Closing the Infrastructure Investment Gap in Africa (Financial Times)

Financial Times guest writers Aubrey Hruby and Dawda Jawara III cite the work of Vijaya Ramachandran and Ben Leo on the demand for infrastructure investment in Africa. 

From the article:

Poor and insufficient infrastructure remains one of Africa’s starkest development challenges. Despite the continent’s sustained growth and rapid urbanisation rates, its infrastructure investment deficit remains staggeringly high: $50bn annually, according to the African Development Bank. The gap applies mainly to energy, transport, water and sanitation, but the region is also struggling to construct enough education, culture, tourism and healthcare infrastructure for burgeoning populations. This gap impacts Africa’s businesses, entrepreneurs, and young people. A new report from the Center for Global Development reveals the high importance placed on infrastructure by Africans across the continent relative to jobs and income related issues. In order to increase the pace of critical infrastructure investment, innovative financing mechanisms must be studied and scaled up.

Read the article here.