#12: Managing Resources

Hello, This week’s edition discusses African nationalism trends and education reforms.

But first, welcome to new subscribers. Hope you like this newsletter and will recommend it to others.

This week’s content

• 🇬🇳 Resource nationalism

• 😇 Education Reform

• 📰 News Recap

• 📚 Book recommendations

Resources

🇬🇳 Guinea Moves to Reclaim Mining Sovereignty: Cancels EGA’s Rights to World-Class Bauxite Site

On May 7, the government of Guinea began formal procedures to revoke the mining license of the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) for its bauxite project in the Boffa region. According to a Reuters source, Guinea’s Ministry of Mines sent a notification of termination in late April, giving EGA a 30-day window to appeal. As of publication, EGA says it is in “constructive dialogue” with authorities. The move signals a shift toward reasserting national control over high-value natural resources.

🔍 Context:
Guinea is the world’s second-largest exporter of bauxite, behind Australia. But despite this resource abundance, its population has seen limited benefits. The government claims EGA did not meet key contractual obligations, including the development of a local alumina refinery—one of the conditions tied to value-addition and job creation domestically. EGA’s site—operated through its subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC)—is one of the world’s largest untapped deposits of bauxite, the ore used to produce aluminium. The company has already invested over $1 billion in the project, making it the biggest Emirati investment in sub-Saharan Africa.

💡 Why it matters:
This is not just a legal battle over mining rights. It is a flashpoint in a larger trend of African governments revisiting the terms of resource extraction deals, especially those inked under previous administrations or under duress. The Guinean junta, which seized power in 2021, has made clear that it views many of these contracts as unfair and ripe for renegotiation or cancellation. As Chinese and Gulf interests expand across Africa, the move also raises critical questions about how governments can renegotiate old contracts under fairer terms. It remains to be seen if better terms can be negotiated and terms of the contract enforced fully.

🧭 Zooming Out:
This is part of a broader rethink across West Africa, especially under military-led governments. In recent months, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have pushed for greater economic control and rejected agreements seen as neo-colonial. With Guinea joining the fray, a trend is emerging: reclaiming extractive industries for national development agendas.

While economic nationalism is gaining traction across several Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, few governments have yet articulated credible strategies for translating resource wealth into inclusive development or more equitable revenue distribution.

Amid the noise of Trump’s tariff wars dominating global headlines, a quieter but no less significant trend is unfolding: rising nationalism and economic fragmentation in SSA. These shifts signal growing fractures in the architecture of global trade and investment—and should serve as a wake-up call for developed nations. Without visible and tangible economic progress for local populations, foreign economic interests in the region remain precarious.

At a deeper level, the interplay between nationalism and under-recognized economic development presents a critical challenge for policymakers. How can governments make development more visible to citizens? And how can they extend growth to regions unlikely to benefit from economies of scale or short-term spillover effects?

Education

🙋🇬🇭 Ghana’s Education Reforms: Building a Future-Ready System

If you want to change a country's future, start with the classroom. That seems to be Ghana’s bet as it rolls out one of the most ambitious overhauls of its education system in years. From ditching outdated exams to rewriting what kids actually learn, Ghana is quietly shifting the foundations of its schooling model. Ghana suffers from high youth unemployment and these reforms are seen as investing in the future to align labour market demand and supply as well as reforming education practices stemming from colonial rule.

At the core of the reforms is the Common Core Programme (CCP)—a new curriculum spanning from JHS1 to SHS1, designed around real-world skills: computing, critical thinking, creativity, and communication. Gone is the obsession with memorization. In its place? Problem-solving, relevance, and soft skills. Less cramming, more creating and thinking.

🛠️ What Ghana is doing differently:

• Scrapping the BECE (Basic Education Certificate Examination) and shifting toward a placement system tied to the new curriculum.

• Rolling out the National Standard Assessment Test (NSAT) at earlier stages to benchmark actual learning—not just grades.

• Upgrading teacher education. Ghana’s Colleges of Education now award Bachelor’s degrees and are syncing training with the new skills-based curriculum.

• Starting (slowly) to address infrastructure gaps—especially in underserved areas where classrooms remain overcrowded and under-resourced.

💡 Why this matters:
Most African education systems are still built on colonial scaffolding—designed to filter, not to empower. Ghana is one of the first to fully admit that and act on it. In a region where more than 60% of the population is under 25 and unemployment is a political problem, these reforms are about pedagogy but more importantly about national economic development.

🌍 Zoom out:
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, countries like Kenya, Rwanda, and now Ghana are reforming long-overdue education sector. Reforming an education system isn’t sexy policy. It’s messy, long, and expensive. Whether it succeeds will depend on something most reforms ignore: what happens after the press release. Will teachers be equipped? Will rural kids have internet? Will parents buy in?

Quick SSA News

🇲🇦 Morocco Secures $25M EBRD Investment to Boost Local Manufacturing
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested $25 million into Morocco's Dislog Group to expand local consumer goods manufacturing. The move aims to reduce import dependence and create jobs as Morocco strengthens industrial self-sufficiency.

🇹🇬 AfDB Funds $28M Solar Project to Power Togo's Future
The African Development Bank is backing a 62MW solar energy project in Togo with €26.5 million in financing. This supports the country’s clean energy transition, targeting 50% renewable energy by 2030 and rural electrification for economic growth.

🇳🇬 Nigeria’s Budget Under Pressure as USAID Suspends Support
The suspension of USAID funding has added pressure to Nigeria’s already fragile public finances, highlighting the risks of donor dependence. Afreximbank called it a critical setback, warning it could derail key social and infrastructure programs.

🇺🇬 Uganda Challenges Cities to Rethink Waste for Urban Growth
Urban leaders in Western Uganda were urged to explore circular economy approaches in managing solid waste and land use. The initiative pushes local governments to integrate sustainability into urban planning amid rapid population growth.

🇿🇲 Zambia Digitises Healthcare to Combat Medicine Theft
The Zambian government has launched a digital initiative to track medical inventories and prevent theft in public health facilities. It’s part of broader efforts to restore trust in the healthcare system and improve public service delivery.

🇪🇹 Ethiopia Launches Digital Marketplace to Empower Local SMEs
State-owned Ethio Telecom unveiled ‘Zemen Gebeya,’ a nationwide e-commerce platform aimed at connecting Ethiopian producers directly with buyers. The move is part of Ethiopia’s strategy to digitize trade and expand economic inclusion.

🇷🇼 Rwanda Launches $40M Fund to Finance Youth-led Startups
BK Group launched the Rwanda Rise Fund, a $40 million initiative to finance innovative small businesses, especially in fintech and agri-tech. It reflects Rwanda’s vision of becoming an African innovation hub through youth entrepreneurship.

🇳🇬 Nigeria–Qatar Pact Signals Bold Agricultural Investment Drive
Nigeria and Qatar have agreed to deepen bilateral agricultural cooperation. The deal focuses on large-scale investments in agribusiness to enhance food security and stimulate rural development in Northern Nigeria.

🇬🇧 Ghana Wins Credit Rating Upgrade for Strong Reform Record
S&P has upgraded Ghana’s credit rating to CCC+ from SD, citing progress in debt restructuring, economic reforms, and fiscal discipline. This signals improved investor confidence and a turning point after years of financial instability.What will happen ?

Goodreads

• Feeding Africa: Agricultural Transformation for Inclusive Growth” by Akinwumi A. Adesina – essential for understanding food systems innovation.

• “Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics” by Nanjala Nyabola – a must-read on how digital realities shape African politics and policy.

• “Africa's Odious Debts: How Foreign Loans and Capital Flight Bled a Continent” by Leonce Ndikumana and James Boyce