A way out of the turbulence

Kenya Airways carried more than 5 million passengers in 2019, but lost more than $300 million in 2020, as COVID-19 curtailed travel. It wasn’t the first time Kenya Airways, like many larger carriers, needed a government bailout. Air travel is a crucial service, but in Africa, it might be more sustainable to have a few …

A way out of the turbulence Read More »

Burkina Faso: Damiba takes charge

Burkina Faso is the third West African country to experience a military coup in the past two years. Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba ousted President Marc Roch Christian Kaboré amid widespread dissatisfaction with how he was running the country, particularly his handling of attacks by jihadists, who have killed some 7,500 people in the past seven years …

Burkina Faso: Damiba takes charge Read More »

Kenyans deserve better

Kenya has had relatively stable governments in its nearly 60 years of independence, and has been democratically governed for almost 30 years. But underneath that surface is a system where personal deals, patronage, and ethnic bloc voting are often the road to power. With the 2022 elections coming up, citizens should demand more than ethnic …

Kenyans deserve better Read More »

Nigeria’s digital-currency fig leaf

A vendor counts Nigerian naira banknotes inside a shop in Idumota Market, in Lagos, Nigeria.

After trying to ban cryptocurrencies, Nigeria’s Central Bank launched its own digital currency, the eNaira. It immediately proved popular in a country where many people have used cryptocurrencies for cross-border trade or remittances. But it is not an economic panacea: It won’t end Nigeria’s foreign-exchange volatility or stem the devaluation of the naira. Doyin Olagunju …

Nigeria’s digital-currency fig leaf Read More »