Heather Akou

Associate Professor, Indiana University

Phone: (812) 855-6163

Email: hakou@indiana.edu

eskenazi.indiana.edu/faculty/directory/akou-heather.html

Akpomera, Eddy. “International Crude Oil Theft: Elite Predatory Tendencies in Nigeria.” Review of African Political Economy 42, no. 143 (2015): 156–65. Http://www.jstor.org/stable/24858333.

Aside from religious terrorism, Nigeria is a country that faces a lot of challenges to its economy, much of them stemming from the rampant corruption in the country. Nigeria also has an international reputation for crude oil theft which poses a serious threat to the country’s economy. What is more disturbing is that the perpetrators are the elites in the country both in and out of the government who conspire to carry out the crime. This paper throws more light on the critical issue of the theft of crude oil and provide suggestions to deal with the cancer that's eating away at the country’s dominant source of wealth.

Source: Culled from article

Akrofi, Mark McCarthy, and Sarpong Hammond Antwi. “COVID-19 Energy Sector Responses in Africa: A Review of Preliminary Government Interventions.” Energy Research & Social Science 68 (2020): 101681–101681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101681.

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed unprecedented shocks across all facets of society, from strained healthcare systems to the closure of schools and economies. The energy sector is of no exception, with several concerns being raised about the ramifications that will arise for the clean energy transition. The goal of the study is to review how governments in Africa have responded to this challenge in the energy sector. The authors used an internet search to gather information from government policy statements/briefs, and websites of international organizations such as the IMF,WHO, KPMG, and the World Bank. Their review showed that the majority of preliminary responses were short-term and include the provision of free electricity, waiver/suspension of bill payments, and VAT exemptions on electricity bills. These measures were more pronounced in sub-Sahara Africa while oil-rich countries of the North mostly have broad economic measures that target their oil and gas sectors. Economic stimulus packages prepared by most countries do not explicitly mention energy sector companies/institutions, especially the Renewable Energies (RE) sector. Only three countries (Nigeria, Kenya, and Burkina Faso) had specific interventions for renewables. Overall, interventions were mostly fiscal/financial and short-term, with medium to long term measures often broad without being specific to the energy sector. As governments take measures to bolster their economies, they must pay particular attention to the challenges posed by the pandemic in the energy sector and capitalize on the opportunities that it presents to drive the clean energy transition.

Source: Article's abstract

Akudinobi Jude

Lecturer, African Cinema, University of California, Santa Barbara

akudinob@blackstudies.ucsb.edu

blackstudies.ucsb.edu/people/jude-akudinobi

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Akum Fonteh

Executive Director, Institute for Security Studies

NGO

South Africa

iss@issafrica.org

Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies

Think-Tank

Location: Cairo, Egypt  

iemed.org / acpss.ahram.org.eg

Description:

The organization focuses on research on international studies, regional politics, domestic politics and political reforms.

Albert G. Zeufack

World Bank Country Director for Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sao Tome and Principe, Africa

Alden, Chris, and Lu Jiang. “Brave New World: Debt, Industrialization and Security in China–Africa Relations.” International Affairs (London) 95, no. 3 (2019): 641–57. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiz083.

China's ties with Africa are evolving into a multi-faceted relationship of increasing complexity. After nearly two decades of debt-financed infrastructure development, Beijing's exposure to African debt is reaching disquieting proportions with an estimatedUS$132 billion owed to China in 2016. Managing this new role as Africa's creditor poses uncomfortable questions for creditor and debtor alike. Concurrently, the quiet surge of Chinese investment in manufacturing in Africa is transforming local economies in ways that are beginning to alter the continent's position within the global economy. Finally, the proliferation of Chinese businesses and migrants across Africa is inspiring greater Chinese involvement in UN peacekeeping and private security initiatives. This article examines how these structural changes are challenging core practices and principles which guided China–Africa relations in its formative decades. For instance, under the banner of an alternative to western policies China promoted the absence of conditionalities attached to its concessional loans and grants. Equally, promotion of industrialization of African economies marks a key shift away from China's resource-centric engagement with the continent. And, in the case of security, Beijing's commitment to avoid intervention in domestic affairs is being set aside with implications for its principles, and ultimately status, in Africa.

Source: Paper abstract.