The African social periphery

There are special population groupings in Africa which constitute a social periphery of great magnitude. The groups include women and children, the urban and rural poor, and a youthful labour force that is relatively uneducated. The critical issues they face include ever-increasing food shortage, decreasing employment opportunities and political instability which further reduces the effectiveness of government. While solutions are not easy to find, they require urgent critical assessment by policy makers and planners.