Editing Sub-Saharan Africa (section)

== Infrastructure ==
{{See also|Water supply and sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa}}
[[File:Front de mer.jpg|thumb|Skyline of [[Libreville]], Gabon]]

According to researchers at the [[Overseas Development Institute]], the lack of infrastructure in many [[developing countries]] represents one of the most significant limitations to [[economic growth]] and achievement of the [[Millennium Development Goals]] (MDGs).<ref name="ODI1" /><ref name="Monthly-Review-51-03-Saul-Leys" /><ref name="Monthly-Review-Magdoff-65-06" /> Infrastructure investments and maintenance can be very expensive, especially in such as areas as landlocked, rural and sparsely populated countries in Africa.<ref name="ODI1" />

Infrastructure investments contributed to Africa's growth, and increased investment is necessary to maintain growth and tackle poverty.<ref name="ODI1" /><ref name="Monthly-Review-51-03-Saul-Leys" /><ref name="Monthly-Review-Magdoff-65-06" /> The returns to investment in infrastructure are very significant, with on average 30–40% returns for [[telecommunications]] (ICT) investments, over 40% for [[electricity]] generation and 80% for roads.<ref name="ODI1" />

In Africa, it is argued that in order to meet the MDGs, infrastructure investments would need to reach about 15% of GDP (around $93&nbsp;billion a year).<ref name="ODI1" /> Currently, the source of financing varies significantly across sectors.<ref name="ODI1" /> Some sectors are dominated by state spending, others by overseas [[development aid]] (ODA) and yet others by private investors.<ref name="ODI1" /> In sub-Saharan Africa, the state spends around $9.4&nbsp;billion out of a total of $24.9&nbsp;billion.<ref name="ODI1" /> In [[irrigation]], SSA states represent almost all spending; in transport and energy a majority of investment is state spending; in [[Information and communication technologies|ICT]] and [[water supply]] and [[sanitation]], the private sector represents the majority of capital expenditure.<ref name="ODI1" /> Overall, aid, the private sector and non-OECD financiers between them exceed state spending.<ref name="ODI1" /> The private sector spending alone equals state capital expenditure, though the majority is focused on ICT infrastructure investments.<ref name="ODI1" /> External financing increased from $7&nbsp;billion (2002) to $27&nbsp;billion (2009). China, in particular, has emerged as an important investor.<ref name="ODI1" />

=== Transport ===
{{Category see also|Transport in Africa}}[[File:Roads-Rwanda-1.jpg|left|thumb|Road in Rwanda]]Less than 40% of rural Africans live within two kilometers of an all-season road, the lowest level of rural accessibility in the developing world. Spending on roads averages just below 2% of GDP with varying degree among countries. This compares with 1% of GDP that is typical in industrialised countries, and 2–3% of GDP found in fast-growing emerging economies. Although the level of expenditure is high relative to the size of Africa's economies, it remains small in absolute terms, with low-income countries spending an average of about US$7 per capita per year.<ref>Ken Gwilliam, Vivien Foster, Rodrigo Archondo-Callao, Cecilia Briceño-Garmendia, Alberto Nogales, and Kavita Sethi(2008). [http://www.eu-africa-infrastructure-tf.net/attachments/library/aicd-background-paper-14-roads-sect-summary-en.pdf Africa infrastructure country diagnostic, Roads in Sub-Saharan Africa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718071708/http://www.eu-africa-infrastructure-tf.net/attachments/library/aicd-background-paper-14-roads-sect-summary-en.pdf|date=18 July 2011}}. World Bank and the SSATP: p. 4</ref>