How the Middle East crisis is testing African resilience and global development

Ahead of the 81st General Assembly of the United Nations, host Landry Signé is joined by the UN's Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa. Their discussion highlights the UN's work to coordinate African development and how African countries themselves are shaping a more sustainable and equitable global system. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, Afripods, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback email to [email protected].

Host Landry Signé meets with H.E. Youssef Amrani, the Kingdon of Morocco's ambassador to the U.S., on the heels of the men's 2026 World Cup to discuss his country's investment in sports for development. Their conversation highlights how sports and culture can create opportunities for youth and strengthen international relationships. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, Afripods, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback email to [email protected].

Host Landry Signé visits Capitol Hill to talk with Hon. Gregory Meeks, representative for New York's 5th Congressional District and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Their discussion touches on the importance of Africa to U.S. domestic interests and the crucial role of Congress in implementing and designing American foreign policy. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, Afripods, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback email to [email protected].

Ahead of Africa Day 2026, Host Landry Signé sits with H.E. Mathilde Mukantabana, ambassador of Rwanda to the U.S. and dean of the African Diplomatic Corps in Washington, D.C., to discuss how African governments are coordinating their diplomatic efforts in response to new priorities and opportunities. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, Afripods, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback email to [email protected].

Continuing tradition, host Landry Signé joins top global leaders on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund's 2026 Spring Meetings. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East loomed over this year's gathering, as agencies considered how to maintain their development agendas amidst the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting fuel supply crisis. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, Afripods, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback email to [email protected].

Ahead of the World Bank and IMF's 2026 Spring Meetings, host Landry Signé sits down with Regis N'Sonde, executive director at the IMF, and Harold Tavares, executive director at the World Bank, to discuss how their institutions are supporting their African members amidst new economic uncertainties. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, Afripods, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback email to [email protected].

Foresight Africa host Landry Signé speaks on the impact of the Trump administration's restrictions on new visas, which affects nationals of 30 sub-Saharan African countries, and the contributions of African migrants to the U.S. economy. He is joined by Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute, and Nicholas Bassey, chief operations and program officer for the African Diaspora Network. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, Afripods, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback email to [email protected].

Following the reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) on February 3, 2026, host Landry Signé kicks off the fifth season of Foresight Africa podcast with a conversation on the trade program's past and future. He is joined by special guests Florizelle Liser, president and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa, and Ambassador Christopher Kirigua, deputy chief of mission at the Kenyan Embassy in Washington, D.C. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, Afripods, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback email to [email protected].

Season 5 of Foresight Africa podcast, hosted by Brookings Senior Fellow Landry Signé, launches in late February. In this season, Signé and his guests  look beyond the headlines to provide the strategic analysis needed to navigate today's complex economic, legislative, and policy agendas. Throughout the season, episodes will tackle the critical issues defining U.S.-Africa engagements ranging from the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act to the strategic implications of critical minerals and supply chains, energy security, trade and investment, and the growing role of AI and emerging technologies in fixing socioeconomic challenges. Stay tuned and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Foresight Africa podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, Afripods, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback email to [email protected].

In an exclusive interview hosted by Landry Signé, Anna Bjerde, the World Bank's managing director of operations, discusses the Bank's top priorities and challenges in achieving its mandate in a changing world. This interview was recorded on-site on Day One of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund's 2025 Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C. This is the final episode of season four of Foresight Africa podcast. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, Afripods, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback email to [email protected].