The UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) in partnership with UONGOZI Institute will organise a two-day online conference on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. The online conference will take place 11-12 February 2021 from 09:30–12:45 (UTC+3) each day.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented social and economic crisis in Africa. Many countries in Africa have enacted policies to suppress the transmission of COVID-19 that may have met public health objectives, but have negatively affected economic activities and livelihoods of the poor.
This conference will bring together participants from scholarly, policy, and business communities to discuss the policy challenges faced by Africa in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring presentations from leading scholars and policymakers the conference will provide a forum to discuss the socio-economic implications, development challenges, and potential policy solutions to the crisis in the context of the African continent.
The first day of the conference will discuss the development challenges and impact of the crisis on the African economies, with keynote addresses by Vera Songwe (Executive Secretary, UNECA) and Benno Ndulu (a former Governor of the Bank of Tanzania), followed by a panel discussion on the macroeconomic implications.
The second day will delve deeper into the challenges caused by the pandemic, sharing latest research results on the implications for livelihoods and welfare as well as health, education and gender. The conference will close with a policy panel discussion on the new normal and future development of Africa.
For more information and updates visit the UNU-WIDER website.
