**1. Introduction: why regional development matters**

Regional economic prosperity depends upon realizing the full economic potential of all sub-regions. The territorial approach to the issue of development needs to be a part of the strategic thinking of national and regional bodies. However, how do we make the regions more competitive while at the same time prevent further socio-economic discrepancies in countries and regions? Certainly, place-based development is crucial in accelerating regional growth which focuses on the people, their assets, opportunities and challenges. Indeed, understanding the process of development and how development is to occur is crucial in mapping out strategies to reach and attain set goals.

Arguably, the idea of development applies equally to all nations and regions. Some development indicators such as access to energy, healthcare, education and other social amenities are crucial to accelerate the development process. The Challenge Network argues that there are three dominant high-level elements that play a vital role in development of nations. These are [1]:


Assets and liabilities possessed by a society is the first of the elements underpinning the development process. Society's assets such as: natural resources, its people, productive capital, security, etc., has to be properly balanced with its corresponding liabilities such as: resource limits, local and foreign debts, dependent people, etc. The African region is endowed with a lot of natural assets that are yet to be fully harnessed. The natural and human assets of the African region far outweigh its liabilities.

Goals and values that society sets for itself is a crucial element in the development process. Setting clear goals that is well articulated, understood, accepted and actively pursued with clear actions and backed by a general consensus is important. Setting unclear goals makes a society run the risk of either drifting towards the direction where market forces press it to go, or achieving those unclear set goals by accident. Setting unrealistic goals may often lead to a less happy end for that society. This is prevalent within the African region.

The third element underpinning the development of nations is the internal rules by which a society is governed. Development entails learning and managing increasing amounts of complexity that manifests itself in the forms of interconnections, options, information and resources. The internal rules of nations and regions guide its socio-economic and political growth. Indeed, societies which organize themselves for political and socio-economic growth develops, and those who are unable to do this do not.

With respect to the speed of development, institutions play a vital role implicitly through parliaments and embodied laws or explicitly through rules of everyday conduct and social engagement. Indeed, the sum of these structures is what is referred to as the 'social capital' of a society. It is difficult to change tacit institutions in predictable ways. However, policy instruments can be used to alter formal institutions to achieve development outcomes.

Regional development policies should be mainly about integration of several sectoral policies that are often designed in a way that is not coherent. It is also about tailoring policies to the specific needs of different places. Indeed, focusing on increasing productivity will yield increased competitiveness which leads to growth that improves quality of life. The following sections now delve into some African sectoral dynamics and their role in accelerating regional development in Africa.

### **2. Energy and development in Africa**

Access to modern energy is vital to ending poverty. Africa is at the epicenter of global energy poverty, specifically sub-Sahara Africa. The International Energy Agency (IEA) argues that about 650 million Africans do not have access to electricity, which amounts to about two-thirds of the continent population [2]. Over 750 million people in Africa still do not have access to clean cooking fuels, leading to a huge number of premature deaths each year resulting from emissions [3]. The energy sector in sub-Sahara Africa is not yet able to meet the needs and aspirations of its citizens [4].

The primary purpose of our energy systems is to enable economic growth and to improve better quality of life [5]. Energy poverty is one of Africa's obstacles to progress, growth and economic development [6]. However, to accelerate regional development, three major factors are revolutionizing Africa's electricity sector; increased consumer demand for energy, technological innovation and new business models to improve energy access. Consumers are demanding renewables and other alternative forms of energy to cater for their basic energy needs. New technologies, such as solar photovoltaic (solar PV) technologies, are changing ways of generating

**5**

*Regional Development in Africa: An Overview DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90423*

off-grid solutions in more remote areas [2].

**3. Urbanization and development in Africa**

ing energy markets.

compact and efficient.

private and donor investments into the energy sector.

power in Africa, and new business models are attracting and bringing public,

In general, African countries are endowed with abundant renewable energy resources that can be increasingly harnessed [7]. The IEA argues that by 2040, renewables are expected to account for nearly 45% of all power generation capacity in the region, varying in scale from large to small hydropower dams, to mini and

Increasing access to electricity can turbocharge economic growth in the region, enabling a major push towards a more self-sustaining model of economic growth [8]. Indeed, this requires high-level political commitment to energy sector reforms with emphasis on building human capacity within the energy sector and strengthening policy/regulatory frameworks that leads to the emergence of more function-

Urbanization, beyond the cities and infrastructure, is more about the people. The United Nations argues that more than half of the global population now lives in urban areas, with a projected increase of 75% by 2050 [9]. Urban population in Africa hovers close to 500 million people and it is expected to double by 2040 [10]. Urbanization is vital to fighting poverty in the developing world. Africa has the opportunity to get urbanization right and to avoid mistakes made by other regions

A challenge we find in Africa is that cities are developing while manufacturing is declining which poses a challenge on job availability. Another challenge we find in Africa is that cities are growing but population are sprawling, with population spread over kilometers which makes concentration, an important value of cities, not so effective. We have the opportunity in Africa to ensure that growth of cities is

