Infrastructure Development and Economic Growth in Togo

Abstract

This paper provides a broad overview of the relationship between infrastructure and growth, focusing on the Togolese case. The paper develops an intuitive theoretical framework in which to analyse this relationship, identifying channels through which infrastructure may effect growth: as a factor of production, a complement to other factors of production, a stimulus to factor accumulation, a stimulus to aggregate demand and a tool of industrial policy. A framework is developed for evaluating theory analyses of this relationship, which explores the implications of different definitions and measures of infrastructure on economics growth. The empirical literature on Togo is then assessed against this framework.