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The King Baudouin African Development Prize

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 12:57:00 +0000

The King Baudouin Foundation has just announced that it is accepting nominations for its 2014-2015 African Development Prize. The Prize awards innovative initiatives that help local communities take development into their own hands and that improve quality of life. The Prize is worth 150.000 Euros and is awarded every other year. Previous winners include women's rights advocate Bogaletch Gebre of Ethiopia and Dr. Denis Mukwege, founder of the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, DRC, which offers free, psychological and physical treatment for women victims of sexual violence.

The deadline for submissions is February 28, 2014. Send in your nominations and share the call with your professional networks. We'll be doing the same.

Relaunching Africa Can and Sharing Africa’s Growth

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 17:12:00 +0000

Dear Africa Can readers, we’ve heard from many of you since our former Africa Chief Economist Shanta Devarajan left the region for a new Bank position that you want Africa Can to continue highlighting the economic challenges and amazing successes that face the continent. We agree.

Today, we are re-launching Africa Can as a forum for discussing ideas about economic policy reform in Africa as a useful, if not essential, tool in the quest to end poverty in the region.

You’ll continue to hear from many of the same bloggers who you’ve followed over the past five years, and you’ll hear from many new voices – economists working in African countries and abroad engaging in the evidence-based debate that will help shape reform. On occasion, you’ll hear from me, the new Deputy Chief Economist for the World Bank in Africa.

We invite you to continue to share your ideas and challenge ours in pursuit of development that really works to improve the lives of all people throughout Africa.

Here is my first post. I look forward to your comments.

In 1990, poverty incidence (with respect to a poverty line of $1.25) was almost exactly the same in sub-Saharan Africa and in East Asia: about 57%. Twenty years on, East Asia has shed 44 percentage points (to 13%) whereas Africa has only lost 8 points (to 49%). And this is not only about China: poverty has also fallen much faster in South Asia than in Africa.

These differences in performance are partly explained by differences in growth rates during the 1990s, when emerging Asia was already on the move, and Africa was still in the doldrums. But even in the 2000s, when Africa’s GDP growth picked up to 4.6% or thereabouts, and a number of countries in the region were amongst the fastest-growing nations in the world, still poverty fell more slowly in Africa than in other regions. Why is that?

Part of the answer is that Africa’s population growth rates are still very high: 2.7% per year, versus 0.7% in East Asia. So a 4.6% growth rate for GDP translates into a much more modest sounding 1.9% growth in per capita GDP – less than the developing country average in 1999-2012. But an even bigger part is that Africa just seems less efficient at transforming economic growth into poverty reduction. That conversion is measured by what economists call the “growth elasticity of poverty”, a number that tells us by how much poverty falls for each percentage point in economic growth. According to a recent (and as yet unpublished) estimate by my colleagues Luc Christiaensen, Punam Chuhan-Pole and Aly Sanoh, that elasticity was about 2.0 in the developing world as a whole (excluding China) during the 2000s, but only 0.7 in Africa.

At this rate, even if countries in Africa continue to grow at the same rates as in the 2000s – a period when the external environment was particularly benign, with rising commodity prices and abundant liquidity – poverty in 2030 would be in the 26%-30% range (assuming constant inequality). Under similar assumptions for other countries, somewhere between 60% - 80% of the world’s poor would live in Africa.

Why is growth in Africa apparently less pro-poor than elsewhere? And what can be done about it? At first blush, at least part of the answer (beyond rapid population growth) has to do with both levels and changes in inequality. Inequality is relatively high in Africa: seven of the world’s 10 most unequal countries in the latest data in Povcalnet are in the region – despite the fact that African inequality is almost invariably measured for consumption, rather than income, while the opposite is true in Latin America. In addition, inequality has actually been rising in a number of countries. (Although the truth is that infrequent household surveys and changing methodologies are so common that we actually know relatively little about real changes in inequality in Africa – despite the impression you may get from various sources…)

This clearly reflects a growth pattern that is less inclusive than we might like. In our latest Africa’s Pulse and in our recent presentation on the State of the Africa Region to the Annual Meetings of the Bank and the Fund in Washington, we reviewed some of these data, and suggested a four-part strategy for better sharing Africa’s growth in the future:

• First, preserve macroeconomic stability. Africa’s growth success in the 2000s reflects policy improvements, but also a benign external environment. During this period, fiscal deficits and current account deficits grew in most countries (Figure 1). While that is understandable, given plentiful capital flows, the risk is that those capital flows cease – or reverse – precisely at a time when commodity prices have stopped rising and are, in many cases, falling. Countries with large fiscal and current account deficits are inevitably more vulnerable to those risks.

