Browsing: AfDB Economic Outlook in North Africa

African Union Heads of State (www.theexchange.africa)
  • Top five priorities for the African Union 
  • Building Nutrition and Food Security top African Union Agenda
  • Africa requires an equitable representation at the United Nations

The Assembly of African Union Heads of State and Government held its 35th Ordinary Session early February this year and listed the continent's top five priorities. The Assembly meeting saw the handover of the rotating leadership of the Union from H.E. President Antoine Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo who was Chairperson in 2021, to President Macky Sall of Senegal.

The Heads of State and Government launched the African Union Theme of the Year 2022 as Year of Nutrition: “Strengthening resilience in nutrition and food security on the African continent: Strengthening agro food systems, health and social protection systems for the acceleration of human, social and economic capital development”.

Five priorities were listed: Resilience to Covid-19 and Africa manufacture of vaccines, action against

North Africa Economic Outlook 2020

North Africa will face an economic contraction forecast between 0.8 and 2.3 per cent in 2020 according to the African Development Bank Economic Outlook 2020 report.

The report noted that the prerequisites for resilience and emerging from the crisis are social inclusion, Socioeconomic stability and human capital development.

According to the report, the services, tourism and industrial sectors which are the main economic contributors in North Africa are likely to be hardest hit by the pandemic.

Due to the pandemic, countries in the region implemented health and budget measures to curb the spread of the virus and protect their populations. This led to an economic slowdown due to disruptions in different sectors which led to large-scale socioeconomic consequences.

Restrictions being lifted in North Africa is raising uncertainty and suggests two distinct recovery scenarios, the first scenario based on a timeline for emerging from the crisis in July 2020 while the …