Experts urge African leaders to bridge gap between policies, real-life outcomes

Delivering the keynote address, Patrick Achi, former prime minister of Côte d’Ivoire and President of the country’s National Assembly, said access to infrastructure and social services could not be regarded as the end of development if they did not improve people’s ability to learn, work, earn and access essential services.‘Africa needs jobs, not just social protection’ Mr Achi said Africa’s growing population made productive employment and income essential to achieving sustainable inclusion, with hundreds of millions of young people expected to enter the labour market in the coming decades.

Experts and development leaders have called on African governments to bridge the gap between policies and their implementation, particularly to ensure that interventions in health, education, and economic inclusion translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives.