Events

Africa’s Pulse: Charting the Way Forward

October 8, 2020

Online

MULTIMEDIA

While Sub-Saharan African countries have not seen the worst of COVID-19 as expected, the pandemic has significantly damaged the region’s economy. Efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus have halted or reversed economic gains, sparking the region’s first recession in 25 years, and there’s no end in sight; fear of a possible second wave of COVID-19 infections is creating even more uncertainty about the region’s economic future.

Join Albert Zeufack, World Bank Chief Economist for the Africa regions, for the launch of the new Africa’s Pulse, the region’s bi-annual macroeconomic analysis. In a discussion moderated by Anne-Marie Dias Borges, Zeufack will discuss the near-term economic outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, and his thoughts on the region’s road to recovery post-COVID-19.

SPEAKERS

Albert Zeufack

AFRICA REGION CHIEF ECONOMIST, WORLD BANK
Albert Zeufack, a Cameroonian national, is the World Bank Chief Economist for the Africa Region. He joined the World Bank in 1997 as a research economist in the macroeconomics division of the Research Department. Since then, he has held several positions in the East Asia and Pacific region, as well as in the Macroeconomics and Fiscal Management Global Practice with a particular focus on Africa, Europe and Central Asia. Mr. Zeufack’s main research interest is the micro-foundations of macroeconomics. Prior to his appointment as Chief Economist, he was Practice Manager in the Macroeconomics and Fiscal Management Global Practice and leader of the World Bank-wide Community of Practice for the Management of Natural Resources Rents, a group interested in sovereign wealth, fiscal rules, public spending patterns, and macro-modeling in natural resource-rich economies. Before joining the World Bank, Mr. Zeufack taught economics and applied econometrics at the University of Clermont-Ferrand, France, where he received his Ph.D. in economics. He holds a master’s degree in economic analysis and policy from the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Anne-Marie Dias Borges

Moderator
Anne-Marie Dias Borges is a Cape-Verdean journalist who is fluent in French, English, Portuguese and Spanish and has worked extensively in TV and radio over the past 18 years. She currently works as a TV Anchor and Producer for BBC Business in London. Her experience in front, but also behind the camera, has enabled her to develop charisma and a keen sense of impartiality which she has been able to showcase during the numerous international conferences and high-level panels she has hosted over the years. Among which are "The Francophonie Economic Forum" in Paris, "The WAEMU conference" in Lomé and "The Rebranding Africa Forum" in Brussels. Driven by an eagerness to connect to a wide range of audiences, Anne-Marie began her career in 2002 at BBC Afrique radio. During her 10 years at this network, she was voted "most popular presenter" on numerous occasions. In Paris, she worked as Chief Information Officer and TV Anchor for Africa24 TV - "The African CNN"! There, she hosted a weekly political TV debate called "Polititia". The show was watched by millions of viewers each week and as a result, Anne-Marie became a household name in various francophone countries. When she is not on air, she likes to contribute to non-governmental and charitable activities, notably in Cabo-Verde where she has organized two successful anti-drugs campaigns, in partnership with the United Nations. Anne-Marie was ranked among the 100 most influential women in Africa by Avance Media.