Syndicated Op-Eds – Zainab Usman

What Can Developing Countries Learn from Morocco’s Experience with Power Sector Reforms?

November 21, 2019

I recently wrote a blog post, for the World Bank’s Sustainable Energy for All blog, on the lessons developing countries can learn from Morocco’s experience with power sector reforms. This is based on my recently published research paper on “Lessons from Power Sector Reforms: the Case of Morocco“. Here’s the blog post below. It’s also … More What Can Developing Countries Learn from Morocco’s Experience with Power Sector Reforms?

Blog Post – The Future of Work in Africa: Making Productive Investments for More and Better Jobs

August 8, 2019

I co-wrote this blog post for the World Bank’s blog series to explain our new report on “The Future of Work in Africa: Harnessing the Potential of Digital Technologies for All“. We identify certain productive investments needed in African countries to secure for more and better jobs. I am reproducing it below, and you can … More Blog Post – The Future of Work in Africa: Making Productive Investments for More and Better Jobs

To transform Africa’s economies, African companies matter too

June 10, 2016

I recently wrote this piece for The Conversation. A consistent feature of global analyses of Africa’s economic prospects is their fickleness. In the years since the global financial crisis in 2008, forecasts about Africa have swerved from deep pessimism to heady optimism, and back to a bearish outlook of slow growth and fragility. The vacillation … More To transform Africa’s economies, African companies matter too

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

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?

Nigeria’s Economic Transition Reveals Deep Structural Distortions

May 1, 2014

This is an article I recently wrote for African Arguments on Nigeria’s recently revised GDP series. According to recently reviewed GDP figures, Nigeria is now Africa’s biggest economy. It was about time a more accurate measure of economic output, which captures Nigerians’ entrepreneurial zeal, was adopted. The headline-capturing highlights of the new series reveal the … More Nigeria’s Economic Transition Reveals Deep Structural Distortions

Does Nigeria Really Need a ‘Sovereign National Conference’?

January 29, 2014

This is a piece I wrote for the Royal African Society’s African Arguments blog. In a few weeks, Nigerians across ethnic and regional divides will be gathering at a roundtable to discuss critical national issues. The imperative for this National Conference as a necessary discussion over Nigeria’s future was underscored by the President, Goodluck Jonathan, … More Does Nigeria Really Need a ‘Sovereign National Conference’?

Zainab Usman