Publication

This paper argues that the development of a working regional government is the key to development in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the author, the building of development-oriented local government structures that provide a wide range of services are essential if poverty is to be reduced. The author concludes that poverty reduction in all African agricultural exporting countries should be achieved primarily through agriculturally-based development, in which local government must play a role in promoting local economic development, coordinating the intersectoral activities and bridging the service gap between national and local level; this can be achieved only by means of gradual political, institutional and fiscal decentralization.