers.

  • UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). (2013). Making the most of Africa’s commodities: Industrializing for growth, jobs and economic transformation. Addis Ababa: UNECA.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (2011). Improving the odds of achieving the MDGs: Heterogeneity, gaps and challenges. Global monitoring report 2011. Washington, DC: World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Young, A. (2005). The gift of the dying: The tragedy of AIDS and the welfare of future African generation. Quarterly Journal of Economics, CXX, 2, 423–466.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gouranga G. Das .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Das, G.G., Johnson, R.B. (2020). Introduction and Overview. In: Das, G., Johnson, R. (eds) Rwandan Economy at the Crossroads of Development. Frontiers in African Business Research. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5046-1_1

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics