Dar es Salaam, May 19, 2023 –President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania has called on fellow African leaders, policymakers and other development actors to accelerate investments in learning, health and skills, to ensure the productivity of the people of the region that constitutes her greatest asset.
President Samia made the call during the official launch of the African Heads of State Human Capital Summit (HCS) today in Dar es Salaam.
“As our countries struggle to cope with the unprecedented impacts of the overlapping crises of recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and now rising inflation, competing fiscal priorities and tight budgets, there is an opportunity to getting carried away by agendas focused on immediate relief of these problems. crises, and losing sight of the important investments necessary for our human capital which is our greatest asset“, said President Samia. “I call on my fellow African leaders not to let up on these crucial interventions. Our citizens are essential to unlocking their aspirations and the continent’s economic potential.”
In 2018, the World Bank Group launched the Human Capital Project (HCP), as part of a global effort to accelerate more and better investments in human resources for greater equity and greater economic growth. As of April 2023, 87 economies have joined the HCP.
The project uses advocacy, measurement and analysis work to raise awareness and increase demand for interventions to strengthen human capital. Among these analyzes is the Human Capital Index (HCI) which quantifies the contribution of health and education to the productivity of the next generation of workers. Between 0 and 1, the index takes the value 1 only if a child born today can hope to achieve full health (defined as the absence of stunted growth and survival until at least 60 years) and achieve their full potential. potential for formal education (defined at age 14). quality school from 18 years old).
As a region, Africa entered the last decade with significant human capital deficits, with the lowest average HCI compared to other regions, while recent global crises, including COVID-19, have further exacerbated learning poverty, skills gaps and health problems.
The Summit will be held on July 25 and 26, 2023 under the theme “Accelerating Africa’s economic growth: boosting youth productivity by improving learning and skills.“It will bring together leaders from across the continent to focus attention and drive tangible financial and policy commitments prioritizing investment in people as the key driver of productivity, resilience and growth.
“It is projected that by In 2050, the Africa region would have doubled its population to reach 2.2 billion“, said Victoria Kwakwa, World Bank Regional Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa. “Timely investments in education and population health can increase productivity, spur job creation to create a demographic dividend and unlock the region’s enormous economic potential..”
“Women’s empowerment is a cross-cutting theme that constitutes one of the important foundations for achieving better human capital outcomes.“, said Ousmane Diagana, World Bank regional vice president for West and Central Africa.. “Investing in women, children and adolescents to ensure equitable and affordable care has transformative potential to unlock higher opportunities throughout life, support inclusive growth and advance their rights..”
