Export Diversification and Economic Growth in sub-Saharan Africa

Louis Hodey, Abena Oduro and Bernardin Senadza ()
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Bernardin Senadza: Department of Economics, University of Ghana

Journal of African Development, 2015, vol. 17, issue 2, 83-103

Abstract: Most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have been associated with low and volatile growth performance over the years. Export diversification has been identified in the literature as growth-inducing. This study provides evidence on the relationship between export diversification and economic growth using panel data of forty-two (42) SSA countries. Employing the system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation technique and three different measures of diversification, we find that export diversification has a positive and significant effect on economic growth in SSA. Our results are robust to the measures of export diversification. The results do not however support a hump-shaped (non-linear) relationship between export diversification and economic growth in SSA. The findings have relevant implications for policy.

Keywords: Export Diversification; Economic Growth; Sub-Saharan Africa; System GMM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F13 F43 O47 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:afe:journl:v:17:y:2015:i:2:p:83-103

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