• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Zainab Usman"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "africa",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "AFP",
  "programs": [
    "Africa"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa"
  ],
  "topics": []
}
REQUIRED IMAGE

REQUIRED IMAGE

In The Media

US Think-Tanks: Zainab Usman, The Newcomer

Hailing from Africa or at least having strong familial ties to the continent “helps bring a very different perspective”, she says, most notably when it comes to seeing opportunities that foreigners – including well-meaning westerners – often miss.

Link Copied
By Zainab Usman
Published on Apr 20, 2022
Program mobile hero image

Program

Africa

The Africa Program focuses on economic, political, and transnational issues shaping Africa’s future. By conducting data-driven research, convening high-level dialogues, forging strategic partnerships, and amplifying African voices, the program addresses a crucial knowledge gap on Africa’s role in a changing global environment.

Learn More

The Africa Report

About the Author

Zainab Usman

Former Director, Africa Program

Zainab Usman was a senior fellow and the inaugural director of the Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

    Recent Work

  • Article
    How African Countries Can Harness the Global Policy Reframe from Energy Transition to Energy Security

      Zainab Usman

  • Commentary
    U.S.–South Africa Relations Are on the Brink of Collapse

      Zainab Usman, Anthony Carroll

Zainab Usman
Former Director, Africa Program
Zainab Usman
Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Research
    Russia in Africa: Examining Moscow’s Influence and Its Limits

    As Moscow looks for opportunities to build inroads on the continent, governments in West and Southern Africa are identifying new ways to promote their goals—and facing new risks.

      • Nate Reynolds
      • +1

      Nate Reynolds, ed., Frances Z. Brown, ed., Frederic Wehrey, ed., …

  • Abstract of global AI
    Article
    South-South AI Collaboration: Advancing Practical Pathways

    The India AI Impact Summit offers a timely opportunity to experiment with and formalize new models of cooperation.

      Lakshmee Sharma, Jane Munga

  • Photo of Duma Boko in a gray suit waving at a crowd.
    Article
    Africa’s Democratic Kaleidoscope: Trends to Watch in 2026

    Supporters of democracy within and outside the continent should track these four patterns in the coming year.

      Saskia Brechenmacher, Frances Z. Brown

  • Commentary
    Sada
    Sub-Saharan African Migrants in Morocco: Security Concerns and the Test of Human Rights

    Is Morocco’s migration policy protecting Sub-Saharan African migrants or managing them for political and security ends? This article unpacks the gaps, the risks, and the paths toward real rights-based integration.

      Soufiane Elgoumri

  • Workers of automotive manufacturer VW assemble pieces of a model in the Uitenhage plant.
    Paper
    Win-Win: The Potential and Prospects of German FDI in Supporting the Structural Transformation of African Economies

    German manufacturing firms in Africa add value, jobs, and skills, while benefiting from demand and a diversification of trade and investment partners. It is in the interest of both African economies and Germany to deepen economic relations. 

      Hannah Grupp, Paul M. Lubeck

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600Fax: 202 483 1840
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.