African governments and donor partners have long regarded investment in education as being central to economic growth in the region - but this investment is yet to achieve rapid economic improvement. Why is that? And what should be done to better realize that goal? In this lecture Professor Oketch addresses the compelling narrative of human capital theory - the doctrine, underpinning public policy world-wide, that investment in education is instrumental for economic growth - and what we can learn from its application in sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on evidence from across several different aspects of education policy, he argues that however commanding the theory is, it remains tacit if the actual implementation of policies isn't effective.