Opinions

Africa has taken three significant steps in recent months on its journey to a stronger economic future.   In March, the African Union launched the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This landmark agreement aims to create a single market expected to generate a combined GDP of more than $3.4 trillion…

Innovative PAYGo business models are not only lucrative for the firms that adopt them; they have the potential to improve the lives of millions of Africans, beginning with the neediest rural communities. African policymakers should focus on ensuring that this potential is fulfilled.     The rise of digital pay-as-you-go…

I had one of those way-cool moments — and what I now call the most memorable experience of my life — this past week in Mombasa, Kenya. It all started in late October, when I received an invitation from the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) to attend the Open Forum…

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)  presents Africa with an opportunity to leapfrog many of the skills acquisition and structural and infrastructural hurdles that have limited Africa’s progress to date   There is a global narrative that Africa is being left behind by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). We disagree, and…

For better or worse, some crises attract more international attention than others. More attention also means more international humanitarian actors who want to jump into the crisis bandwagon. These international humanitarian actors include both international organizations (such as the World Health Organization, and UNICEF) and NGOs (such as Oxfam, Doctors…

African governments and their donors and partners are already committed to investing in skills-building and job creation. Given its implications for employment, development, and migration, there is a strong case for channeling a significant share of that investment toward Africa’s distributed renewable-energy industry Africans are increasingly unsettled. Since 2010, at…

Founded on a strong sense of shared identity and driven by common interests, Africa’s commitment to multilateralism is a force to be reckoned with – or, at least, it can be. With international institutions under unprecedented strain, unlocking Africa’s potential as a champion of multilateralism is in everyone’s interest. African…

Earlier this summer, the two final holdout countries, Nigeria and Benin, signed on to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. When this ambitious plan—which has created the world’s largest free trade zone—was first expressed a couple of years ago, I admit that I was a bit doubtful and…

Joining the African Continental Free Trade Area may be Nigeria’s first step towards realising the potential of its business sector as a force in Africa When Nigeria failed to occupy a seat at the African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) launch in Kigali last year, many asked why a country…

Oluwafifehan Ogunde asks thought-provoking questions on the state of Africa and provides a candid reflection on whether Africa’s underdevelopment is a result of self-sabotage or external interference. Why is movement of goods between African countries more difficult than between China and Africa? Why do regimes that claim to practice democracy in…