The African Development Bank (AfDB) has published highlights of its flagship publication African Economic Outlook (AEO), in local languages, aiming to ensure their reach to new stakeholders at the local and community levels
These languages are among the most widely spoken on the continent.
Following the launch of the highlights report in Arabic, Hausa and Kiswahili for the 2018 edition, the Bank announces the release of the 2019 African Economic Outlook highlights in four additional languages such as Amharic, Pidgin English, Yoruba and Zulu.
The main objective of the AEO highlights in local African languages is to ensure accessibility to the information it contains, promoting inclusiveness, widespread coverage and relevance of the publication within stakeholder communities at the district and local levels.
The 2019 AEO report focuses on regional integration - one of the Bank’s High 5 priority areas - and explores how it can spur economic prosperity in Africa. To achieve this objective, the report highlights certain actions that need to be taken. These include: reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers, increasing labour mobility, integrating financial markets; and enhancing cooperation for regional public goods.
“The special theme this year is regional integration for Africa’s economic prosperity, not just for trade and economic cooperation, but for the delivery of regional public goods. Having these highlights in the different languages ties in with that, by promoting greater inclusiveness,” said Celestin Monga, chief economist of AfDB.
In Central Africa, the focus is on regional integration and fragility. In East and North Africa, the political economy of regional integration is considered. Southern Africa looks at regional integration and private sector development, while in West Africa, regional integration and structural transformation is the focus.
AfDB is confident that the rigour and depth of analysis contained in the AEO and regional reports is of great value to all stakeholders interested in African development issues. The up-to-date data and reference materials they contain make them invaluable to a diverse and wide audience comprising academics, researchers, development partners, investors, civil society organisations and the media.
