The largest issue currently facing Sub-Saharan Africa is poverty. Africa as a continent and the Sub-Saharan region in particular are incredibly poor. Sudan is one of the wealthiest countries in the region, yet its GDP per capita is the 54th lowest in the world. This ongoing struggle against poverty is affecting the nearly 900 million inhabitants of the region, yet they are experiencing little growth. According to many analysts, the key to ending poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa is to promote stronger international alliances between African nations. While some countries are full of natural resources like oil, there is little spillover to the surrounding nations. Nigeria provides 2.5% of the world’s oil. This doesn’t sound like much, but oil is one of the few resources that the Nigerian government can market globally to boost their economy. That being said, Nigeria’s GDP per capita is less than half of Sudan’s. This region largely suffers from a lack of intraregional trade, which demonstrates how divided each country is from its neighbors and the continental community as a whole. According to one article, only 25% of trade from Sub-Saharan countries goes to another country in the region. This barely compares to the 63% of trade in the EU that goes to another EU country. The lack of population density, distance from markets, and national barriers between countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are causing incredible economic strife. While there is a loose coalition of nations through the African Union, this IGO is struggling to make traction in developing the continent as a whole. As the European Union has begun to deliver some aid, they are more focused on protecting citizens from environmental disasters, rather than finding ways to boost the economy. Though protection is important, the people who are being protected from their environment are still struggling on a daily basis. Perhaps it would be better to focus efforts on education, the economy, or the cultural divides between nations. This will create an educated populace that can develop relations with other nations and begin trading openly in order to drive their economy and end poverty in the region.
