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Productivity Growth, Human Capital And Distance To Frontier In Sub-Saharan Africa

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  • M. DANQUAH

    (University of Ghana, Ghana)

  • B. OUATTARA

    (University of Manchester, United Kingdom)

Abstract

We examine the contribution of human capital to productivity growth, innovation and adoption of technology for a sample of SSA countries between 1960 and 2003. We find that human capital does not exert statistically significant effect on productivity growth. However, after decomposing total factor productivity into its main components, our results show that the effect of human capital on efficiency change is positive and statistically significant; whilst its effect on technical change is statistically insignificant. Our results also show that proximity to the frontier is a significant determinant of productivity growth in SSA, but the growth enhancing effects of human capital as countries move closer to the frontier is insignificant.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Danquah & B. Ouattara, 2014. "Productivity Growth, Human Capital And Distance To Frontier In Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 39(4), pages 27-48, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:jed:journl:v:39:y:2014:i:4:p:27-48
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    4. Koye Gerry Bokana & Gbenga Wilfred Akinola, 2017. "Productivity effects of higher education human capital in selected countries of Sub-Saharan Africa," Zbornik radova Ekonomskog fakulteta u Rijeci/Proceedings of Rijeka Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Economics and Business, vol. 35(1), pages 173-198.
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    7. Gloria O. Dzeha & Joshua Abor & Festus Turkson & Elikplimi Agbloyor, 2018. "Technical Efficiency and Technical Change in Africa: The Role of Money from the Diasporas," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 10(7), pages 177-177, July.
    8. Twerefou, Daniel Kwabena & Abeney, Jacob Opantu, 2020. "Efficiency of household electricity consumption in Ghana," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Productivity Growth; Human Capital Sub-Saharan Africa;

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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