Into Africa

What’s better than coordinating a two-day virtual conference on pressing challenges to global democracy? Try adding several different time zones!  Mvemba is joined by Marti Flacks (Director of the Human Rights Initiative at CSIS), Tiseke Kasambala (Director of Africa Programs at Freedom House) and Kate Hixon (Africa Advocacy Director at Amnesty International USA).  They discuss the March 2023 Summ...

Mvemba is joined by Claude Grunitzky, founder of TRACE and TRUE Africa. Mvemba and Claude discuss ways African investors can support Africa's creative future, and the importance of the next generation of young media creators, entrepreneurs, and investors on the continent owning their intellectual property and cultural contributions.

What happened during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in December '22? Mvemba is joined by Aloysius Uche Ordu (Senior Fellow and Director of the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings) and Kehinde Togun (Managing Director for Public Engagement at Humanity United) for a post-mortem of the summit. They identify areas of success and improvement, the commitments made, and how Washington can maintain mome...

Mvemba is joined by Succès Masra, a leading Chadian opposition figure and the president of Les Transformateurs, the major opposition party in Chad. They discuss the deadly crackdown on protestors in October 2022, the state of the transition talks, the power of social media for organizing political movements, and Chad’s uncertain future.

Mvemba is joined by Dana Banks, Senior Advisor to the President of the United States and Special Advisor for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. With the Summit officially kicking off on December 13, they discuss the challenges and opportunities for strengthening ties between the U.S. and African countries and how to maintain momentum beyond the Summit.

Mvemba is joined by Doussouba Konaté, Country Director and Global Program Manager for Accountability Lab Mali, an organization dedicated to shifting societal norms by working with young people to foster new ideas centered around government accountability, transparency, and openness. They discuss the landscape of life in Mali today, touching on several key people, political and policy factors for c...

Mvemba is joined by Ambassador Andrew Young, Deputy to the Commander for Civil-Military Engagement of U.S. Africa Command. They discuss the three dimensions of the department’s engagement in the region (defense, diplomacy, and development) over the past 14 years and unpack future goals of the strategic operation partnership.

Mvemba is joined by Mr. Nicolas Kazadi, Minister of Finance of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They discuss the Millennium Challenge Corporation, tackling corruption in the mining industry and the public sector, conflict in eastern DRC, and the auction of oil blocks and climate pledges.

Mvemba is joined by Jakkie Cilliers, Head of African Futures & Innovation at the Institute for Security Studies, a South African think-tank. Jakkie and Mvemba discuss Africa’s potential growth in different global scenarios, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and challenges to intra-continental trade.

Mvemba is joined by His Excellency Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia. The newly elected President came into office for the second time in May 2022 promising a more inclusive government and greater stability. They discuss the challenges his government faces, including countering Al-Shabaab, food scarcity during one of the worst droughts in decades, and a rising cos...

Mvemba is joined by Joshua Walker, Director of Programs at the Congo Research Group and Francesca Bomboko, Co-Founder and Director of BERCI, a public opinion research firm based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They unpack the results of CIC and BERCI's new national survey in the DRC. They analyze voter trends, the factors impacting President's Felix Tshisekedi's approval ratings, addressing t...

Mvemba is joined by Josphat Kamanya, a Kenyan politician and entrepreneur. Josphat reflects on his run for local government, shares insights into the experiences of young and aspiring politicians, and explores the nature of politics in Kenya.

This week, Mvemba is joined by Mohammed Abdiker, Regional Director for East Africa and the Horn of Africa at the International Organization for Migration. The two delve into migration trends in countries across the Horn, and the economic, political, and environmental factors that continue to exacerbate forced displacement in the region. They unpack various initiatives and conferences aimed at addr...

In this episode, Mvemba is joined by Caitlin Welsh, the Director of the Global Food Security Program at CSIS, and Melodine Jeptoo, Researcher and Coordinator at PlantVillage. PlantVillage non-profit research unit that uses AI technology, satellite systems, and field work to increase the yield and profits for millions of farmers in East Africa. They discuss the drivers of food insecurity in the reg...

This week’s episode, Dr. Zainab Usman joins Mvemba to discuss her new book, "Economic Diversification in Nigeria: The Politics of Building a Post-oil Economy." They re-examine the concept of the resource curse and explore the role of good governance and institutions in wielding natural resources for sustainable and equitable growth.  

In this edition of Into Africa, Mvemba is joined by Karana Olivier, Côte d'Ivoire Chief of Party for Equal Access International, to discuss the spillover of violent extremism from the Sahel into the littoral states of West Africa— Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo, and Ghana. The two explore government and armed groups’ shared responsibility for unrest, as well as the effects of porous borders in the reg...

In this episode, Mvemba is joined by W. Gyude Moore (Center for Global Development) to explore challenges and opportunities for African countries in the latter half of 2022. They have a wide-ranging conversation covering instability in the Sahel, the strength of regional economic communities, bolstering food security on the continent, Russian influence, and more.  

In this edition of Into Africa, Mvemba is joined by Evan Mawarire, a Zimbabwean pastor, activist, and the founder of the #ThisFlag protest movement. They explore the popularity of #ThisFlag in Zimbabwe and youth movements in Africa. Plus, they discuss corruption, poor governance, and the upcoming elections in Zimbabwe. This episode is dedicated to the memory of the late Alex Tawanda Magaisa.

What role does Africa's private sector play in the continent's inclusive growth? Cina Lawson, Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation in Togo, and Lucy Nshuti Mbabazi, Head of Africa Advocacy and Partnerships at The Better Than Cash Alliance, join Mvemba to discuss the rise of digital payments in Africa's spurred by COVID-19 restrictions. This episode explores the opportunities presented by...

Mvemba is joined by African investor and philanthropist Tony Elumelu to discuss the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s work in empowering youth entrepreneurs across the continent. They talk about the philosophy of Africapitalism, how African governments can build robust enabling environments, and the importance of eradicating dependency syndrome.

Rahama Wright, founder of social enterprise Shea Yeleen, speaks with Mvemba about all things entrepreneurship. They discuss Rahama’s journey from Peace Corps volunteer in Mali to the founder of a growing beauty company that sources key ingredients from the African continent. Rahama describes her philosophy around empowering both shea-producing African women and U.S.-based workers, and sheds light...

Ken Opalo (Georgetown) joins Mvemba to discuss the strength of public institutions across Africa. How do parliaments, courts, executive offices, and militaries impact the quality of governance? Ken and Mvemba focus on Malawi, Kenya, and Benin with implications for the rest of the region. Plus, Ken’s thoughts on localization of development funding and how U.S. policymakers should think different ar...

In this episode, Mvemba is joined by Amini Kajunju, Chief Operating Officer of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS) in Monrovia, Liberia. They discuss diaspora, identity, and ESJ’s work in education, training, and human development. Plus, what the hashtag #AdultingInLiberia means to Amini in the context of the country’s post-war development.

Mvemba is joined by Nathaniel Powell (@natkpowell) to discuss instability in the Sahel. In addition to covering some of the conflict’s history, Mvemba and Nathaniel talk about why France failed in Mali, how the United States can be a better partner to Sahelian countries, and how the Russia-Ukraine war is affecting the Sahel and Africa at large.   Why France Failed in Mali, by Nathaniel Powell (War...

Mvemba is joined by Travis Adkins (U.S. African Development Foundation) for a conversation that spans a number of topics, including how Travis’ personal background has informed his professional trajectory; how Travis is taking the USADF from “the best kept secret” to one of the best foreign assistance agencies in the U.S. foreign policy toolkit; and how the USADF is directly funding African partne...