Into Africa

• The think tank making impact evaluation skills accessible to every Tanzanian

  We traditionally think of impact evaluation as an academic or technical skill. The Impact Evaluation (IE) Lab at the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF), a think tank in Dar es Salaam, is working to change that.  Catherine Nzuki is joined by Dr. Constantine Manda, the co-founder and inaugural Director of the IE Lab at ESRF, and Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine. The core mission of the IE Lab is to expose every Tanzanian to IE, even in its simplest form, regardless of education level.  They discuss what impact evaluation is, why it’s important for every Tanzanian to be introduced to impact evaluation methods, and how the IE Lab tailors its training for policymakers and local authorities. Dr. Manda also shares the interventions done by the IE Lab to encourage Covid-19 vaccine uptake in Tanzania and healthier food habits in Dar es Salaam.  Read more about the IE Lab’s research here.

  --------  

  28:02
• Finding Paths to Sustainable Development in Africa

  The ONE Campaign, originally founded as Debt AIDS Trade for Africa (DATA) in 2004, is a global advocacy organization dedicated to driving investments and creating economic opportunities in Africa. Over the past 20 years, ONE has continually evolved to address the continent’s most pressing challenges, ensuring its work remains relevant and impactful. ONE advocates for justice and equity in Africa’s global relationships. At its core, the organization is committed to advancing Africa’s own vision—the continent as an equal player on the world stage. In this episode of Into Africa, Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, CEO and President of the ONE Campaign, discusses how the organization leverages public, private, and non-profit partnerships to create opportunities of sustainable development on the continent.

  --------  

  45:24
• The new Alliance of Sahel States and the future of Africa’s legacy institutions

  Three West African countries - Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso - have finalized their exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Another thing they have in common? All three countries are under junta rule after military coups that took place in recent years. They have since formed their own union - the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).   Why have these three countries exited ECOWAS, and is this a crisis point for the regional bloc? Catherine Nzuki is joined by Beverly Ochieng, Senior Analyst for Francophone Africa at Control Risks, and a Senior Associate with the CSIS Africa Program, to unpack these questions and more.   They discuss the state of politics and security in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso (1:30); why the leaders of these military juntas are popular at home and across Africa (4:40); what drove the decision to exit ECOWAS and what this means for unity in the region (7:37); how the AES is using arts, culture, and media to self-legitimize; (20:00); how the pan-African, decolonial rhetoric of the leaders of AES is translating into their governance choices (24:11); if the AES confederation is strong enough to weather rough international winds on their own (28:49); the state of Africa’s legacy institutions today and how responsive they are to shifting regional politics and the collapsing post-WWII order (37:15).

  --------  

  48:46
• Africa’s Narrative Revolution

  Yinka Adegoke, editor of Semafor Africa, joined Into Africa to discuss the rapidly changing media landscape across the continent. While African media has a long history, dating back to the pre-independence era, it has traditionally been focused on national issues rather than Pan-African topics. As a result, many Africans rely on foreign news sources to stay informed about neighboring countries, reinforcing external narratives that often shape perceptions of the continent through a foreign lens. The rise of social media and Pan-African media outlets has increased global awareness of the reality on the continent. Beyond the media, Africa's global narrative is being reshaped through its pop culture, technology, and business sectors. This conversation highlights the transformative forces driving Africa’s evolving story, offering a fresh perspective on its growing influence on the world stage.

  --------  

  35:35
• DeepSeek’s AI is cheap. Is this a game-changer for African startups?

  Catherine Nzuki is joined by Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo, a fellow in the Center for Technology Innovation in the Governance Studies program at Brookings and a recent computer science Ph.D. graduate from Cornell University. Dr. Okolo provides an overview of Africa’s AI industry (1:54); DeepSeek and what it means for AI startups (6:40); common misconceptions about AI development (7:54); how to make AI safer for the global majority (14:22); the AI safety landscape in Africa (16:52); developing benchmarks to measure AI safety in Africa (19:05); why reforming existing data governance is a pathway to AI regulation (21:50); ethical approaches to developing language models (25:00); the exploitation of workers that train and label AI models (27:00); and leveraging available language models to build African language models (35:00).  Dr. Okolo’s AI safety initiative: A new writing series: Re-envisioning AI safety through global majority perspectives. February 19 event on AI Safety at Brookings: Globalizing Perspectives on AI Safety

  --------  

  41:27

Weitere Regierung Podcasts

Trending Regierung Podcasts

Über Into Africa

Into Africa: Zugehörige Podcasts