Africa still has high levels of poverty despite weathering economic crisis – Doni-Kwame

Africa has weathered the economic crisis and achieved considerable advances in the area of poverty reduction and human development. However, the region is still home to high levels of poverty, hunger, unemployment, inequality in political voice and access to resources, Doni-Kwame has said.

Speaking at the media launch of the tenth edition of the African Business Leaders Forum in Accra last week, the Managing Director of the World Trade Centre Office in Ghana, Mr. Emmanuel Doni-Kwame expressed concern over Africa’s infrastructure deficit which remains a challenge even though investment into key projects in Africa has increased over the past few years.

“There is a long way to go for many countries to translate growth into higher human development,” he said.

Doni-Kwame used the opportunity to call on government to establish good governance and a conducive operating environment which he believes will enable economic growth, promote social development and create open markets and private enterprises which are critical for development in Africa.

“Africa must invest in quality education in order to stop children from inheriting poverty from generation to generation,” he added.

Adding her voice, the Executive Director of Business & Financial Times and the African Business Leaders Forum, Mrs. Edith Dankwa believes that in times like this, “good leadership is even more important than ever and holds the key to taking the continent to the next level which we are all desirous of as African business leaders.”

By Pascal Kelvin Kudiabor