Talking Africa

Mark Suzman is the CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.He sits astride one of the biggest charitable endeavours on the planet, a $50bn endowment that has in the last 18 months thrown itself at the Covid-19 pandemic, funding all manner of research and vaccine trials, and now the COVAX scheme itself.In this conversation with Nicholas Norbrook, he talks through the thorny nature of global collective action problems, and why the world should fund African vaccines shots to avoid a costly new Covid-19 variant.

The European Union has an ambitious trillion dollar plan to slash emissions by over 50% from 1990 levels by 2030. This can present opportunities to African countries... but also threats. Will it lock African farmers out of EU markets? Will it lock finance out of dirty energy projects too soon?Zainab Usman of the Carnegie Endowment and Olumide Abimbola of the Africa Policy Research Centre join The Africa's Report's Nicholas Norbrook

What next for Al Shabaab, the insurgent group that attacked Palma in the northern Mozambique province of Cabo Delgado in March? Is South Africa on the hook financially and now militarily? What has a decade of drug money done to local politics?Dino Mahtani, International Crisis Group's Deputy Director for Africa, takes us on a deep dive into Mozambique's thorny security imbroglio. With Nicholas Norbrook and Patrick Smith.

On 12 August, Zambians go to the polls to vote in their next president.Zambia's ruling party, the Patriotic Front, confirmed Edgar Lungu in April as its candidate in this year's polls.With electoral campaigns now open since 21 May, 19 candidates have so far presented themselves as contenders against Lungu.But one man in particular is looking to take over from the incumbent president.He's hoping the sixth time will be a charm.In this week's Talking Africa, we speak to Hakainde Hichilema, Zambia's main opposition candidate, of the United Party for National Development.For more, head to www.theafricareport.com

Today Nigeria’s political system is more fiercely contested than ever with some militants trying to break up the federation – to what extent do these schisms have their roots in the extreme violence of Britain’s commercial exploitation of the territory and its colonial conquest ?To tackle this question, Talking Africa podcast speaks to Max Siollun, author of  What Britain Did To Nigeria; Barnaby Phillips, author of Loot : Britain and the Benin Bronzes , and Funmi Adebayo, an economist and publisher of the Black Monologues podcast series.This week's Talking Africa is mediated by Patrick Smith. For more, head to www.theafricareport.com

Former cabinet minister, co-ordinator of the #BringBankOurGirls campaign, VP at the World Bank... the multi-talented Obiageli Ezekwesili discusses why Nigeria's political elite missed a golden moment to create a nation, rather than just a country.For more, head to www.theafricareport.com

When veteran correspondent Michela Wrong started researching her book, ‘Do Not Disturb – the story of a political murder and an African regime gone bad’ on the killing of Rwanda’s spymaster Patrick Karegeya, she knew it was going to prompt fierce arguments about President Paul Kagame’s record and the country’s direction.In this special edition of the Talking Africa podcast, Patrick Smith brings together Michela Wrong and Kenyan writer and historian Parselelo Kantai to discuss the issues raised in the book for Rwanda and the wider region.

A report published by US-based the World Peace Foundation stresses the looming famine disaster in Ethiopia's Tigray if the fighting does not stop.Since the first foray into the Tigray by the Ethiopian government in Addis Ababa back in November, the following months have seen an entirely man-made humanitarian crisis unfold.This report documents how both Ethiopian and Eritrean elements in this Tigray war have single-handedly dismantled the region's economic and food system.But this can be stopped if the majority of the Tigrayan people, many of whom are are smallholder farmers, are able to farm in time for the rains in June.For more on the report's findings, we speak to Alex de Waal, the executive director of the WFP in this week's podcast with Patrick Smith.

