Accessibility helpSkip to navigationSkip to contentSkip to footer

Cookies on FT Sites

We use cookies and other data for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure, personalising content and ads, providing social media features and to analyse how our Sites are used.

Accept cookies
Manage cookies
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
Open side navigation menuOpen search bar
Financial Times
SubscribeSign InmyFT
  • Home
  • World
    Sections
    • World Home
    • Israel-Hamas war
    • Global Economy
    • UK
    • US
    • China
    • Africa
    • Asia Pacific
    • Emerging Markets
    • Europe
    • War in Ukraine
    • Americas
    • Middle East & North Africa
    Most Read
    • Israeli intelligence ‘dismissed’ detailed warning of Hamas raid
    • Argentina’s Javier Milei backs away from dollarisation as central bank pick rejects role
    • Geert Wilders faces early setback in Dutch coalition talks
    • Hamas releases 24 hostages as Israel truce takes hold
    • Rioting breaks out in central Dublin after stabbing attacks
  • US
    Sections
    • US Home
    • US Economy
    • US Companies
    • US Politics & Policy
    Most Read
    • Companies
      Sections
      • Companies Home
      • Energy
      • Financials
      • Health
      • Industrials
      • Media
      • Professional Services
      • Retail & Consumer
      • Tech Sector
      • Telecoms
      • Transport
      Most Read
      • KPMG extends pay freeze to 12,000 UK staff
      • Tesla strikes in Sweden are ‘insane’, says Elon Musk
      • How BP’s ‘Sun King’ court enabled the rise and fall of Bernard Looney
      • Jeff Zucker hits out at rival Telegraph bidders for ‘slinging mud’
      • Boots offloads £4.8bn pension scheme to Legal & General
    • Tech
    • Markets
      Sections
      • Markets Home
      • Alphaville
      • Markets Data
      • Cryptofinance
      • Capital Markets
      • Commodities
      • Currencies
      • Equities
      • Fund Management
      • Wealth Management
      • Trading
      • Moral Money
      • ETF Hub
      Most Read
      • News updates from November 24: Hamas releases hostages as Israel truce begins, Netherlands’ VVD party deals blow to Geert Wilders’ government hopes
      • Argentina’s Javier Milei backs away from dollarisation as central bank pick rejects role
      • How BP’s ‘Sun King’ court enabled the rise and fall of Bernard Looney
      • Investors dump dollar in bet that US rates have peaked
      • Montenegro court clears crypto chief Do Kwon for extradition
    • Climate
    • Opinion
      Sections
      • Opinion Home
      • Columnists
      • The FT View
      • Lex
      • Obituaries
      • Letters
      Most Read
      • OpenAI has just fused its corporate ‘kill switch’
      • Europe’s problem? It’s too attractive
      • Crypto power struggle enters new stage with Binance settlement
      • Parallel US and UK elections could bring dangers
      • A much-needed truce between Israel and Hamas
    • Work & Careers
      Sections
      • Work & Careers Home
      • Business School Rankings
      • Business Education
      • Entrepreneurship
      • Recruitment
      • Business Books
      • Business Travel
      • Working It
      Most Read
      • Business Books: What to read this month
      • Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier: ‘The EU is not the same one the UK left’
      • In search of chief executives who never grow ‘old’
      • Start-ups challenge culture of the Japanese salaryman
      • The inescapable tyranny of the bad boss
    • Life & Arts
      Sections
      • Life & Arts Home
      • Arts
      • Books
      • Food & Drink
      • FT Magazine
      • House & Home
      • Style
      • Travel
      • FT Globetrotter
      Most Read
      • Tom Hanks: ‘I was a pretty lucky guy’
      • Why the breakdown of the 9-to-5 job is making us lonelier
      • The most decorated mountaineer ever (and why you’ve never heard of him)
      • Leon Black’s downfall confounds the legacy of #MeToo on Wall Street
      • Could younger homebuyers turn Belgravia from staid to ‘buzzy’?
    • HTSI
    MenuSearch
    • Home
    • World
    • US
    • Companies
    • Tech
    • Markets
    • Climate
    • Opinion
    • Work & Careers
    • Life & Arts
    • HTSI
    Financial Times
    SubscribeSign In

    David Pilling

    Africa Editor

    David Pilling is the Africa editor and a columnist at the Financial Times. He covers business, politics and development on the continent and writes a regular column on topics from Africa. Before that he was the Asia editor and assistant editor. Previous roles include Tokyo bureau chief, pharmaceuticals correspondent, deputy features editor and correspondent in Buenos Aires and Santiago.

    He is the author of two books - The Growth Delusion (2018), shortlisted for the Orwell Prize, and the highly acclaimed Bending Adversity: Japan and the Art of Survival (2016).

    He is a regular moderator and speaker both for the FT and for organisations including the World Bank, OECD and ADB. In 2023 he briefed a G7 meeting in Kamakura, Japan on the ideas behind his book, The Growth Delusion.

