Africa Seminar: Potential and monitoring of the Demographic Dividend in Africa: methodologies and results

Professor Dramani

Africa's demographic transformation presents both a major development opportunity and a significant challenge for public policy. With a rapidly growing working-age population, the continent has considerable potential to capitalize on the demographic dividend. However, realizing this potential depends on African countries' ability to translate demographic changes into productive employment, human capital development, social investment, and sustainable economic growth.

This presentation focuses on the potential of the Demographic Dividend in Africa, as well as the main methodologies for assessing, measuring, and monitoring its evolution in different countries . It will highlight the analytical approaches, indicators, and monitoring tools developed by the Regional Consortium for Research in Generational Economics (CREG) to determine countries' position in their demographic transition and assess their capacity to capitalize on the opportunities associated with this transition.

The presentation will also draw on empirical and comparative results, illustrating the differences between African countries and highlighting the main factors likely to accelerate or hinder the realization of the Demographic Dividend.

The overall objective is to provide researchers and students with a scientific, operational and evidence-based understanding of how to measure and track the Demographic Dividend, and how to translate its potential into concrete and effective public policies.

Expected results

Following the presentation, participants will have a better understanding:

  • methodologies for measuring and evaluating the Demographic Dividend;
  • indicators and tools for monitoring the demographic transition;
  • the main empirical results observed in Africa;
  • factors that promote or limit the capture of the Demographic Dividend;
  • priorities to transform demographic dynamics into inclusive and sustainable development.

Keywords

Demographic dividend; Africa; demographic transition; human capital; labor market; economic growth; measurement; monitoring; methodologies; public policies; compelling evidence; sustainable development, DDMI, GDDI, LDDI, CREG.

Professor Latif Dramani is full professor of economics at Iba Der Thiam University in Thiès and coordinator of the Thiès Center for Research in Applied Economics and Finance (CREFAT). He is chair of the international NTA Network, which brings together more than 100 countries worldwide, and coordinator of the Regional Center of Excellence for Research in Generational Economics (CREG), which covers African countries.

 Affiliated with several universities around the world (University of Manchester, University of Berkeley, University of Parakou, University of Cape Town, University of Hawaii at Manoa), Professor Dramani is the author of several scientific works, and conducts his research in the following main areas: the problem of sustainable development through the lens of the Demographic Dividend and Generational Economy; the dynamics of poverty; unpaid domestic work and the care economy; and finally the national and local integration of economies.