Will the 21st century witness Africa’s major push toward catching up with other world regions? Or will the continent continue to underperform its peers? A flagship report published by the World Bank in 2000 asked, Can Africa Claim the 21st Century? It provided a blueprint for Africa to navigate in the uncertain future. A quarter century later, Africa’s progress reveals some advancements, yet efforts to overcome pivotal challenges identified at the century’s outset have fallen short. 

The agenda to mitigate conflicts, invest in people, bolster economic competitiveness, and reduce dependence on external financing remains unfinished. What will it take to reshape Africa’s trajectory, not only for the few countries that have made notable advancements but also for current and future generations across the continent? The goal of fostering inclusive green growth remains, yet its attainment is increasingly daunting. 

Based on labour-intensive, polluting industrialisation that once brought wealth elsewhere, the growth model is unlikely to succeed as automation expands, trade patterns shift, and climate pressures mount. Amid rapid population growth, achieving social and economic inclusion becomes more arduous. Moreover, sustainability confronts threats not solely from pollution and resource over extraction but also from the exacerbating impacts of the changing climate.

Nevertheless, promising instances and hopeful examples in numerous African nations demonstrate that no inherent barriers are preventing Africa from accelerating development and narrowing the gaps with other world regions. To achieve this, countries must intensify efforts to address three crucial enablers of development:

1. Governance with accountable leadership and a competent and committed state. Without this, progress on any aspect of development is unattainable. 

2. Young Africans equipped with skills, technology, and access to quality health care, enabling them to engage in society and the economy. 

3. Robust, well-functioning market systems that cultivate growth, foster opportunities, and generate productive employment. This sequel report, 21st-Century Africa, analyses past achievements, enduring obstacles, and potential policy alternatives and outlines strategies for governments to enhance support for sustainable growth. 

The report delves into ways the continent can empower its expansive, young labor force with the requisite skills and resources for a modern, productive economy. It also explores how trade in goods and services can distribute economic gains across what historically has been the most fragmented world region.

Report by the World Bank Group