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With heterogeneous findings dominating the growth and natural resources relations, there is a need to explain the variances in Africa's growth process as induced by robust measures of factor endowments. This study used a comprehensive set of data from the updated database of the World Bank to capture the heterogeneous dimensions of natural resource endowments on growth with a particular focus on establishing complementary evidence on the resource curse hypothesis in energy and environmental economics literature in Africa. These comprehensive data on oil rent, coal rent and forest rent could provide new and insightful evidence on obscure relations on the subject matter.

This paper considers the panel vector error correction model (PVECM) procedure to explain changes in economic growth outcomes as induced by oil rent, coal rent and forest rent. The consideration of the PVECM was premised on the panel unit root process that returns series that were cointegrated at the first-order differentials.

The paper found positive relations between oil rent, coal rent and economic development in Africa. Forest rent, on the other hand, is inversely related to economic growth in Africa. Trade and human capital are positively related to economic growth in Africa, while population growth is negatively associated with economic growth in Africa.

Short-run policies should be tailored towards the stability of fiscal expenditure such that the objective of fiscal policy, which is to maintain the condition of full employment and economic stability and stabilise the rate of growth, can be optimised and sustained. By this, the resource curse will be averted and productive capacity will increase, leading to sustainable growth and development in Africa, where conditions for growth and development remain inadequately met.

The originality of this paper can be viewed from the strength of its arguments and methods adopted to address the questions raised in this paper. This study further illuminated age-long obscure relations in the literature of natural resource endowment and economic growth by taking a disaggregated approach to the component-by-component analysis of natural resources factors (the oil rent, coal rent and forest rent) and their corresponding influence on economic growth in Africa. This pattern remains underexplored mainly in previous literature on the subject. Many African countries are blessed with an abundance of these different natural resources in varying proportions. The misuse and mismanagement of these resources along various dimensions have been the core of the inclination towards the resource curse hypothesis in Africa. Knowing how growth conditions respond to changes in the depth of forest resources, oil resources and coal resources could be useful pointers in Africa's overall energy use and management. This study contributed to the literature on natural resource-induced growth dynamics by offering a generalisable conclusion as to why natural resource-abundance economies are prone to poor economic performance. This study further asks if mineral deposits are a source or reflection of ill growth and underdevelopment in African countries.

Considering entrepreneurship education (EE) theory as a base, this paper aims to examine the impact of EE upon building entrepreneurial intentions. In addition, it investigates the impact of student’s age, gender and degree or course background in developing students entrepreneurial intentions.

A sample of 309 student respondents from higher education institution (HEI’s) was used to understand the relationship and its impact over intention building. Regression and ANOVA technique was used to understand the cause and effect as well as mean differences between the construct.

The results signify a positive impact of EE for stimulating the start-up intention in these interdisciplinary students of HEIs. These results resemble the existing studies in this endeavour. Findings also verify that individual intention to start a new business in terms of the theory of planned behaviour (attitude, perceived behavioural control and social norms), student background (gender and degree specialization) are positively related to individual intention to start a new business.

The results confirm previous studies in this field and highlight the need for EE in HEI. The paper highlights the vitality for EE for India’s start-up growth.

This study adds to the paucity of research on EE and its impact on entrepreneurial intentions in higher education institutions in India.