This study provides an empirical analysis of the extent to which ongoing technological change has offset the effect of ongoing depletion on the cost of finding additional reserves of natural gas. In the process, we develop a new index of technological change for exploration and development (E&D)...

This paper reviews some reasons why natural resource abundance and extensive agriculture appear to impede economic growth around the world. The paper presents empirical, cross-sectional evidence of various aspects of this relationship in the transition economies in Central and Eastern Europe and...

Genuine saving is an established indicator of weak sustainable development that measures the net level of investment a country makes in produced, natural and human capital less depreciation. Maintaining this net level of investment above zero is a necessary condition for sustainable development....

This paper develops a simple and practical framework for characterizing (long-run) economic growth and fluid capital accumulation under shifting technological change. The framework specifies a technological change that depends on exogenous and endogenous factors as well as the interaction...

Genuine saving measures net investment in produced, natural and human capital. It is a necessary condition for weak sustainable development that genuine saving not be persistently negative. However, according to data provided by the World Bank, resource-rich countries are systematically failing...

Nigeria is going through a difficult political and economic transition after decades of independence.Yet, Nigeria remains a society rich in cultural, linguistic, religious, ethnic and political diversity. Today, the average Nigerian struggles hard to make ends meet; sees himself or herself as...

Kazakhstan’s economy has been driven by an oilboom since the discovery of large new oilfields coincided with the upturn of world oil prices after 1998. This paper uses national household expenditure survey data to examine whether Kazakhstan’s experience supports a curse or a blessing...

NIGERIA IS GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC TRANSITION AFTER FORTY YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE. YET, NIGERIA REMAINS A SOCIETY RICH IN CULTURAL, LINGUISTIC, RELIGIOUS, ETHNIC AND POLITICAL DIVERSITY. TODAY, THE AVERAGE NIGERIAN STRUGGLES HARD TO MAKE ENDS MEET; SEES HIMSELF OR HERSELF...