Demographic dividend in Africa: prospects, opportunities and challenges. A case study of Uganda

Eldard S. Mukasa, Cavendish University Uganda

This paper gives an exploration of the prospects, opportunities and challenges of demographic dividend in Africa as a continent and Uganda as a country.The paper assesses the level of so far achieved,challenges lying ahead,the potential opportunities and identifies the strategies that may be adopted to achieve demographic dividend in Africa. Uganda follows Bloom,(2003) concept where we are experiencing a large proportion of the population in the younger age groups as fertility rates are high but declining and life expectancy is still low.The implications of this is that, in order for economic growth to occur the younger population must have access to quality education,adequate nutrition and health including access to sexual and reproductive health to control birth rates.Although there is a drop in fertility rates,Uganda is still ranked among the most fertile in the whole world. If this concept is to be achieved,the fertility rates must continue to fall.