MINISTERS AND EXPERTS FROM ACROSS AFRICA MET ON SUNDAY TO HONE POLICIES TO PROMOTE EMPLOYMENT IN THE WORLD'S POOREST CONTINENT, AS ECONOMIC GROWTH DRIVEN BY COMMODITIES EXPORTS FAILS TO TRANSLATE INTO JOBS, REUTERS REPORTED. ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA HAS CREPT UP FROM BARELY 3 PERCENT IN 2000 TO STABILISE ABOVE 5 PERCENT, BUT THAT HAS MADE LITTLE IMPRESSION ON WIDESPREAD POVERTY. THE JOBS MANY AFRICANS ARE CRYING OUT FOR HAVE NOT MATERIALISED. "ECONOMIC GROWTH DOES MATTER, BUT ECONOMIC GROWTH MUST BE BROADLY SHARED, AND IT MUST CREATE EMPLOYMENT," AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK PRESIDENT DONALD KABERUKA TOLD DELEGATES. THE MEETING IN BURKINA FASO'S CAPITAL OUAGADOUGOU IS A FOLLOW-UP TO A SUMMIT OF AFRICAN LEADERS HERE NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO WHICH AGREED TO HELP CREATE JOBS BY, AMONG OTHERS, FIGHTING CORRUPTION, PROMOTING AGRICULTURE AND REGIONAL INTEGRATION. "IT IS SELF-EVIDENT THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR WILL HAVE TO BE THE DRIVER OF GROWTH," KABERUKA SAID. "PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN CREATING A POSITIVE INVESTMENT CLIMATE, BUT PROGRESS IS BEHIND THE REST OF THE WORLD." NIGERIAN FINANCE MINISTER NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA SAID THE PAST TWO YEARS HAD SEEN GOOD ECONOMIC GROWTH, BUT IT FELL SHORT OF THE 7 PERCENT AVERAGE THE U.N. ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA (ECA) DEEMS NECESSARY TO HALVE POVERTY BY 2015. "THE GROWTH IS NOT AS PRO-EMPLOYMENT AS WE WOULD LIKE," OKONJO-IWEALA, OUTGOING ECA CHAIRWOMAN, TOLD REUTERS. "THOUGH THERE MAY BE GROWTH OCCURRING IN SECTORS THAT ARE MORE CAPITAL INTENSIVE -- MINING, OIL AND GAS AND SO ON -- THOSE DON'T CREATE JOBS. WHAT WE NEED IS MORE GROWTH IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR, WHICH IS A BIG JOB CREATOR." --MORE