A lack of infrastructure density is another important factor affecting urbanization in Africa. There are lots of opportunities for future infrastructure investments that would make cities work more effectively in small, medium-sized and large (mega) cities. Indeed, every dollar of investment counts so as to ensure that cities

With respect to pattern of urbanization and city development, it is observed that in most African cities, commercial and industrial land are not necessarily concentrated in city centers or in certain parts of the cities. The jobs are very dispersed around the cities. This presents an opportunity for cities to become more efficient with respect to the urban pattern of the cities. With respect to share of commercial land, most African cities have a much lower percentage of commercial and industrial lands, with most having less than 7% of commercial and industrial land compared to other regions of the world [10]. Indeed, urbanization for most African cities would mean; developing cities with jobs, good housing policies and good transportation linkages that connect the housing and the jobs so that people are able

through effecting the right urbanization policies and growth strategies.

are more efficient, that they grow in a more compact manner.

to reach a large number of available jobs within a reasonable time.

**4. Food production, consumption, and resource constraints in Africa**

Food security in Africa is a vital part of development that needs to be addressed using a short, medium and long term approach. Sustainable agriculture and food security needs to be an important part of the policy dialog to secure a sustainable

#### *Regional Development in Africa: An Overview DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90423*

*Regional Development in Africa*

This is prevalent within the African region.

institutions to achieve development outcomes.

**2. Energy and development in Africa**

unable to do this do not.

liabilities.

Assets and liabilities possessed by a society is the first of the elements underpinning the development process. Society's assets such as: natural resources, its people, productive capital, security, etc., has to be properly balanced with its corresponding liabilities such as: resource limits, local and foreign debts, dependent people, etc. The African region is endowed with a lot of natural assets that are yet to be fully harnessed. The natural and human assets of the African region far outweigh its

Goals and values that society sets for itself is a crucial element in the development process. Setting clear goals that is well articulated, understood, accepted and actively pursued with clear actions and backed by a general consensus is important. Setting unclear goals makes a society run the risk of either drifting towards the direction where market forces press it to go, or achieving those unclear set goals by accident. Setting unrealistic goals may often lead to a less happy end for that society.

The third element underpinning the development of nations is the internal rules by which a society is governed. Development entails learning and managing increasing amounts of complexity that manifests itself in the forms of interconnections, options, information and resources. The internal rules of nations and regions guide its socio-economic and political growth. Indeed, societies which organize themselves for political and socio-economic growth develops, and those who are

With respect to the speed of development, institutions play a vital role implicitly

through parliaments and embodied laws or explicitly through rules of everyday conduct and social engagement. Indeed, the sum of these structures is what is referred to as the 'social capital' of a society. It is difficult to change tacit institutions in predictable ways. However, policy instruments can be used to alter formal

Regional development policies should be mainly about integration of several sectoral policies that are often designed in a way that is not coherent. It is also about tailoring policies to the specific needs of different places. Indeed, focusing on increasing productivity will yield increased competitiveness which leads to growth that improves quality of life. The following sections now delve into some African sectoral dynamics and their role in accelerating regional development in Africa.

Access to modern energy is vital to ending poverty. Africa is at the epicenter of global energy poverty, specifically sub-Sahara Africa. The International Energy Agency (IEA) argues that about 650 million Africans do not have access to electricity, which amounts to about two-thirds of the continent population [2]. Over 750 million people in Africa still do not have access to clean cooking fuels, leading to a huge number of premature deaths each year resulting from emissions [3]. The energy sector in sub-Sahara Africa is not yet able to meet the needs and aspirations

The primary purpose of our energy systems is to enable economic growth and to improve better quality of life [5]. Energy poverty is one of Africa's obstacles to progress, growth and economic development [6]. However, to accelerate regional development, three major factors are revolutionizing Africa's electricity sector; increased consumer demand for energy, technological innovation and new business models to improve energy access. Consumers are demanding renewables and other alternative forms of energy to cater for their basic energy needs. New technologies, such as solar photovoltaic (solar PV) technologies, are changing ways of generating

**4**

of its citizens [4].

power in Africa, and new business models are attracting and bringing public, private and donor investments into the energy sector.

In general, African countries are endowed with abundant renewable energy resources that can be increasingly harnessed [7]. The IEA argues that by 2040, renewables are expected to account for nearly 45% of all power generation capacity in the region, varying in scale from large to small hydropower dams, to mini and off-grid solutions in more remote areas [2].

Increasing access to electricity can turbocharge economic growth in the region, enabling a major push towards a more self-sustaining model of economic growth [8]. Indeed, this requires high-level political commitment to energy sector reforms with emphasis on building human capacity within the energy sector and strengthening policy/regulatory frameworks that leads to the emergence of more functioning energy markets.
