Africa Human Capital Heads of State Summit

Sub-Saharan Africa entered the last decade with significant deficits in human capital—the knowledge, skills, and health that people accumulate over their lives. The region’s average Human Capital Index (HCI) was the lowest among all the world’s regions, with a large proportion of African countries at the bottom of the HCI. Overlapping global challenges of the last three years—including the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, and the war in Ukraine leading to increased fuel, grain, and fertilizer prices—have further restricted the accumulation of human capital and worsened the recovery of the human development losses seen during COVID-19. With impacts generally worse for children in poor households, this has translated into greater inequality.

The current education system is at capacity, and the demand will increase with nearly 750 million children expected to be of school age by 2060. The rapid increase in cohorts of children and young people presents a significant fiscal pressure on governments in terms of service delivery needs, early childhood development interventions, and sustained investment in accessible and quality education for all, especially girls.

It is time to change the narrative on human capital from being mere expenditures to productive investments that are high GDP contributors. For example, one extra year of education correlates with 10% higher household income, and one extra year on average for a country translates overall to 2.5% higher GDP per capita.

This series of technical briefs was compiled for the first Africa Human Capital Heads of State Summit (July 2023) focusing on the importance of investing in young people as a core driver of productivity and growth as seen in recent literature and country experience. This series synthesizes existing research and data to shed light for useful and relevant policy recommendations.

BLOGS

Invest in Youth, Transform Africa

Investing in human capital to boost CEMAC's growth potential

Realizing Human Capital Potential and Protecting Girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Stop solving only half the problem: Human capital through the eyes of the Gambian youth

Could Mozambique be the next role model for improving education quality?

The Moment in Africa is Now: Invest in Your People

INTERVIEWS

Interview With Dr Mwigulu Nchemba, Minister of Finance and Planning, Tanzania | 2023 WBG-IMF Spring Meetings

Interview: Human Capital for Economic Growth in Sub-Sahara Africa | 2023 WBG-IMF Spring Meetings

STORIES & RESULTS

Investing in Youth, Transforming Africa

Developing a State-led Social Safety Net System to Boost Human Capital and Build Resilience in Somalia

Enhancing Youth Skills Development and Employment Opportunities in the Republic of Congo

Ghana: Online Education for Delivering Learning Outcomes during the COVID-19 School Closure

Transforming Education Across Eastern and Southern Africa

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