Foresight Africa Podcast

Ada Osakwe, a Nigerian innovator and business leader, talks about her role as an innovative entrepreneur and transformative investor. Osakwe founded the Nuli Juice Company and Agrolay Ventures, and was named Forbes Woman Africa businesswoman of the year in 2021. Addressing the gender gap in boardrooms, Osakwe says that "women leaders must support other women." Show notes and transcript Foresight A...

Bogolo Kenewendo, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions' special advisor, Africa director, and former minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry of Botswana, discusses the African perspective on climate action, biodiversity, climate finance, and gender-responsive solutions. She emphasizes the need for adaptation and resilience in the agricultural sector to secure livelihoods and address high...

David Moinina Sengeh, minister of basic and senior secondary education and chief innovation officer in Sierra Leone, urges other African policymakers to invest in education, and offers insight on how AI can be leveraged for educational improvement. Minister Sengeh also talks about his new book, Radical Inclusion, and his music as a way to connect with young people. The music track "Alagalan (feat....

Angela Pashayan, professor and political scientist at American University, shares her experiences working with the Mukuru slum community in Kenya and the socioeconomic challenges the residents face. Dr. Pashayan highlights the importance of urban agriculture within the community, discusses the effects of climate change in urban slums, and notes policies to address the gender gap in African countri...

In this episode of Foresight Africa podcast, Ruth Kagia, senior fellow at Results for Development and former country director for Southern Africa at the World Bank, discusses the risks and opportunities of STEM education in Africa. She explains ways that young girls and women can enter STEM-related fields and more broadly how to address "learning poverty" on the continent. Show notes and transcrip...

Una Osili, associate dean for research and international programs and Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy at Indiana University's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, explains the role that remittances and philanthropy play in meeting development challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. The African continent, she says, has "a rich history of philanthropy," and new tools and technology are expanding new ways...

Kasirim Nwuke, managing partner at Mirisak & Associates and former chief, green economy, technologies and innovation at the UN Economic Commission for Africa, examines Nigeria's presidential election results, in which Bola Tinubu was declared the winner, and where challenges from contenders Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar continue in Nigeria's courts. Show notes and transcript:  https://bit.ly/3U7Jaj...

In this episode of Foresight Africa podcast, Winnie Kiiza, a Ugandan teacher and politician who served as leader of the opposition in Uganda's Parliament, shares her story of growing up in a political family, entering politics herself, and advocating for policies that will open political, social, and economic opportunities for women and girls in Uganda. Show notes and transcript:  https://bit.ly/3...

Gracelin Baskaran, a World Bank consultant and Bye-Fellow at Cambridge, discusses Africa's rich natural resources, especially rare earth elements, and offers recommendations for how Africa's nations can leverage these assets for the benefit of the continent. She also addresses South Africa's economy and how climate change affects economic growth and debt. Show notes and transcript:  https://bit.ly...

Joseph Siegle, director of research at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, joins host Aloysius Uche Ordu for a conversation on Nigeria's upcoming presidential election, on February 25, and other elections in Africa this year. Dr. Siegle explains the importance of Nigeria's election, including the key role youths and civil society organizations will play, plus security challenges the West Afri...

Rogaia Abusharaf, a professor of anthropology at Georgetown University Qatar, talks with host Aloysius Ordu about the leading role Sudanese women have played in movements for peace and justice from the early 1920s to the recent Sudanese revolution (2018-19). Dr. Abusharaf also describes her research on African migrations and the Intersectionality of race, gender, and politics. Show notes and trans...

Fenitra Jérémiah and Anja Radoharinirina, who both work for SAF/FJKM, an NGO in Madagascar, describe the incredible beauty of their country and the help they are providing to the communities most affected by climate change. Jérémiah and Radoharinirina share their positive impressions of the youth networking opportunities at COP27 and encourage more youth involvement in future climate actions. Show...

Nadia Owusu, convenor at the Local Conference of Youth Ghana, and MaryJane Enchill, deputy chief executive officer/head of communication at HATOF Foundation, share their takeaways from COP27, naming climate fund mobilization as a crucial outcome. Both climate activists discuss their work on climate justice and educating their communities on the impact of climate change. Show notes and transcript: ...

