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Women in politics – play the men’s game or change the playing field?
Women in politics in Africa are likely to experience violence at some point in their careers. While women can be offered anti-violence preparedness training, they should not have to adapt to the reality of violence, according to political scientist Amanda Gouws. “We must think about long-term solutions and change the norms in society which inform violent behaviour”, she says.
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Music, poetry and fibre cables – exploring Africa’s creative economy
The challenges of Africa's creative industry are very much about digital infrastructure: fibre cables, undersea networks and data centres, all of which are necessary in order for companies to grow, said one of the panellists at the event Unleashing Africa’s Creative Power, about the creative sector's importance for democracy, identity, and job creation.
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No universal cure for the growing pains of African cities
Cities like Addis Ababa, Nairobi, and Kampala demonstrate how urbanisation can drive economic progress but also exacerbate communal violence and resource competition. Research on these cities reveals diverse patterns of violence influenced by local political dynamics, ethnic grievances, and migration pressures, underscoring the importance of tailored, inclusive policies to manage urban growth and prevent conflict.
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Ghana’s vote caps a year of democratic progress in Africa
Political scientist George Bob-Milliar attributes Ghana's recent successful election to improved coordination, issues-based debates, and international support. Wrapping up Africa's "super election year," which saw sixteen elections and five predominantly peaceful transitions of presidential power, he notes that democracy is advancing on the continent.
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Stories from our NAI guest stars
What´s it like to be a guest researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute? Well, in this video four of our African scholarship holders tell us about their time at NAI. They shared their perspectives on how the scholarship has supported their research and professional development.
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Validity of Namibian election result could be decided by court
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia's ruling Swapo party won the presidential election, according to results released by the country's electoral commission on Tuesday. However, opposition parties call the election “deeply flawed” after logistical problems and a controversial three-day extension to polling in parts of the country. Presumably, the opposition parties will seek a judgement of the election result in court, says NAI researcher Henning Melber.
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AI could improve food security in Africa
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being tested in Uganda to help farmers detect crop diseases at an early stage. It also gives them an instant recommendation on actions needed. According to researcher Owomugisha Godliver, AI technology could improve agriculture for smallholder farmers and alleviate food insecurity in Africa.
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Big man politics and multi-party rule call for new gender plans
The recent South African election marked a historic shift, as the ANC lost the parliamentary majority it had held ever since the end of apartheid. Women remain underrepresented in both parliament and government. Leaving aside the numbers, the new political landscape, with its multi-party cabinet and increasingly violent opposition, has brought fresh challenges for women in politics. They will have to join forces across party lines to resist the rise of big man politics, marked by patriarchal behaviour and violent masculinity.
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Energy and capital needed for Zambia´s battery ambitions
As global demand for copper and cobalt grows as part of the green transition, Zambia’s leaders want to create more value from the country’s extractive sector. Zambia shall industrialise and start making batteries instead of exporting raw minerals. However, can Zambia make the necessary investments? And will the push lead to decent jobs and contribute to the larger development agenda?
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Young Nordic diplomats at NAI for a three-day workshop with researchers
In this video, we highlight voices from early career diplomats who recently gathered for a three-day programme hosted by the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI). Participants share their experiences, and what they’ll bring back to their work. Through dialogue and shared knowledge, this programme aims to bridge science and policy, encouraging evidence-based insights to strengthen decision-making. By fostering these connections, we hope to build a deeper, collaborative understanding of Africa’s diversity and complexity.
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Now Open Access: A book on the relevance of political science in Africa
What is the state of the discipline of political science in Africa today? With what level of freedom is it practiced at African universities? These are some of the questions asked – and answered – in the book Political Science in Africa – Freedom, Relevance, Impact published earlier this year. After an embargo period of nine months, it is now Open Access and available for everyone to download in full-text.
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African news about war in Ukraine focuses on economy – not politics
African media coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war differs starkly from the narrative in European news, according to NAI guest researcher Charlotte Ntulume.
“I have gone through nearly 400 news articles so far, and not one of them clearly condemns Russia as responsible for the war”, she says.
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Harris or Trump 2.0 – why it matters for Africa
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Researcher explores the psychological impact of Cyclone Freddy
17 of his extended family members died when Cyclone Freddy hit Malawi in March, 2023. “I use my personal experiences as an entry point in my research”, says Professor Nick Tembo. In his Claude Ake Memorial Lecture on 19 November
Opens in new window. he will explore issues of national preparedness and psychological effects related to the disaster.
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A new era of engagement: Gulf countries and the Horn of Africa
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Russia's war in Ukraine affects export sector in Egypt
Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has had far-reaching consequences beyond the front lines. Empirical data shows that Egyptian enterprises exporting agricultural produce have lost a big part of their revenues because of the war. According to researchers, it may create food price inflation and even jeopardise food security.
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Researcher: The Gen Z protests in Kenya humbled the president
The anti-government protests which began in Kenya in June, were both a win and a loss for the Generation Z protest movement, according to Gedion Onyango, Research Fellow at London School of Economics and Political Science.
“It was a win in that they demonstrated that they are here and their voices should be heard. It was a loss in that they were not able to achieve what they wanted,” Onyango says.
The strength of the movement was demonstrated by the fact that President William Ruto had to fire the entire cabinet, Onyango notes.
The protests which initially focused on proposed taxes soon took aim at ingrained corruption and misgovernance.
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Local initiatives key to Africa’s integration
Policymakers at the local/city government level are crucial to continental integration projects like the African free trade agreement and the free movement protocol. However, they are not represented in the African Union (AU) and other international bodies where such projects are negotiated and designed. City-to-city cooperation between Africa’s two major economic hubs, Lagos and Johannesburg, would not only unleash strategic synergies and drive continental integration, but would also leverage private-sector involvement and influence other cities to enter into similar cross-border partnerships.
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Rethinking peacebuilding in Mali: Researcher calls for indigenous knowledge
In a new book, peace researcher Kwesi Aning analyses Mali’s slippery slope to collapse and looks beyond the dominance of Western peacebuilding paradigms to find more contextually grounded responses to insecurity in Africa. He emphasises how important it is to include local perspectives and indigenous knowledge.
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Researcher: Stricter rules on gender reporting key to true equality in Nigeria’s finance sector
How good are Nigerian finance companies at gender diversity? Nordic Africa Institute guest researcher Anazuo Salihu is studying the performance of 41 major Nigerian deposit money banks, insurance companies and mortgage banks over the past ten years. While many companies at first glance appear to be gender balanced, a closer examination often shows a different picture, Salihu says.
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