Economist — World Bank Group
Research,
Publications.
I study how trade and macro trends shape growth and structural change in developing economies, with a focus on Africa. I occasionally teach at American University.
Selected Works — Books & Flagship Reports
Integrating Africa: From Threads to Hubs
World Bank / AFD · 2026
Making Industrial Policy Work in Africa
Africa Economic Update, World Bank · 2026
Regionalizing Green Transition Minerals
World Bank · 2025
Industrialization in Sub-Saharan Africa
World Bank Group · 2021
Africa in the New Trade Environment
World Bank Group · 2022
Journal articles.
Full list on Scholar →Structural Change in Africa: North–South and South–South Trade
The World Economy, 2026 — with G. Ndubuisi & S. Owusu
Unpacking the Dutch Disease: Resource Windfalls and Export Margins
IMF Economic Review, 2025 — with A. Lartey
Regionalization of Global Trade: A New Order in the Making
Global Policy, Vol. 15, 2025
Uncertainty in Preferential Trade Agreements: The AGOA Suspension
Journal of African Economies, Vol. 34(5), 2025 — with H. Edjigu & S. Hakobyan
Food Insecurity Erodes Trust
Global Food Security, Vol. 40, 2024 — with M.D. Smith & D. Wesselbaum
Does Financial Inclusion Empower Women in Africa?
Economic Notes, Vol. 52(3), 2023 — with A. Maruta & H. Edjigu
Assessing Food Insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean Using FAO's FIES
Food Policy, Vol. 71, 2017 — with P. Winters & M.D. Smith
Working papers & policy research.
Making Africa's Integration Work for Jobs, Scale, and Structural ChangeUpcoming
Foresight Africa 2026, Brookings — with A. Dabalen & P. Nguimkeu
Making Industrial Policy Work in Africa
Africa Economic Update, April 2026, World Bank — co-led with J. Cust & S. Owusu
Regionalizing Green Transition Minerals for Structural Transformation in Africa
World Bank, 2025 — with G. Ndubuisi, E.K. Avenyo & S. Owusu
Trade Barriers or Catalysts? Non-Tariff Measures and Firm-Level Trade Margins
WB Policy Research WP 11024, 2025 — with F. Dela Dem Doe & A. Lartey
Economic Transformation in Africa: North-South and South-South Trade
WB Policy Research WP 10896, 2024 — with G. Ndubuisi & S. Owusu
Hotter Planet, Hotter Factories: Uneven Impacts of Climate Change on Productivity
WB Policy Research WP 10762, 2024 — with A. Woldemichael
Africa in the New Trade Environment: Market Access in Troubled Times
World Bank, 2022 — with S. Coulibaly & A.G. Zeufack
Industrialization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Seizing Opportunities in Global Value Chains
World Bank, 2021 — with K.G. Abreha, E.K.K. Lartey, T. Mengistae & A.G. Zeufack
Recent Talks
World Trade Forum: Coping with Chaos
European University Institute, Florence · 2025
28th Conference on Global Economic Analysis (GTAP)
Kigali, Rwanda · 2025
Econometric Society, Africa Region Meeting
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire · 2024
CSAE Conference on Economic Development in Africa
University of Oxford · 2024
American Economic Association / ASSA Meeting
San Antonio, TX · 2024
Southern Economic Association 93rd Meeting
New Orleans, LA · 2023
From the Blog
All posts →
Industrialization in Africa must compete, connect, and create value
Industrialization drives the sustained growth in jobs and productivity that marks the developmental take-off of most developed economies and industrialization remains central to structural transformation in Africa, yet…
Dec 15, 2025
The economic and environmental future of Ethiopian coffee
Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns are disrupting Ethiopia's coffee production. This critical export crop faces geographic shifts, increased pests, and declining yields.
Jan 13, 2025
A Bill to renew AGOA with Adjustments, April 11 2024
Two U.S. Senators, one Republican and one Democrat, have introduced the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Renewal and Improvement Act of 2024. This legislation aims to renew AGOA,…
Apr 12, 2024
Valentine’s Day and Development: the Cocoa to Chocolate Story and Africa’s (Mis)Development
Feb 14, 2022
About
Economist at the intersection of trade, macro, and development.
I work on trade, macroeconomics, and structural transformation in developing economies. My research examines how countries participate in global value chains, respond to climate and macroeconomic shocks, and build the productive capabilities that sustain long-run growth.
I am based in Washington, DC at the World Bank Group and occasionally teach at American University. My work has appeared in the IMF Economic Review, Journal of African Economies, and The World Economy, and in several World Bank book-length studies.
Woubet Kassa
© 2026 · Washington, DC