Into Africa

Catherine Nzuki is joined by Blair Glencorse and Cheri-Leigh Erasmus, co-CEOs of Accountability Lab, to unpack the latest findings from the Global Aid Freeze Tracker. Together, they reflect on the current state of the development sector and explore where the development sector goes from here. 

Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and 2023 Nigerian presidential candidate, joined Into Africa to discuss his belief that the answer to Nigeria’s persistent challenges lies in the character of its leaders. Obi shared that to restore public trust in Nigeria’s government, leaders need to embody competence, capacity, compassion, and integrity. Obi joins Mvemba to explore how leaders can be...

Catherine Nzuki is joined by Cameron Hudson, Senior Fellow with the CSIS Africa Program. He unpacks the immediate causes of the war, the growing number of regional actors involved in the war, how the entry of foreign actors is changing the dynamics of the conflict, and the unique role the U.S. can play in mediating a peace process. Cameron Hudson's testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Subcommitt...

From rapid urbanization to persistent housing shortages, Africa’s cities are facing immense challenges—and emerging opportunities, including innovative mortgage models, government-backed projects, and rising investor interest in sustainable development. In this episode, Mvemba is joined by Thierno-Habib Hann, CEO of Shelter Afrique Development Bank, to explore how innovative finance, strategic par...

Catherine Nzuki is joined by Dr. Daniel Cash, Associate Professor in Law at Ashton University. He specializes in the study of the international credit rating agencies. They discuss the “Big Three” credit rating agencies, why they have been accused of biases against Africa, and the impact that sovereign credit ratings have on outcomes for young people.  Dr. Cash explains why the Africa Credit Ratin...

But not much else has changed: Catherine Nzuki is (still) your host, and by 2050, one in four people in the world are still expected to be African. Thank you all very much for supporting this podcast. We are back this Thursday, May 15, with a new episode on the case for an African credit rating agency.

From Cold War dynamics to legislative debates, U.S. foreign policy toward Africa has been shaped by complex historical, political, and institutional factors. In his memoir From the Congo to Capitol Hill, Steve Weissman recounts his experiences as a young professor in the Congo and later as a congressional staffer engaged in foreign policy and human rights advocacy.  In this episode, Mvemba is join...

Darrel Lloyd, CSIS Africa Program Intern, joins Catherine Nzuki for an informal discussion on internships. Catherine shares her background (2:10), tips on think tank internship applications (6:10), engaging with the African diaspora (10:59); interviews (14:27), networking (18:57); social media (22:55); building research skills (24:50); and how to stand out during your internship (28:00). Darrel sh...

Africa stands at the forefront of the global climate crisis, facing extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and biodiversity loss—despite contributing less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As debates intensify over carbon credit agreements, oil exploration in the Congo Basin, and the role of Africa in shaping global climate policy, questions remain about how the continent can advoc...

The Afropolitan will be taking a brief hiatus to re-envision its next steps. Stay tuned for an exciting new chapter! In the meantime, we're sharing our very first episode from October, which focused on how older people in Mali are consuming news on TikTok, and why this symbolizes the larger trends sweeping through the Sahel. In this episode, Catherine Nzuki is joined by Doussouba Konaté, the Count...

What does it take to influence meaningful change in Nigeria’s governance landscape? In this episode of Into Africa, Udo Ilo, author of It Is Impossible: Influencing Change in Nigeria, joins to explore the complex landscape of social and political change in Nigeria. Drawing on his extensive experience in governance reform, civic engagement, and social innovation, Udo offers valuable insights into t...

Catherine Nzuki is joined by Naa Laryea, a software engineer living in Accra. She walks us through what apartment hunting is like in Accra, why some landlords ask for a year or two years’ worth of rent up front, and the causes of the housing crisis in Accra. Nelson C.J., West Africa Correspondent at OkayAfrica, joins the Afropolitan and zooms out to discuss the common drivers of the housing crunch...

