Africa: Diversity and Development
Lecture to the Annual Conference of the
Geographical Association
University of Manchester
13 April 2012
Professor Tony Binns & Associate Professor Etienne Nel
University of Otago
Dunedin
New Zealand
Introduction
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This presentation - closely linked with conference
theme of “Geographies of Difference”
Africa – an ideal case example of “geographies of
difference” – this theme will form a key basis of this
presentation.
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Recent developments in
Africa – link with key themes
in the Geography curriculum
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We will draw on our recently
published book
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Africa’s place in the School Curriculum
- can be linked to the following ‘A’-level and GCSE
curriculum themes:
Contemporary geographical issues
 World cities / changing urban and rural environments
 Development and globalization
 Development and inequality / development gap
 Development dilemmas / world development
 Contemporary conflicts
 Population and resources / population change
 Managing resources
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1.
2.
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Africa - can be used as an exemplar of:
* Key themes in the curriculum e.g. development
/resources/conflict, and
* Recent rapid changes & current issues of global
contestation e.g. food shortages/climate change/the MDGs
Focus of this presentation:
1. Changing perceptions of the continent
2. Africa’s diversity
3. Selected key themes:
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a) Africa and the MDGs
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b) Recent trends – Growth and challenges
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c) Food security
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d) Post-conflict
4. Conclusion
Africa – the world’s poorest continent, but recent
positive signs:
Better economic performance in the last/current
recession than most continents: 35% of Africans live
in countries with +4% growth for last 10 years
 Africa’s middle class has increased to 313 million
(c. 33% of population)
 Estimated 100,000 African millionaires
 Fewer coups : 24 in the 1960s, 5 in the 2000s
 More democracy
 Major advances in cell-phone / internet banking
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The 56 Countries of Africa
49 mainland states & 7 island states*
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
•Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
•Comoros
Congo
(Brazzaville Congo, DRC, Zaire)
Cote d`Ivoire
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
•Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
•Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
[ •Reunion]
Rwanda
•Sao Tome
& Principe
Senegal
•Seychelles
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Sudan
South Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Western Sahara
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Africa’s Diversity
Africa is the Second largest continent after Asia –
30,065,000 sq km., 20.2% of Earth’s land surface
Population in 2011 – + 1 billion
Most populated country – Nigeria: c.150 million
(2009)
Africa’s Diversity
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Life expectancy:
72 years Algeria
35 yrs Lesotho
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Malnutrition (% under-5s):
45% Burundi
4% Tunisia
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Under 5 mortality:
282 Sierra Leone
13 Seychelles
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HIV/AIDS (% 15-49):
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GDP pc:
$12,387 Botswana
$667Malawi
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Under $1 /day:
3% Egypt
70% Nigeria
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HDI:
52/187Seychelles
187/187 DRCongo
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Sources: UNDP, 2007, 2009; World Bank, 2009; FAO 2009.
0.1% Algeria
33.4% Swaziland
Theme A: Africa and the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs)
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Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2000
8 globally agreed development targets to achieve by
2015.
While many countries in Asia and Latin America are on
track to meet them, many African countries sadly will not.
What are the MDGs ?
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Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
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Target 1: Reduce by half the proportion of people living on
less than a dollar a day
Target 2: Reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer
from hunger
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Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
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Target 3: Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course
of primary schooling
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Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower
women
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Target 4: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary
education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015
What are the MDGs (contd).
•
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Target 5: Reduce by two thirds the under-5 mortality rate
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Target 6: Reduce by three quarters maternal mortality
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other
diseases
Target 7: Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
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Target 8: Halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria
and other major diseases
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Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
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Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for
development
Attaining the MDGs
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Africa still has the highest proportion of people of any region
in the world living on less than $1.25 per day.
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This figure fell from 58 to 51% between 1990-2005, but
Developing World average fell from 45% to 27% (UN MDG
Report, 2011)
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% of children who are underweight in Africa fell 27%-22%
(1990-2009).
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Slow improvement in health and educational scores in Africa.