A recent report released by the Nigeria-based Global Rights organisation, entitled 'Mass Atrocities 2020 Tracking' states 4,556 people were killed in 2020 between January and December.That's a 43% jump from the number of casualties in 2019. Of that number, 3,188 were civilians, and 698 were state security agents.Borno state in the North East had the highest number of fatalities followed by Kaduna state in the North West.As the authors of the report point out: "[...] The swiftest method for determining a nation's propensity for violence, is to measure how its most vulnerable are faring."Our podcast this week, mediated by Patrick Smith, will speak to two contributors to the report on Nigeria’s proliferating security clashes to better understand what has led to this spike in violence, and what can be done to address them.

In this week’s episode we’ll be visiting a dark moment in the history of Niger. It's a moment that few talk about. yet alone know about.Known as the Voulet-Chanoine mission, it was led by captain Paul Voulet in 1898. in just a few months, he spearheaded a campaign of terror as he made his way towards lake chad, in an effort to unite all of france’s territories in west Africa. Nearly a year later, the expedition ended. but the damage was done. and the scars are still felt to this day.In a feature-length documentary called ‘African Apocalypse, Femi Nyader and Rob Lemkin retrace the path of Voulet and meet the people who still share the stories of their families who survived the campaign. We speak to them about their visual journey.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which came into effect at the beginning of the year, has been heralded as a major step in increasing intra-continental trade with the potential to stimulate growth, industrialisation and generate an additional $450 billion for African countries by 2035.But connectivity issues, including weak transport infrastructure and the added costs that come with it, have been flagged as a significant challenge to the success of the initiative across the continent. Liberia will be no exception, given the deplorable state of much of its road network, with motorbikes the primary means of transporting goods and passengers in rural areas.We follow cocoa traders and farmers, as they struggle to move their crop from harvest to port.

Biden has also rescinded the Visa Ban that has caused so much suffering for African students and their families.But on the big picture questions: the relationship with China, the investment in African security challenges, the way in which the US uses its economic weight to extract political concessions from African regimes, will there be any change? In partnership with Invest Africa, we talk to four experts:Amaka Anku, Practice Head, Africa, Eurasia GroupJudd Devermont, Director, Africa Program, CSISW. Gyude Moore, Senior Policy Fellow, Center for Global DevelopmentAubrey Hruby, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council

January 25 2020 marks the ten year anniversary of Egypt’s revolution in 2011. It put in motion an end to the 29-year rule of Hosni Mubarak. But looking back to the start of those unprecedented protests, was it all in naught or did some good come out of it?In this podcast, we'll explore those questions from three Egyptians who all participated in the revolution in their own way:Mohamed Abdelfattah, a journalist who was awarded the International Press Freedom award by the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression for his work during the revolution.Nadia Idle a writer and activist from London and Cairo. She edited 'Tweets from Tahrir', a book that tells the story of the Egyptian uprising in tweets, published March 2011.*Amira (name changed for security reasons), a financial analyst living in Europe who participated later on in the protests and helped to establish the Social Democratic Party.The discussion is moderated by Anne-Marie Bissada.

Nigeria's turbulent and hamstrung history has plenty to tell us about the current malaise. And, as says writer Maya Angelou, "If you don't know where you have come from, you don't know where you are going." That is what Nigerian authors Feyi Fawehinmi and Fola Fagbule had in mind when they wrote Formation: The Making Of Nigeria from Jihad to Amalgamation.Likewise the former US Ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell, with a new book Nigeria and the Nation-State: Rethinking Diplomacy with the Post-Colonial World, says that if you want to reform Nigeria, you have to understand the forces that shape it.From the early 1800s, when Usman Dan Fodio created his Caliphate in Sokoto, through the flowering of city-states like Abeokuta -- famous for producing so many of Nigeria's elite politicians and cultural icons from Olusegun Obasanjo to Fela Kuti -- to the eventual hitching together of the Northern and Southern Protectorates into the formation that is now known as Nigeria.A conversation with the authors, Patrick Smith and Nicholas Norbrook.

