MPhil Student Presents at the Sixth Annual Conference on Structural Change and Industrial Policy in Africa

The Department of Economics is pleased to celebrate the participation of Dziewornu-Norvor Klenam Kwaku, a student in the Department, at the Sixth Annual Conference on Structural Change and Industrial Policy in Africa, held from 9–10 June 2026.

The conference was co-hosted by the DSI/NRF South African Research Chair in Industrial Development (SARChI-ID) at the University of Johannesburg and the Young Scholars Initiative (YSI). It brought together early-career researchers, young scholars, senior academics, and practitioners to engage with critical issues relating to structural transformation, industrial development, innovation, trade, labour, green industrial policy, and sustainable development in Africa.

Klenam presented his paper titled “Does Digitalization Drive Structural Upgrading within Africa’s Informal Sector? Evidence from Ghana, Tanzania, and the DRC” during the session on Innovation and Digital Transition in African Firms. His presentation contributed to important ongoing debates on the role of digitalisation in shaping productivity, firm upgrading, and structural transformation across African economies.

The conference provided a valuable platform for emerging scholars to present their research, receive constructive feedback from senior discussants, and engage with peers working on industrial policy and development challenges across the continent.

The Department congratulates Klenam on this important academic achievement and commends him for representing the Department in a continental forum dedicated to advancing policy-relevant research on Africa’s industrial future.