Figure 1: Change in Current Account Balance (% GDP) and Fiscal Balance (% GDP), 2000 - 2012

• Second, build more – but mostly better – human and physical capital. Of course, alongside increases in total factor productivity - this is what drives economic growth everywhere. Despite progress, the needs in Africa are enormous, in everything from health and education to transport and energy. Our emphasis here is on quality: there have been real gains in access, but children won’t learn unless the teachers show up at school and, in addition, actually teach! Similarly, the costs of power, water, transport and communications remain excessively high. That is partly due to sheer scarcity, and partly to geographic fragmentation, but not only. The way contracts are designed, the way competition is (or isn’t) promoted, and the way subsidies interact with firm incentives all need looking at as well.

• Third, promote growth in the places and sectors where the poor live and work. For most of Africa, that means in rural areas – both by finding better ways to promote higher yields in agriculture, and by strengthening the off-farm economy. Linkages to small and medium-sized towns seem to be an important ingredient. This suggests that “local investments” – in rural roads and electrification, for example – is likely to be as important as big flagship projects. Even if the political economy tends to favor the latter.

• Fourth, harness the power of growth that takes place elsewhere for investments near – or in – the poor. That is particularly pertinent for (the large and growing group of) countries with large natural resource sectors. Oil and mining are not intensive in unskilled labor and could, if left alone, develop almost as “enclave sectors”. The main policy concern with these resources is to invest as much as possible of the rents they generate into other forms of capital, to replace the natural capital being depleted. But countries should be imaginative and comprehensive in their choice of investment portfolio. The portfolio should obviously include infrastructure, health and education projects, to build physical and human capital. But it may also include foreign assets, to help with the risk of exchange-rate appreciation and “Dutch disease”.
And it should also include some cash transfers made directly to poor people. The prevailing evidence is that poor households tend to use the resources from small cash transfers rather wisely. They buy more and better food. They send their kids to school more often. And they even invest some of it in their own (very) small businesses: they buy chickens in Mexico, or goats in Tanzania.

That’s pro-poor growth for you! Poor people feeding their babies better and sending their children to school, while also building a new chicken coop. Let governments ensure that there are teachers there to actually teach the children, and you could be on to a really promising combination. It may look less impressive than a new oil platform or a shiny airport, but it will reduce poverty just the same, if not more!

Rencontres Réunion Madagascar : Concrétiser les échanges entre ... - Zinfos 974

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:57:47 +0000

Zinfos 974

Rencontres Réunion Madagascar : Concrétiser les échanges entre ...
Zinfos 974
Elles ont été étudiées et choisies en fonction des demandes et des besoins des entreprises réunionnaise, mais aussi en fonction de leur précédente implication dans les rencontre Réunion/Madagascar ou de leur participation au compagnonnage entre ...
2e Rencontres Réunion/Madagascar : Développement durable et ... LINFO.re

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Mondial 2018: Centrafrique-Madagascar délocalisé à Antananarivo - RFI Afrique Foot

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 12:27:29 +0000

Africa Top Sports (Blog)

Mondial 2018: Centrafrique-Madagascar délocalisé à Antananarivo
RFI Afrique Foot
Les deux rencontres entre les équipes de Centrafrique et de Madagascar, comptant pour le premier tour des éliminatoires de la Coupe du monde 2018, auront lieu à Antananarivo, les 10 et 13 octobre 2015. Le match aller a été délocalisé de Bangui où la ...
Afrique Mondial 2018- Centrafrique-Madagascar : Les matchs aller ... Africa Top Sports (Blog)
Match de qualification République centrafricaine-Madagascar ... FIFA.com
Football – mondial 2018 – Madagascar-Centrafrique ne se jouera ... L'Express de Madagascar
StarAfrica.com - Directinfo.tn - NewsMada - Les Actus De Madagascar
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Madagascar : les douanes interceptent 771 bébés tortues cachées ... - Le Figaro

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 10:08:41 +0000

Le Figaro

Madagascar : les douanes interceptent 771 bébés tortues cachées ...
Le Figaro
Les douanes de Madagascar ont retrouvé, lundi, 771 bébés tortues dans l'aéroport d'Antananarivo, la capitale du pays. Ces tortues, qui appartiennent à une espèce en voie d'extinction, étaient dissimulées dans des chaussettes entre des couches de bébé.
Madagascar : la douane saisit… 771 bébés tortues Yahoo Sport
Madagascar : saisie record de... 771 bébés tortues metronews
Les tortues de Madagascar victimes de trafiquants RFI
L'Express - 20minutes.fr - France Soir
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Madagascar : La Grande Ile a accueilli quelque 150.000 touristes à ... - Zinfos 974

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 04:43:07 +0000

Zinfos 974

Madagascar : La Grande Ile a accueilli quelque 150.000 touristes à ...
Zinfos 974
Le ministre malgache du Tourisme Ulrich Andriantiana a dernièrement annoncé que la Grande Ile avait accueilli à la fin août 2015 quelque 150.000 voyageurs depuis le début de l'année, dont 45% d'Européens. Ce qui est loin des 300.000 touristes prévus ...

