The document discusses several key challenges facing Africa's development: 1. Low economic growth as GDP growth rates are below what is needed to significantly reduce poverty and achieve Millennium Development Goals. Regional integration is also limited. 2. High debt levels pose a significant challenge, with sub-Saharan Africa's total debt exceeding that of other regions in 2003. 3. Weak governance, including corruption, lack of democracy, and inefficient public institutions, has created an inappropriate environment for private sector and civil society involvement.

1. Challenges of Africa Development?
• Poverty and Low economic growth:
- GDP growth in Africa is 3.8% in 2003; 3.2% in 2002; East Africa GDP (2.5%)
- Faster overall growth (~7%) is needed if Africa wants to make progress toward
achieving the MDG of halving poverty in 2015
• Regional Integration:
- Regional Trade Blocs (% of total blocs exports in 2003);
o CEMAC (1.4), CEPGL (1.1), COMESA (8.0), EAC (14.1), ECCAS (1.1), ECOWAS
(8.4), MRU (0.3), SADC (9.4), UEMOA (13.0), UMA (2.4)
o Comparison: East Asia Economic Caucus (49.4)
• Debt:
– Sub-Saharian Africa’s total debt in 2003: $231,360 millions; South Asia ($182,785
millions); Middle East & Africa ($158,827 millions).
• Governance:
– Corruption and embezzlement;
– Lack of transition of many states from authoritarian regimes to pluralistic and
democratic systems
– Lack of transparent, accountable political and economic systems;
– Inefficient public institutions providing inappropriate environment for the private sector
and civil society to play their respective roles in national efforts.
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2. Challenges of Africa Development?
• MDGs
1. Eradicate extreme Poverty & hunger
2. Achieve universal Primary education
3. Promote gender Equality and Empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, & other diseases
7. Ensure Environmental sustainability
8. International Cooperation for Development
• Africa and MDGs:
– In SSA, the number of people living in extreme poverty (on $US1 a
day or less) rose from 217 million in 1990 to 290 million in 2000, the
majority of whom are women
– Adult life expectancy is reckoned to have declined from a little over
50 years to 46 years.
– Based on the trends on the past 15 years, SSA will not achieve the2
MDGs on time

3. Challenges of Africa Development?
• Low economic growth:
- GDP growth in Africa is 3.8% in 2003; 3.2% in
2002; East Africa GDP (2.5%)
- Faster overall growth (~7%) is needed if Africa
wants to make progress toward achieving the
MDG of halving poverty in 2015
- The median share of income or consumption
going to the poorest 20% of the population in
sub-saharian Africa is 4.9%
- Africa faces a financing gap of 10 to 20% of GDP
to reach the Goals.
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4. Challenges of Africa Development?
• Low Regional Integration:
- Multiplicity of Regional Institutions Groupings
- Lack of regional infrastructures
- Low Regional Trade Blocs and market integration
(% of total blocs exports in 2003);
oCEMAC (1.4), CEPGL (1.1), COMESA (8.0),
EAC (14.1), ECCAS (1.1), ECOWAS (8.4),
MRU (0.3), SADC (9.4), UEMOA (13.0), UMA
(2.4)
oComparison: East Asia Economic Caucus
(49.4)
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5. Challenges of Africa Development?
• Debt:
• Irresponsible borrowing by governments that
destabilizes the macro-economic environments
and create unsustainable foreign debt
• Improper debt management and procurement
procedures
• Poor conditions for Highly indebted poor
countries (HIPC)
• Sub-Saharian Africa’s total debt in 2003:
$231,360 millions compare to South Asia
($182,785 millions) or Middle East & Africa
($158,827 millions).
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6. Challenges of Africa Development?
• Governance:
– Corruption and embezzlement;
– Lack of transition of many states from
authoritarian regimes to pluralistic and
democratic systems
– Lack of transparent, accountable political and
economic systems;
– Inefficient public institutions providing
inappropriate environment for the private sector
and civil society to play their respective roles in
national efforts.
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7. East Africa: 8 RECs – 13 Countries
• 8 RECs: 1. Burundi:
2. DR Congo:
3. Comoros:
CEN-SAD 4. Djibouti:
IGAD 5. Eritrea:
6. Ethiopia:
EAC 7. Kenya:
CEPGL 8. Madagascar:
COMESA 9. Rwanda:
10.Seychelles:
IOC 11.Somalia:
SADC 12.Tanzania:
ECCAS 13.Uganda:
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8. ICT in Africa – Digital Divide
Sub-Saharian Africa
1. Physical Resources:
Computers, • Teledensity: 2.43
Telecommunications & • Daily Newspapers: 12 per1000 p.
Access • Radios: 198 per 1000 people
• TV Sets: 69 per 1000
2. Digital Resources:
• PCs: 11.9 per 1000
Relevant Content in diverse
• Internet Users: 20 per 1000 people
languages
East Asia & Pacific
3. Human Resources: • Teledensity: 8.32
Literacy & Education
• Daily Newspapers: 60 / 1000 p.
4. Social Resources: • Radios: 287per 1000 people
Community (TV, Radio) & • TV Sets: 317 per 1000
Institutional Support • PCs: 70.1 per 1000
• Internet Users: 68 per 1000 people
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9. Great International Interest in the Digital
Divide
– UN (UNITeS), ODI (PNUD), RINAF (UNESCO), ITCI-DC
(ITU), WSIS
– Infodev (WB), INTIF (Francophonie)
– G8: Kyushu-Okinawa, July 2000
• DOT Force: Genoa Plan of Action
– Commonwealth Secretariat
– EU Efforts
– AU: Programme 18
– NEPAD: ICT Pillar
– Multitude of International Donors: ACACIA (CRDI), Leland
(USAID), Africa Connection (African Telecoms Union)
• Etc.
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10. AISI/NICI Plans in EAST AFRICA
• 7/13 Countries with an ICT Plans in East
Africa in 2005
– Rwanda; Ethiopia; Comoros; Tanzania; Burundi,
Djibouti, Seychelles.
• 3/13 Countries are in the process on
developing their ICT Policy
– DR Congo, Kenya, Uganda .
• 3/13 Countries where the ICT Policy
development processes are not launched
– Eritrea, Madagascar, Somalia .
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