New book urges Africa to focus on technology and manufacturing
Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, a former adviser to the African Development Bank, has unveiled a new book highlighting the importance of industrialisation in Africa. The book, titled The Quest for Industrialisation: Pioneering Technology Innovation and Industrial Development in Africa, calls on African leaders to prioritise technological capability and manufacturing for sustainable growth. Oyelaran-Oyeyinka draws on decades of research and policy experience to argue that Africa’s reliance on resource exports is unsustainable. He hopes the book will inspire a broader audience to consider the challenges and opportunities for Africa’s economic transformation.
TLDR
- Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka’s new book stresses the need for Africa to build technological and manufacturing capacity.
- He criticises Africa’s dependence on crude oil and mineral exports, calling it an “unsustainable pathway.”
- The book discusses how weak industrial bases have left African countries vulnerable during global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Oyelaran-Oyeyinka warns of premature deindustrialisation and urges structural transformation towards high-value manufacturing.
- The volume compiles his influential works and aims to reach readers beyond academia, advocating for an African renaissance through industrialisation.
