African social development index (ASDI): measuring human exclusion for structural transformation: East Africa report

Abstract

African countries have experienced unprecedented economic growth since the early 2000s, and shown strong resilience to the global downturn affecting most of the world’s economies. Growth on the continent has averaged 5 percent yearly, with some countries posting 7 to 11 percent growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in recent years. Despite this remarkable stride, member States have yet to transform their economies and achieve the level of social development witnessed in other regions. Africa has for a long time focused on economic growth, with the expectation that improvement in social development would follow. One of the reasons for such a paradox hinges on the very nature of growth– largely driven by capital-intensive sectors – with limited value addition and job creation, and unfair redistribution of economic gains. In Africa, the emergence of social development as a central plank of economic development has gained impetus. The need for an inclusive and transformative growth strategy is a clear political intent firmly expressed by African leaders, in the context of the African Union Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development which are anchored on the principles of equality, sustainability and “leaving no-one behind”.