Inequalities in Sub-Saharan Africa: Multidimensional Perspectives & Future Challenges

The Publishing Office of the French Development Agency (AFD) is pleased to invite you to a webinar on the occasion of the release of "Inequalities in Sub-Saharan Africa: Multidimensional Perspectives and Future Challenges", an upcoming title in the Africa Development Forum series jointly published by AFD and the World Bank Group.

This new report examines the deep-rooted and complex inequalities impacting income, education, healthcare, and climate resilience across the African continent. In parallel, the report addresses the need for transformative policies—ranging from progressive taxation to equitable access to credit and job opportunities—and highlights the importance of both redistributive and foundational reforms to tackle inequality at its core. Emphasizing the crucial role of African-led research, the report advocates for strengthening local research capacities as a cornerstone of sustainable development, supported by institutions like the World Bank and AFD.

Agenda :

• Opening remarks by Thomas Melonio, Chief Economist & Innovation, Strategy and Research Executive Director, AFD
• Discussion with the report’s leading authors: Vimal Ranchhod, Deputy-Director of the Southern Africa Labour & Development Research Unit, School of Economics at the University of Cape Town & Head of the South African node of the African Center of Excellence for Inequality Research ; Anda David, Senior Economist in charge of Research Programs on Inequality, Poverty & International Migration, AFD
• Response by Fati N'Zi-Hassane, Africa Director, Oxfam
• Closing remarks by Andrew Dabalen, Chief Economist, Africa, World Bank
• Q&A with the audience

Moderator: Etienne Charrière, AFD Deputy Head of Publications

In 2025, we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Africa Development Forum series. With a focus on issues of significant relevance to Sub-Saharan Africa’s social and economic development, titles in the series aim to both to record the state of the art on a specific topic and to contribute to ongoing local, regional, and global policy debates. They are designed to provide practitioners, scholars, and students with the most up-to-date research results while highlighting the promise, challenges, and opportunities that exist on the continent.