The World Bank has warned that Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo will account for nearly half of Sub-Saharan Africa’s job challenge by 2050, as economic growth continues to outpace employment creation.
In its latest Africa’s Pulse Report, the Bank projected that the region’s economy will grow by 3.8 per cent in 2025, rising to 4.4 per cent in 2026–2027, but said growth remains largely jobless.
“A one-percentage-point increase in GDP is associated with only a 0.04-percentage-point rise in wage employment,” the report stated. It noted that Nigeria, with its surging working-age population, will contribute the largest share to Africa’s 620 million new job-seekers by mid-century.
Although inflation is easing and currencies stabilising, the Bank warned that high debt levels, fiscal austerity, and trade policy uncertainty—particularly around U.S. tariffs—pose risks to the region’s recovery.
It urged African governments to prioritise job creation and quality improvement through targeted investments in education, infrastructure, and enterprise productivity. “Without such measures,” the report said, “the region risks missing its demographic dividend despite encouraging macroeconomic indicators.”
