Infrastructure and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: A review

Jörg Peters

No 628, Ruhr Economic Papers from RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen

Abstract: This paper reviews the book 'Infrastructure and Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa' by Antonio Estache and Quentin Wodon. The authors summarize the political debate on infrastructure policy in Africa in a very compelling and knowledgeable way and make a convincing case for pro-poor subsidies. Yet, this review points out two reservations: The evidence on the welfare enhancing benefits of infrastructure investments is less conclusive than suggested in the book. The book also misses out on the recent technological developments that enable the provision of decentralized services, which might render classical network based infrastructure partly redundant in the future.

Keywords: electrification; road infrastructure; water and sanitation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H54 L91 L95 L96 O13 O18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-pay and nep-tre
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:rwirep:628

DOI: 10.4419/86788730

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