Six African countries among top 2011 MDGs performers

Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Senegal and Morocco were the best performing nations in reducing poverty by registering remarkable economic growth.

Jointly produced by African Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme, the report assessing the progress in Africa towards the MDGs, launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Wednesday.

These countries were also commended for their efforts in achieving the MDGs ahead of schedule.

Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme stands as an enviable success as its implementation of public works led to the construction of more than 4,400 school classrooms creating enormous access to education to the rural communities.

Ethiopia was the second best performing country in Africa next to Algeria in registering remarkable economic growth and creating job opportunities for its youth.

The report places Ethiopia third after Liberia and Malawi in cutting infant mortality rate by half over the past decade.

United Nations Development Programme’s representative in Ethiopia, Eugine Owusu said the Horn of Africa country had registered commendable achievement in the road towards meeting the MDGs.

The representative said Ethiopia in particular had traveled a long way to meet five components of the MDGs owing to its growing investment and economic growth over the last decade.

Owusu said most African countries seem to lag behind in terms of meeting the MDGs mainly due to poor infrastructural facilities.

The MDGs aims to reduce poverty by half in the developing nations by 2015. However, a number of developing countries, mainly in Africa are said to be far from reaching the goals.

Lack of political commitment, inadequate infrastructure and funding, among others, are challenges faced in attaining the MDGs, introduced 10 years ago by the UN general Assembly.