Natural resources do not need to be a curse (part 1 – explaining the resource curse)

Looking at the fate of several resource-rich sub-Saharan African nations, it’s easy to see that an abundance of natural resources can be a real curse, and many blame natural resources for the poor economic outcomes of many sub-Saharan African countries. We, on the other hand, think natural resources can and should act as the backbone of growth on the continent. Below, we explain where the resource curse comes from and show that it can be avoided