国际英语新闻：Economic Report on Africa 2010 highlights efforts to reduce unemployment

He said achieving this requires a mix of short and long-term policies that are conducive to significant economic transformation and high employment elasticity of growth.

"These policies should promote investment in infrastructure and human capital development, better access to capital/finance, factor market reforms and private sector employment and the protection of the most vulnerable segments of the population" said Elhiraika.

Emanuel Nnadozie, the director for Economic Development and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Division of the UNECA, said on his part despite impressive GDP before the global crisis, Africa has been challenged by huge unemployment.

The report said that the current global economic crisis offers African countries an opportunity to lay the foundation for sustainable, employment intensive, high economic growth rates.

It argues structural transformation as a mechanism for achieving these aims.

"Africa's long-term growth prospects and ability to sustain high rates of employment generation and broader social development depend on success in economic diversification," said the Report.

"Unemployment and underemployment rates in Africa are high and continued to rise even during the period of rapid economic growth that came to an end with the global economic crisis in 2008, " it added.

"Appropriate investment in infrastructure and human capital, renewed and creative efforts at domestic resource mobilization, and efforts to increase productivity and incomes in the informal sector are needed," emphasized the Report.

The Report indicated that the GDP growth in Africa declined from 4.9 percent in 2008 to 2.4 percent in 2009, but expected to grow by 4.8 percent this year.

It further said the highest growth has been witnessed in West Africa at 5.5 percent, partly as a result of a boost in oil output in Delta region of Nigeria following the reduction in hostilities.