African industrialisation goals may prove elusive

Significance However, progress has been limited. Structural transformation -- the movement of labour from one sector to another -- has been extremely slow. Upwards of 60% of the workforce across Africa is still employed in small-scale agriculture. When transformation has happened, it has often involved people moving from the agricultural sector to low-end services instead of manufacturing. Impacts By bolstering commodity exports, major infrastructure projects such as the Lobito Corridor may actually inhibit wider industrialisation. High debt levels may limit government investment into manufacturing projects across the continent. Collective efforts to establish an African ‘energy bank’ may generate modest increases in fossil fuel investment.