Africa Development Forum: New research and perspectives from our 15-Year partnership for knowledge

Over the last two decades, the development narrative on Africa has swung from “Africa Rising” to more sobering realities today.  Growth has occurred, and we expect Africa to keep growing around 4% in the next three years, second only to East and South Asia, but it has not translated into broad-based prosperity for people and communities. Extreme poverty remains stubbornly high, and Africa is still the world’s second most unequal continent. The region is experiencing a demographic boom yet lacks the jobs to absorb it. By 2030, 170 million young Africans will need an education—and millions more will need decent work. In other words, Africa is a continent which combines a high potential with tough challenges.

Empowering decision-makers with evidence-based reforms is crucial for shaping Africa's future–and this is the mission underlying the Africa Development Forum series, a knowledge partnership initiated in 2010 by the World Bank’s Africa Chief Economist Office and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and coordinated by World Bank Publications.  With 37 titles and still counting, the series has brought together prominent researchers, data, and practical insights to address enduring debates in African development, from infrastructure and trade to energy, education, and agriculture. Over the years, the series has evolved, keeping its original promise to maintain the highest level of rigor while opening to more authors and research institutions based on the African continent. More recently, the World Bank and AFD jointly decided to translate more publications into African languages to reach a wider audience. 

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Africa Development Forum. To celebrate this milestone, the World Bank and AFD are launching a series of blogs by leading experts who will revisit the foundational themes of the Africa Development Forum with new data and perspectives.  

We begin next month with a blog by Justice Mensah addressing the challenge of expanding electricity access and infrastructure across the continent.  

We hope his insights—along with those of others in the coming months—will offer fresh perspectives on the policies needed to help Africa overcome development challenges, create good jobs, and sustain inclusive growth for the next decade and beyond, underscoring the shared mission of the World Bank and the AFD.

Related: The AFD–World Bank Group Partnership: Powering Development Impact Through Collaboration