Africa Unconstrained

Policy Brief: What Does an Influential African Union in the G20 look like?

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A new Policy Brief by Development Reimagined gives reasons for the African Union (AU) to join the G20 as a permanent member, offering compelling reasons for this crucial step. The G20, consisting of the European Union and 19 leading economies, was established in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis to address economic and financial issues. …

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Infographic: The IMF’s latest Africa report: Too much doom and gloom

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In a recent address to the 3rd Pan-African Parliament Summit, the President of Kenya William Ruto remarked: “The discursive profile of the continent has too often been focused on the challenges and difficulties we face and the assistance we need, in a way that depicts us as chronically subordinate, eternally vulnerable.” He was right. In …

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Development Reimagined’s Key Initiative: The Borrower’s Club

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Why do countries, especially African countries, borrow money? Infrastructure development is certainly at the top of the list. Simply put, countries borrow to build. They borrow to construct roads, rehabilitate railway lines, expand ports, and improve internet connectivity. We recently saw Zambia engage in debt restructuring talks with its creditors, such as the International Monetary …

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The African Development Bank is the Best Route for Special Drawing Rights, says a New Report by Development Reimagined

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May 2023: In August 2021, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued its largest allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) worth 650 billion USD to boost global liquidity and support member countries in their post-COVID-19 recovery. In this global allocation, the African continent as a whole received a mere 33 billion USD, or 5% of the …

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New Report shows Multilateral Development Banks need to do more to incorporate SDGs in their lending

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In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with the aim of ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. Just before the SDGs were adopted, during a specific global conference held in Addis Ababa, Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and Regional Development Banks …

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Infographic: African SDRs – How they are used, distributed, and what needs to change

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It has been almost a year and half since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced its largest global allocation of SDRs, US $650 billion (or SDR 456.5 billion), to member countries to boost global liquidity and address the global need for reserves. Although many in the international community acknowledged the importance of this allocation, particularly …

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New Report shows Infrastructure Spending to Meet the SDGs is incompatible with Debt Sustainability

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New report reveals that four selected African countries who have sought G20 debt restructuring will need to spend between 9.7 – 49% of GDP annually on infrastructure spending to meet the SDGs. New report by Development Reimagined on the infrastructure financing needs of four African countries – Ethiopia, Zambia, Kenya and Chad – highlights that …

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Event: ECOWAS Roundtable Discussion: Reimagining Financing with China In West Africa

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In July 2021, we hosted the first event of our Ambassadors Roundtable series with Ambassadors and their representatives of West Africa based in China. Co-ordinating across diplomatic missions in China, the focus of discussion was the challenges surrounding West African development financing strategies with respect to China in particular. The roundtable events are part of …

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Infographic: What do the 2023 World Bank Projections say about African countries’ future growth?

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Following on from a turbulent half a decade – with the China-US trade war, the COVID-19 pandemic itself plus supply chain disruptions accompanied by inequitable vaccine access, the Russia-Ukraine War and, now, subsequent inflation crisis – many countries across the world in a constrained financial position. The question is, will 2023 and beyond be any …

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Infographic: Does the IMF expect Growth in African Countries in 2023?

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Over the past 4 years, the world has endured the economic fallout from the China-US trade war, the COVID-19 pandemic itself plus supply chain disruptions accompanied by inequitable vaccine access, the Russia-Ukraine War and, now, subsequent inflation crisis. Such events have left many countries across the world in a constrained financial position which is likely …

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Policy Brief: What can African leaders aim to get from the US-Africa Leader’s Summit?

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From US-Africa engagement to Africa-US engagement. In the run-up to the 2nd US-Africa Leaders Summit in December 2022, Development Reimagined experts created a comprehensive Policy Brief featuring innovative strategies to shift the US-Africa process to an Africa-US process. This policy brief is intended to support African leaders, governments, policymakers, and thought leaders, as well as …

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Event: Green Banking in Africa – the Reality and the Need, Africa Climate Week Panel Discussion

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Panellists: Co-hosts: During Africa Climate Week 2022 in Libreville, Gabon – Development Reimagined co-hosted a side event with African Climate Foundation (ACF) and Environmental Defence Fund Europe (EDF). Our joint event convened key stakeholders in Africa’s climate finance and banking community to explore the reality of green banking in Africa. The event drew on lessons …

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Event: Creditor Coordination vs Borrower Coordination: What Matters Most to Debt Management in Africa? DR and CGD Panel Discussion

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Creditor Coordination vs Borrower Coordination: What Matters Most to Debt Management in Africa? The international finance system is overwhelming creditor centric and is not considerate of the borrower’s needs. Creditors are often organised through “club” or “committees”, such as the Paris Club, which exclude the Borrower from negotiations. Subsequently, there is an urgent need to …

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Policy Brief: How can the IMF, World Bank and other global financing mechanisms be reimagined to work better for Africa?

