1981, larf'e-scale manufa.cturinf' in diferia contributed 87.7 per cent of value aooec iu 'the sector. However, even in the few countries where heavy industry has made notable progress, apart 61 E/ECA /Cr,:. 9/5 from the petrochemical industry, which is very advanced tech­ nolorical} y, it is limited to vcuicle assembly and metal produc­ tion, ant the developiJ.ent of Ir.echanical and electrical encineer­ ing remai~s ellibryonic. 104. A nc<.i1er import~mt characteristic of African manufacturinc is its dependence on external surplies of basic equipment, raw materials, spare parts and othur investment inputs. This is al­ most inevitable, as Mirican countries are still at the becinning of the incu:::;t;rializHtion precess: they have not yet mastered the CLre tecl:niques cf basic equipn:ent rrocuction and development, anc do nc~ yet possess an indirencus corps of technicians able to orrinate industrial tecbHOlOfY· The consequences of this situa­ tion can be crievous, hov:'ever, as in case of Ghana, where the failure to eenerate eYpcrts to pay for industrial inruts is one of the n:ain causes of the prolonged economic crisis. 2. T ren cs in 1 981-1 982 (~) Prct'uction 105. In 1981 ·-. •. t.; rate of crowth in manufacturine industry fell to on~y 2.9 per cent (at 1970 prices) fro~ 5.b per cent in 1980, and an :.veraee of 5.8 per cent in 1:/lt-1980. The slump affected all subregions, and was c..:..rectly related to the general economic depression experienced by the African reeion durinr the year. In major oi~-e.xportine countries, rnanufacturinr proouctibn incrrased by only 2.0 per cent comparei to 8.0 per cent in 1980 and.total f"rowth of 27 per cent i11 1977-1980. In non-oil-eYportine coun"tries and CLur.t;ries other than the least developeo a :;:;imilar trend v.a.s observec: rrovrth in manufacturing proc;uction dror")ed to 4 :r;er t::ent compared tc 5.9 per ct.ut in 19c-O. :~ates by sub­
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the state of manufacturing and industry in African countries, highlighting the challenges they face in terms of dependence on external supplies, lack of technological advancements, and economic decline. It also mentions the impact of these issues on the overall economic crisis in some countries. Given the focus on manufacturing, industry, and economic development, it is likely that this text falls under the categories related to these topics.

**Category**
Economic development, Industry