Foresight Africa: Join the Conversation on the Top Priorities for Africa in 2015

Today, the Brookings Africa Growth Initiative (AGI) launches its fifth annual Foresight Africa publication. This year, our scholars examine the spread of democracy on the continent, taking a snapshot of many of the 2015 elections as well as delving into the presidential elections in the most populous country and biggest economy in sub-Saharan Africa—Nigeria. We take a look at the ongoing Ebola crisis and what it means not only for the three most affected countries, but also for the continent.  Our scholars discuss new and continuing peace and security hotspots and consider whether the African Union is poised to address those and other challenges. We offer recommendations to policymakers on how to maximize the benefits of the complex relationships between Africa, China and the United States for all. Finally, with the culmination of the Millennium Development Goals and the eve of the Post-2015 Agenda, we outline how Africa might emphasize sustainable development and new sources of funding for heightened social and economic development.

As with every Foresight Africa, our goal is to use the publication as a primer for engaging in a global conversation on Africa that brings in perspectives from the region, the United States and elsewhere. We hope you will engage with us in this conversation by commenting on our Foresight Africa papers, blogs and videos, and by telling us what you think are the top priorities for Africa in 2015. You can use #ForesightAfrica and follow the debate or send your thoughts to @BrookingsGlobal, @ASYBrookings, or @MwangiKimenyi to join the conversation on Twitter. You can also leave us a comment on our related blog posts or on our Facebook page.

We will formally launch this year’s publication at Brookings on January 15. The event will be moderated by the host of the Voice of America’s Straight Talk Africa, Shaka Ssali, and will feature Brookings scholars Mwangi Kimenyi, Vera Songwe, Witney Schneidman, Michael O’Hanlon and myself.

We will be following up on our papers and will also be posting additional contributions from other experts on the Africa in Focus blog, so we invite you to continue the dialogue throughout 2015.