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Madagascar Festival 2015 : la Grande île à la conquête du Japon - Eco Austral

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 14:39:03 +0000

Eco Austral

Madagascar Festival 2015 : la Grande île à la conquête du Japon
Eco Austral
Les entreprises et la diaspora malgaches au Japon organiseront, à l'initiative de l'ambassade de Madagascar au Japon et en partenariat avec l'association Japon Madagascar et la ville de Minato à Tokyo, la première édition du « Madagascar Festival ».

Un lascar à Madagascar - L'Opinion

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 13:33:54 +0000

L'Opinion

Un lascar à Madagascar
L'Opinion
s'est lancé dans les affaires au milieu de l'Océan Indien, à Madagascar où il est enterré. Madagascar ? « Pour les gens d'aujourd'hui, ironise l'amie de l'auteur, c'est un film d'animation. Ou alors, une marque de chocolat noir. » Et pourtant ! Le ...

SNC-Lavalin se déleste d'un actif important à Madagascar - LaPresse.ca

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 23:58:46 +0000

LaPresse.ca

SNC-Lavalin se déleste d'un actif important à Madagascar
LaPresse.ca
SNC-Lavalin a annoncé mercredi avoir cédé sa participation de cinq pour cent et le solde de ses prêts dans la coentreprise du projet de nickel Ambatovy à Madagascar, à la société Sumitomo, partenaire actuelle du projet, pour une contrepartie en espèces ...

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Madagascar : la reprise économique se fait toujours attendre - Le Monde

Fri, 25 Sep 2015 09:40:59 +0000

Le Monde

Madagascar : la reprise économique se fait toujours attendre
Le Monde
Plusieurs ministres sont dans leur sillage. Pour l'ouverture du salon international des mines et du pétrole de Madagascar, mercredi 23 septembre, dans la capitale Antananarivo, cette présence officielle massive témoigne de l'enjeu pour les autorités ...

Madagascar: la FIDH alerte sur des exactions présumées de l'armée - RFI

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 10:17:46 +0000

RFI

Madagascar: la FIDH alerte sur des exactions présumées de l'armée
RFI
media Corps de Dahalos tués par les villageois dans la province d'Anosy, dans le sud de la Grande Ile, le 3 septembre 2012. AFP/Province d'Anosyy pr. La traque des dahalos, des voleurs de zébus, à Madasgacar et ses dérives. L'armée a lancé en août une ...

Connecting Madagascar to the world : premier festival malgache au ... - NewsMada - Les Actus De Madagascar

Fri, 25 Sep 2015 08:19:56 +0000

Connecting Madagascar to the world : premier festival malgache au ...
NewsMada - Les Actus De Madagascar
L'Association Japon-Madagascar, entre autres la société Daiho Corporation, Sumitomo corporation et la filiale d'Air Madagascar à Tokyo, vont organiser ce 25 octobre prochain, à Arisugawa No-miya au Japon, un événement qu'ils ont intitulé « The first ...

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Madagascar : Les autorités espagnoles au chevet du rail malgache - Zinfos 974

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 05:30:48 +0000

Zinfos 974

Madagascar : Les autorités espagnoles au chevet du rail malgache
Zinfos 974
"Cette coopération est une importante opportunité pour le secteur ferroviaire malgache dans la mesure où les Espagnols justifient d'une longue et riche expérience en la matière", a souligné le ministre du Tourisme et des Transports, Ulrich Andriantiana.

Madagascar : Les touristes visitant les parcs nationaux interdits d'entrer avant 8 heures du matin

Wed, 23 Sep 2015 04:58:00 +0000

Les autorités malgaches et les responsables des différents parcs nationaux de la Grande Ile ont acté officiellement en fin de semaine dernière l'interdiction d'entrée sur les sites aux touristes étrangers avant 8 h du matin.

Une mesure visant à éviter les trop nombreuses attaques, dont sont victimes les touristes visitant les parcs, avec des malfrats qui s'en prennent physiquement ces dernières années à ces voyageurs de passage pour leur voler avec violences leurs effets personnels de valeur.

Une interdiction qui rentre ainsi dans une simple logique sécuritaire puisque les gendarmes censés protéger les parcs nationaux et ses visiteurs ne commençaient leur service qu'à huit heures du matin.

Madagascar : Les gendarmes de Fenoarivobe saisissent 40 armes à feu et arrêtent 32 dahalo

Tue, 22 Sep 2015 04:32:00 +0000

Les gendarmes de Fenoarivobe ont dernièrement saisi 40 armes à feu et arrêté 32 personnes suspectées d'être des voleurs de zébus (dahalo).

Plusieurs fusils de guerre et des pistolets automatiques 9 mm ainsi que des fusils de chasse ont été récupérés lors de cette opération de gendarmerie. Des centaines de munitions ont été aussi récupérées.

Le district de Fenoarivobe est situé dans la partie Nord-ouest de la province de Tananarive, dans la région de Bongolava.

Pour rappel, le vol de zébus est issu d'anciennes traditions malgaches, mais toujours bien implantées dans l'arrière-pays. Symbole de virilité avant le mariage, des bandes criminelles l'ont détourné de son sens premier, pour le transformer en un trafic juteux à Madagascar.