Side event on ECA renewal of planning Background paper: inclusive industrial transformation

Abstract

The present paper is organized in three sections. The first situates the state of inequality in Africa in the context of the continent’s impressive economic performance. The second assesses the likely impact of structural transformation on inequality, based on theory and evidence drawn from country experiences; it highlights the downside risks of transformation together with the lessons learned from countries that have successfully transformed while mitigating the impact on equality. In conclusion, the paper identifies the key issues that Africa needs to address to ensure a truly inclusive ransformative agenda. These are intended to inform discussions at the conference.