Sustaining Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

The International Monetary Fund has just released its semi-annual Regional Economic Outlook for Africa which contains findings that indicate sub-Saharan Africa’s economic activity has slowed sharply with the onset of the global financial crisis. As the world economy stages a tentative recovery, what does this mean for the region? Can sub-Saharan Africa capitalize on a recovery and regain the momentum of the past decade?

On November 19, the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings hosted Antoinette Sayeh, director of the African Department of the IMF, for a discussion of the findings of the Regional Economic Outlook for Africa. Panelists include Andrew Baukol from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Stephen Hayes from the Corporate Council on Africa. Brookings Senior Fellow Mwangi Kimenyi provided introductory remarks and moderated the discussion.