Infrastructure and Economic Development in Africa: A Review

We survey the theoretical literature on infrastructure and growth. Then review the empirical evidence globally and within the region. Overall we can conclude that the question is not whether infrastructure matters but precisely how much it matters in different contexts? Ultimately, this is an empirical question that the literature has not yet resolved satisfactorily. Judging by the number of papers that have investigated whether infrastructure matters, we conclude that considerable resources have been expended in the pursuit of this marginally important issue, way beyond what could be the value added from totally resolving the issue. In contrast, the crucial issue—understanding policymaking processes in infrastructure—remains little understood and largely under-researched.