African Development

EconomyOpinion

Africa needs a grand revival plan from the West and China

Africa's crises have fuelled a surge in migration to Europe unlikely to abate soon unless rapid population growth is matched by improving economic conditions
An overcrowded refugee boat capsizes in the Mediterranean Sea. The current economic and political situation in Africa has already fuelled a sharp rise in migration. Last September (2023), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported that more than 2,500 people had died or gone missing while trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe in the first nine months of 2023, with many more perishing before they reached the coast. During that same period, 130,000 migrants, many departing from Tunisia or Libya, landed in Italy. These numbers will increase sharply if Africa’s population growth is not coupled with improving economic conditions. Worryingly, the International Monetary Fund’s current forecasts suggest GDP growth of around 4 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa for the next two years – well below long-term trends. The current influx of mass migration to European countries such as Italy, Spain, and Greece may be only the beginning.
EconomyOpinion

Fixes for Africa’s exploding debt and collapsing currencies

Highly indebted African countries face stark trade-offs between servicing expensive debt, supporting growing development needs, and stabilising domestic currencies
Storm clouds gathering over Accra, Ghana. Nineteen African countries, including Ghana and Zambia, are already in debt distress (meaning they are unable to meet financial obligations) or at high risk of debt distress. Ghana’s public debt has more than doubled since 2012 and amounts to 85 per cent of GDP. Zambia’s went up much higher and stood at 98 per cent as of 2022. Both Ghana and Zambia, along with Ethiopia, have defaulted on their foreign debt, sparking fears about a broader sovereign debt crisis on the continent if more countries fall into debt distress.
OpinionPolitics & Policy

Africa needs a surge in entrepreneurship

Limited access to finance has been cited as a binding constraint on African economic development, but what if the chronic shortage of entrepreneurs is equally limiting?
An overhead view of Kikuubo, Kampala's busiest market
Opinion

Tanzania is a showcase for World Bank funding

The International Development Association is a major source of support for African countries struggling with mounting debt and shrinking fiscal space
Electricity infrastructure in Pemba, Tanzania. In May 2010, a submarine cable brought electricity from Tanga to Pemba (and on to the mainland). The cable was buried in the picturesque surroundings of Mkumbuu; three metres into the ground before rising to a mast about 120 metres from the water's edge. The cable continues to the Wesha substation, where "feeders" distribute the power to the island's grid. Norway paid NOK 475 million (out of a total cost of NOK 575 million). Norway also provided technical assistance to the project. The cable is now operated and maintained by the Zanzibar Electricity Corporation (ZECO).
EnvironmentScience & Technology

Building climate-resilient African cities — experts outline what is needed

Window of opportunity to secure liveable, equitable, and sustainable futures in the face of climate change is closing fast, more so for Africa
Bujumbura, the capital city of Burundi, on a rainy day. Seventy per cent of African cities have high vulnerability to climate shocks. Meanwhile, Africa is the fastest urbanising region in the world, and is already experiencing climate change impacts first-hand. Without drastic changes in the way energy is produced and consumed in African cities, carbon emissions will increase as these cities develop.
OpinionPolitics & Policy

How Africa can leverage diaspora funding for greater impact

More than $53bn in remittances were sent to sub-Saharan Africa in 2022, compared with $30bn in foreign direct investment and only $29bn in official development assistance
Woman using a knitting machine in northern Uganda
Opinion

Nurturing African futures: rethinking youth empowerment in a changing world

Africa's large young population requires education and training that fosters competitiveness, necessitating government collaboration with both the private sector and civil society
Eleven teenage students in Ghana, all seated
HealthOpinion

Heatwaves, droughts, and neglected diseases – climate change’s toll on Africa

As global warming intensifies in Africa, the region faces mounting risks, from heightened migration pressures to the increased threat of infectious diseases.
Canoes on a parched wetland in Burkina Faso
OpinionPolitics & Policy

How to close Africa’s climate finance gap

Without urgent reforms, African nations won't raise the $2.8 trillion needed by 2030 to meet Paris Agreement emissions targets
Seedlings growing on coins, in soil medium
InfrastructurePolitics & Policy

Africa’s free-trade area: removing tariffs not enough to unlock growth

Tariffs – which are already low – are not the main impediment to continental trade, faster industrialisation, and structural transformation in Africa
Uganda's border with Kenya at Busia
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