From Energy Poverty to Human Capital: The Missing Link in Sub-Saharan Africa’s Sustainable Development Trajectory

This study utilizes an unbalanced panel dataset covering 46 Sub-Saharan African countries over the period 2000–2023. The dependent variable is the Sustainable Development Index (SDI), constructed as a composite measure across the three sustainability pillars: economic (GDP per capita), social (DPT immunization coverage), and environmental (CO₂ emissions per capita). The key explanatory variable is energy poverty (ENPV), proxied by access to electricity and modern energy services. Human capital (HCI), measured using indicators such as life expectancy and school enrolment, is included as a mediating variable, while institutional quality (INSTQ), derived from the World Governance Indicators, serves as a complementary factor influencing development outcomes. Control variables include inflation, trade openness, population growth, and foreign direct investment (FDI). Data were sourced primarily from the World Development Indicators (World Bank), Worldwide Governance Indicators, and UNDP Human Development datasets, ensuring consistency and cross-country comparability.