logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
17m 42s

Is Africa’s debt cycle unbreakable?

Financial Times
About this episode

Ghana was once considered a success story and a model for African development. But after suffering several economic shocks, the west African country is now struggling to pay off its debts. The FT’s west Africa correspondent Aanu Adeoye and Africa editor David Pilling explain how Ghana exemplifies the debt cycle that many African countries find themselves stuck in, and what has to change to break it. 


Clip from GhanaWeb TV

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

For further reading:

How Ghana’s economy became a cautionary tale for Africa

Africa needs international help to avoid a lost decade

Ghana default puts domestic debt ‘can of worms’ in the spotlight

Ghana secures $3bn IMF deal after creditors agree to debt restructuring

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

On Twitter, follow Aanu Adeoye (@aanuadeoye), David Pilling (@davidpilling) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07)


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
A case of Schrödinger’s tariffs
It’s been exactly 90 days since US President Donald Trump paused most of his ‘reciprocal’ tariffs. With just a 10 per cent blanket tariff on all imports and a higher tariff on China, economists predicted the American economy would feel the heat pretty quickly. But the sky hasn’t ... Show More
19m 49s
Jul 2
How oil traders called the Middle East war
When Iran attacked a US airbase in Qatar – a response to strikes on its nuclear facilities – many feared a global war may be imminent. But there was one market that didn’t break a sweat: oil. It’s typically a commodity that surges at the first sight of conflict in the Middle East ... Show More
19m 14s
Jun 25
The end of the UK’s ‘bailout era’
The Royal Bank of Scotland was once the biggest bank in the world. Then, hubris got the best of it. During the financial crisis the UK government spent £46bn to bail out the bank. Seventeen years and a rebrand to NatWest Group later, the government just sold its last shares in it ... Show More
16m 46s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
ACFM Microdose: Making Sense of Sovereign Debt w/ Heidi Chow
After last week’s ACFM on the meaning and morality of personal debt, Keir and Nadia zoom out to the macroeconomics of debt. Joining them to make sense of concepts like sovereign debt, structural adjustment and international ratings agencies is Heidi Chow, executive director of De ... Show More
1h 9m
Sep 2024
Is China helping Africa realise its potential?
China is now Africa’s biggest trading partner, with 20% of exports going to China and 16% of imports coming from there, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). At the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) meeting earlier this month, President Xi Jinping promis ... Show More
19m 26s
Sep 2024
How to cut government debt, with Robin Wigglesworth
Jamaica’s economy struggled for decades, and at one point it had amassed debts worth more than 140 per cent of GDP. Even the IMF wouldn’t return its calls. But somehow, in the 2010s, it managed to halve its government debt – over just seven years. Today on the show, we ask how th ... Show More
28m 24s
Feb 2024
South Africa's youth struggling to find jobs
South Africa's finance minister Enoch Godongwana, acknowledged that the country's economy is facing 'a tipping point'. There's massive youth unemployment in South Africa and this recent forecast won't be favourable to young people. We hear reaction and look at possible solutions. ... Show More
39m 9s
Apr 16
India’s middle-class debt crisis
Nvidia says it expects to take a $5.5bn blow as the US clamps down on the Silicon Valley group’s ability to export artificial intelligence chips to China, and PwC is exiting 12 countries. Plus, the junk bond market has basically ground to a halt, and India’s middle class is deali ... Show More
11m 5s
Jun 12
Recovery Interrupted: Sub-Saharan Africa’s Outlook
After four long years of numerous crises, sub-Saharan Africa’s hard-won recovery has been disrupted by yet another shock. The sudden shift in the global outlook has clouded the region’s short-term prospects and significantly complicated policy making. Economist Andrew Tiffin and ... Show More
11m 1s
Aug 2024
Michael Drury on China's Trillion Dollar Secret and Why The U.S. Is Not Headed Imminently Into A Recession
This interview with Michael Drury explores how China’s problems affect the global economy, its economic advantages, and where it spends its trillion-dollar surplus. We also discuss the US economy’s resilience, why Michael doesn’t see a recession, and much more.–Follow Jack Farley ... Show More
1h 17m
Jul 2023
Will drastic reforms save Nigeria’s economy – or cause more pain?
When Bola Tinubu was elected as Nigeria’s president in May, many expected little would change. But from the first minutes of his inauguration speech, the 71-year-old has brought big changes to Africa’s largest economy. He says the moves, including scrapping a key fuel subsidy, ar ... Show More
18m 33s
Jan 2025
Ep93. Africa in the Age of Disorder
In 2024, the Disorder podcast looked a lot at Ukraine, Syria, Israel-Palestine, India, Bangledesh, and even north Africa… but we didn’t devote sufficient time to sub-saharan Africa. So what does Africa look like in the Age of Disorder?  To find out, Jason is joined this week by P ... Show More
52m 2s
Aug 2024
Is Africa's Debt Crisis a Threat to International Security? | Live from the Aspen Security Forum
I caught up with Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli at the Aspen Security Forum in mid-July. She is the new President and CEO of the One Campaign, which advocates on behalf of global development, justice, and equal rights, with a particular focus on Africa. I was interested in speaking with h ... Show More
20m 28s