"Urbanisation is one of the most powerful growth engines the world has ever experienced", Jean-Michel Severino

"Head-to-head: Is Africa’s young population a risk or an asset?", interview de JM Severino on BBC. 

" Does demographic growth work for economic growth? Yes "

Or at least, at some specific moments, one of which Africa is experiencing now. This continent's path is unique in the history of humankind for the speed at which it has enjoyed the growth of its population, and probably, the speed at which it will experience its decline. For more than 50 years, up to the late 1990s, birth rates exploded in what was an empty continent and the impact on economic growth has been severe.

The weight of the young generation on the shoulders of the relatively few adults dragged down economic growth rates. Limited domestic demand and lack of infrastructure prevented the growth of strong local markets. The collapse of raw material prices in the early 1980s created a huge burden of debt for the continent, as well as dependency on aid and raw material exports.

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