Regional Disparity In Sub Saharan Africa

This book is an outcome of research on African development from the standpoint of economic geography which I have been undertaking over the last four years. The initial impetus for the research was a social science grant from the Rockefeller Foundation which enabled me to write most of the preliminary draft of the book during a sabbatical in1984/85 which I spent at the University of Zimbabwe as Visiting Professor of Geography. A good deal of the latter part of the book was written in September of 1985 at the Rockefeller Foundation Study and ConferenceCenter in Bellagio, Italy, where I spent three weeks as a member of theReflections on Development Fellows of the Foundation from Africa and Asia.

This book is an outcome of research on African development from the standpoint of economic geography which I have been undertaking over the last four years. The initial impetus for the research was a social science grant from the Rockefeller Foundation which enabled me to write most of the preliminary draft of the book during a sabbatical in1984/85 which I spent at the University of Zimbabwe as Visiting Professor of Geography. A good deal of the latter part of the book was written in September of 1985 at the Rockefeller Foundation Study and ConferenceCenter in Bellagio, Italy, where I spent three weeks as a member of theReflections on Development Fellows of the Foundation from Africa and Asia.

Originally published in 1989. This book is an outcome of research on African development from the standpoint of economic geography. The principal objective in this work is to highlight and reflect on the principal socio-spatial constraints to development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that have been largely ignored by development research and planning

The world remains in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic and a seemingly accelerating pace of climate change, both of which underscore the need for increased global cooperation and dialogue. Solutions to these global problems must involve all countries and all regions, especially sub-Saharan Africa, with the world’s least vaccinated population, most promising renewable energy potential, and critical ecosystems. Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy is set to expand by 3.7 percent in 2021 and 3.8 percent in 2022. This follows the sharp contraction in 2020 and is much welcome, but still represents the slowest recovery relative to other regions. In particular, the economic outlook points to divergences at three levels: between sub-Saharan Africa and other regions, within sub-Saharan Africa, and within countries. These divergences reflect the region’s slower vaccines rollout, more limited fiscal space, and regional disparities in resilience. The outlook remains extremely uncertain, and risks are tilted to the downside. In particular, the recovery depends on the path of the global pandemic and the regional vaccination effort, food price inflation, and is also vulnerable to disruptions in global activity and financial markets. Looking ahead, sub-Saharan Africa’s potential remains undiminished. The region is at a critical juncture to implement bold transformative reforms to capitalize on this potential.

Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have shown strong signs of growth resilience in the aftermath of the recent global crisis. Yet, this paper finds evidence that growth has more than proportionately benefited the top quintile during PRSP implementation. It finds that PRSP implementation has neither reduced poverty headcount nor raised the income share of the poorest quintile in Sub-Saharan Africa. While countries in other regions have been more successful in reducing poverty and increasing the income share of the poor, there is no conclusive evidence that PRSP implementation has played a role in shaping these outcomes.

The Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa volume brings together population-based cancer incidence data from 25 cancer registries in 20 sub-Saharan African countries that are part of the African Cancer Registry Network. The compiled data in this volume, presented and commented upon by covered population and by anatomical site, are of tremendous value to the assessment of the pattern and evolution of cancer in Africa, as a means of elucidating, confirming, and evaluating causes of the disease.

Growth in sub-Saharan Africa has weakened after more than a decade of solid growth, although this overall outlook masks considerable variation across the region. Some countries have been negatively affected by falling prices of their main commodity exports. Oil-exporting countries, including Nigeria and Angola, have been hit hard by falling revenues and the resulting fiscal adjustments, while middle-income countries such as Ghana, South Africa, and Zambia are also facing unfavorable conditions. This October 2015 report discusses the fiscal and monetary policy adjustments necessary for these countries to adapt to the new environment. Chapter 2 looks at competitiveness in the region, analyzing the substantial trade integration that accompanied the recent period of high growth, and policy actions to nurture new sources of growth. Chapter 3 looks at the implications for the region of persistently high income and gender inequality and ways to reduce them.