Accelerating catch-up: Tertiary education for growth in sub-Saharan Africa
Date: 13/01/2010
Introduction:
Africa’s stock of human capital with secondary- and tertiary-level skills is comparatively small. Its quality is highly variable, and the accumulation of skills in some countries is dampened by mortality arising from infectious diseases and by emigration of many of the most talented. Only by raising the rate of investment in human capital can the region reach and sustain the level of economic performance it needs to generate an adequate volumeof employment for expanding populations. This report identifies and analyzes the challenges that countries in SSA face in seeking to achieve these aspirations. It underscores the role of tertiary education in meeting these challenges and, by drawing on African and international experience, it indicates the policy steps that will enable African tertiary institutions to support knowledge-intensive growth strategies.
