November 2019 – HeVanz International

Rebalancing Africa’s security and development objectives is a daunting task. But it is one that political leaders must seize with both hands in order to realize the enormous potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Hippolyte Fofack

Investing in Kenya’s Young Micro-Entrepreneurs

A growing number of young Kenyans have established informal micro-businesses, or “hustles,” since the start of the COVID-19 crisis. Low-cost interventions that help hustles grow into full-time concerns would protect young people against the pandemic’s economic impact and help drive recovery.

Anuj Tanna

A Test for Ivory Coast’s Democracy

Public trust in politicians – essential to individual freedom and collective development – depends on free, fair, and transparent elections. Fortunately, the Ivorian government has worked hard to ensure that the parliamentary election on March 6 is a democratic success.

Alassane Ouattara

The Digital Transformation Strategy Africa Needs

Nurturing large-scale job creation in Africa will require policies that bring digital solutions to the non-digital economy. To reorient and strengthen their digitalization strategies, the continent's governments should follow four guiding principles.

Victor Harison

China’s Debt Grip on Africa

Since the 2008 global financial crisis, China has steadily increased its direct lending to developing countries – often with draconian conditions attached. Debt moratoria during the pandemic, while important, will not solve this problem.

Paola Subacchi

Electrifying African Transport

Transport investments will be crucial in determining whether Africa follows an equitable, zero-carbon development path. Development banks and governments should move away from capital-intensive mass-transit projects, and toward enabling micro-entrepreneurs to build effective, electrified public transport networks.

Mohamed Hegazy

African Countries Need Not Fear Default

Many developing countries carry crushing debt burdens, but are reluctant to pursue much-needed restructuring, for fear of losing access to capital markets. This fear is overblown, and its persistence is raising the risks for debtors and creditors alike.

Moritz Kraemer

Kick-Starting FDI in Africa

To help catalyze growth and tackle extreme poverty, African leaders must try to attract hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign direct investment. They should emulate China and start by targeting the 165 million members of the continent's diaspora.

Carl Manlan

Building an EU-Africa Partnership of Equals

When it comes to ties between the European Union and Africa, returning to “normal” after the COVID-19 crisis is simply not an option. The relationship must be rethought and reshaped – beginning at the upcoming mini-summit of EU and African Union leaders.

Carlos Lopes

A Tech Role Model for Nigeria

India has proved that three policies – lowering the cost of mobile data, implementing a national identification program with an open-source API, and embracing digital payments – are essential to enable tech companies to innovate and grow. As Nigeria attempts to capitalize on its own tech boom, it should pursue a similar approach.

Elo Umeh

Month: November 2019

Olaniyi Evans’ Research Portfolio