Into Africa

Into Africa is back with all-new conversations hosted by Oge Onobogu, senior fellow and director of the Africa Program at CSIS. Tune in starting January 15th for in-depth interviews with journalists, academics, and other trailblazers as we discuss the cultural, political, and economic trends shaping the continent.

Since this episode aired last year, we’re still dreaming of a just and representative global order. Catherine Nzuki was joined by Ambassador Martin Kimani, PhD, the Executive Director of New York University’s Center on International Cooperation. He was previously the Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations (UN). In this episode, we take a deep dive into Africa’s bid for two permanent seats on the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the long road to get there. We discuss how long Africa has been pushing for these seats (3:40); the procedure to create the two permanent seats (7:00); why the process of selecting which African state will occupy those seats could cause infighting (15:20); and two scenarios for how these seats could be distributed (19:40). We zoom out to discuss the deficit of visionary contemporary leaders (30:18); the types of reforms that the African Union needs (34:42); Africa’s demographic dividend (36:00); Africa in the G20 (42:30); and finally, reordering global geography in line with Africa’s own interests (45:00).

Catherine's taking a break this week. In the meantime, we want to reshare one of our essential episodes on demographics. As you all know, by 2050, one in four people will be African. How do demographers reach this conclusion? And how does Africa's population growth intersect with population declines in the Global North?   To answer these questions, Catherine was joined by Dr. Jennifer D. Sciubba, President and CEO of the Population Reference Bureau and one of the foremost experts in the field of political demography.  Dr. Sciubba breaks down how demographers project future populations and the drivers of population growth. They discuss the limited window to take advantage of Africa’s demographic dividend, the population decline debate in the West, and why overpopulation is a contentious term. They also discuss how politics, cultural norms, women’s empowerment, and the autonomy to not have children factor into population growth. Book recommendation: States and Nature (The Politics of Climate Change) by Joshua W. Busby.

Youth in Kenya have three demands: justice, accountability, and better governance. Over the past two years, “Gen Z” and government critics nationwide have taken to the streets in their thousands to demonstrate their frustrations and anger with the government. In this episode, Chemutai Ruto, a recent graduate of Political Science and Africana Studies, joins Khasai Makhulo, CSIS Africa Program Research Assistant, for a conversation on the ongoing political movements in Kenya. Speaking as two diaspora Kenyan “Gen Z” voices, they explore the pivotal role of women in current movements, how joy fuels resistance, and the ways social media is powering the longevity of the protest.

Arjun Jain, the UN Refugee Agency’s Representative in Nigeria, joins Catherine Nzuki to discuss the drivers of internal displacement in Nigeria and the daily realities facing displaced communities. They explore how religion and geography shape public perception of the crisis, the capacity of federal and state governments to respond, and the impact of shrinking humanitarian budgets. The conversation also looks at how displacement worsens food insecurity and how UNHCR is supporting innovative agricultural solutions to help internally displaced people access farming land and rebuild their lives.