Adil Ahmed Dafa’Alla
Airbus Operations Ltd, UK
Purpose: To investigate the contribution of the Sudanese manufacturing sector to the Sudanese economy and assess its role as a driver for achieving sustainable development in the Sudan.
Design/Methodology/Approach: This paper reviews and analyses the contribution of the manufacturing sector to the Sudanese economy based on the comprehensive industrial survey carried out with the assistance of United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in 2001. It then goes on to assess the role that this sector can play in improving its contribution to the Sudanese and regional economy and achieving sustainable development. Evidence from global industrial views, international economic reports and experience of other countries in similar situation as the Sudan was used to support arguments.
Findings: The Sudanese economy is agriculturally-based. The contribution of the manufacturing sector to the Sudanese economy is small. A heavy injection of industrialisation of the economy is essential in order to improve the trade balance and help the country out of the poverty zone. The paper argues that building a competitive manufacturing industry as an important element of sustainable development plan for the Sudan is a shared responsibility of good governance, quality education and well-guided investment.
Originality/Value: The paper reviews and gives critical assessment of the role of the manufacturing sector in driving the Sudanese economy, which is seriously lacking in the literature. Additionally, the paper introduces building a competitive manufacturing industry in the Sudan as an important ingredient to boost the industrial sector as a whole, hence, improve the economy, create jobs, fight poverty and move a step towards achieving sustainable development.
Keywords: Sudan; Industry; Manufacturing; Education; National Development Plan; Sustainable Development
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Dafa’Alla, A. A. (2018) ‘Critique of the Contribution of the Manufacturing Sector to the Sudanese Economy’, Int. J. Sudan Research, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp.57–72.