Are abundant natural resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a blessing or curse?

This study examines the impact of natural resources and institutional quality (IQ) on the economic growth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), one of the most resource-rich countries in the world. The study employs eleven variables from natural resource revenue, IQ, human capital, and other relevant economic drivers. All variables were analyzed using various econometric techniques. The Ramsey RESET test was used to validate and authenticate the robustness of the regression test. The findings revealed that human capital efforts, inflation, FDI, oil rents, forest rents, political instability, conflict, and corruption are crucial factors hindering the country’s economy. This implies that the natural resources in the DRC are not a blessing but a curse to the country. Therefore, the study recommends strict monitoring and supervision in handling mineral rents, along with solid political stability, and combating both corruption and conflict to turn this curse into a blessing.