Foresight Africa: Top Priorities for the Continent in 2015

January 2015 

The year 2015 will be an eventful one for the more than one billion people living in Africa. From elections to the post-2015 development agenda, the Brookings Africa Growth Initiative experts and colleagues identify what they consider to be the key issues for the continent in the coming year. Join the conversation on Twitter using #ForesightAfrica and tell us what you think are the critical issues Africa must pay attention to in 2015.

Jideofor Adibe reviews the issues, introduces the candidates and explains the complexities of the 2015 presidential election in the continent’s most populous country and biggest economy.

As the region prepares for the 2015 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Yun Sun discusses the evolving China-Africa relationship, whether China’s priorities might be shifting, and how African countries are strengthening their voices in the conversation.

Michael O’Hanlon and Amy Copley argue that, despite the news coverage, violence across the continent is decreasing, but to continue this trend in 2015 the international community needs to appreciate that the root causes of terrorism and intra-country conflicts extend beyond extremism. 

Homi Kharas and Julie Biau explain the three prongs of the Post-2015 Development Agenda—job creation, infrastructure and governance, and peace and security—and what they mean for Africa.

Amadou Sy offers recommendations for the 2015 International Conference on Financing for Development and identifies ways donors, governments, and the private sector can successfully leverage foreign direct investment for long-term growth.

Mwangi S. Kimenyi reflects on the African Union’s successes and failures, recommending policy changes to increase its capability and influence as the institution confronts complex challenges in 2015. 

In the wake of the ongoing Ebola crisis, Vera Songwe examines the long-term impacts of the epidemic and the global reaction, with an emphasis on the economic consequences and ways forward.

Witney Schneidman appraises the White House’s current initiatives in and policies toward Africa, calling for strong leadership from the president in order to deepen U.S.-Africa relations in 2015.

John Mukum Mbaku gives an overvier of the 2015 elections in Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Sudan, including a history of democratization in these countries, the top issues in the elections, and what to expect in 2015.