By Stanislas NdayishimiyePosted on 18-09-2018Modified on 18-09-2018 at 22:53

On the occasion of the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, the Bill Gates Foundation published its annual report on progress in development. The American billionaire calls for aid to Africa, a continent facing unprecedented population growth. Its population will double by 2050 to 2.4 billion people, half of whom will be under 25 years old.

The major manufacturers of certain consumer products are scrutinizing the African market, where we have been talking for some years about the emergence of a middle class . The least developed continent has also experienced sustained economic growth in the last three decades, but remains below its population growth.

In his 2018 report, Bill Gates notes that poverty has been declining in the world for 20 years, with one billion people whose lives have improved, especially in Africa. And this is thanks, among other things according to the report, with the help of developed countries.

But it also expresses concern: the high population growth in some countries of the continent could slow down the reduction of poverty, or even reverse the curve, the number of Africans living in very great poverty starting up again. The billionaire therefore calls on rich countries to continue their investments in poor countries to help them achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set for 2030.

The right choice of areas to invest in to reduce poverty

Alongside investors in search of profitable markets in Africa, Bill Gates urges decision-makers in both North and South to invest in human capital . His concern is that economic growth in some countries may fail to reduce poverty.

To avoid this scenario, he calls for " investments in the right direction ". For Bill Gates, we need to " invest in health and education " of the " young emerging generation in Africa ". With good education in different areas, young Africans will be able to contribute to economic growth and then to lower population growth.

But it would have to happen in all the countries of the continent at the same time, which is not easy. A projection indicates that by 2050, more than 40% of the world's extremely poor people will be from two African countries: Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

► Read the report "Goalkeepers"

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