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A woman stands in front of electoral campaign posters of Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and members of the People's Democratic Party, ahead of Nigeria's Presidential elections, in Yola, Nigeria, February 21, 2023.
Podcast: Nigeria’s presidential election is a critical moment for Africa
Listen: On February 25, Africa’s most populous nation heads to the polls to vote for a new president in what is shaping up to be a hotly contested race. Nigeria has one of the fastest growing populations globally, one that could surpass the United States by 2050. And it’s a young country—75% of registered voters are under 50 years old. The candidates, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi from the Labour Party are all vying to replace the outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari.
To help you better understand the Nigerian election and what’s at stake, GZERO is handing over this podcast feed today to Amaka Anku, Head of Eurasia Group’s Africa practice. She brings us a conversation from the The Center for Global Development podcast moderated by CGD’s Senior Policy Fellow Gyude Moore.
Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.
Want Africa to grow? Get people and businesses online: Africa expert
There's a big opportunity for African countries to take advantage of the pandemic — if they can get online. "Greater internet connectivity can accelerate growth in tremendous ways," says Eurasia Group's top Africa analyst Amaka Anku. One of them would be formalizing the informal sector, which is very large and hard to tax: "It's much easier if people are paying using digital payments," she explains, but governments also need to do their part by cutting red tape to encourage investment.
Anku weighed in during a Global Stage livestream conversation hosted by GZERO Media in partnership with Microsoft during the 76th UN General Assembly.
Learn more: Should internet be free for everyone? A Global Stage debate
Should internet be free for everyone? A Global Stage debate
Half of the world's population is currently offline, and COVID has further widened the digital gap. Providing more than three billion people with affordable, reliable internet access sounds like a no-brainer, but the devil is in the details. Who'll pay for it, how do we measure success, who should be on board, and what are the potential benefits?
Several experts weighed in during a Global Stage virtual conversation hosted by GZERO Media in partnership with Microsoft during the 76th UN General Assembly, moderated by the UN's Melissa Fleming.Don't miss our next event: LIVE on Wednesday Oct 13 11am ET/ 8 am PT:
Vickie Robinson, head of Microsoft's Airband Initiative to expand broadband access throughout the developing world, what's really important is for the internet to be accessible, not necessarily free. The problem, she explained, is that it costs money to build and maintain networks, so no costs for end users could have unintended consequences. Instead, Robinson would focus only on giving access to people who really need it and can't afford to be online.
Make Internet Affordable, but Not Free for All | Global Stage | GZERO Mediayoutu.be
Even developed countries have their own problems getting everyone online. Jessica Rosenworcel, acting chair of the US Federal Communications Commission, said that mapping the real state of America's broadband access is currently flawed because a single subscriber in a rural area doesn't mean everyone is online. Until the US comes up with a better way to show who actually has internet access and who doesn't, the problem will likely never be fixed.
We'll Never Fix America's Internet Without Measuring Access Properly, Says FCC Chair | Global Stageyoutu.be
Then there's another important question: whose responsibility should it be to bridge the "digital Grand Canyon" of exclusion, asthe UN refers to the digital divide? For the International Communications Union's Doreen Bogdan-Martin, the only way is to get all concerned parties — the UN, governments, international institutions, the private sector, and civil society — to work together.
How can we bridge the "digital Grand Canyon"? | Global Stage | GZERO Mediayoutu.be
If everyone who needs access to the internet gets it, the world's least-connected continent — Africa — could benefit tremendously. Eurasia Group's top Africa analyst Amaka Anku explained that getting all Africans online could spur economic growth by formalizing the informal sector, which is very large and hard to tax, as long as African governments help out by cutting red tape for investment.
Want Africa to Grow? Get People and Businesses Online: Africa Expert | Global Stage | GZERO Mediayoutu.be
Stay informed about further Global Stage discussions: sign up for updates and reminders about GZERO Media's events.
- Panel: Why access to broadband & digital skills is critical - GZERO ... ›
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- COP26 vibes so far: "What's it worth to save everything we have?" - GZERO Media ›
- Global Stage virtual events return this fall - GZERO Media ›
- Join us April 21 for our next Global Stage event live from Washington DC - GZERO Media ›
- Want global equality? Get more people online - GZERO Media ›
- Join us April 21 for our next Global Stage event live from Washington DC - GZERO Media ›
- How to get students back on track after the Great Education Disruption - GZERO Media ›
- Join us for our Global Stage event live from Washington DC - GZERO Media ›
- Global Stage: Global issues at the intersection of technology, politics, and society - GZERO Media ›
- The fight to “connect every last person” to the internet - GZERO Media ›
- "Access is a fundamental right" - Digital activist Vilas Dhar - GZERO Media ›
Watch our discussion to decide: should internet access be free?
Access to the internet is a universal right.
Broadband should be free.
Tech companies should foot the bill.
Discuss.
GZERO Media and Microsoft will convene proponents, skeptics, and fence-sitters to debate whether the internet should be free on the next Global Stage event.
Make up your mind in our event September 15th at 11am ET/8am PT.
- Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary General (moderator)
- Jessica Rosenworcel, Acting Chairwoman, Federal Communications Commission
- Vuyani Jarana, Chairman, Mobax Group
- Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
- Vickie Robinson, General Manager, Microsoft Airband Initiative
- Amaka Anku, Practice Head, Africa, Eurasia Group
Special appearance by António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
Should internet access be free for everyone? \n\nWe'll discuss live on 9/15\n\nMore info: https://www.gzeromedia.com/global-stage/virtual-events/global-stage-virtual-events-return-this-fall\u00a0\u2026\n\n#GlobalStage\n@MSFTIssues @VSRob29 @AmakaAnku @Vuyanij @JRosenworcel @antonioguterres— GZERO Media (@GZERO Media) 1630945580