Dr. Patience Agbleze Acolor
Part 11 —SDG 17: Partnerships Are the Make-or-Break for Africa’s SEZs
The gap has rarely been a shortage of vision. More often, it has been a failure of execution. Execution, in…
Part 10 — SDG 13, Energy Transition, Resilience and Low-Carbon Industry
Global investment dynamics are shifting decisively. Successive World Investment Reports have shown that energy-transition and climate-related investments are among the…
Part 9 — SDG 12: How SEZs Can Anchor Responsible Production and Circular Growth
SEZs' defined boundaries, coordinated regulation, shared infrastructure and firm clustering make them well suited to piloting cleaner production systems, circular…
Part 8—SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, Integrating SEZs into Sustainable Cities
Poorly planned SEZs risk accelerating congestion, informal settlements, environmental degradation, and social exclusion. Well-integrated SEZs, however, can anchor planned urban…
Part 7 — SDG 10 From Enclaves to Equalizers: How SEZs Can Reduce Inequalities in Africa
Poorly governed, they risk deepening spatial and social divides. But when embedded in inclusive strategies, SEZs can act as powerful…
Part 6—SDG 9, From Enclaves to Engines: How SEZs Can Deliver SDG 9 in Africa
Special Economic Zones, when designed with purpose, offer one of the clearest pathways to achieving SDG 9
Part 5 |SDG 8: From Low-Cost Labour to High-Value Work in SEZs, Delivering Productivity and Inclusive Growth
UNCTAD argues that SEZs must evolve from low-cost labour platforms into value-adding industrial ecosystems
Part 4: SDG 5,Gender Equality; SEZs Hold Untapped Leverage in Push for Gender Equality
Without deliberate policy choices, SEZs risk reproducing the same inequalities that shape the wider economy
Part 3: SDG 2 — Zero Hunger, From Farm to Plate: How SEZs Can Anchor Africa’s Food Security
When well designed, these zones enhance food production, reduce post-harvest losses, expand processing capacity and integrate fragmented value chains. Just…
Part 2: SDG 1 — No Poverty, Turning Jobs into Livelihoods: How SEZs Can Drive Poverty Reduction
African countries must expect SEZs to deliver more than employment numbers. Jobs alone do not reduce poverty if they do…
PART 1: From Enclaves to Engines: Reimagining SEZs to Deliver the SDGs in Africa
Research by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) shows that with targeted reforms, including reoriented incentives, stronger…
Ghana’s Free Zones/SEZs Can Anchor the Country’s Next Wave of Green Investment
As global supply chains turn green, how Ghana positions its Free Zones and future Special Economic Zones (SEZs) will determine…