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Should Africa Industrialize?

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  • John Page

Abstract

Africa should industrialize. Without structural change it cannot sustain recent growth. Economies with more diverse and sophisticated industrial sectors tend to grow faster. But since 1980 Africa has deindustrialized. The paper shows that between 1975 and 2005 the size, diversity and sophistication of industry in Africa have all declined. An industrialization strategy containing two elements is needed. The first is straightforward: refocusing current investment climate reforms on infrastructure, skills, and regional integration. These actions alone will not be sufficient, however.

Suggested Citation

  • John Page, 2011. "Should Africa Industrialize?," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2011-047, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2011-047
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    File URL: https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/wp2011-047.pdf
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    Cited by:

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    2. O’Toole Conor M., 2014. "Does Financial Liberalisation Improve Access to Investment Finance in Developing Countries?," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 5(1), pages 1-34, June.
    3. Gisela Di Meglio & Jorge Gallego & Andrés Maroto & Maria Savona, 2015. "Services in Developing Economies: A new chance for catching-up?," SPRU Working Paper Series 2015-32, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    4. Tony Addison, 2015. "Thirty years in Africa's development: From structural adjustment to structural transformation?," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2015-119, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Habiyaremye, Alexis, 2016. "Is Sino-African trade exacerbating resource dependence in Africa?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 1-12.
    6. Opoku, Eric Evans Osei & Boachie, Micheal Kofi, 2020. "The environmental impact of industrialization and foreign direct investment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    7. Mevel, Simon & Moll de Alba, Jaime & Oulmane, Nassim, 2015. "Regional trade integration and trade facilitation as a pro-industrialization policy tool: the case of North Africa’s countries," Conference papers 332590, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    8. Charles Shaaba Saba & Nicholas Ngepah, 2020. "Empirical Analysis of Military Expenditure and Industrialisation Nexus: A Regional Approach for Africa," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(1), pages 58-84, January.
    9. Saba, Charles S., 2023. "Investigation of Telecommunication Infrastructures-Industrialisation-Growth Nexus: Evidence from Disaggregated Panel Data Analysis," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 76(2), pages 209-264.
    10. Charles Shaaba Saba & Nicholas Ngepah, 2022. "ICT Diffusion, Industrialisation and Economic Growth Nexus: an International Cross-country Analysis," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(3), pages 2030-2069, September.
    11. Gisela Di Meglio & Jorge Gallego & Andrés Maroto & Maria Savona, 2018. "Services in Developing Economies: The Deindustrialization Debate in Perspective," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 49(6), pages 1495-1525, November.
    12. Michael Grimm & Rolph van der Hoeven & Jann Lay & Francois Roubaud, 2012. "Neubewertung des informellen Sektors und Unternehmertums in Sub-Sahara-Afrika," Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung / Quarterly Journal of Economic Research, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 81(3), pages 69-83.
    13. O’Toole Conor M., 2014. "Does Financial Liberalisation Improve Access to Investment Finance in Developing Countries?," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 5(1), pages 41-74, June.
    14. Ummad Mazhar & Fahd Rehman, 2020. "Manufacturing as a Growth Escalator in Low and Middle Income Countries," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 44(4), pages 790-809, October.
    15. Anthony Enisan Akinlo & Segun Michael Ojo, 2021. "Economic consequences of covid-19 pandemic to the sub-Saharan Africa: an historical perspective," Papers 2111.01038, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2022.
    16. Tony Addison, 2015. "Thirty years in Africa's development: From structural adjustment to structural transformation?," WIDER Working Paper Series 119, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    17. Popov, Vladimir, 2019. "Successes and failures of industrial policy: Lessons from transition (post-communist) economies of Europe and Asia," MPRA Paper 95332, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. GUISAN, Maria-Carmen, 2017. "Manufacturing And Economic Development In The World For 2000-2015: Main Features And Challenges," Revista Galega de Economía, University of Santiago de Compostela. Faculty of Economics and Business., vol. 26(3), pages 73-88.
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    20. Momita, Yasuaki & Matsumoto, Tomoya & Otsuka, Keijiro, 2019. "Has ODA contributed to growth? An assessment of the impact of Japanese ODA," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 161-175.

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