A surge of attacks linked to Zimbabwe's growing artisanal mining sector, has killed hundreds of miners.In this week's Talking Africa podcast, we speak to Piers Pigou, one of the authors of the International Crisis Group has just published a report called 'All That Glitters is Not Gold: Turmoil in Zimbabwe’s Mining Sector' that delves into illicit mines of the country and particularly those toiling for gold.

In this takeover episode, Ohenaba Ama Nti Osei speaks to leading Nigerian banker and CEO, Toyin Sanni.From her early days in the industry, to the battles and challenges that made her grow, Sanni has straddled both worlds, from Group CEO at one of Nigeria's largest investment banks, to founder of a new venture, Emerging Capital Africa.From the insider battles to institutionalise processes within a big corporation, to the battle to convince investors at the head of a brand new company, Sanni's real message is: just get started.This episode is produced partnership with our flagship event, Women Working For Change => find out more here: https://www.wearewfc.com/

What is next after Côte d'Ivoire's elections? President Ouattara was comfortably re-elected; but with the opposition claiming constitutional foul, and ex-Premier Guillaume Soro calling for a mutiny in the army, things are fragile.A wide-ranging conversation with Ivorian development expert Eric Kacou about the pressing need for political dialogue and economic progress in the country and wider region.

Forces unleashed against Nigeria's #EndSARS protestors suggest panicking politicians trying to manage a modern movement with the toolkit of the 1980s.They are unlikely to get the toothpaste back in the tube. But the amorphous leadership of the movement will need to avoid getting sucked into sectarian dynamics, and get ready for a marathon not a sprint.This is our 100th episode! If you enjoy it, get it touch to suggest guests or panel ideas at feedback@theafricareport.com - the best ones will be drawn from a hat, and read out on the show.

As head of the Rockefeller Foundation in Africa, William Asiko is on a mission. He believes that agriculture can play a transformational role, but only when all stakeholders are playing their part. The state, unfashionable as it is, is a critical component in helping structure rural markets; and helping farmers access the value under their soil.

With just a few days to go before the World Trade Organisation narrow the field of candidates from five to just two, here is a conversation with Kenya's candidate, Amina Mohamed.But in a world where economic nationalism and protectionism are the order of the day, what role for the WTO?

Dr Nkengasong of the Africa Centres for Disease Control has become an authority over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. While he is 'proud and pleased' of the five African countries now manufacturing diagnostic tests for Covid-19, he believes their needs to be root and branch reform of African healthcare systems.

In our first episode in this new season of Talking Africa, we delve right into a juicy discussion about humanity's obsession with greed, looting and corruption, and if there's hope for a better future.How can African nations stop the looting of their natural wealth by rogue politicians and an international band of financial predators? How do you join the dots between illegal gold-mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo, smuggling trips to Dubai and a financial laundromat based in the City of London? Most of all what does it take to track down these shadowy operations and bring the culprits to justice?To help our quest, we have an in-depth conversation with Tom Burgis, author of the non-fiction thriller 'Kleptopia: How dirty money is conquering the world'. It traces the evolution of an international but virtual republic based on stolen money.Join us at www.theafricareport.com, @theafricareport, and on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/theafricareport/

Will political change and the pandemic force a reset of US diplomatic and security priorities – and where will Africa figure in the new order? This week on Talking Africa, we try to dissect the evolving relations and questions between Africa and the United States.Join us at www.theafricareport.com, @theafricareport, and on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/theafricareport/

Women in power get things done says Melinda Gates; you just have to look at who has come out on top in managing the coronavirus.Moved to action by what the UN calls a 'shadow pandemic' of violence against women during lockdowns , the co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has been speaking out.She speaks to us this week on Talking Africa.Join us at www.theafricareport.com, @theafricareport, and on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/theafricareport/

Tundu Lissu, a prominent member of Tanzania's opposition, was driving home in 2017 when gunmen sprayed his car with over 30 bullets. He barely survived, and went into exile.Now he is returning to Tanzania; but he has not lost any of his vehemence that Tanzania needs to change course, accusing President Magufuli of wanting to drag the country back to the days of dictatorship.

