Date and time: June 3rd 2021, 11:30am-12:30pm, Cameroon Time
Venue: Zoom Platform (Register Here)

---

1. Background

COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented shock to the global economy, with disrupted supply chains, border closures, and social distancing measures that have disrupted travel, education, trade, and health systems across the world. The rise of teleworking, telemedicine, and e-learning have imposed changes across society and IMF’s Geoffrey Okamoto writes that we live in the most uncertain of times. A precise outcome may not be known, but the probability of a few that are most likely can be calculated.

Furthermore, the axiom of trade liberalization, economic integration, and globalization is increasingly contested as economies are increasingly regionalizing supply and pursue narrower objectives. While these trends were imminent prior to COVID-19, the great lockdown has accelerated structural trends such as digitalization across the global economy, prompting the need to assess their interactions in a post-COVID world.

Now is the time for global solidarity and support, especially with the most vulnerable in our societies, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Only together can we overcome the intertwined health and social and economic impacts of the pandemic and prevent its escalation into a protracted humanitarian catastrophe, with the potential loss of already achieved development gains.

In this hourlong conversation the Nkafu Policy Institute will examine how the post pandemic world is transforming economies and societies across Sub-Saharan Africa and what the continent must do in order to thrive in the post-COVID world.

2. Objectives

This event aims to provide a framework for which to analyze oncoming socio-economic and political trends, whilst emphasizing the interaction between perceived structural trends spanning digitization, demographic shifts, and economic development across society.

3. Main themes to be discussed during the event

• Government priorities in a post-COVID world; balancing economic realism (ballooning deficits), growth-centric economic reforms, and development.
• Understanding the role of collective nationalism countries and implications for bilateral relationships in a post-COVID world
• The role of economic nationalism and globalization in shaping structural trends across trade and innovation.
• Climate change and implications for employment, competitiveness, and sovereignty.
• Globalization, economic convergence, and solidarity between developing and advanced market economies.
• The short, medium, and potential long-term effects of the pandemic on continental trends such as digitization, trade, and demographic shifts.
• The implications of COVID-19 on bilateral relationships and on the AfCFTA
• The implications of COVID-19 on economic development and regional convergence between Africa and advanced economies.

4. Expectations

At the end of this event, the participants will understand the following:

• The short, medium, and potential long-term effects of the pandemic on continental trends such as digitization, trade, and demographic shifts.
• The implications of COVID-19 on bilateral relationships and on the AfCFTA
• The implications of COVID-19 on economic development and regional convergence between Africa and advanced economies

5. Date and Venue

Thursday, June 3rd, 2021. 11:30am-12:30pm. Event will be held on ZOOM and streamed live

6. Panelists/Speakers

Main Speaker

Mrs. Gwendoline E.N Abunaw
Managing Director, ECOBANK, Cameroon.

Moderator

Dr Denis Foretia
Executive Chairman – Nkafu Policy Institute and Co-Chair – Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation

7. Participants

The event will bring together public policy experts, policy makers at the national, continental and international levels, leaders of civil society organizations, economists, leaders of NGOs and international organizations. It will be open to the general public with a session for Q&A.