Productive Infrastructure, Governance And Structural Transformation: Empirical Evidence From African Economies

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Research in Management and Economics

Year: 2026

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Productive Infrastructure, Governance And Structural Transformation: Empirical Evidence From African Economies

Pierre Joubert Nguetse Tegoum

ABSTRACT:

Since 2000, productive infrastructure investment, encompassing transport corridors, power generation, and logistics platforms, has emerged as a central pillar of development strategies across African economies. Supported by ambitious national visions and increased financing, this push aimed to unlock industrial potential and accelerate structural transformation. However, despite significant physical expansion, transformation outcomes remain uneven; manufacturing value added frequently stagnates, and employment remains concentrated in low-productivity activities.
This paper introduces the concept of “Planning Coherence” as the critical link explaining this disconnect between investment and productive upgrading. Shifting the focus from aggregate investment volumes to institutional architecture, the proposed framework examines three fundamental dimensions: (i) vertical coherence, ensuring alignment between long-term development visions and operational project portfolios; (ii) horizontal coherence, synchronizing infrastructure with industrial, trade, and skills policies; and (iii) strategic sequencing, adapting deployment to the maturity and readiness of productive sectors.
Drawing on stylized evidence and institutional diagnostics from economies such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Ethiopia, the analysis identifies systemic failures, including sectoral silos and “isomorphic mimicry,” where formal planning structures lack functional effectiveness. The paper argues that infrastructure inefficiency in Africa reflects less a scarcity of capital than a lack of institutional frameworks capable of aligning strategic intent with execution. It advocates for a paradigm shift toward service performance, spatial and digital integration, and adaptive institutional learning to sustain structural transformation. Such a shift is essential for infrastructure-led development to move beyond visible assets and toward durable economic diversification.

Keywords: Structural transformation, Productive infrastructure, Planning coherence, Institutional capability