Towards a “Developmental State”

Despite the ritual implementation of SAPs over the past quarter century, many African countries have yet to experience sustained and robust growth rates high enough to ensure the attainment of the MDGs by the target date. The collapse in both savings and investment continued unabated, until recently. A breakdown in physical infrastructure, combined with a weakening of state capacity to carry out basic public management functions through SAP-induced retrenchment and de-industrialization, increased the size of the informal economy. The continuing lack of diversification of many sub-Saharan African economies also meant that the region’s vulnerability to adverse external factors such as commodity price fluctuations did not diminish, and in several cases has rather increased, within the context of trade liberalization.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Reduced Inequalities

Partnerships for the Goals