Leading Issues on Africa's Path to Industrialisation: The Role of Support Systems and Instruments

The purpose of this paper is to highlight a number of issues that impede sub-Saharan Africa's attempts to achieve a higher degree of industrialisation, with a focus on the role of institutional support systems in assisting firms. The paper contends that support systems and instruments can play a role in promoting industrialisation. Examples of support systems and instruments are given with a view to highlighting the role of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in addressing issues pertaining to investment, small business development, environmental management, industrial energy efficiency and industrial governance. Copyright 2003, Oxford University Press.