Since its founding, the African Union (AU) has positioned itself as a unifying force for economic integration, conflict resolution, and continental self-determination. However, recent developments—including interstate tensions and shifting global dynamics—have raised questions about the organization’s effectiveness and direction. When the 2025 AU Summit convened in February 2025, critical discussi...

We traditionally think of impact evaluation as an academic or technical skill. The Impact Evaluation (IE) Lab at the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF), a think tank in Dar es Salaam, is working to change that.  Catherine Nzuki is joined by Dr. Constantine Manda, the co-founder and inaugural Director of the IE Lab at ESRF, and Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University...

The ONE Campaign, originally founded as Debt AIDS Trade for Africa (DATA) in 2004, is a global advocacy organization dedicated to driving investments and creating economic opportunities in Africa. Over the past 20 years, ONE has continually evolved to address the continent’s most pressing challenges, ensuring its work remains relevant and impactful. ONE advocates for justice and equity in Africa’s...

Three West African countries - Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso - have finalized their exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Another thing they have in common? All three countries are under junta rule after military coups that took place in recent years. They have since formed their own union - the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).   Why have these three countries exited ECO...

Yinka Adegoke, editor of Semafor Africa, joined Into Africa to discuss the rapidly changing media landscape across the continent. While African media has a long history, dating back to the pre-independence era, it has traditionally been focused on national issues rather than Pan-African topics. As a result, many Africans rely on foreign news sources to stay informed about neighboring countries, re...

Catherine Nzuki is joined by Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo, a fellow in the Center for Technology Innovation in the Governance Studies program at Brookings and a recent computer science Ph. D. graduate from Cornell University. Dr. Okolo provides an overview of Africa’s AI industry (1:54); DeepSeek and what it means for AI startups (6:40); common misconceptions about AI development (7:54); how to make AI sa...

Somalia has undergone significant transformations, evolving through three republics. The current federal system, which was established in 2000 through the Djibouti settlement, is based on a parliamentary model, democratic system, clan power-sharing, and regional autonomy. However, recent moves by President Mohamud’s administration to shift toward a more centralized presidential system have sparked...

Catherine Nzuki is joined by Andrew Friedman, Senior Fellow with the CSIS Human Rights Initiative. They discuss the scale of USAID’s work around the world, the immediate impacts of this aid freeze, and USAID's shaky future. Samuel Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, joins the Afropolitan to unpack how his organization and others around Africa are impacted by the U.S. aid freeze. They also d...

On any given day, there are 2,500-3,000 United States Army personnel in Africa undertaking a variety of engagements with their African counterparts. The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) was established in October 2007, making it just over 17 years old—close to the age of majority. AFRICOM undertakes security exercises, civil affairs initiatives, and key leader engagements, among other activities. AFR...

The December festive season in Nigeria, commonly referred to as ‘detty December’ have captured the world’s attention. Lagos alone brought in $71.6m in tourism revenue in December 2024, according to the Lagos State Government. How are locals faring with the influx of tourists in a tough economy? Catherine Nzuki is joined by Oluwatomisin Amokeoja, a journalist with Forbes Africa, to give an overview...

As 2025 begins, Africa confronts significant challenges to its growth and development. Instability in the Sahel highlights the waning influence of ECOWAS and France’s diminished military presence, while conflicts in Eastern DRC are intensified by Rwanda and Uganda’s backing of the M23 rebel group. In Sudan, the U.S. has recognized the severity of the crisis through a genocide declaration and sanct...

Catherine Nzuki is joined by Dr. Jennifer D. Sciubba, President and CEO of the Population Reference Bureau and one of the foremost experts in the field of political demography.  Dr. Sciubba breaks down how demographers project future populations and the drivers of population growth. They discuss the limited window to take advantage of Africa’s demographic dividend, the population decline debate in...

This holiday season, we’re dreaming of a just and representative global order. Catherine Nzuki is joined by Ambassador Martin Kimani, PhD, the Executive Director of New York University’s Center on International Cooperation. He was previously the Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations (UN). In this episode, we take a deep dive into Africa’s bid for two permanent seats on the UN Sec...