Ethnic Diversity and Economic Instability in Africa: Interdisciplinary Perspectives

Ethnic diversity is generally assumed a contributor to poor economic growth and economic instability in Africa. Due to the lack of empirical evidence available, the subject of ethnicity and its impact on the market economy in Africa has long interested a wide range of scholars from various interdisciplinary fields, including economics, political science, history, anthropology, and law.

In the search for an answer to this question about the relation between ethnic diversity and economic performance in Africa, the JICA Research Institute adopted “Ethnic Diversity and Economic Instability in Africa” as one of its flagship research projects upon its establishment in October 2008. The project was organized in collaboration with the Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration of Kobe University, which involved a research team of internationally renowned scholars from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.