Victoria Alis, president of Oceans Project Seychelles, discusses vulnerabilities faced by ocean ecosystems in the Seychelles and measures some local NGOs in her town put in place in preparation for COP27. Alis lists local climate-related capacity building and mobilization of local youths as priorities for mitigation and adaptation of ocean health in her community. Show notes and transcript:  https...

Beverly Musili, policy analyst at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, and Tomas Hurdsone, CEO of Youth Green Space Action, discuss the outcomes of this year's COP. Both view resolutions on loss and damage as a positive outcome, as well as the solidarity displayed by African youth. Looking ahead however, they highlight the need for more climate financing and establishment o...

Josephine Karianjahi, co-founder and co-director of Africa Podfest, discusses the findings from her organization's report on the present and future of audio storytelling in Africa. Among the report's findings she discusses are the rising demand for podcasts by African youths in urban areas, the barrier to access due to the high cost of data, and the potential for innovation and investment in the c...

Education experts Adefunke Ekine and Ayotola Aremu discuss the systemic biases African girls face that discourage them from pursuing an education in STEM and share strategies for increasing female enrollment in those topics, including embedding STEM in games, and exposing young girls to female role models, mentors, and teachers. Show notes and transcript:  https://brook.gs/3p9W2qw   Foresight Afri...

In a discussion with Aloysius Uche Ordu, Andrew Mold, chief of regional integration for Eastern Africa at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, explores aspects of the continent's economic integration agenda under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), arguing that low estimates of intra-African trade can be misleading and exploring how the region's individual regional econ...

Industrialist and philanthropist Ivor Ichikowitz shares findings from the Ichikowitz Family Foundation's "African Youth Survey 2022," including the immense optimism of the region's youth, a marked shift in perceptions of foreign partners, and increased concern over the impacts of climate change. Show notes and transcript:  https://brook.gs/3RyRerS   Foresight Africa podcast is part of the  Brookin...

Author and activist Betty Ogiel Rubanga joins host Aloysius Uche Ordu for a conversation on dreams, hope, hard work, learning, authentic leadership, poverty, and survival. She is the author of the memoir, Against All Odds: A memoir of Resilience, Determination and Luck Amidst Hardship for an African Girl Child in Her Passionate Pursuit for Education . Show notes and transcript:  https://brook.gs/3...

Julius Kiiza, professor of political economy of development at Uganda's Makerere University, discusses Africa's regional integration efforts as well as the integral role of women and technology in the success of the endeavor. Show notes and transcript:  https://brook.gs/3QCf715   Foresight Africa podcast is part of the  Brookings Podcast Network . Subscribe and listen on  Apple ,  Spotify ,  Googl...

Two young Ugandan climate activists discuss their work on meeting the challenges of climate change in their country, their region, and continent-wide. Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, founder of Fridays for Future Uganda, and Morris Nyombi, CEO of Earth Volunteers, share why they became climate activists, explain the projects they lead, and discuss their messages for leaders who will gather for COP27 in Egy...

Witney Schneidman, a Brookings Africa Growth Initiative nonresident fellow, assesses U.S.-Africa relations under the Biden administration, discusses how the next version of the African Growth and Opportunity Act might better support U.S.-Africa trade, and offers recommendations for enhancing U.S. trade and investment in the region. Show notes and transcript:  https://brook.gs/3wGRqgh   Foresight A...

Despite the challenges facing Africa's health systems, the region has been able to weather the COVID-19 pandemic comparatively well, largely due to its youthful population and its dedicated medical staff. Winnifred Groves, a Cameroonian/British registered nurse dedicated to the training and professional development of nurses, shares the experiences, challenges, and successes of Africa's nurses as...

Mike Ogbalu, CEO of the Pan-African Payment Settlement System (PAPSS) at the African Export-Import Bank, discusses PAPSS, a cross border, financial market infrastructure enabling payment transactions across Africa. Show notes and transcript:  https://brook.gs/3vLpGoR   Foresight Africa podcast is part of the  Brookings Podcast Network . Subscribe and listen on  Apple ,  Spotify ,  Google Podcasts...