Ideas to Action:
Independent research for global prosperity
It was bound to happen: the Covid-19 strain of the coronavirus has come to sub-Saharan Africa. Based on our experiences fighting Ebola in Liberia, here's what African countries need to do now.
Journalist Howard French on US perceptions of Africa, the business opportunities the US is leaving on the table, and how policy changes could benefit both the US and African countries.
I talk with Amaka Anku of Eurasia Group and Nonso Obikili of Economic Research Southern Africa about Nigeria's recent border closure. We discuss the history between Nigeria and Benin, the costs of the border closure for people living in poverty, and possible next steps for the Nigerian government.
The World Development Report 2020 released on Wednesday highlights the economic benefits from GVCs and reminds us that protectionism and policy uncertainty around the world is now putting many of these benefits at significant risk.
Ethiopia has its sights set on becoming Africa’s next tech hub, rivalling Nairobi, Lagos, and Cape Town. But in its quest for digital supremacy, Ethiopia will need to take steps to create an enabling environment for the digital startup sector, which across Africa is driven in large part by fintech.
Landry Signé, Aubrey Hruby, Judd Devermont, and Gyude Moore on their expectations for the new Prosper Africa initiative and the roles that infrastructure, communication, and the US Development Finance Corporation might play in its impact.
The increasing regularity and intensity of extreme weather events has drawn needed attention to incorporating resilience into planning and construction of infrastructure.
On sidelines of the annual summit of the US Corporate Council on Africa in Maputo, Mozambique, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is set to provide the details of the new US-Africa policy, Prosper Africa. This new initiative seeks to accelerate two-way investment and trade with Africa as a way to advance the United States’ competitive advantage.
Last week, the Trump administration’s move to limit Huawei’s access to American components brought the waves of the trade war ashore in ways that were perceptible to the most casual African observer of the China-Africa relationship.
Spring has finally sprung in Washington, DC! And that also means a series of substantive discussions on today's most pressing global development issues—from private sector financing in Africa to the future of the World Bank—are springing up at the Center for Global Development. Join us next week in person or online for these important conversations that will happen alongside the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings.
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