<p><span>Determinants of Inclusive Development in Africa – Machine Learning Perspective</span></p>

Across African countries, inclusive development remains limited by persistent inequalities in access to opportunities, services, and economic participation. This study examines the determinants of inclusive development using the Inequality-Adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI) for 41 countries between 2008 and 2020. Leveraging machine learning–based regularisation techniques, we systematically evaluate a broad set of 48 potential drivers, including economic structure, governance, globalization, energy, and social variables. The analysis identifies skills, governance quality, employment, health, and access to clean energy and digital technologies as the most robust predictors of inclusive development. These findings highlight the structural and institutional conditions most strongly associated with broad-based human development, offering evidence-based guidance for policies aimed at reducing exclusion and promoting equitable growth in Africa.