Norway already had a developed, functional economy before discovering oil, so it didn't fall into the resource curse. In contrast, any developing country that discovers a valuable resource will almost always devolve into corruption and, at worst, conflict because their weak institutions can easily be corrupted by internal and external parties. A case study is my country (Nigeria), a notoriously corrupt oil-dependent cratered economy.
I'm honestly happy for Norway to find more resources. Any country that demonstrates responsible use of resources for internal development deserves more..this includes most of Western and Northern Europe plus the US and Canada.
Do (educated) people in Nigeria see Norway as a role model for political development? Also how is Botswana seen in Nigeria? (If this questions arent too broad, my apologies)
> Do (educated) people in Nigeria see Norway as a role model for political development?
Corruption and incompetence are too rampant here, so the Norwegian model will never work—nobody thinks of it. We also have 40 times the population and fewer resources than Norway, making it impossible.
> Also, how is Botswana seen in Nigeria?
Almost no one thinks of it, lol. But it's arguably the best African country for the average citizen, owing to relatively low corruption and a high value for the rule of law. Compared to Europe, Bostwana is a backwater, but in Africa, it's currently our peak :(
"Compared to Europe, Bostwana is a backwater, but in Africa, it's currently our peak :(
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Perfect (and Europe is not perfect) is the enemy of good. Botswana can be a role model for many African nations. Hopefully South Africa in the future also again!
What are the current ideas in Nigeria and other African nations in similar situations about how to improve national quality of life and reduce corruption? Are there any plausible paths for improvement?
The plausible paths for improvement are good governance, less corruption, and consistent government policies.
Africa doesn't lack natural and human resources (the most important) to develop. The problem is extremely bad governance and conflict that discourages long-term investments, causing economic stagnation.
Most of our leaders have no vision save for staying in power and reaping benefits for themselves. We also keep electing the same mediocre leaders due to tribal allegiances. A sad tale :(
Even if that were true (I doubt it), Botswana remains way behind on economic prospects for the average individual, the core issue when we talk about development.
> Based on these estimates, 17.2 percent of the population in Botswana (446 thousand people in 2021) is multidimensionally poor, while an additional 19.7 percent is classified as vulnerable to multidimensional poverty (509 thousand people in 2021).
I'm honestly happy for Norway to find more resources. Any country that demonstrates responsible use of resources for internal development deserves more..this includes most of Western and Northern Europe plus the US and Canada.