Save the date! 10th Stephen Ellis Annual Lecture: Season of Rains, Africa in the World Today, by Koert Lindijer

On 4 December 2024, the 10th edition of the Stephen Ellis Annual Lecture will be celebrated with a special programme. Koert Lindijer, well-known journalist and author of African affairs, and Africa correspondent for the Dutch news platforms NRC and NOS, will be this year’s keynote speaker.

On the occasion of the tenth edition of the Stephen Ellis Annual Lecture, this year’s lecture will revolve around a reflection on Stephen Ellis’ book Season of Rains: Africa in the World (2011). In this book Stephen Ellis maintained that many emerging features of Africa’s new place in the world are neither surprising nor alarming, and that Africa is heading neither to perdition nor to redemption. Today, thirteen years after publication, twists and turns in the trajectory of democratic governance in Africa appear to give little room for optimism, judging by media reports.

On this special occasion, based on his experience of 40 years of reporting from Africa, Koert Lindijer will present a keynote speech on the problems of African governance today. In his view, African leaders walk with their heads in the clouds. Political and economic indicators have turned negative. A huge debt burden has built up. The many military coups in the Sahel raise the spectre of a serious democratic setback. Civilian rule has led to bad governance. The ready-made solution of military rule is once more attractive to some. Elections do not offer a solution for development problems.

Preliminary programme:

16:00 Opening by Prof. Marleen Dekker, Director of the ASCL.

16:05 Introduction by Dr. Akinyinka Akinyoade, Chair of the ASCL Researcher's Assembly.

16:10 Keynote speech by Koert Lindijer.  

16:45 Reflections by Dr Rahmane Idrissa (ASCL), Jelte van Wieren (Director DAF/BZ) ) and Mandipa Ndlovu (ASCL).

17:15 Q&A.

18:00 Closing followed by drinks.