Navigated to ‘GDP is a Blunt Tool’: Scholar Questions What Progress Really Means for Africa

‘GDP is a Blunt Tool’: Scholar Questions What Progress Really Means for Africa

July 16
57 mins

Episode Description

In Africa, economic growth often steals the spotlight—but does it tell the full story of human progress? A new research-backed model is redefining what it means to flourish on the continent, shifting the focus from GDP to a richer, more grounded vision of well-being rooted in African realities and values.

This evolving narrative goes beyond surface-level financial statistics to examine the emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions of life across African communities. It recognizes that metrics like GDP fail to capture what truly matters to people: their relationships, sense of purpose, inner peace, and cultural rootedness. By using indicators such as trust, belonging, and shared responsibility, researchers are surfacing a deeper truth: that flourishing in Africa is not simply about how much a nation produces, but how well its people live, connect, and thrive.



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