Since 2020, governments everywhere have had to grapple with the impacts of first

Covid-19 and then a series of global shocks, not least the Russian invasion of

Ukraine. The challenges have been particularly acute in Africa. Christopher Adam

has seen the impacts of these shocks at first hand – and has also advised some of

the people who have been making policy in Africa to mitigate their effects. He talks to

Tim Phillips about how global shocks constrain Africa’s policymakers and how the

after-effects of this “polycrisis” will be felt in future.