Ghana's economic woes, the epidemic of distrust that accompanies Ebola and agricultural innovation in Kenya are under discussion in this week's newsletter View this email in your browser Africa at LSE newsletter Scroll down for latest posts Upcoming Events Democracy and the Nigerian Factor:  The Trouble with the Nigerian People Africa Talks Public Event Date: Thursday 4 December 2014 Time: 6.30-8pm Venue: Thai Lecture Theatre, New Academic Building Speaker: Professor Pius Adesanmi, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada Nigeria's next presidential election, scheduled for February 14, 2015, will be more significant than all the preceding presidential elections since the return to "democracy" in 1999. Internal and external challenges are pointing to 2015 as the year of Nigeria's apocalypse. Can the internal contradictions of Nigerian political culture, based on mutual contempt between officials and society, be engaged as an indigenous impetus for democracy? This lecture will examine the various manifestations of the paradox of Nigerian political life and analyse its implications for 2015.   Latest Video/Audio From Transformational Leadership to Mafia State? Observations from South Africa's Two Decades of Democracy Widely considered to be Africa's oldest liberation movement, the African National Congress (ANC) played a historic role in ending apartheid in South Africa and has been the country's ruling political party since 1994. More recently, however, the ANC's legacy has been tarnished by allegations of corruption and inefficiency. Dr Mzukisi Qobo will discuss his view that political governance in South Africa has collapsed, and explore the possibilities of the country's political future. Listen Visit the new LSE African Initiative website. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @AfricaAtLSE.   Has the Ghana Economic Bubble Finally Burst? LSE alumnus Kwame Marfo analyses the reason behind Ghana's recent economic woes.   Financing Africa's Infrastructure Gap LSE's Juergen Braunstein assesses the implications of the trend of direct investment of state-owned investment funds and how this relates to the infrastructure financing needs of sub-Saharan Africa.     Interview: Malawi's former President Dr Joyce Banda on life in politics Former Malawi President and IPA Above the Parapet Fellow, Dr Joyce Banda gives advice to aspiring female politicians.   The Death of International Development LSE's Jason Hickel argues that the development industry needs an overhaul of strategy, not a change of language. Ebola – a societal pathogen in an epidemic of distrust LSE's Jane Cooper explores how our fears, representations and identities might account for the gap between threat and response to the Ebola epidemic.   Agricultural innovation transforms drought-prone Kenyan region LSE's Martin Namasaka looks at how Machakos county has overcome challenges such as drought and overpopulation to become Kenya's best performing region.   How will UNHCR's statelessness campaign affect Africa? LSE Visiting Fellow Bronwen Manby argues that the UNHCR campaign to end statelessness will put this issue in the spotlight  and put more pressure on states to address nationality law.   Ten Things that Anthropologists Can Do to Fight the West African Ebola Epidemic Sharon Abramowitz explains why anthropologists should be a crucial part of the fight against Ebola. Copyright © 2014 London School of Economics & Political Science, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in on our website or you are an LSE academic or student working with an interest in Africa. Our mailing address is: London School of Economics & Political Science Houghton Street London, WC2A 2AE United Kingdom