high and endemic poverty (World Bank 2016), high food insecurity (FAO and
UNECA 2018), low educational attainment (World Bank 2018a) and low access
to basic infrastructure and social services (WHO 2018b), among others. Indeed
many international organizations, national governments, civil society organizations
and academics agree that SSA is lagging so far behind other regions of the world and
that multiple development priorities must be tackled to ensure sustainable development across the continent (Table 1.1). However, as outlined below numerous and
highly interlinked challenges/barriers and rapid demographic, socio-economic and
environmental change complicate the attainment of these multiple sustainability
objectives (UNDP 2018a).
SSA currently undergoes major demographic transitions underpinned by very
high fertility and urbanization rates (UN-DESA 2018a). With an estimated annual
population growth rate of 2.7% (one of the highest in the world), SSA already has a
total population of over one billion people (World Bank 2018a). It has been
projected that more than 30 SSA countries could double their population by 2050
(Mutunga et al. 2012). Currently, a very large fraction of the population comprises of
dependent youth and children, making SSA the region with the youngest population
globally (Canning et al. 2015). In fact, SSA’s growing youth population (0–24 years)
accounts for about 60% in the total population and 54.3% of the labour force (ILO
2017; UNECA 2016a). Similarly, urbanization rates are currently some of the
highest in the world (UN-DESA 2018a). Rural to urban migration has been accelerating in many SSA countries and has contributed to the unprecedented expansion
of urban slums and informal settlements, which now host most of the poor urban
dwellers across the continent (Cobbinah et al. 2015; UN-DESA 2018a; UN 2018).
Many of the rapidly expanding urban areas, and especially slums, experience high
levels of pollution and a lack of basic services related to sanitation, waste management, education and health, among others (UN 2018; UN-HABITAT 2016). With
the urban population projected to reach about 1.3 billion people by 2050 in SSA,
there are real concerns that living conditions will further deteriorate in most urban
centres, especially those that have already surpassed their capacities (Cobbinah and
Erdiaw-Kwasie 2016; UN-HABITAT 2016).
At the same time, SSA has been experiencing remarkable economic growth over
the past decades, which has lifted many of its residents out of poverty (AfDB 2019a).
However, despite some SSA economies still being among the fastest growing
globally, the economic growth has decelerated in many parts of the continent
(Bluhm et al. 2018; AfDB 2019a). Agriculture remains the main source of livelihoods for about two-thirds of the population, contributing approximately one-third
of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and occupying about 60% of the population
(AfDB 2018). SSA is also considerably rich in natural resources accounting in 2010,
for example, about 12% of the global mineral operations, including 7% of natural
gas, 11% of oil, 19% of gold, 54% of diamonds, 62% of cobalt and 74% of platinum
(AfDB 2016). The extraction of these non-renewable natural resources accounts for
approximately 10% of the total annual economic output and 50% of the exports,
with, however, these numbers varying extensively by country (Lundgren et al. 2013;
Ericsson and Löf 2019). That said, despite the significant economic expansion, few
countries have managed to diversify their national economies beyond the primary
economy sectors (Alobo Loison 2015).
4
D. Juju et al.
UNECA 2018), low educational attainment (World Bank 2018a) and low access
to basic infrastructure and social services (WHO 2018b), among others. Indeed
many international organizations, national governments, civil society organizations
and academics agree that SSA is lagging so far behind other regions of the world and
that multiple development priorities must be tackled to ensure sustainable development across the continent (Table 1.1). However, as outlined below numerous and
highly interlinked challenges/barriers and rapid demographic, socio-economic and
environmental change complicate the attainment of these multiple sustainability
objectives (UNDP 2018a).
SSA currently undergoes major demographic transitions underpinned by very
high fertility and urbanization rates (UN-DESA 2018a). With an estimated annual
population growth rate of 2.7% (one of the highest in the world), SSA already has a
total population of over one billion people (World Bank 2018a). It has been
projected that more than 30 SSA countries could double their population by 2050
(Mutunga et al. 2012). Currently, a very large fraction of the population comprises of
dependent youth and children, making SSA the region with the youngest population
globally (Canning et al. 2015). In fact, SSA’s growing youth population (0–24 years)
accounts for about 60% in the total population and 54.3% of the labour force (ILO
2017; UNECA 2016a). Similarly, urbanization rates are currently some of the
highest in the world (UN-DESA 2018a). Rural to urban migration has been accelerating in many SSA countries and has contributed to the unprecedented expansion
of urban slums and informal settlements, which now host most of the poor urban
dwellers across the continent (Cobbinah et al. 2015; UN-DESA 2018a; UN 2018).
Many of the rapidly expanding urban areas, and especially slums, experience high
levels of pollution and a lack of basic services related to sanitation, waste management, education and health, among others (UN 2018; UN-HABITAT 2016). With
the urban population projected to reach about 1.3 billion people by 2050 in SSA,
there are real concerns that living conditions will further deteriorate in most urban
centres, especially those that have already surpassed their capacities (Cobbinah and
Erdiaw-Kwasie 2016; UN-HABITAT 2016).
At the same time, SSA has been experiencing remarkable economic growth over
the past decades, which has lifted many of its residents out of poverty (AfDB 2019a).
However, despite some SSA economies still being among the fastest growing
globally, the economic growth has decelerated in many parts of the continent
(Bluhm et al. 2018; AfDB 2019a). Agriculture remains the main source of livelihoods for about two-thirds of the population, contributing approximately one-third
of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and occupying about 60% of the population
(AfDB 2018). SSA is also considerably rich in natural resources accounting in 2010,
for example, about 12% of the global mineral operations, including 7% of natural
gas, 11% of oil, 19% of gold, 54% of diamonds, 62% of cobalt and 74% of platinum
(AfDB 2016). The extraction of these non-renewable natural resources accounts for
approximately 10% of the total annual economic output and 50% of the exports,
with, however, these numbers varying extensively by country (Lundgren et al. 2013;
Ericsson and Löf 2019). That said, despite the significant economic expansion, few
countries have managed to diversify their national economies beyond the primary
economy sectors (Alobo Loison 2015).
4
D. Juju et al.