Analyze/When the 35th President of the United States told his compatriots and fellow citizens of the world during his inauguration speech on January 20, 1961 not to wonder what their country can do for them and not to wonder what the United States will do for Them, he certainly recognized that solving problems both locally and internationally cannot be the work of one Men. The combination of efforts which includes entrepreneurial initiatives is essential for growth and development.
Several leaders from Africa and the world have used these terms, bringing them back into their local contexts, particularly emphasizing the fact that we should instead ask ourselves “what you can do for your country.” » Indeed, today as in the past, no country has succeeded in developing economically solely thanks to the activities of the public sector. The State, understood as the government of a country, cannot not only do everything, and even less deprive itself of truly encouraging and supporting private initiatives. This is why there is a private sector and in particular an informal sector which contributes enormously to the gross domestic product (GDP) of African countries.
The share of the informal sector in African economies
Nigeria is characterized by a large informal economy which, according to a report from the world food plan dating from 2023, accounts for more than half of its GDP and more than 80% of employees. In Egypt, the inclusion of the informal sector would have contributed at least 40% of GDP during the 2022-2023 budget year (trésor.economie.gouv.fr). Of the 220,035 businesses in Rwanda in 2020, 93% of them are in the informal sector (blog.worldbank.org). In Ivory Coast, the economy is largely informal with an estimated share of 51% of GDP (trésor.economie.gouv.fr). In Cameroon, some sources estimate the contribution of the informal sector to the country's GDP at more than 60%.
The informal sector is an essential component of sub-Saharan economies, where its contribution to GDP ranges between 25% and 65% and where it represents between 30% and 90% of non-agricultural employment. “It appears from international experience that the share of the informal economy decreases when the level of the economy increases.” Most sub-Saharan countries are therefore expected to maintain large informal sectors for many years to come, which is both an opportunity and a challenge for those responsible for economic policies. In other words, the more the country develops, the less precarious employment there is; the more underdeveloped it is, the more informal economic activities there are which contribute to growth but which remain signs of underdevelopment.
Also read: Indecent work or adaptability measures in a context of precariousness
Leaders therefore need their populations just as populations need their leaders so that African economies in particular are less dependent on a sector that cannot really be quantified due to growth over the years which seems to demonstrate that the end of informal activities in sub-Saharan Africa in particular is not coming soon. Everything seems to indicate that the growth of African economies without a contribution from informal activities is impossible. The best we could do would be to improve working conditions through measures that truly correspond to the needs and real levels of those primarily concerned. For example, we cannot have places rented in markets at exorbitant prices to justify a dissuasive measure which in fact is not since it has been proven that it contributes more to increasing urban disorder while taking advantage of the dynamism of populations to make dishonest profit. The supervision of informal activities must take into account the level of the wallet of those who do not have enough means.
Civil society actors
In Africa, as in the rest of the world, there cannot be awareness, denunciation and protection of human rights without civil society actors and in particular non-governmental organizations. Indeed, in a society where everyone has rights and responsibilities towards others, not everyone can afford to do what they want in the name of a high social rank. Where obsession and overestimation of oneself sometimes leads to committing the irreparable, denunciations and condemnations come from all sides to call on the instigators of these multiple forms of violence to stop.
The responsibility is therefore shared and it comes down to this: if you do not want us to ask you what you will do for us, then stop allowing yourself to do what you should not or to do what has maintained or which keeps populations in precariousness because common sense would dictate that we appreciate what is good and denounce what is bad. We cannot remain silent when populations are victims of baseness framed by impunity which normalizes the amoral.
The patriot has the duty to serve his country and not despoil its wealth or keep it in a persistent state of insecurity. Global citizens have a duty to denounce atrocities occurring elsewhere and demand immediate reparations after seeking justice through legal channels. Denouncing, condemning and demanding change also means serving your country. But since some are accustomed to impunity to the point of allowing themselves to do whatever they want, calls for justice will continue to arise because we all have responsibilities towards our fellow human beings.
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