DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS FOR THE DRC TO 2050

This conclusion to a special report by the Institute for Security Studies outlines the systemic barriers to development in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and proposes a multi-sectoral strategy to achieve inclusive sustainable growth by 2050. The author argues that the country's reliance on volatile commodity markets and a history of poor governance have led to a significant decline in per capita income since independence.

• The Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced a severe decline in living standards over the last six decades, with the current GDP per capita representing only 40% of its 1960 value at independence, meaning the average citizen has lost 60% of their income.
• Systemic issues hindering the DRC's progress include bad governance, weak institutions, infrastructure shortages, low human capital quality, a difficult business environment, low agricultural productivity, and rapid population growth. The report notes that the country failed to achieve any Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 and is likely to fail many 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• To improve governance and combat corruption, the government is urged to publish all new mining contracts and audits of state-owned enterprises, including resource agreements with China, while ensuring Parliament has full access to spending data for security agencies and confirming the independence of the judiciary.
• The report advocates for economic diversification away from the volatile mining sector, specifically focusing on the agricultural sector and manufacturing foreign direct investment (FDI). This requires improving the business climate, which is currently hampered by high costs and an unpredictable regulatory and legal environment.
• Essential infrastructure and human capital priorities include the full re-opening of the Congo River, expanding ICT infrastructure for resilience, continuing free primary education, and improving access to technical, vocational, and higher education in sciences and engineering.

APA

Yeboua, K. (2022). DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS FOR THE DRC TO 2050. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/drc&topic=12-conclusion

Chicago

Yeboua, Kouassi. DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS FOR THE DRC TO 2050. Institute for Security Studies, 2022. https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/drc&topic=12-conclusion.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yeboua |first1=Kouassi |title=DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS FOR THE DRC TO 2050 |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=24 June 2022 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/drc&topic=12-conclusion |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yeboua2022development, author = {Yeboua, Kouassi}, title = {{DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS FOR THE DRC TO 2050}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/drc&topic=12-conclusion}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }