NATURAL RESOURCES DRIVE CONFLICT ACROSS AFRICA

Natural resources are significantly and positively associated with conflict in Africa, supporting the natural resource curse hypothesis. A 1% increase in natural resources leads to an 8.3%, 0.2%, and 5.59% rise in conflict depending on the model used. This relationship undermines economic development and stability across sub-Saharan nations. The African Union is prioritizing infrastructure investment as a key driver to counter these challenges and foster sustainable development.