We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know About Africa

Africa has grown economically in recent years in such a way that many of its populations now enjoy both the benefits and the drawbacks of a middle class western lifestyle. Yet it is also growing rapidly in demographic terms due to the combination of high fertility and lower mortality, raising questions about employment and development generally. What does the future of the continent look like? This week RBI Director John Torpey talks with Ebenezer Obadare, Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow in Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, about the current situation in Africa. The conversation covers Africa’s experience with COVID, the influence of China and Russia on the continent and why they represent a threat to the established order, why Africa suffers from state weakness, the demographic situation and the lack of opportunities for youth, and finally the religious dimension of contemporary African politics.