Zainab Usman

Political economist

A leading advocate for Africa in the US, Zainab Usman pioneers research on the technology, policy and politics influencing natural resources management throughout the developing world.

Why you should listen

Zainab Usman is a senior fellow and founding director of the Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC, an influential think tank analyzing and directing US policy on Africa. Her fields of expertise include African institutions, energy policy and the future of work. As an author and analyst, she is an in-demand voice driving discourse on emerging African economies.

Usman is author of Economic Diversification in Nigeria: the Politics of Building a Post-Oil Economy, which was selected as one of the Best Books of 2022 on economics by the Financial Times. As a public-sector specialist on social sustainability, natural resources and disruptive technology for the World Bank, Usman contributed to their flagship report on rethinking power sector reform in developing countries.

Zainab Usman’s TED talk

10:14

Zainab Usman

How sci-fi informs our climate future — and what to do next

Posted Feb 2024

More news and ideas from Zainab Usman

Live from TED Countdown Summit 2023

Momentum: Notes from Session 7 of TED Countdown Summit 2023

July 14, 2023

TED Countdown Summit 2023 concluded with a wide-ranging session featuring eight inspiring takes from around the world on how to ensure a fast, fair transition to a clean energy future. The event: Talks from Session 6 of TED Countdown Summit 2023, hosted by TED’s David Biello and Lindsay Levin with journalist Orlando P. Bailey. When […]