Natural Resources and Political Patronage in Africa: An Ethnicity Level Analysis

Sambit Bhattacharyya and Nemera Mamo

Review of Development Economics, 2026, vol. 30, issue 3, 1957-1972

Abstract: We investigate the effect of resource discoveries on ethnicity‐level political patronage in Africa using a large geospatial dataset of 254 ethnic groups in 15 countries over the period 1960–2004. We find that the first (or single first) resource discovery in a virgin ethnic homeland increases the share of cabinet posts of that ethnicity. The effect is induced by both expectations of rent and actual rent. Overall the effect is mainly driven by major mineral discoveries as opposed to oil and gas. The discovery shocks do not trigger monopoly or dominant access to power, autonomy, separatism, and exclusion. Our analysis reveals that point source resource (mineral) rents are far more potent political currency than diffuse agricultural commodity rents. Furthermore, by ranking ministries into Top and Bottom levels we find some evidence of window dressing politics. Our results survive a battery of robustness tests and controls.

Date: 2026
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