Private Enterprise-led Economic Development in Africa:A Socio-cultural Perspective. Doctoral Dissertation Volume 1

摘要

As a continent, Africa occupies nearly a quarter of the World’s land area and home for one-seventh of its population. But a large proportion of the people, especially those living in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) are mired in abject poverty. Recent years have witnessed some positive developments. Six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies in 2010 were from there. But their growth has failed to translate into job creation and inclusive development. This experience has encouraged a renewed search for a sustainable economic development model for the sub-continent. The present dissertation contributes to this search by endorsing the view that private enterprise-led growth will help reduce poverty since it strengthens individuals’ capacity to care for themselves and their families and provides tax revenues necessary for anti-poverty and welfare policies of governments. It also argues for an emphasis on soft economics (i.e. the human side of economic activities) as a new theoretical platform for understanding economic growth and development. Furthermore, it introduces human capability development and the enabling factors as a framework for studying entrepreneurship and enterprise growth strategies in SSA.