As Sub-Saharan Africa is slowly recovering from the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the region is facing new economic threats, including new virus variants, global inflation, supply disruptions and climate shocks. At the same time, the recent pandemic experience has demonstrated the critical role social protection can play in responding to covariate shocks such as those resulting from epidemics, climate change, natural disasters, or conflict. This State of the Africa Region event will provide an opportunity to review the macro-economic situation in the Africa region, given the recent fluctuations in commodity and food prices, and focus on social protection strategies that can help build resilience in African economies and create jobs, as they recover from multiple shocks in current troubled times. It will focus on how social protection programs can help build the resilience of poor and vulnerable households by supporting them through investments in education, health and infrastructure and to build human capital. The discussion will highlight critical issues that countries are coping with in their economic recovery efforts and bring in a broader audience to advocate and act on this agenda. More information: wrld.bg/2JjR50ISFM7
🗣️ Speakers:
- Romuald Wadagni, Minister of Economy and Finance, Senior Minister of State, Benin; World Bank Governor
- Mário Augusto Caetano João, Minister of Economy and Planning, Angola
- Pauline Irène Nguene, Minister for Social Affairs, Cameroon
- Belarmino Jelembi, General Director of the Angola Local Development Institute (FAS), Angola
- James Oduor, Former Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya’s National Drought Management Authority
- Zeinabou Hadari, Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister of Niger
- Hafez Ghanem, Vice President, Eastern and Southern Africa
- Ousmane Diagana, Vice President, Western and Central Africa, World Bank
- Albert G. Zeufack, Chief Economist, Africa, World Bank Group
📑 Agenda
00:00 Welcome and opening remarks
08:24 Main insights from the latest State of the Africa Region
15:15 Voices from the ground: Young influencer in Somalia
17:36 Shaping Africa's economic future and macroeconomic resilience
50:28 Voices from the ground: School canteens in Togo
56:15 Adapting future social protection programs to build resilience in Africa
1:12:10 Voices from the ground: Cash transfer program in Madagascar
1:13:55 Live Q&A from the audience
1:24:29 Major takeaways and closing remarks
1:29:28 Musical performance: Maah Keita
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