Category: Economic Growth
Why did economists spend two decades explaining something that never happened ?
For the past two decades, mainstream economists who study African economic growth have been trying to explain something that never happened. Economists have focused almost exclusively on one question: Why has economic growth failed in Africa? You can read the motivation for my book...
Read more ›
Book Launch: Africa: Why Economists Get It Wrong
On June 4 at 6 pm I will present my latest book at SOAS in London, UK. The title is Africa: Why Economists Get It Wrong. In four chapters I deliver a critique of how mainstream macroeconomic literature has sought to explain economic growth...
Read more ›
The renaissance of African economic history
That is the promising title of the introduction to a special issue by Gareth Austin and Steven Broadberry soon to be published by Economic History Review. The special issue will be launched at the LSE 25-26 October at the African Economic History Workshop. The...
Read more ›
Five reasons why African growth is slower than the data tell you
One of the things my book Poor Numbers suggested, tadalafil was that the rise of Africa might not be as impressive as the data tells you. The African Development Bank responded by saying there was nothing to worry about: the rise of Africa was...
Read more ›
“Nigeria is not a poor country”
“Nigeria is not a poor country”, President Goodluck Jonathan declared earlier this month in response to a World Bank report which listed Nigeria among the five poorest countries in the world. The claim is wrong and misleading says Taiwo Obe, writing for Africa Check.
Towards a new history of economic growth in Africa
Is it only me who thinks it is a bit strange that the most read book on African economic growth, the Bottom Billion, focuses on explaining why African economies are stuck in chronic failure of growth - while African economies on average has been...
Read more ›
History of Capitalism and Economic Growth in Africa
I read that Chris Blattman does not recommend young academics to write book chapters. That might be good advice for some, pill but a piece of advice that I happily ignore. Particularly if you are invited to take part in prestigious projects with colleagues...
Read more ›
A history of economic growth in Africa: why measurement matters
The GDP re-basing in Nigeria again brought measurement to the center of debates on African economic development, just like it happened when Ghana re-based their GDP in 2010. There has been more commentary in mainstream media this time around - and also a fair...
Read more ›
What does Nigeria’s new GDP number actually mean?
Read my write up for African Arguments here.