African nations agree need for \\\'transformation\\\'

African governments and the International Monetary Fund on Friday agreed on the urgent need to harness the continent's rapid economic growth, as unrest and a plethora of challenges temper exuberance about the continent's rise.
At a major meeting in Maputo, the IMF, finance ministers and central bank governors said a deeper "structural transformation" was needed so that ordinary citizens can benefit from the boom.
While sub-Saharan Africa is among the world's fastest-growing regions, pervasive poverty and recent serious unrest in Nigeria, South Sudan, the Sahel region and possible recession in South Africa have tempered previous exuberance about "Africa's rise."
"Policies need to be designed in such a way to ensure that a surge in growth can also spur structural transformation," according to the Maputo Joint Declaration, agreed following the meeting.
While government coffers have long been filled with the proceeds of mineral wealth, corruption, shady business contracts and mismanagement have meant little filters down to the man and woman on the street, according to AFP.