Economic development experts converge on Ghana

Economic development experts converge on Ghana
Ugonma Cokey, Germany

A conference to discuss important opportunities and challenges related to economic development, urbanization, and industrialization on the continent is underway in Accra, Ghana.

The conference, “Understanding Economic Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa,” which open on Monday, is being attended by Policymakers, African experts, and international researchers.

It is jointly organized by the International Food Policy Research Institute, IFPRI and the University of Ghana.

Although agricultural growth remains crucial for overall economic expansion and poverty reduction on the continent, countries also need to boost urban industrial growth in order to achieve sustained economic development on a national level.

The deputy director of IFPRI’s Development Strategy and Governance Division, Margaret McMillan, says “Economic growth ultimately stems from rising productivity within different sectors of the economy and directing a country’s limited resources, including its labour force, to increasingly productive activities”.

She said African policymakers have a critical role to play in fostering this transformation and ensuring that economic growth ultimately improves the health and wellbeing of a country’s citizens.

Case Studies of African countries

Conference participants are expected to share highlights from case studies in Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda. They will also present cross-country analysis, including lessons from economic transformations in Latin America and Asia, and discuss the policy implications, particularly with regard to national development strategies.

Qasim