I note the comment "No African country is growing rapidly enough to create the productive income-earning opportunities that substantially and rapidly reduce poverty." and that the sub-Saharan countries are specially troubled.
If the economies of the sub-Saharan region were to grow at a fairly respectable rate of 2.5%, that would just enable the status-quo to pertain. It would equal the rate of natural increase of the population.
But the rate would need to be substantially higher should campaigns succeed in minimising early death from malnutrition, diorrhoea, malaria, aids, and such other causes: the present 2.5% (18 million per year) increase goes on in the face of all these.
As things presently stand, enabling a sufficient rate of economic growth to overcome poverty is seriously challenged indeed.

I fear Helen is re-writing history - my understanding is that none of the asian countries, possibly with the exception of Hong Kong, developed their economies using free market principals. All relied on very strong protection of their home industries until critical mass was reached [ nothing wrong with that, the USA did the same in the 1800's ], for the Africans to go down the free market route at this stage in their development would be just another disaster of faith over experiance. Silvergrass

In Australia you have to earn about A$1800 per week before they tax you at 50 cents in the dollar. In Niger it happens as soon as you earn more than A$16 per week.

And their GST is nearly double ours.

Their kids are starving to death on our TVs and their government wants to take half their income!! What an awful situation.

Tariffs destroy international trade. Taxes destroy domestic trade. The latter has a greater impact on a nations well being.