Chapter 9: Foreign Direct Investment: West Africa Case Study on Sustainable Development

This chapter examines the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on sustainable development in West Africa. Despite the growing body of research on FDI and sustainable development in the region, there remains a noticeable gap in the literature, particularly in terms of comprehensive reviews covering specific regions of Africa. While there has been a notable increase in African literature on the subject, there persists a bias toward the economic aspect of the phenomenon. This highlights the need for a more balanced approach that considers the broader implications of sustainable development beyond purely economic factors, given that the relationship between FDI and sustainable development has significant implications for academic research and practice. It underscores the importance of exploring diverse dimensions of sustainable development beyond economic growth alone. Governments are encouraged to direct FDI inflows toward developing human capital and protecting the environment, alongside infrastructure development.