Adult literacy (over 15 yrs) only 40.9% in Sierra Leone
Theme B: Recent Trends: Growth and
Challenges
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While there are some positive signs in Africa, many deepseated challenges remain which are hindering the attainment
of the MDGs and broader development goals
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Some of the most obvious challenges include:
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- rapid urbanization and under-resourced cities
- refugee crises and lingering conflict / corruption
- health crises – especially HIV/AIDS and malaria
- persistent poverty
- significant disparities – spatially and socially
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Africa’s 10 largest cities in 2008
1. Cairo
2. Lagos
3. Kinshasa
4. Khartoum
5. Luanda
6. Alexandria
7. Abidjan
8. Johannesburg
9. Algiers
10. Cape Town
12.1 m
9.8 m
8.2 m
4.8 m
4.2 m
4.2 m
3.9 m
3.2 m
3.4m
3.2m
Recent Trends
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Development challenges and backlogs will remain for some
time
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But scope to explore recent positive economic trends and
emerging themes of interest, including;
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- Chinese investment
- Climate change
- Global food and oil shortages and land acquisition in Africa
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Theme C: Food Security
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“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have
physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and
nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food
preferences for an active and healthy life” (FAO, 1996)
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Food security is important to achieve at least 4 of the
MDG’s
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
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Food security in Africa
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Report by FAO in 2006 suggested that;
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Food insecurity and undernourishment are widespread in
Africa,
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And undernourishment actually increased in Africa by
around 20% between 1990 and 2002.
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This is in stark contrast to the rest of the world, where the
number of undernourished people has fallen steadily.
Urban agriculture: a key strategy to
ensure food security
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The context
*Rapid growth of Africa’s towns and cities
*Rising prices of basic foodstuffs
*Increasing importance of urban and peri-urban
agriculture (UPA) - vegetables, fruit, some grain crops
(e.g. maize).
The value of UPA
- supplements household food intake
- provides extra income from crop sales
- provides employment
- empowers women and youths
- enhances the sustainability of cities, increased self-sufficiency
- a useful adaptation to climate change.
Theme D: Conflict and Post-Conflict
Reconstruction
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Between 2000 and 2010 – armed conflict in 24 African countries
“The costs of war in Africa have cancelled out the potential impact of
15 years of development aid” (UN Deputy Secretary-General, 2010)
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Conflict leads to;
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- collapse of economic systems
- increase in military expenditure, and other sectors neglected (e.g.
health, education)
- destruction of state infrastructure e.g. roads, power, health,
education, legal system
- destruction of community and household infrastructure
- deaths from conflict, but also from disease and starvation with poor
health care
- widespread suffering, trauma and dislocation
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Sierra Leone
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Much in the news in recent years - synonymous with
conflict and diamonds
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Civil war: 1991-2001 – caused by poor governance,
disaffected youths, instability in Liberia
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Massive displacement of people and destruction
of infrastructure - more than 500,000 people displaced
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Major economic activities disrupted, including farming,
mining and forestry
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People flooded into the capital city, Freetown, for safety,
increasing the demand for food.
Sierra Leone today…
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Now one of the poorest countries in the world
UNDP, Human Development Report, 2011 (data for 2009)
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HDI rank, 180 out of 187
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Life expectancy at birth: 47.8 years (UK: 80 years)
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Adult literacy: 40.9%
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Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births): 123 (UK: 5/1000)
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Under-5 mortality: 192 per 1000 live births (UK: 6/1000).
Post-conflict reconstruction and
development in Sierra Leone
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Key priorities
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Disarmament and stability
Democratic and non-corrupt governance at all levels
Re-patriation for refugees
Re-incorporation of ex-combatants into communities
Community-based education overcome trauma and plan for
development
Reconstructing infrastructure - roads, schools, hospitals,
telecommunications
Job creation, particularly for youths
Restoring systems - health, education, economy, taxation,
trade, legal, tv and radio.
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Conclusion
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Perceptions of Africa are often negative
Africa has been marginalised and has a lot of
catching up to do
But many positive things are happening in
Africa
Africa is the continent to watch in the years
ahead
South Africa joined the BRIC’s group of rapidly
developing countries in 2011
To find out more, please read our book!!