Afronomics

• Mission 300: Powering Africa’s Future

  Mission 300 is working to connect 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa to electricity by 2030, focusing on both access and reliability. In this episode, Andrew Dabalen, the World Bank’s Chief Economist for Africa, talks with Regional Practice Directors Franz Drees-Gross and Erik Fernstrom to share fresh insights into Mission 300, the flagship initiative to connect 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030. Covering sector reforms, financial challenges, and how energy access supports economic growth, job creation, and opportunity for both households and businesses, this episode illuminates why Mission 300 is critical to Africa's future.

  --------  

  51:37

  --------

  51:37
• How to build trust and capabilities for effective governance in Africa

  In this episode of Afronomics, host Andrew Dabalen speaks with Dr. Ken Opalo, a leading scholar on African political economy and governance. Opalo, an associate professor at Georgetown University and author of Legislative Development in Africa. Dr. Opalo shares sharp insights on the rise of public protests, the limits of electoral democracy, and the urgent need for African governments to rebuild trust through better service delivery and inclusive growth. The conversation explores bold ideas for reform, including stronger political institutions, elite consensus, and homegrown development strategies. For more on the topic of service delivery in Africa, you can turn to our recent report: CPIA Africa: Better Policies for Service Delivery.

  --------  

  51:56

  --------

  51:56
• Should countries prioritize electricity access for families or firms in Africa?

  In this episode, Andrew Dabalen, the World Bank’s Chief Economist for Africa, engages in a riveting debate on the current strategy for electrification in Africa with Moussa P. Blimpo, Assistant Professor of Economic Inequality and Societies at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and co-author of the report “Electricity Access in Sub-Saharan Africa: Uptake, Reliability, and Complementary Factors for Economic Impact” in the Africa Development Forum series, a joint book series by the World Bank and Agence française de développement (AFD). So, which should come first: household electrification, including for hard-to-reach rural families, or electricity for businesses that create jobs? The answer may have far-reaching implications.

  --------  

  48:33

  --------

  48:33
• Pathways to Prosperity for Adolescent Girls in Africa

  Report authors Estelle Koussoube, Senior Economist at the World Bank, and Kehinde Ajayi, Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD), make the case for investing in adolescent girls’ economic success to transform Africa. The full report, published in 2024, can be accessed here: Pathways to Prosperity for Adolescent Girls in Africa.

  --------  

  24:19

  --------

  24:19
• Demystifying African Debt Featuring Carmen Reinhart, World Bank Group Chief Economist

  Today we are tackling an issue that is on the minds of every African policy maker, and one that has captured international discussions for several years: African Debt. Debt can be an incredibly useful tool for governments when managed transparently and correctly, and when it is used to fund investments that pay off in the long term. It can fill important funding gaps that development assistance and domestic resource mobilization cannot. But several countries have found themselves in a vicious cycle of debt, effectively mortgaging their people’s futures by agreeing to riskier and less transparent terms that hold their fiscal space hostage. Civil society groups in many places have rightly become increasingly vocal in opposition to borrowing for large projects, advocating for more prudent spending and greater transparency. Host Albert Zeufack, Chief Economist for Africa at the World Bank, discusses this and more with Carmen Reinhart, the World Bank Group’s Chief Economist and an expert on global debt.

  --------  

  43:41

  --------

  43:41

More Society & Culture podcasts

Trending Society & Culture podcasts

About Afronomics

Afronomics: Podcasts in Family