Migration : Africa’s Untapped Potential

Overview & Synopsis

African migration is a story of movement spurred by the pursuit of economic opportunities near and far, the quest for safety and security, the urgent need to escape environmental hardships, and the pull of familial bonds. Migration, both voluntary and forced, reveals the continent’s resilience and adaptability, delineating pathways extending across Africa and reaching regions as distant as Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. Yet, the transformative potential of migration to improve the lives of Africans remains largely untapped. Realizing the benefits of migration for Africa’s development challenges calls for policy makers and communities in origin, transit, and destination countries to implement strategies to achieve the economic potential of mobility, while safeguarding the dignity and rights of all migrants and refugees. Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, is poised to become home to a significant portion of the global workforce. By 2050, one in three young working-age individuals (ages 15–34) will have been born on the continent. The challenge for Africa and the world is to create viable jobs by attracting capital and other resources to Africa’s abundant labor or by facilitating African labor movement to areas with these resources. This requires fostering and utilizing the productive potential of the labor force. Addressing these challenges will shape Africa’s development. This report on Africa’s cross-border migration explores how the continent can harness the potential of migration for economic opportunities within and beyond Africa.