This paper examines the determinants of educational achievement in a developing country context, Burkina Faso. We deviate from the extant literature by constructing an aggregate index of school quality from the observable school resources. Also, we account for school choice constraints, faced by children especially in rural areas, as it relates to the geographical inequalities in the distribution of quality schools. These treatments provide an unbiased estimates of the relevance of school resources for academic performance. The empirical approach is based on a two-stage procedure that accounts for supply constraints in school choice.

The paper examines if the nature of the economic growth in Nigeria is inclusive (Pro-poor) or exclusive (pro-rich) and recommends ways to achieve inclusive growth with emphasis on Pro-poor spending.