Since 2020, governments everywhere have had to grapple with the impacts of first
Covid-19 and then a series of global shocks, not least the Russian invasion of
Ukraine. The challenges have been particularly acute in Africa. Christopher Adam
has seen the impacts of these shocks at first hand – and has also advised some of
the people who have been making policy in Africa to mitigate their effects. He talks to
Tim Phillips about how global shocks constrain Africa’s policymakers and how the
after-effects of this “polycrisis” will be felt in future.