The relationship between civil war and economic growth and development

While several researches have been done pertaining civil war causes in Sierra Leone, there is not enough knowledge on how civil war influences the growth and development of Sierra Leone economy. The broader topic of decade-long civil war has gained much attention from various scholars, non-governmental and governmental organizations. However, the effects of the civil war on the economy have received less attention. The goal of this qualitative study was to look at the effects of civil war on Sierra Leone's growth and development from 1961 to 2020. In the theoretical framework, the Keynesian economic theory, Benoits hypothesis and the economic growth theories were used in the theoretical framework. Personal interviews were performed online to acquire data. Non-probability purposeful sampling was utilized in this study. A total of five people were interviewed, and secondary materials were used as well. A descriptive analysis was used to examine the data. The findings revealed that ,(a) the civil war in Sierra Leone impacted its economic growth in the long term. (b) The diamonds in the country contributed in fueling the war, (c) Civil war contributed to the reduction in the employment rates in the country, (d) Civil war had tremendous effects on the developmental agenda of NGOs, (e) The gross revenue of the companies was impacted during the war period, 1991-2002. (f) Youth unemployment has resulted in dismal living standards. For a socioeconomic shift, the country should strive to institute good political governance that will not be corrupt so that other measures can be effective, address insecurity and political instability in the country, give incentives to prospective investors to have several of them invest in the country. All these will help elevate the rates of employment in the country and boost the economy of Sierra Leone.