Estimation of Disaggregated Impacts of Education Expansion on Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Underpinned by evidence from the theories of endogenous growth which stress the role of human capital accumulation in enhancing growth, this paper investigates the disaggregated impact of school enrolment on economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for the period 1995-2016. The analysis is based on the augmented Solow, and Mankiw models and employs the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) technique that takes care of endogeneity in a dynamic panel environment. The results point to a significant but differential impact of educational expansion in facilitating economic performance in the SSA region. Essentially, the growth enhancing impact of education depends on the type of education with secondary education yielding the largest impacts. The gender disaggregated model results show that and secondary school and primary enrolment yield higher growth effects relative to tertiary enrolment. Most interestingly and contrary to existing literature on the gender disaggregated impact of education on growth, the education of girls is seen to yield higher growth effects relative to boys. Based on evidence of the positive impact of girl-child education, policy interventions to support and sustain girl-child education in Sub-Saharan Africa ought to be encouraged.