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Africa’s Development Trajectory: Past, Present, and Future Directions

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Macroeconomic Policy Framework for Africa's Structural Transformation

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to take stock of the evolution of development thinking and policies in Africa since independence in the early 1960s, and to assess their success and shortcomings, and explore alternative pathways for Africa’s structural transformation and long-term growth in the context of rapid globalization and technological revolutions. Taking a retrospective view and prospective view, the chapter examines the internal and external factors that contributed to the demise of the African “nationalist project” of the 1960s, and in moving forward, it explores sound and feasible alternatives on how to harness Africa’s development potential in order to an inclusive development agenda.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See ‘Africa 2050: Realizing the Continent’s Full Potential’, edited by Ted Alhers, Hiroshi Kato, Harinder S. Kohli, Callisto Madavo, Anil Sood, Oxford University Press, 2014, pp. 240–245.

  2. 2.

    Three sets of scenarios were used: convergence scenario; business-as-usual scenario; and downward scenario. For the background to the model, See ‘Africa 2050: Realizing the Continent’s Full Potential’, edited by Ted Alhers, Callisto Madavo, Anil Sood, pp. 241–243.

  3. 3.

    Middle class defined as those with per capita income greater than US$10.80 and less than US$100 a day (2010 PPP $).

  4. 4.

    NEPAD (2002), Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), NEPAD, Johannesburg; Action Plan for Accelerated Industrial Development in Africa (AIDA); Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. African Studies Centre, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Fantu Cheru

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  1. Fantu Cheru
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Correspondence to Fantu Cheru .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Carlos Lopes

  2. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Abdalla Hamdok

  3. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Adam Elhiraika

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Cheru, F. (2017). Africa’s Development Trajectory: Past, Present, and Future Directions. In: Lopes, C., Hamdok, A., Elhiraika, A. (eds) Macroeconomic Policy Framework for Africa's Structural Transformation. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51947-0_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51947-0_2

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-51947-0

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