Patrick Awuah: Educating the Future Leaders of Africa

The prestigious and pioneering Ashesi University in Ghana is on a mission to educate a new generation of business leaders. Built on a hilltop in the countryside near Accra, the private-run institution has set out to develop critical thought and

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Mowgli Foundation Report: Mentoring Achieved Return on Mentoring Investment (ROMI) Returns of 890%

The Mowgli Foundation publishes a report that highlights the Return on Mentoring Investment (ROMI) and economic generation impact achieved through the mentoring of over 780 entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa during their 12-month mentoring programs. Governments, funders,

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Winnie Byanyima: From the Bush to the Global Stage

Oxfam International’s dynamic director Winnie Byanyima possesses a most extraordinary CV. Her career includes working as Uganda’s first female aeronautical engineer, living in the bush as a guerrilla fighter, roles as a diplomat and a politician, and campaigning for human

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PwC: Oil & Gas in Africa – Planning a Response to the Price Drop

Overall, activity in the oil and gas industry across the African continent has slowed in the wake of the declining prices in late 2014. Oil production in Africa has fallen from 10.1% to 9.6% of the world’s total in 2014.

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Calestous Juma: A Biotech Revolution for Africa

In western countries, the genetic modification of crops is often seen as a threat to the environment. Professor Calestous Juma takes a contrarian view: he is a keen advocate of biotechnology and its potential to transform African economies. The dynamic

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Otaviano Canuto, IMF: Whither Emerging Markets Foreign Exchange Reserves

After a exponential rise in foreign exchange reserves accumulation by emerging markets from 2000 onwards, the tide seems to have turned south since mid-2014. Changes in capital flows and commodity prices have been major factors behind the inflection, with the

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From the editor: The Art of the Doomsayer – Crisis? What Crisis?

Just as a broken watch still tells the right time twice a day, the persistent doomsayer will eventually be vindicated. In the financial world, entire reputations are built on predicting recessions, if not depressions: keep it up long enough and

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Strategy&: Gaining a Competitive Edge in Africa

Worldwide, companies have begun to make expansion across Africa a priority, recognising that – despite many problems – the continent is amongst the fastest-growing regions in the world. Africa is poised for long-term economic growth: the continent has 600 million

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World Bank Group: Ask Citizens Where Public Money Should Go – The Surprising Results

As citizen engagement gains traction in the development agenda, identifying the extent to which it produces tangible results is essential. Participatory budgeting, a process in which citizens decide upon and monitor budget allocation, offers promising results, including increased local government

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IFC: Capital Markets Key to Development

Ending extreme poverty for good and building shared prosperity across the developing world takes money – a lot of money. Take infrastructure: for the foreseeable future, an estimated $50 billion per year is needed in Africa alone to deliver basic

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