"Will the 21st century witness Africa’s major push toward catching up with other world regions? Or will the continent continue to underperform its peers? A flagship report published by the World Bank in 2000 asked, Can Africa Claim the 21st Century? It provided a blueprint for Africa to navigate in the uncertain future. A quarter century later, Africa’s progress reveals some advancements, yet efforts to overcome pivotal challenges identified at the century’s outset have fallen short. The agenda to mitigate conflicts, invest in people, bolster economic competitiveness, and reduce dependence on external financing remains unfinished.
What will it take to reshape Africa’s trajectory, not only for the few countries that have made notable advancements but also for current and future generations across the continent? The goal of fostering inclusive green growth remains, yet its attainment is increasingly daunting. Based on labor-intensive, polluting industrialization that once brought wealth elsewhere, the growth m
