Does rising resources income, consumer prices, government outlay and globalization hinder Africa's sustainable development?

This study investigates the long-term impact of growing resource income, rising consumer prices, inefficient public spending, and globalization on sustainable development (SD) in 24 African countries from 1991 to 2021. Using a robust SD measure integrating resource productivity and employing long-term panel estimation techniques—feasible generalized least squares (FGLS), Driscoll-Kraay (D–K), and panel dynamic ordinary least squares (PDOLS)—the findings reveal that increases in natural resource rents, consumer prices, government expenditure, and globalization significantly hinder SD, while income growth positively influences it. The study highlights challenges such as resource overexploitation, inflationary pressures, public spending inefficiencies, and the transfer of less efficient technologies through globalization as key deterrents to SD in Africa. Policy recommendations include transitioning to renewable energy, restoring macroeconomic stability, improving public spending accountability, promoting green technologies, and fostering an investor-friendly environment to support sustainable development goals.