A spot of bother

A leaked memo from the U.S. State Department indicates that the Trump administration is weighing reducing America's diplomatic presence in Africa as part of its broader effort to slash government spending. How could a smaller U.S. presence affect diplomatic ties and development efforts across Africa? Nigeria has taken a significant step toward regional economic integration by submitting its tariff schedule to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Why is this coming now, five years after the country ratified the AfCFTA?SBM Intelligence’s latest Jollof Rice Index, titled “Staple Under Stress,” reveals a sharp rise in food costs. In Nigeria, the price of cooking one pot of jollof rice surged from ₦21,300 in September 2024 to ₦25,486 by March 2025—an increase of nearly 20%, while in Ghana it went up 79% in the same six-month period. With staple foods becoming less affordable, how will families and policymakers respond to the growing pressure of food inflation?Support the show