Despite claims that Africa is experiencing one of the highest growth rates in the world, growing class divisions and rising consumer prices are having disproportionate negative impacts on working people and the poor. Countries that are the focus of reports of phenomenal growth such as Nigeria and Ghana are undergoing internal crises related to the rising cost of living and the need to expand government spending on infrastructural development.
Nigeria has recently been designated as the largest economy in Africa, outstripping the Republic of South Africa. Still, some analysts warn that these interpretations of economic data may be misleading. Meanwhile workers, farmers, women and youth are escalating their demands for access to material goods and resources.
Several alarming reports surfaced during April indicating that the changing economic landscape in various regions of Africa is more complex than periodic news stories would suggest. What lies behind these problems, and how will they be addressed by African governments in the coming period?
