African social development index: is Africa moving towards a more inclusive development path?

Abstract

The Economic Commission for Africa has been at the forefront of proposing an economic and social transformation agenda for Africa. In terms of economic transformation, Africa needs to build on its comparative advantage and focus on industrializing its agricultural and commodity sectors, improving regional integration and adding value to local products, in order to increase its competitiveness and productivity. With regard to social transformation, the continent needs to ensure that economic development is sufficiently inclusive and that it translates into improved wellbeing for Africa’s populations. One of the key components of social transformation is the need to address excluded groups, which is essential for ensuring a balanced and equitable development agenda. This would provide the basis for redressing specific exclusion patterns, through effective policy formulation at the national and subnational levels.