Privatization in Africa: What has Happened? What is to be Done?

John Nellis ()

No 25, Working Papers from Center for Global Development

Abstract: Sub-Saharan African states urgently need expanded and more dynamic private sectors, more efficient and effective infrastructure/utility provision, and increased investment from both domestic and foreign sources. Privatization is one way to address these problems. But African states have generally been slow and reluctant privatizers; a good percentage of industrial/manufacturing and most infrastructure still remains in state hands. Given prevailing public hostility towards privatization, and widespread institutional weaknesses, such caution is defensible, but nonetheless very costly. The long-run and difficult solution is the creation and reinforcement of the institutions that underpin and guide proper market operations. In the interim, African governments and donors have little choice but to continue to experiment with the use of externally supplied substitutes for gaps in local regulatory and legal systems.

Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa; privatization; investment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F21 K23 L33 L50 L60 O55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 34 pages
Date: 2003-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr and nep-pbe
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

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