Africa 4 Dummies

On the 23rd of August 2023 Zimbabweans will vote for their next president and parliament. There are 11 presidential candidates but its widely considered to be a two-horse race between veteran opposition figure Nelson Chamisa, 45 and President Emmerson Mnangagwa (nicknamed the crocodile) aged 80 seeking a re-election after taking over from Robert Mugabe in 2017. The American professional boxer Floyd Mayweather also made an appearance this election season!

Find out why and more as we unpack this election with Dr Chipo Dendere, a Zimbabwean academic from Wellesley College in Massachusetts, US.

The east African country of Djibouti has 7 foreign military bases from countries east and west, some of which are rival superpowers. The US alone has 29 military bases in Africa whilst France has 15. Do they all want to just keep Africa safe? ....The last few years have seen a military race in Africa between rival and aspiring super-powers. But how about the people?

In this episode we discuss the irony of Africa's numerous military bases and its abundance of natural resources yet remains largely underdeveloped.

On the 26th July 2023 Niger, often regarded as stable was the latest country in Africa to have a military coup. It seems coups are back in fashion as in the last 3 years Chad, Burkina Faso, Guinea (Conarky), Mali and Sudan have all had military takeovers - with Mali and Burkina Faso having two in that same time and one attempted in Guinea-Bissau. The Sahel (border region of north and sub-Sharan Africa) has seen a rise in military coups and each of the successful coups have all followed an 'out with the French (former colonial power) and in with the Russians' policy.

In this 2 part Episode we sat down with Security and Geopolitics expert Fidel A. Owusu, CEO of DefSec Analytics Africa - a Defence and Security Consultancy based in Accra, Ghana.

Since 15th April Sudan has been embroiled in a power struggle between two Generals. So far at least 700 people have been killed and hope for Sudan’s democracy after the ousting of longtime authoritarian leader Omar Al Bashir seems as bleak as ever.

The A4D team discusses this with Dr Nisirin Elamin, Assistant Professor in the Africa Programme at the University of Toronto.

Since 15th April Sudan has been embroiled in a power struggle between two Generals. So far at least 700 people have been killed and hope for Sudan’s democracy after the ousting of longtime authoritarian leader Omar Al Bashir seems as bleak as ever.

The A4D team discusses this with Dr Nisirin Elamin, Assistant Professor in the Africa Programme at the University of Toronto.

In recent weeks the south-eastern African countries of Mozambique and Malawi have been hit by the longest cyclone on record, Cyclone Freddy. This cyclone has seen over 400 people dead, many landslides and millions worth of damage. With cyclone Idai in 2017 and cyclone Kenneth in 2019 claiming thousands of lives and billions in damages the annual cyclone seasons are getting more and more devastating. Whats happening and whats being done to help ?

We discuss this with our special guest Alexina Phiri. Originally Malawian, she is an experienced lawyer, human rights activist and a UK diplomat with the FCDO (Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office ) who helped organise the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, UK.

Music: I AM AN AFRICAN - Ethan Tomas

On the 25 February Nigeria will be electing its 14th president. As incumbent Muhammadu Buhari's second and final four year term as president comes to close he is barred from having more than two terms. 18 people (1 woman) are vying  to succeed him at Aso Rock (presidential residence).

In this four-part episode we talk to Desmond Okumbor, a PhD candidate at Oxford University in Political Science and an SDG Research Fellow. Key topics we discus include the four-front runner candidates, the power of the youth vote, the state of the economy and in the last one we look at how this election could determine Nigeria's foreign policy.

IN THIS EPISODE

We discuss foreign policy in this episode. Nigeria's economy, population and miltary makes it a lynchpin of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States). In this final Episode we briefly discuss where Nigeria's next leader might take Nigeria internationally.

We end by looking at Google Trends of front-runner candidates.    

Music: I AM AN AFRICAN- Ethan Tomas

On the 25 February Nigeria will be electing its 14th president. As incumbent Muhammadu Buhari's second and final four year term as president comes to close he is barred from having more than two terms. 18 people (1 woman) are vying  to succeed him at Aso Rock (presidential residence).

In this four-part episode we talk to Desmond Okumbor, a PhD candidate at Oxford University in Political Science and an SDG Research Fellow. Key topics we discus include the four-front runner candidates, the power of the youth vote, the state of the economy and in the last one we look at how this election could determine Nigeria's foreign policy.

IN THIS EPISODE 

We discuss the economy in this episode. With a $440 billion GDP Nigeria is Africa's largest economy. However in the last year Nigeria's GDP growth has reduced and a few weeks ago a botched attempt to redesign the currency has lead to a cash shortage and widespread protests. Cash is key as 57% of Nigeria is in the informal economy (e.g food marketeers). 

How will this affect the vote ?

Music: I AM AN AFRICAN- Ethan Tomas

On the 25 February Nigeria will be electing its 14th president. As incumbent Muhammadu Buhari's second and final four year term as president comes to close he is barred from having more than two terms. 18 people (1 woman) are vying  to succeed him at Aso Rock (presidential residence).

In this four-part episode we talk to Desmond Okumbor, a PhD candidate at Oxford University in Political Science and an SDG Research Fellow. Key topics we discus include the four-front runner candidates, the power of the youth vote, the state of the economy and in the last one we look at how this election could determine Nigeria's foreign policy.

IN THIS EPISODE

In this episode we discuss old leaders and young voters as well as ethnicity. With 70% of Nigerians being under 30 we ask why are all front runners over 60? We also discus how movements like #EndSARS could tell us how young people could be influencing the rise of Peter Obi. We also discuss ethnicity religion  and power rotation.  

Correct ages if presidential front-runners :

Atiku Abubakar's age is 76 and not 70 as stated. 

Bola Tinubu is 70. 

Peter Obi is 61. 

Rabiu Kwnakwaso is 66.

Music: I AM AN AFRICAN- Ethan Tomas

On the 25 February Nigeria will be electing its 14th president. As incumbent Muhammadu Buhari's second and final four year term as president comes to close he is barred from having more than two terms. 18 people (1 woman) are vying  to succeed him at Aso Rock (presidential residence).

In this four-part episode we talk to Desmond Okumbor, a PhD candidate at Oxford University in Political Science and an SDG Research Fellow. Key topics we discus include the four-front runner candidates, the power of the youth vote, the state of the economy and in the last one we look at how this election could determine Nigeria's foreign policy.

IN THIS EPISODE 

This episode will profile the four front-runners. With the largest population in Africa at 213 million and over 90 million registered voters this is a highly anticipated election and also a very unpredictable election as the two traditional parties face not one but two disrupter parties. Indeed, in addition to the rulling All Progressive Congress (APC) fielding Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Congress (PDP) fielding Atiku Abubakar the disruptors are the Labour Party led by Peter Obi and the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Music: I AM AN AFRICAN Ethan Tomas