Economic Report on Africa 2015: Industrializing Through Trade

Abstract

This Report, Economic Report on Africa 2015 examines how trade can serve as an instrument of accelerated industrialization and structural transformation in Africa. It also examines the challenges and opportunities for Africa to industrialize through trade in the context of the rapidly changing regional and global economic environment. These reports did not only focus on the role of industrialization in structural transformation of Africa by critically examining and analysing commodity-based industrialization and industrial policies in Africa but they also laid the foundation for the current Report as they emphasised the role of trade in fostering industrialization, both at regional and global level, and underlined the importance for Africa of implementing strategic trade policies aimed at overcoming market and institutional failures that hinder export competitiveness. This Report delves into greater depth on the relationship between trade and industry in Africa, and specifically the role of trade in supporting Africa’s industrialization.