How COVID-19 has Affected Africa’s Development

Africa has experienced over a decade of sustained economic growth However, since the outbreak of Ebola, there have been pertinent questions as to whether and what extent such outbreaks have developmental implications in the continent It is in this context that this article investigates whether and to what extent the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affects the development of Africa?s economies Using data from various international organizations, we show that the pandemic has indeed slowed down African economies, albeit in differing degrees across various regions of the continent However, the slowdown is moderate compared with economies in high-income countries and the world economies as a whole We contend that while it is difficult to predict when the crisis is going to end, the continent can navigate itself out of it by leveraging on the ever-increasing global prices of agricultural products and natural resources