Past Event

IMF Photographer/Eugene Salazar - IMF Deputy Director of the African Department Mark Plant, and IMF African Department Director Antoinette Sayeh answer questions during the Regional Economic Outlook on Sub-Saharan Africa press conference.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Washington, DC
On November 19, the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings hosted Antoinette Sayeh, director of the African Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), for a discussion on the economic outlook for Africa. The IMF has just released its semi-annual Regional Economic Outlook for Africa which contains findings that indicate sub-Saharan Africa’s economic activity has slowed sharply with the onset of the global financial crisis. As the world economy stages a tentative recovery, what does this mean for the region?
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Africa, International Monetary Fund, Economic Development, Global Financial Crisis, Global Economics
Up Front Blog

World Bank/Scott Wallace - Fishermen prepare nets on shore of Lake Victoria, Tanzania.
Ernest Aryeetey, November 03, 2009
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Treasury Neal Wolin's visit to three African nations demonstrates the commitment by the current administration to African development issues. Ernest Aryeetey urges Deputy Secretary Wolin to focus on sustainable development and encourage countries to establish frameworks for long-term growth.
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Africa, Development, Developing Countries, Global Poverty, Economic Development
Governance and Diplomacy

Reuters/Noor Khamis - U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Carson addresses the media at the residence of the U.S. ambassador in Kenya's capital Nairobi.
Mwangi S. Kimenyi, November 03, 2009
On October 26 Johnnie Carson, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, announced that the U.S. was revoking the visa of a top Kenyan official because of his role in blocking reforms in the country. Mwangi Kimenyi discusses this approach and urges that the focus should be on overhauling institutions, not targeting individuals.
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Africa, Diplomacy, Corruption, U.S. Politics, Global Governance
Spotlight: Financial Services

Photo Credit: Erik Hersman
Mwangi S. Kimenyi and Njuguna S. Ndung'u, October 16, 2009
Access to financial services is crucial to economic growth and poverty reduction, yet a large proportion of households in developing countries lack access to financial services. Brookings expert Mwangi Kimenyi and Njuguna S. Ndung’u, Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, discuss the Kenyan experience with mobile phone banking and how this technology can expand the financial services frontier.
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Africa, Financial Services, Telecommunications, Technology, Technology and Development
Up Front Blog

Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde - A man arranges Agip drums at an oil station and depot in Abuja, Nigeria.
Mwangi S. Kimenyi, October 15, 2009
There is wide agreement that the African developmental problem is largely rooted in its institutions. Mwangi Kimenyi discusses the link between size and the quality of governance in African countries.
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Africa, Global Governance, Development, Developing Countries, Global Poverty