Aid, real exchange rate misalignment, and economic growth in sub-saharan Africa

Generating sustained growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is one of the most pressing challenges in global development. As the region clearly needs assistance to jump start its development, foreign aid becomes crucial. This paper investigates the nexus between foreign aid, exchange rate misalignment, and economic growth in SSA. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we do not find aid to be a major contributor to exchange rate overvaluation. In addition, we found that aid fosters growth but its impact is weaker in countries with overvalued exchange rates. Furthermore, we found that overvaluation reduces growth but its negative effect is ameliorated by financial development. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.