Towards the sustainable management of the natural resources curse in Africa: a legal appraisal

Abstract

An abundance of natural resources is usually considered a blessing for the countries that own them. However, for most African countries, a wealth of natural resources is associated with poverty, forced displacement, corruption, human rights abuses, environmental degradation, and slow economic growth. This phenomenon is called the natural resource curse (NRC). African countries rich in natural resources have markedly reduced economic growth and development, indicating that the wealth of natural resources has adversely affected their economies. Although countries such as Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are rich in natural resources including oil, diamonds, gold, lithium, and cobalt, their residents suffer from socio-economic and environmental challenges such as low income, low quality of life, human rights abuses, and environmental degradation.