The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai hosted the inaugural Global Conference on Economic Diversification (GCED) on October 31 and November 1, 2024. With 15 papers presentations and various policy dialogues, the GCED 2024 conference brought together different academics and policymakers worldwide to discuss diverse pathways toward economic diversification and sustainable development.
Joining this important discussion on how to effectively map strategies for economic diversification, Dr Joshua Afolabi from the Institute of Economics at Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany, presented an insightful paper titled "Enhancing Economic Diversification in West Africa: The Transformative Potential of Urbanization and Digitalization." The paper highlighted the roles of digitalization and urbanization as vital catalysts for economic (trade, output, and revenue) diversification in West Africa. It provided empirical evidence on how urban growth and technological advancements can drive resilience and growth in economies traditionally reliant on primary sectors. Information on the conference agenda is available at: https://economicdiversification.com/conference/