No country for poor men
Rwanda is juking its development statistics as the international community turns a blind eye to the human rights abuses of Paul Kagame's authoritarian rule.
development
On researching in and out of Africa
The writer critiques the legacy of Christian missionaries in Africa and making sure her own engagement with Ethiopia doesn't morph into white saviorism.
Is the world ready to support a Green New Deal for Africa?
The Green New Deal is surely the United States’ most ambitious vision for climate justice to date. But the climate crisis is a global one and Africa is Ground Zero.
Drawing the wrong lessons from Magufuli’s rule in Tanzania
The Tanzania government's brand of heavy-handed state intervention risks fueling skepticism about the role of the state in development.
Africa doesn’t care about its women
I have the privilege to fight, argue or board a plane when I feel like I've had enough. The vast majority of women on the continent do not have that option.
How to manage post-colonial African economies
For one, take economic management out of the control of neoliberal technocrats.
The ‘New’ Neoliberal Uganda
Challenging the success narrative that masks the disruptive social impact of neoliberal transformation under General Yoweri Museveni in Uganda.
Why western donors love authoritarian leaders
In recent years, Rwanda and Ethiopia have been some of the largest recipients of aid money from the UK and US governments, as well as some of the West's leading philanthropies, including the Gates Foundation.
The tyranny of good intentions
Scandals like the one at More Than Me—the US charity that failed to protect school girls in its care from rape by staff—are common in even the most elite aid organizations.
Mapping the African land rush
The consequences for land grabbing on the African continent could be devastating for the development goals of nations in the long term.
Only the soil can free us
Why agricultural change is political change. Take the case of farmers in Burkina Faso.
Cobalt isn’t a conflict mineral
Policymakers need to properly assess the risks to ordinary Congolese people from expanding the “conflict minerals” category.
Kwame Nkrumah’s development state
Nkrumah's government was driven by large scale state development projects. They have a mixed legacy. Can Ghanaians “redeem” the fruits of his development visions?
Aliko Dangote needs the Nigerian state to thrive
Despite what Dangote wants us to believes about the magical power of entrepreneurship, his business savvy alone is not why he made it.
African inequality rising
Every country in Africa is today less equal than it was in 2010; for the African masses the trickle-down benefits of economic growth have been relatively small.
My people them dey stay for poor surroundings
For Nigeria, the World Bank reported that as of 2015, 48% of the total population (estimated at more than 180 million) reside in urban centers.
Why western economists get Africa wrong
It is worth revisiting economic historian Morten Jerven's book "Africa: Why Economists Get It Wrong" (2015), a refreshing contribution to the debate about development scholarship on Africa.
Corporate tax is a feminist matter
Across Africa, the working poor often end up carrying the burden of raising tax revenue while the multinationals go scot-free. And women bear the brunt of it.
Can Lesotho survive more development?
The now-public critique of development only benefiting the well-connected in Lesotho needs to be taken seriously.
Does the Gates Foundation do more harm than good?
When you have as much money as the Gates Foundation, you can buy your way into some pretty powerful places.