Libya's innovative social welfare scheme centres around empowering low-income families to invest in public projects, with the dual goals of improving their wealth and building the nation's economy, writes Stephen Timewell.

The Libyan government's shift from owner of the economy to regulator has ushered in a period of reform which has seen significant expansion in commercial banking and is gradually transforming the country's outdated banking sector, reports Stephen Timewell.

Farhat Bengdara, the governor of the Central Bank of Libya talks to Stephen Timewell about the strategies in place to reform the banking sector and achieve non-oil-dependent growth.

After decades of isolation from the global economy, Libya has begun a programme of reforms to reintegrate itself and realise its full potential, which stretches from oil and gas to tourism. Stephen Timewell reports from Tripoli.

Pravin Gordhan, South Africa's minister of finance

South Africa's finance minister talks about the steps taken to steer his country towards economic recovery.

Kofi Annan, chair of the Africa Progress Panel and former secretary-general of the UN

Without support from the international community, the economic crisis will cause Africa to fall further behind the developed world and plunge millions into poverty.