Hervé Lohouès, Division Manager in the Country Economics Department at the African Development Bank (AfDB), has called on all African countries to adopt compulsory development plans to drive sustainable growth and economic transformation across the continent.
Speaking at the 2025 Annual Meetings of the AfDB Group in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Lohouès emphasized that Africa’s natural wealth is often underestimated in official GDP calculations. He explained that a country like the Central African Republic could see its GDP increase by as much as 300 percent if its natural resources were properly accounted for.
However, Lohouès stressed that acknowledging natural wealth is only one part of the equation. He argued that African nations must go beyond natural resource enhancement by instituting mandatory development plans. “It is essential to go beyond natural enhancement and ensure that all African countries adopt a compulsory development plan,” he said.
Such plans, he explained, would provide a structured approach to economic growth that includes social infrastructure development, which is critical for lasting progress. Governments also need to create incentives that encourage economic transformation and hold stakeholders accountable to ensure the successful transition from natural resource dependence to diversified, sustainable economies.
Lohouès highlighted that these comprehensive and compulsory plans would help African countries align more effectively with continental initiatives like Agenda 2063.
Yet, the reality on the ground remains challenging. Political instability, shifting government priorities, and weak institutional frameworks have often prevented successive administrations from following through on long-term development plans. Instead, it often seems as though each government acts independently, pursuing projects and policies that reflect short-term interests or political agendas rather than a coherent national strategy.
This pattern creates a cycle of disruption, where development initiatives are halted, altered, or abandoned whenever a new government comes into power, giving the impression that no consistent plan ever exists. The lack of continuity undermines investor confidence and hampers efforts to build the social and economic infrastructure necessary for sustained growth.
For Africa to realize the full potential of compulsory development plans, it will require not only strong political will but also institutional reforms that ensure policies endure beyond election cycles. Only with such frameworks in place can the continent overcome the fragmentation that has so far stymied long-term progress.
