Introduction

After about a decade of relatively satisfactory growth, economic performance worsened in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)* in the second half of the 1970s; with few exceptions, the region as a whole experienced thereafter two decades of almost continuous economic decline. Since the early 1980s, many countries have adopted economic policy reforms under structural adjustment programmes sponsored by the Bretton Woods institutions. Emphasis has been placed on a reduced role for the State, greater reliance on market forces and a rapid opening up to international competition as the keys to unlocking Africa’s growth potential. However, despite many years of policy reform, hardly any country in the region has successfully completed its adjustment programme with a return to sustained growth.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Partnerships for the Goals