It is struggling to build an economic model that encourages enduring growth, addresses poverty and provides a future for its youth. More than 40 percent of Africans now live in urban areas, compared with 14.6 percent in 1960, according to the World Bank. Growth in Africa slammed to a halt in the early 1980s, braked by a debt crisis and structural adjustment policies. Lack of democracy, transparency and efficient judicial systems are major brakes on African growth, and wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, said the experts. Of the 40 states deemed last year to be the most world's most corrupt countries, 20 are in sub-Saharan Africa, according to Transparency International.

Source: Daily Nation December 29, 2019 04:52 UTC