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REIMAGINING THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCE SYSTEM FOR AFRICA- IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings Policy Brief In the run-up to the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington D.C in October 2022 Development Reimagined has put together a comprehensive Policy Brief “Reimagining The International Finance System For Africa”. The brief intends to support African leaders and policymakers, …

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New Video: Explaining Development Reimagined’s Proposed Borrower’s Club

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Why do countries, especially African countries, borrow money? Infrastructure development is certainly at the top of the list. Simply put, countries borrow to build. They borrow to construct roads, rehabilitate railway lines, expand ports, and improve internet connectivity. We recently saw Zambia engage in debt restructuring talks with its creditors, such as the International Monetary …

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Infographic: The “African debt crisis” playbook – What’s the real story?

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Prior to and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, civil society, governments and media outlets have issued constant warnings of a ‘African debt crisis’. While our infographics to date have shown that these concerns are overblown for various reasons, and have been proved right so far, we thought it was worth revisiting the numbers once again, to check …

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Policy Brief: How can the UN System and Multilateralism be reimagined to better work for Africa?

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In the run-up to the 77th United Nations General Assembly, Development Reimagined has put together a comprehensive Policy Brief “Making Multilateralism Work for Africa”. The brief intends to support African leaders and policymakers, as well as development practitioners, to deliver clear positions at the UNGA77 to meet Africa’s long-term development needs. A range of key policy issues …

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Infographic: The Russia-Ukraine War: A New Economic Crisis in Africa?

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On 24th February 2022 Russia announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Since then, not only has the war led to loss of life, destruction of property and business, it has immensely affected global trade in of which Russia and Ukraine are significant players in some areas. For instance, fifteen percent of global grain exports come …

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The UK’s new development strategy suggests its ready to ‘Talk the Talk’ – but will it really ‘Walk the Walk’?

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Yesterday the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) released their eagerly awaited International Development Strategy. It has been an agonizing wait; the international development community have been expecting this strategy since the publication of the Integrated Review back in March 2021 and many have been particularly keen to understand what expert comments had been …

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Deep Dive of Financing Needs & Debt Vulnerabilities Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal & Côte d’Ivoire 2021

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New Report: Deep Dive of Financing Needs & Debt Vulnerabilities Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal & Côte d’Ivoire 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has created new financing pressures amongst African countries, with countries having to finance socio-economic protection measures and vaccination rollouts, whilst economic activity has slowed from social distancing measures and international trade disruptions. At the same …

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Speech: Five Steps for Africans to seize the FOCAC 2021 Opportunity

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Speech by Development Reimagined CEO, Hannah Ryder, at the 2nd China and International Development Forum, hosted by CAITEC. Full Speech Below Distinguished guests, Your excellencies, Vice President Yu Zirong, Chairperson Mao Xiaojing, Director General Wu Peng, Your Excellency Osman, Deputy Director General He Song, Resident Representative Trankmann, Director He Yuan, distinguished fellow speakers, ladies and …

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Reimagine Africa- China Cooperation

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2021 African Ambassadors Dinner Gala & Celebration On 28 October 2021, Development Reimagined organized the “2021 African Ambassadors Gala Dinner” in Beijing, in celebration of the “2021 African Ambassadors Virtual Retreat” hosted in September 2021. The dinner provided a unique and relaxed platform for African Ambassadors, African leaders and Chinese partners to come together and reflect …

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Speech: Sharing Digital Technology Dividends & Bridging the Digital Divide

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The China-Africa Internet Development And Cooperation Forum Speech by a senior African diplomat in China at the China-Africa Internet Development And Cooperation Forum in Beijing (August 2021). Recommendations by the Development Reimagined team for the FOCAC 2021 action plan are provided below. FULL SPEECH: Internet is today- what maritime was in the past centuries- in …

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Q&A: Kenya’s Ambassador to China Reflects on the Current State of Ties With Beijing

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China-Kenya relations are at a critical stage as the two countries face enormous challenges related to debt sustainability, a severe trade imbalance, and the public health crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, Kenya remains a strategically vital country for China as a key hub on Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, an important gateway …

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China’s Model of Innovation: Are There Lessons for African Countries?

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Introduction:- Innovation is known to be important for productivity and economic growth, while intellectual property rights are, in conventional economics models, thought to spur innovation. Yet China, which averaged over 6 percent annual economic growth for three decades and is often cited as a “growth miracle,” has been criticized for poor intellectual property rights protection …

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Africa’s been constrained. It’s time to change that

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 “Is a new debt crisis mounting in Africa?” “Africa’s debt crisis hampers its fight against covid-19” and  “African nations sitting on debt volcano” These are all headlines from as far back as August 2019 , from various international and African media outlets, aiming to objectively inform the general public about Africa’s finances. The problem with …

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From the Soil: Can Private Money Really Cut poverty?

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Hannah Ryder, CEO Development Reimagined visited Sangua, or ‘Three Melon Community’ in Anhui Province, to understand how private capital can support poverty reduction? Can the same be done elsewhere? Watch her vlog to find out! On November 23, 2020 China announced a landmark triumph – absolute poverty had been eradicated in rural areas countrywide. An incredible …

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Q&A: Is China Helping or Hindering Africa’s Efforts to Future-proof Food Security?

