logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
17m 29s

Could Africa’s anti-LGBT laws have finan...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Ghana’s parliament has recently passed a tough new anti-LGBT bill.

President Nana Akufo-Addo hasn't yet signed it in to law, after warnings that it could threaten Ghana’s much needed donor funding from places like the World Bank and IMF.

Ghana is suffering a major economic crisis and last year had a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Other African countries have also brought in similar laws. But is it fair for international financial institutions to get involved in politics in this way?

Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Immie Rhodes

(Image credit: AFP)

Up next
Yesterday
Taking stock: China gains in the AI race
Is China rapidly catching up with the United States in the race to dominate artificial intelligence? Rahul Tandon is joined by Walter Todd in the US and Rebecca Choong Wilkins in Singapore to discuss, following a week of sharp moves in AI-related markets and growing questions ove ... Show More
24m 19s
Apr 7
Headspace: from mindfulness app to military partner
Headspace started life as a mindfulness app. Now it's partnering with the US Navy and investing in artificial intelligence for mental health support.The company's CEO Tom Pickett speaks to us about therapy, the increasing role of technology, and tackling burnout at scale.If you'd ... Show More
17m 28s
Apr 7
Anthropic: the $300bn AI firm at war with the White House
Anthropic’s rise from startup to one of the world’s leading players in artificial intelligence has been staggering, but so in recent weeks has been its row with the US Government.Today, we look at that journey to becoming a 380 billion dollar company, ask why Claude has become on ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
How has Ghana’s tough anti-LGBTQ+ bill changed life there?
The Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill, drafted in 2021, was passed by parliamentarians in Ghana earlier this year. It imposes a prison sentence on anyone identifying as being LGBTQ+. This bill still needs to be signed by President Nana Akuffo Addo to beco ... Show More
19m 22s
Mar 2024
Is private equity actually worth it?
<p>Bayer chief executive Bill Anderson has ruled out a fresh capital increase and Ghana’s finance minister is concerned that the country’s new anti-LGBT+ law will put its international funding at risk. Plus, the FT’s Robin Wigglesworth examines whether private equity is a good fi ... Show More
12 m
Jun 2023
Is Africa’s debt cycle unbreakable?
<p>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 h ... Show More
17m 42s
Apr 2023
Gay in Uganda: A life or death situation
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni must this week either sign, veto, or send back to parliament one of the world’s toughest anti-gay bills. Whatever he decides, life for the country’s LGBTQ community is a dangerous endeavor. A corruption scandal at FC Barcelona and the war of wor ... Show More
11m 35s
May 2021
How bad is Africa’s debt problem?
European, American and African leaders, together with financial institutions, are looking for ways to help restart growth in Africa after the Covid health crisis. Described as the “New Deal” for African economies, leaders aim to find solutions to Africa’s international debt, whic ... Show More
16m 23s
Jun 2025
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
Jun 2021
Zainab Ahmed: Can Nigeria avert financial meltdown?
Africa is going through its first recession in more than a quarter of a century because of the global downturn caused by the Covid pandemic. The economic crisis is being keenly felt in Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country. Its 200 million people are struggling with long ... Show More
23m 27s