The relationship between population growth and poverty in Africa: a view from the south

Abstract

The apparent intractability of the problem posed by widespread poverty in Africa has made it an international issue. Thus discussions and debates on the subject have been dominated by bilateral aid agencies, international Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and development banks. The mainstream view from these debates and discussions is that rapid population growth in Africa has put pressure on the environment, leading to environmental degradation which translates into shortfall in food production and atrophied development. This view is as a result of ritualistic adherence to narrow ideological considerations and predetermined stereotypes about Africa. From a political economy perspective, this paper re-appraises the relationship between population growth and poverty in Africa. Quantitative and qualitative evidence are drawn from the relationship between the ever-increasing complexities of the social dynamics that shape livelihood on the African continent and the wider global context of poverty in Africa. This paper locates the source of poverty in Africa outside the increase in population which should actually be viewed as on advantage to the economy of Africa where machines have not replaced manual labour. Key words; Population growth, Poverty, Political economy, Degradation