The CGD Podcast

Author Bjørn Lomborg discusses the 12 most efficient policy solutions for Sustainable Development Goals, prioritizing impactful projects for global development, exploring the interconnectedness of health, education, and responsible consumption, and initiatives in Haiti to improve health outcomes.

Gillian Pais of McKinsey & Company returns to Lagos to Mombasa to discuss the importance of localizing climate solutions, strategies to promote the uptake of climate-smart agriculture, and the role of regional organizations in sharing best practices.    

Stephanie von Friedeburg of Citi and formerly the International Finance Corporation joins CGD's Karen Mathiasen and Clemence Landers for a conversation on how to balance risk and impact in investment, why blended finance needs a rethink, and what mechanisms offer the most promising solutions to the development finance problem. 

Africa is home to 30 percent of the world's critical minerals reserves, which play a key role in clean energy. How can African communities benefit? Gyude speaks with Ayaan Adam (Africa Finance Corporation) and Juliet Akamboe (formerly Standard Bank Group) about how to strengthen processing and refining operations across the continent, build regional cooperation, address the detrimental impact of mines in local communities, and harness critical minerals to uplift mining regions. 

Over three years since it emerged, is the COVID-19 pandemic over? Amanda Glassman speaks with Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, about ending the emergency phase of the pandemic. Then Javier Guzman joins to reflect on the first season of Pandemic Proof.

Javier speaks with Natasha Loder from The Economist and John Burn-Murdoch from The Financial Times about keeping pace with the demand for information during the Covid-19 pandemic, confronting the flood of misinformation and disinformation, and lessons learned on reporting during health emergencies.

To kick off Season 2 of Lagos to Mombasa, Gyude reflects on the intricacies of climate change and development in Africa and explores how space-based technologies can help. Temidayo Oniosun of Space in Africa and Rose Croshier from CGD join Gyude to discuss the intersections of space technology with extreme weather events, agriculture and food security, and regional capacity and preparedness.

How can we ensure that medical countermeasures—such as diagnostics and vaccines—are ready to go at local, national, and global levels when the next pandemic emerges? Amanda Glassman speaks with Dr. Amadou Alpha Sall of Institut Pasteur of Dakar and Dr. Rachel Glennerster of the University of Chicago about lessons learned during COVID-19 and opportunities for future preparedness.

When Nigerian voters head to the polls on Saturday to elect the country's next president, all of Africa—and beyond—will be watching. CGD's Gyude Moore sits down with Amaka Anku, head of the Eurasia Group's Africa practice, to discuss the advantages and challenges of the leading candidates, the role of Nigeria's substantial youth population, and what this election might mean not just for Nigeria and for Africa but for democracy itself.

Malin Grape, Sweden's Ambassador of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), joins Javier Guzman to discuss Sweden's track record on AMR, the outlook and priorities for its EU presidency, and initial reflections on Sweden's innovative program for purchasing antimicrobials.