Opinions

Instead of relying on limited reforms to a misaligned global financial system, Africa should prioritize strengthening regional and continental institutions that mobilize its own capital to meet its development needs. Carlos Lopes, Member of the UN International Commission of Experts for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development. Like…

Overseas Development Assistance is not the solution to Africa’s development challenges; the future of Africa’s development financing lies in strengthening the continent’s ability to raise resources internally, i.e, Domestic Resource Mobilisation (DRM). A decade after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, a measly 17% of the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, are…

By making strategic investments and implementing targeted reforms, African governments can harness Africa’s rapidly expanding creative industries – fueled by digital innovation and a young, growing middle class – to advance economic, social, and development goals. In February, Afrobeats singer Tems won the Grammy for Best African Music Performance. Her achievement underscores…

Despite its bold promises, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is being quietly undermined by logistical realities. The agreement, which aims to boost intra-African trade by reducing tariffs and harmonising regulatory standards, assumes that goods and people can move freely across borders. It should not cost over $1,000 to…

Africa’s blue economy is a growing investible market that banks, asset managers, and governments can no longer afford to ignore. With the potential to advance climate, biodiversity, and economic development goals simultaneously, it offers a triple win for the continent. Despite carrying 80% of the world’s trade, absorbing 30% of its carbon-dioxide…

The global financial system is cumbersome, inefficient, and failing to meet the needs of a world grappling with escalating climate and economic crises; fortunately, African governments are stepping up with forward-looking policy proposals that promote debt sustainability and climate resilience. This year’s spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)…

Africa has disproportionately suffered the effects of malaria for far too long, but it can eliminate this scourge by 2040 through well-targeted public investment, a strong surveillance system, effective vector control, and rapid outbreak-response mechanisms. Despite being preventable and curable, malaria has continued to claim African lives. In 2023, the…

While Africa strategically repositions itself in today’s multipolar world, the European Union remains largely complacent in the outdated belief that it is the continent’s leading patron. But a shifting global economic landscape offers Europe an opportunity to start engaging with Africa on equal terms. In recent years, China has surpassed Europe in…

Behind Africa’s poor sanitation and safe water statistics lies a development crisis—one that is costing billions, stunting futures and demanding urgent policy action. Image: Julia Baum/AFI In much of the Global North, access to clean drinking water and safe toilets is an unremarkable part of everyday life. Conversely, in much…

The global health system has substantially reduced infectious disease rates and health inequalities. Yet, imposing tariffs, closing borders, cutting foreign aid, and disengaging from multilateral cooperation will reverse this progress and create the conditions for pathogens to thrive. As many Global North countries turn inward, foreign assistance has become an…