The State of the Africa Region event opened on a musical note with a performance by Menes la Plume, a songwriter, hip-hop artist and poet. La Plume, a refugee and activist living in Malawi, closed with a crowd-pleasing rendition of “Malaika.”    Hafez Ghanem, World Bank Vice President for Africa, welcomed the standing-room only crowd, highlighting the need for regional cooperation in tackling entrenched challenges, particularly fragility, the effects of which traverse national borders. He spoke of the importance of digital interventions in transforming African economies, sharing the story of a young Malian man who used a 3D printer to build a prosthetic hand for a girl who had lost hers as an example of young people using technology to create solutions.  Albert Zeufack, World Bank Chief Economist for Africa, added that the digital revolution could add up to 2 percentage points to Africa’s growth annually, while reducing poverty by 1 percentage point.  There was a touching moment of solidarity when Hassan ...

This year’s State of the Africa Region seminar will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing Africa in a changing world. Hear from the World Bank’s Chief Economist for Africa as he presents the implications of lower oil and other commodity prices for a region that exports a large number of commodities. Join the discussion on this and other long term challenges facing Africa: the demographic transition; the urbanization process; and the changing nature of conflict and fragility.