ERA 2017 launched in Addis Ababa with call on Africa to link urban and industrial development.

Abstract

The Economic Commission for Africa’s flagship, the Economic Report on Africa 2017, was launched calling on African governments to make deliberate efforts to create links between urban and industrial development in the context of their national development plans. ERA 2017, whose theme is Urbanization and Industrialization for Africa’s Transformation emphasizes that cities require better performing industrialization and industrialization on the other hand needs better functioning cities. Africa is currently faced with the challenge of creating productive cities and efficient urban systems that can support structural transformation, recommending therefore that improving the economic functioning of the largest cities will unleash potential benefits to create agglomeration economies.