Apply for this awesome postdoc at GLD that focuses on data collection and surveys in Africa. We have more great opportunities too. Here is the week in Africa:
Quote of the week
“Now it is urban. This is a prime area.” – Kisumu resident Moses Aloo
Governing Nigeria
Turnout in Nigeria’s election was the lowest on record. President-elect Bola Tinubu inherits a fragile nation. Young politicians did not win the presidency, but they are waiting in the wing. The next question is how the youth vote will shape the gubernatorial elections, which have been delayed one week. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV) vows to upend Tinubu’s power in Lagos. Idayat Hassan provides her analysis of the electoral process.
Mohammed Alhaji explains how behavioral economics can help Nigeria achieve five health priorities. Nigeria needs to deliver on these four economic priorities. Howard French argues that Tinubu needs to create a new political ethos for the country.
Migration and displacement
Sandra Joireman argues that displaced people must be empowered to return home after conflict. The US has increased the length of visa for Nigerians to five years. Bronwen Manby is right: Colonialism still shapes African citizenship. Kenda Mutongi asks: What does it mean for those living in the diaspora to remain attached to the land they left behind?
LGBTQ+ rights
There is mixed success for LGBTQ+ rights across the continent. On the one hand, a new anti-gay bill in Uganda threatens rights. Burundi arrests 24 in anti-gay crackdown. But activists are fighting hard. LGBTQI+ activists and allies gather after a Supreme Court hearing on the question whether same-sex marriages lawfully concluded outside Namibia should be recognised under Namibian law. Kenya’s LGBTQ+ community wins Supreme Court battle in a bittersweet victory.
International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day was this week. What gains have African women made in politics? Norita Mdege examines women in political leadership and the glass labyrinth. Seats in Parliament are not enough to liberate women. Check out GLD publications on the topic.
Authoritarianism in Tunisia
Tunisia’s president Kais Saied is scapegoating migrants to cover up deepening domestic problems. A major Tunisian union staged large protests against the president. The opposition defied a protest ban in the capital. Protesters demand a release of detained critics and the retraction of his controversial remarks on migrants.
This is why scapegoating foreigners is common postcolonial Africa. The World Bank paused future work in the country in response, even though Tunisia rejects claims that it is a racist state. Anne Wolf’s new Ben Ali’s Tunisia: Power and Contention in an Authoritarian Regime provides some important historical context.
Security and instability
Vincent Foucher explains the Boko Haram insurgency, the alleged disappearance of Lake Chad, and the narrative politics of the climate crisis. Another colonial border is causing conflict. Somalia confronts a slipping Al-Shabaab. Meanwhile, militant Islamist violence in Africa surges.
Struggle for rights and freedom
Senegal’s artists are fighting the system with a mic and spray paint. Sierra Leone welcomes steps to end gender-based violence. This is an interesting post about porters of colonial legacies. Russia intervenes to undermine democracy in Africa. This podcast helps us understand Kenya’s competence-based curriculum. This is good: The political education of William Ruto.
And V-Dem’s Democracy Report 2023 is out: Defiance in the Face of Autocratization.
Africa’s rapid urbanization
There’s still life in Joburg’s old skelm. Nairobi’s nyama choma belt is changing. This virtual special issue examines urban geography and African cities. Meet the people in Sierra Leone fighting the sea to build a home. This article outlines a feminist perspective to urban justice. Check out this important video: The Mukuru Approach: Local leadership for building climate resilience in urban informal settlements. Are tenements the future of Nairobi’s housing? What is the real Johannesburg?
Emerging cities in Africa
The Economist highlights how the growth of Africa’s towns and small cities is transforming the continent. I highlight the importance of smaller urban centers in my post “Five Trends that will Shape Urban Africa in 2023.” I am excited to lead the Swedish Research Council-funded research environment at GLD that focuses on political change and local governance in emerging cities. Follow our progress here.
Research corner
Senghor’s Eucharist: Negritude and Africa Political Theology looks fascinating. Make sure to check out Catherine Lena Kelly’s “The impact of the rule of law on national security in African countries.” This article examines artisanal gold mining in Zimbabwe. This piece rethinks inter-communal violence in Africa. This is cool: “Zimbabwe’s Economic Decline, Archives Access Regimes, Professionalism, and Their Impact on Researcher-Archivist Relations at the National Archives of Zimbabwe.”
Check out Dan Paget’s new article on people power and opposition in Tanzania. These two articles examine democratic participation in Africa: “Democratic deliberation and the resource curse” in Tanzania and “Participation, Development, and Accountability: A Survey Experiment on Democratic Decision-Making in Kenya.” Josef Woldense and Alex Kroeger’s article about elite change without regime change is out in APSR.
The week in development
Ken Opalo is right: “When your theory of change makes little sense.” This is why Ethiopia is taking its debt relief case directly to China. Nigeria’s crackdown on cash backfired. Cobalt supply boomed last year. Meet Uganda’s pioneers of palliative care. Learn more about South Africa’s power cuts (this thread explains a lot too). Meet the new minister tasked with solving the power crisis. Read this: “The Role of Market Associations in Facilitating Women’s Informal Political Participation and Economic Development in Ghana.” This piece discusses the ethics of development research.
Astrid Haas asks: Why are there so few women in top development posts? Can Africa’s remittances spur long-term development? Who wants to hear about white saviorism gone wrong? What’s next in Chakwera’s anti-corruption crusade in Malawi?
Africa and the environment
Learn more about the Sovereign Nature Initiative. Here is a manifesto for an ecosocial energy transition from the south. This is important: Climate, Security, and the Role of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in the Horn of Africa. Ken Opalo explains African development in the era of climate change. Women are helping to save Kenya’s last rainforest. Is climate change really what drives migration in Ghana?
Climate change is fueling more conflict between humans and wildlife. The drought in the Horn of Africa is set to become the worst on record. Food security remains a challenge on the continent. Elephant versus lion at a well in South Africa is comedy gold. NASA-funded scientists estimate carbon stored in African dryland trees. Nations agree on language for historic treaty to protect ocean life.
ASR book reviews
African Studies Review is currently seeking reviewers for recently published books on a variety of topics in African Studies. Anyone interested should contact Christopher Day at dayc@cofc.edu with a short message expressing interest in reviewing as well as your area of expertise.
APSA Research Development Group
The American Political Science Association (APSA) is pleased to announce a Call for Applications from early-career scholars based in Africa who are interested in attending the 2023 APSA Annual Meeting as part of a Research Development Group. Organized by the African Politics Conference Group (APCG), the program is an opportunity to advance research towards publication, participate in the APSA annual meeting, and develop scholarly networks. Costs of participation will be covered through a grant from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The deadline to submit applications is Sunday, March 31, 2023.
Daily life
This is cool: A vegan restaurant in Senegal is finding its footing in a meat-loving country. I’d love some kokonte right now. The first TV drama in 30 years is being filmed in Mogadishu. Ethiopians sweep the Tokyo marathon. This is how Afrobeats took over the world. Traditional wrestling in Senegal keeps culture alive. Meet the lioness running a safe place for Kenya’s young athletes. Africana historic postcard collection is neat.What have we learned from Sembene?
RIP journalist and public intellectual John Nagenda.
All the best,
Jeff and Phil