Category: Global

China and Global Development: Different Perspectives on Africa

April 1, 2016

On 29 February 2016, I participated in a panel discussion on the above subject, ‘China and Global Development: Different Perspectives on Africa’. This was at the School of Public Policy, Central European University, Budapest, alongside, Professor George Wu (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) and Professor Chris Alden (London School of Economics and Political Science). The … More China and Global Development: Different Perspectives on Africa

New Industrial Policy in Africa: Overcoming the Extractives Trap

January 17, 2016

Happy New Year! On 3-4 November 2015, I was at a conference organised by the Friederich Ebert Stiftung (FES) foundation on ‘New Industrial Policy in Africa: Overcoming the Extractives Trap’ in Atananarivo, Madagascar . The conference was organised to discuss attempts by African countries, especially resource producers and exporters to cope with the ongoing collapse in … More New Industrial Policy in Africa: Overcoming the Extractives Trap

Scholarships and Development Opportunities No. 14

July 19, 2015

INTERNSHIP: SOCIAL POLICY FOR INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT AT THE UN INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Deadline: 19 July 2015 The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is an autonomous research institute within the UN system that undertakes multidisciplinary research and policy analysis on the social dimensions of contemporary development issues. Through our work, … More Scholarships and Development Opportunities No. 14

“EITI was the Wrong Focus” and other Highlights of the Natural Resource Governance Conference

July 3, 2015

Last week, I was at a conference organised by the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), formerly Revenue Watch Institute, on the challenges and opportunities presented by falling commodity prices. It was attended by the best in the academia, in policy and in civil society in the field. A breakdown of the panels and speakers is … More “EITI was the Wrong Focus” and other Highlights of the Natural Resource Governance Conference

The Politics of Inequality – DLP Annual Conference 2015

February 21, 2015

On Thursday 12 February, the Development Leadership Programme (DLP) held its 2015 Annual Conference on the theme of the politics of inequality, at the University of Birmingham. I presented parts of my doctoral research as a panelist in the session on “Inequality and Political Settlements”. With a resurgence in academic, policy and media interest in inequalities … More The Politics of Inequality – DLP Annual Conference 2015

Africa’s Oil Shock

January 18, 2015

This is an opinion piece I recently wrote for Aljazeera English, analysing how African countries are responding to falling global crude oil prices. I reproduce it below: The plummeting of global crude prices is generating ripple effects worldwide. While oil exporters are reeling from plunging revenues, oil importers are bracing for cheaper oil, and the … More Africa’s Oil Shock

Legatum Institute’s Africa Prosperity Index 2014

December 24, 2014

The researchers at Legatum Institute, a public policy think-tank, were kind enough to invite me to the launch of their inaugural Africa Prosperity Index several days ago, at their headquarters in Mayfair London. The keynote speakers were Richard Dowden, Director of the Royal African Society and Marieme Jamme, CEO of Spot One Global Solutions and … More Legatum Institute’s Africa Prosperity Index 2014

Maryam Writes About Her Experience at Obama’s Fellowship for Young African Leaders

August 27, 2014

Maryam Shehu Mohammed is one of the 500 young leaders selected from around Africa, to participate in President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative in the U.S. She recently returned to Nigeria after the completion of her program. Maryam wrote about her experience through the entire process, from application to completion of the fellowship. Her piece … More Maryam Writes About Her Experience at Obama’s Fellowship for Young African Leaders

Obama’s Africa Summit: Too Little, Too Late?

August 16, 2014

This is an op-ed I wrote for Aljazeera English, on the recent U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. In 2013, I was in the audience at the Oxford Union for a taping of Al Jazeera’s Head to Head featuring Thomas Friedman and his thoughts on US Foreign Policy. The show’s focus was entirely focused on the Middle East, and the United States’ … More Obama’s Africa Summit: Too Little, Too Late?

The World Bank (Africa) Fellowship for PhD Students

September 14, 2013

Culled from the World Bank: “The Africa Region of the World Bank Group is launching the World Bank Group Fellowship Program for Ph.D. students of African descent. The program will increase the diverse workforce that is a priority for the Bank and its clients. The Fellowship Program aims to build a pipeline of researchers and … More The World Bank (Africa) Fellowship for PhD Students

Morten Jerven’s “Poor Numbers” and Improving Statistical Capacity in African Countries

May 15, 2013

I don’t know about you but in the recent past, I had thought the debates in international development in this century had become rather stale. We had moved from Africa the “Hopeless Continent“, “Africa’s Growth Tragedy“, the continent of the “Bottom Billion” and the Trade vs. “Dead Aid” debate, to “Africa is Rising”, Africa “the … More Morten Jerven’s “Poor Numbers” and Improving Statistical Capacity in African Countries