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How to ensure food security on the African continent is a major question for African policy makers, businesses and the international community. A recent report by Mckinsey highlighted that 650–670 million people in Africa, roughly half the population, already face food insecurity with more than 250 million people considered to be severely food insecure. With …

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Africa’s COVID19 Tests and Deaths: Why so different?

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Updated Weekly This week could mark an important shift for African citizens health-wise. This week saw the African Union launch the African procurement platform, which is aimed at making sure African governments can get easier and faster access to the medical equipment they need from other countries across the globe and from each other. It …

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Is Africa drowning in COVID19 debt?

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Updated Weekly There is one word this week that we have been hearing a great deal. Debt. Concerns are being expressed by many international development organisations about the potential for a debt crisis, especially given the World Bank’s gloomy update of its World Economic Prospects. This week, we decided to investigate the debt question a …

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Countries along the Belt and Road- What does it all mean?

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The Development Reimagined Infographic series explores which countries are and aren’t signed up to China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative Announced in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping, The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has promised new business and development opportunities around the world, connecting regions of Asia, Europe and Africa in large investment and …

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Speech: Caught in between the West vs China – can Africa rise to the play?

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Good afternoon everyone. The title of the keynote I’ve been asked to give to you today is “caught in between the West vs China – can Africa rise to the play?” The way I interpret this is how African countries – via communications professionals like yourselves in this room – can carve out a distinct …

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My new year’s resolution: Why I’m banning “The West”

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One of the greatest aspects of being a parent is having your child question the way you look at the world. Even more so bringing up a child in Beijing, where toys, for instance, are designed with the Chinese market in mind. Last year, one toy we bought for my now 2.5-year-old son, caught my …

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Should they stay or should they go? Our second infographic explores term limits and development

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When we advise Chinese companies going abroad, especially to African countries, one of the first questions they ask is: “Is the country stable?”.  We in Development Reimagined know that by “stability” many companies are not necessarily referring to what other global investors might. In fact, Chinese stakeholders often see changes in the top leadership and …

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Speech: Making Africa Move – The New Belt and Road Opportunity

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Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning! It is my honor to be here today, I am the CEO of an international development consultancy called Rui Na Xin (Development Reimagined), and the former deputy country director for UNDP here in China. Today I have the great pleasure to share opportunities for China’s logistics companies and …

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Why poor countries won’t lose out from the US-China Trade War

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A Kenyan saying goes, “When two elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers”. News headlines over the past few weeks have been dominated by two “elephants”, the US and China, and what looks like the beginning of a protracted trade war between them. The war will most likely affect their economies negatively in the short-term as the costs …

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Opinion: They may not say it, but many countries do treat Africans like Trump

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The American President’s comment on “shithole” countries may have shocked the world but it is not the first time I have been made to feel that the African continent is viewed negatively. There has been a great deal of public furore following Donald Trump’s racist or not racist comments. UN representatives condemned the comments, a …

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The Imperialist People’s Republic of Africa?

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A few months ago, a New York Times magazine cover was emblazoned with the question “Is China the World’s New Colonial Power?” The notion that China is a twenty-first-century colonizer is not new: commentators have been batting it around for a decade. But, to anyone who has experienced or even studied colonialism, the claim seems …

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Speech: Creating jobs and entrepreneurs along the Belt and Road – how can China help?

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Creating jobs and entrepreneurs is key for sustainable development; At least three ways China can use the Belt and Road Initiaitve to create jobs and entrepreneurs across the world; China’s local governments should use “going out” strategically to innovate and accelerate their shift away from manufacturing. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I was …

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Opinion: What an economist’s journeys tell us about Kenya’s new China-built train

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As a small child growing up in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, our annual family holiday to the beautiful beaches of Mombasa always began and ended with a degree of trepidation.  My sister and I would jump into the car and during the journey along the then notoriously treacherous single-lane highway, we would pass the time …

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Opinion: How can African countries get the most from Belt and Road?

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Living in China, it’s been impossible to miss the country’s first ever Belt and Road Forum (BRF). The forum concluded on Monday, with outputs including a detailed declaration and numerous — over 270 — bilateral deals in areas such as infrastructure, manufacturing and services.As was articulated recently by the head of the UN in China, …

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How can we scale up fortuitous partnerships?

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A couple of weekends ago, the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang made his first ever trip to Africa, visiting Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Kenya. This was a significant date. 50 years ago, the then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai made the first ever official Chinese visit to Africa. In Kenya, as with visits to other countries, …

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Can you make 90 minutes really count?

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I sometimes worry that I work too hard. This is the third valentine’s date with my husband that I’ve missed because of working abroad. I’m currently in Nigeria for the fifth meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation’s Steering Committee. To make up for missing Valentine’s Day, I’ve been thinking about how to …

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