Structural Adjustment, Reconstruction and Development in Africa

Book excerpt: First published in 1997, this volume is intended to make a contribution to both the literature and the contentious debate on the relationship between structural adjustment and reconstruction and development in Africa, as seen from the multidisciplinary perspective of academics and practitioners working in Africa on African development problems and issues. The implementation of structural adjustment in Africa has spawned a considerable, and still on-going, debate with vociferous advocates on both sides of the issue, particularly with respect to the efficacy of structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) as an antidote to Africa’s development crisis. This book contributes to that debate with a rich mixture of analytical views and ideas covering a wide range of countries and sectors on the role and impact of structural adjustment programmes on the process of reconstruction and development in Africa.