The number of COVID-19 infections across Africa surpassed half a million on 8 July said the World Health Organization, as it flagged growing concern of countries in the continent experiencing a sharp rise in cases. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO director for Africa, raised the alarm bells when she added: "With more than a third of countries in Africa doubling their cases over the past month, the threat of COVID-19 overwhelming fragile health systems on the continent is escalating."To further understand the situation across the continent, Dr. Moeti joins us this week on the Talking Africa podcast.Join us at www.theafricareport.com, @theafricareport, and on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/theafricareport/

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, or GERD, is due to start filling the dam in the coming weeks.Egypt has tried in vain to put the breaks on the project that it claims will negatively impact its access to water. At the start of last week, it took the matter before the UN Security Council.Meanwhile the African Union concluded after an Extraordinary Meeting of the Bureau of the GERD on 26 June, 2020, that problem must be given "African solutions to an African problem."And throughout all back and forth bickering between Egypt and Ethiopia, Sudan has been following events, with each party trying to secure a more concrete stance from its Sudanese neighbour.To better understand the three different perspectives, we hosted a debate in this week's podcast.Join us at www.theafricareport.com, @theafricareport, and on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/theafricareport/

Today, many compare the political confrontation and economic meltdown in Zimbabwe with the position of the country a decade ago.  Blighted by drought and lack of farming inputs, more than half the country’s 16 million people are food insecure, the latest version of the Zimbabwe dollar is rapidly losing its value against the us dollar and inflation is running at over 780%. Added to which, the country is threatened by the spread of the coronavirus.To make some sense of this, we speak to Dr Alex Magaisa, one of the most prolific and respected analysts of the politics and economics of Zimbabwe.Join us at www.theafricareport.com, @theafricareport, and on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/theafricareport/

For the 14 heads of state that Tony Blair advises across the continent, the coronavirus pandemic has sharpened the need to overhaul government.But Blair also points to the need for reform at the international level; our global institutions, like the WHO, need to be re-examined to face the challenges of the 21st century.

The death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers, has once again reignited the on-going fight across the United States for equality and the end of racism against the African-American community. It has also shone a spotlight on police brutality, particularly rampant against persons of colour. Are those topics relevant today across Africa? How are Africans seeing this global movement and what importance does it play?Discussion with Nana-Ama Danquah, Zukisa Wanner, and Veronique Tadjo.Join us at www.theafricareport.com, @theafricareport, and on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/theafricareport/

Tensions spike between Ethiopia and Egypt, as the commencement of the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam approaches. We speak to William Davison of the International Crisis Group to find out where an agreement might be found.

Fred Swaniker, the Ghanaian co-creator and Chairman of the African Leadership Group is well known for not just complaining about the lack of leadership in Africa, but actually doing something about it."Development will be driven by the sum total of the skills, knowledge and experience that a society possesses", says Swaniker, who want to take our current moment to think about what the continent can do differently.

As the coronavirus lockdown eases in South Africa and Nigeria, how are governments and companies coping? We talk to our correspondents on the ground to find out. + a discussion on the US attack on the WHO, how Ghana is testing smart, and much much more.

Bill Gates has been pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the fight against COVID-19.He wants an army of innovators to hit the problem, and focus on the longterm rebuilding of African healthcare systems. Not enough for you? He also wants to rehabilitate our global institutional architecture to take on the challenges of the 21st century.

