For long, I have been distinctly concerned about the classification of countries of the world into developed, developing and least developed countries. But more so, I have been concerned about why countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East seem to perpetually remain in the categories of developing and least developed.
No doubt, these continents and specifically Africa is faced with a myriad of hard-nut daunting challenges that appear to impede fast political and socio-economic progress. Challenges like corruption and bad governance, political instability, insecurity, unemployment and poverty among others have for long kept the continent in perpetual underemployment. But does that mean that there has been no progress in the continent as many narratives seem to portray?
The concept of international development has largely been used to explain the fact that countries experience different levels of development, and the measurements of this development is attributed to factors as human, social and economic. However, there are several schools of thought regarding which are the exact factors constituting the development of a country or continent. What we do know is that a country/continent is said to be developed when it has a mature and sophisticated economy, advanced infrastructure and favourable living conditions for its inhabitants.
The introductory sentence in this article by Brookings captures what I consider a very worrisome, stereotypical narrative of where the African continent is in terms of development. The description of the continent “as a child in need of development, a rising economic power, an imminent threat, a tinderbox of terrorism, poverty, forced immigration and disease”. While some of that may be the reality (like being a rising economic power), the rest of them are downright ridiculous and a calculated effort to smear the continent and hide the truth that the continent is in fact full of opportunity. This is also similar to the kind of narrative that portrays Africa as a corrupt continent; as though corruption is synonymous and exclusive to Africa, as though corruption is an invention of the continent. So rather than capitalizing on the opportunities in the continent, focus in the global scene has increasingly been on projecting the continent as a threat to the global economic order.
Matter-of-factly, Africa has undergone remarkable growth in recent years, compared to the rest of the world in the international scene. In 2017, according to Wikipedia, the African Development Bank reported Africa to be the world’s second-fastest growing economy, and estimates that average growth will rebound to 3.4% in 2017, while growth was expected to increase by 4.3% in 2018. The Bank’s report also observed that in recent years, Africa has experienced an economic resurgence, growing at an unprecedented rate and that although it will take decades of growth to make major inroads into Africa’s poverty, there is now a growing optimism about Africa’s potential. Alluding that emerging economies, particularly Brazil, India, South Africa and China have recognized Africa’s potential as an investment destination and a source of natural resources, the report points to the fact that economic growth in the continent is “generally strong”.
Significant progress has also been made in terms of infrastructure and technological advancement. Currently, there are 643 innovation hubs across the continent, with the largest groupings being in Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa. This interesting article by National Geographic about how Africa’s tech generation is changing the continent is one that everyone needs to read. We see just how young tech talents from Kenya, Rwanda and more are developing tech solutions to local and global challenges. In Nigeria, we also see how tech companies like PayStack and Flutterwave are making giant strides and standing global competition. These are just one proof of how the continent is gradually becoming a global tech destination.
Of course, acknowledging these progress does not in any way absolve the need to continue working towards faster and greater positive growth. Africa, like other countries, still faces many developmental challenges. Peculiar to Africa are the seemingly endless array of problems relating to governance and political stability, conflicts and crises, unemployment and underemployment, social inequalities, poverty and impact of diseases. But by recognizing Africa as an opportunity, governments and the international community will be better positioned to tackle the challenges and boost positive trends. And recognizing Africa as an opportunity also means recognizing its prominent position in the international development scene.
I agree with the Center for Global Development that to achieve the SDGs by 2030, the global community must focus its attention and efforts on Africa, and that is why I am impressed at the World Bank’s intervention in Africa especially in this COVID period, in terms of stepping up to support regional integration in Africa, fostering women and youth’s economic empowerment, investing in human capital and climate resilience, accelerating digital economy, harnessing technological developments, and supporting inclusive governance. Efforts like these must be encouraged and intensified.
This article was written by Hillary Nwoziri
