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As foreign aid declines, can African countries raise more tax revenue?
In a new video, three researchers and experts discuss why domestic tax revenue is becoming increasingly important for African countries – and how governments can strengthen tax systems as foreign aid declines.
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South Africa’s liberation archives offer lessons for democracy today
Apartheid and the long struggle against it left a deep mark on history and an enduring legacy for future generations. Yet many records from the era are fragmented, incomplete, hard to locate and dispersed across different collections and countries.A new initiative brings archivists, academics and activists together to map and improve access to this rich tapestry of materials, essential to understanding the past.
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What Makes Me Tick: Shingirai Mtero on discovering African knowledge
In a new episode of What Makes Me Tick , NAI researcher Shingirai Mtero reflects on the experiences that shaped her intellectual journey – from questioning what she learned in school in Zimbabwe to helping build new ways of thinking about African politics and feminist scholarship.
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The uncertain, high-stakes future of African-led peace support operations
As the United Nations faces mounting political and financial pressures, its capacity to respond effectively to international insecurity is increasingly under strain. Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran are reshaping geopolitical priorities and diverting attention and resources from other regions, raising a fundamental question: who will keep the peace in Africa?
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Zambia election: Will economic recovery translate into votes?
Zambia's general election on 13 August will test whether the government's economic recovery is enough to secure another term for President Hakainde Hichilema and his ruling UPND Alliance. Despite successfully restructuring the country's debt and attracting major mining investments, many Zambians have yet to see tangible improvements in their daily lives, raising questions over public services and whether growth is reaching beyond the mining sector.
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Four books to read this summer
Stuck on what to read this summer? NAI Head Librarian Elias Seyoum recommends some of his favourite titles. These books explore Africa's modern history through war, migration, identity and cultural heritage.
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Beyond LGBTQI+: Ghana's bill raises wider questions about rights
A controversial anti- LGBTQI+ bill passed by Ghana's parliament in May introduces harsh penalties for people in same sex relationships and for anyone deemed to be promoting gender rights. Beyond its impact on those directly targeted, it can have far reaching implications for society as a whole, says NAI Associate Akosua Adomako Ampofo.
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Who gets to speak? The state of democratic participation in Africa
In a new video, Tanzanian Catholic priest and civic leader Father Dr Charles Kitima and researchers from the Nordic Africa Institute discuss the state of democratic participation in Africa and the consequences of shrinking civic and political space.
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Africa and the new global order: diversified partnerships and greater leverage
As the global order shifts from US dominance towards a more multipolar system, African states are diversifying partnerships and demanding better trade and investment terms to underpin greater industrialization. They are also more assertive in protecting their policy autonomy and intensifying calls for a more just global financial architecture and fairer representation in the UN Security Council. NAI researchers Angela Muvumba Sellström and Patience Mususa unpack African perspectives on the emerging global order.
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Ethiopia’s growth paradox: can economics still hold the federation together?
Ahead of Ethiopia’s general election on 1 June, much attention has focused on security concerns and political tensions. But beneath the political headlines lies a question with major implications for Ethiopia’s future: can economic growth still serve as a force for cohesion in one of Africa’s most populous and divided states?
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Decolonising research partnerships: the ambitions of the Africa Charter
As Africa Day is marked on the continent and around the world this week, questions of equality, representation and global power imbalances are shaping debates on research and knowledge production. The Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations aims to make international research partnerships more equitable, inclusive and more African-led.
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Ethiopia elections put national fault lines in the spotlight
As Ethiopia heads to elections in June, amid conflicts and internal tension, questions grow over participation and legitimacy. NAI researcher Redie Bereketeab warns the vote risks deepening divisions and straining the country’s fragile federal system.
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Who keeps the peace? Africa-led operations in a changing conflict landscape
In a new three-part video series, researchers Angela Muvumba Sellström and Tefesehet Hailu explore how peace support operations in Africa are evolving in response to shifting conflict dynamics and growing calls for African ownership.
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#TukoKadi from streets to ballot box: Kenya’s Gen Z reshapes political power
Kenya’s Gen Z movement is moving beyond street protests to focus on voter mobilisation. The Tuko Kadi campaign, launched in March 2026, reflects a broader shift in political engagement as young people use digital platforms, social networks and popular culture to counter voter apathy and build electoral power ahead of the 2027 elections.
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Expert insights on displacement in times of polycrisis
The displacement of people in Africa is increasingly shaped by overlapping crises – a polycrisis – where conflict, climate change and economic shocks amplify one another and strain response systems. While humanitarian needs remain urgent, long-term resilience requires stronger institutions, locally led approaches and coordination. Drawing on consultations with 20 experts, this policy note identifies key areas for more effective responses, including how Nordic and international actors can support stronger African leadership and context-sensitive solutions.
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Researcher: Middle East war could upend Djibouti's strategic advantage
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East risks reshaping the balance of power in the Red Sea – a shift that could undermine Djibouti’s long-standing strategic advantage as a hub for global trade and foreign military powers, says NAI Senior Researcher Redie Bereketeab.
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Containing the spillover: How North Africa can navigate the Iran war shock
In recent years we have seen an increased frequency of external shocks with impacts routinely extending far beyond the parties directly involved or affected. The current military conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel – also impacting nearby neighbouring Gulf countries– marks just the latest in a succession of geopolitical shocks to have destabilised the global economy with rapidly rising oil prices. And the speed at which its economic consequences are propagating globally is consistent with a troubling pattern: modern crises transmit faster and further than ever before.
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Iran war reshapes risks and power dynamics in the Horn of Africa
In a new video, NAI Associate Federico Donelli examines how the ongoing war involving Iran could reshape political and security dynamics in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.Donelli argues that the most significant effects may not stem directly from Iran, but from how the conflict is altering the broader international environment. As Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates shift their attention towards the war, their engagement in the Horn of Africa may decrease, creating space for other actors to expand their influence.
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Split, talks or takeover – three scenarios for the Sudan war
Sudan’s civil war has evolved into a grinding, increasingly regionalised conflict fuelled by security fragmentation, rival war economies and centre–periphery divides. The Gulf monarchies and neighbouring powers shape the battlefield through arms, finance and diplomatic cover, deepening proxy-war dynamics. Three scenarios now dominate: a high-likelihood drift toward a de facto split, a possible Gulf-driven return to talks, or a lower-probability military takeover by one of the two warring parties.
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Mining Indaba 2026 exposes tensions behind Africa’s mining partnerships
The 2026 Mining Indaba, themed “Stronger Together: Progress Through Partnerships,” underscored a structural shift in how mining is framed in Africa. No longer presented merely as an export-oriented extractive activity, mining was positioned as a potential driver of industrialisation, regional integration, and energy transition. Yet discussions revealed significant tensions between rhetoric and reality, particularly regarding geopolitics, energy constraints, mineral beneficiation, and the contested meaning of “criticality.”
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