The global pandemic of coronavirus may be waning in Asia and Europe, but it's hasn't quite peaked across Africa, and in particular North Africa. How is the region dealing with a sudden drop from tourism, oil and investment? Are governments trusted by their people to make the right decisions?We talk about North Africa and Egypt with Mohamed el Dahshan, devlopment economist and founder of Oxcon to find out more. Join us at www.theafricareport.com, @theafricareport, and on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/theafricareport/

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sounded a dire warning for the continent:“The region’s economy is set to shrink by 1.6% in 2020, and real per capita income to fall by even more -- 3.9% on average.”We spoke to the Director of the IMF's Africa department, Abebe Selassie, to find out what can be done.Join us at www.theafricareport.com, @theafricareport, and on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/theafricareport/

Francophone Africa is set to cut its colonial ties through the introduction of a new regional currency, the Eco.That would put to rest the CFA franc currency that has been supported by France since 1945.The Eco was set to roll out this year, but with the arrival of coronavirus, what impact will it have on the region, and ultimately on the timing of this new currency?

There are cataclysmic warnings about the impact of coronavirus on Africa's economy.But Citibank's chief economist for Africa David Cowan thinks some of this is overblown. Most of Africa's economy today, for example, is subsistence agriculture; unlikely to be too badly affected. That doesn't mean that oil exporters and tourist hubs will be spared.

Thomas Piketty believes that times of crisis can reveal the fragility of dominant ideologies.The shock delivered by coronavirus is no exception.He says African countries should quickly roll out social safety nets to protect the population; and in the conversation about how to pay for them, much could change.

As Lagos, Nairobi and Johannesburg fall silent, how do informal workers survive? How are governments coping? What are the geopolitics of the moment, the international response and the local fightback?We speak to our correspondents on the ground -- RECORDED 27 MARCH

When Ebola hit Liberia in 2014, Gyude Moore was working as deputy chief of staff for President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.He had a frontrow seat as the administration battled the virus; and he has important messages for policy-makers in Africa as they confront the coronavirus pandemic.

In conjunction with Invest Africa, we map out the political and economic impact of coronavirus on the continent. From spiking bond premiums, to the collapse in oil prices, to the state of readiness of Africa's healthcare systems, and what the longterm implications might be.For more on future Invest Africa webinars, head to investafrica.com

Are African politicians taking the triple whammy of coronavirus, locusts and debt levels seriously?Not seriously enough, argues Aly-Khan Satchu.

Tito Mboweni has given the crime-fighters and tax collectors more money. Is it enough to turn around South Africa's economy?

For author, businessman and analyst Moeletsi Mbeki, South Africa's ruling party is part of the problem, not part of the solution. He is critical of the inaction of President Cyril Ramaphosa, and says that the ruling ANC is now just a job distribution machine.Are the conditions uniting for a South African Spring?

We speak to Trump's top Africa diplomat about the new US drive to engage economically with Africa, great power competition from China and others, Sudan, Ethiopia, Congo and much more.

Ethiopia is asking itself some tough political questions at the moment. We speak to writer Maaza Mengiste, whose powerful historical fiction may be just the tonic to heal festering wounds. Especially those surrounding the 'what' and the 'who' of a nation ...

The UK-Africa Investment Summit is gathering political and business to London to debate the continent's relationship with Britain, on 20th January.We talk to Emma-Wade Smith, Her Majesty's Trade Commissioner for Africa, about potential and priorities.

Ethiopia is heading into a tricky political moment. Prime Minister Abiy has to navigate elections in 2020, the push for self determination by various regions, a tough set of security challenges, and an economic liberalisation programme.To help decode it for us, the International Crisis Group senior analyst for Ethiopia, William Davison

Is China exporting its authoritarian politics via its export of communication technologies?While the world debates 5G technologies, and the US takes aim at China's telecoms giant Huawei, this is a live topic across the continent, too.From internet blackouts in Ethiopia... to facial recognition software in South Africa... to the recent public embrace by Nigerian politicians of China's own social media policies.Its not so simple, says Iginio Gagliardone is a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford who splits his time between South Africa and Ethiopia.He has written a book on the subject called – China, Africa, and the future of the internet.

What do Angolans think about their new president João Lourenço? Are the reforms sticking? Are there green shoots in the energy sector.Plus we talk about the flood of money into Nigeria's fintech sector.