Is Manufacturing Still the Key to African Prosperity?

By:Dwight Links

Africa’s journey toward development and growth is taking an unconventional turn, deviating from the traditional path of transitioning from agriculture to manufacturing.
A recent report by the Center for Global Development (CGD), a think tank based in London and Washington, delves into this shift that began around 2009, challenging the notion that manufacturing should be the primary driver of economic progress.
The CGD emphasises the importance of economic development and structural transformation in a country’s growth process.
Historically, the conventional trajectory involves a decline in agriculture’s share of both employment and production, followed by the growth of service sectors, with manufacturing becoming the dominant sector.