    Email David Pilling @davidpilling  on Twitter (link opens in a new browser window)

    Add to myFT Digest

    Add this topic to your myFT Digest for news straight to your inbox

    • Sunday, 5 November, 2023
      African economy
      Why small is not beautiful when it comes to development

      The cult of the smallholder and the micro-entrepreneur is a wrong-headed approach to poverty alleviation in Africa

      Ben Hickey illustration of several cogs of different sizes and shapes. Two people are holding one cog, while near them another person is holding a smaller cog
    • Tuesday, 31 October, 2023
      African economy
      US strikes four African countries off preferential trade list

      Uganda, Gabon, CAR and Niger penalised for human rights violations and lack of democratic progress

      Supporters of Niger’s National Concil of Sefeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) hold Niger national flags
    • Sunday, 22 October, 2023
      Niger
      US signals intention to engage with Niger junta

      Washington accepts it is ‘not business as usual’ in Sahel as it aims to build pragmatic relationships with African nations

      Protesters demand the departure of French troops from Niger at a rally in Niamey in September
    • Thursday, 5 October, 2023
      Special ReportInvesting in Morocco
      Morocco’s carmaking sector revs up for EV era

      The country is solidifying its position as Africa’s largest auto-manufacturing hub

      A worker stands beneath a car body at Renault-Nissan’s assembly plant in Tangier
    • Thursday, 5 October, 2023
      Special ReportInvesting in Morocco
      Casablanca stakes claim to be ‘gateway’ to investing in Africa

      Moroccan companies are investing heavily in the continent, but trade growth is more patchy

      The Banque Centrale Populaire building in Casablanca
    • Thursday, 28 September, 2023
      South African politics
      South Africans’ support for Russia is rooted in misplaced nostalgia

      Condemning Moscow does not mean unthinking adherence to the west

      Cyril Ramaphosa stands shoulder to shoulder with Vladimir Putin as they talk
    • Monday, 18 September, 2023
      Special ReportThe Future of Banking
      India points the way to digital access across Africa

      Bill Gates is among the supporters who say DPI is key to reducing poverty but critics warn civil liberties could be at risk

      An Indian woman getting her fingerprints read during the registration process for Aadhaar cards
    • Thursday, 14 September, 2023
      South Africa
      A fire in South Africa symbolises an entire system gone up in flames

      The blaze in Johannesburg tells a story of xenophobia, urban neglect and political dysfunction

      A woman stands in a doorway looking into a makeshift kitchen in a building that has been taken over
    • Friday, 8 September, 2023
      InterviewLunch with the FT
      Nobel-winning novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah: ‘I had no other place to go’

      The writer on the pull of Zanzibar, his disquiet at Britain’s treatment of refugees — and the problem with italics

      Illustration of Abdulrazak Gurnah
    • Friday, 1 September, 2023
      News in-depthGabon
      Gabon coup brings abrupt end to Bongos’ improbable 56-year dynasty

      Veteran president removed this week inherited the huge wealth of the oil-rich country and the lavish tastes of his father

      Gabon president Omar Bongo and his wife Josephine Bongo, and their son Ali, centre, as they wait for French president François Mitterrand arrival on January 17 1983 at Libreville airport
    • Thursday, 31 August, 2023
      News in-depthGabon
      ‘Déjà coup’ in Gabon as another African government falls to military rule

      Latest takeover in central and west Africa underscores how the region’s generals are becoming emboldened

      Ali Bongo overlaid, foreground,  people celebrating the coup in Libreville
    • Tuesday, 15 August, 2023
      Gabon
      Gabon finalises first debt-for-nature swap in Africa

      Deal worth $500mn funnels cash to conservation in return for lower interest rate on African nation’s debt and longer repayments period

      A mangrove field that has been partially cleared to make space for new buildings in Libreville, Gabon
    • Tuesday, 15 August, 2023
      Godwin Emefiele
      Court date completes suspended Nigerian bank chief’s fall from grace

      Godwin Emefiele’s nine years in charge came to an abrupt end when new president Bola Tinubu took office

      Godwin Emefiele
    • Monday, 14 August, 2023
      African Development Bank
      African Development Bank’s $55mn anti-corruption fund unused for seven years

      Institution has failed to deploy any of money reserved to fight graft on the continent

      Pedestrians pass by the headquarters for the African Development Bank in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
    • Saturday, 12 August, 2023
      News in-depthNiger
      President’s hostage misery brings home personal cost of Niger coup

      The UN and others have expressed fear for the safety of Mohamed Bazoum and his family as his country is fought over

    • Thursday, 10 August, 2023
      Niger
      Niger is the graveyard of French policy in the Sahel

      The protracted presence of the former colonial power is coming to an end

      A crowd of protesters in Niamey, one holding a sign that says ‘La France doit partier’
    • Wednesday, 9 August, 2023
      Tanzania
      Tanzania accused of silencing critics over port deal with Dubai

      Lawyers say intergovernmental deal over Dar es Salaam port is too generous to Emirati interests

      Dar es Salaam, shot from above
    • Friday, 4 August, 2023
      News in-depthNiger
      Niger capital gripped by uncertainty as invasion deadline draws closer

      Neighbours led by Nigeria have threatened military action unless coup leaders restore democracy by Sunday

      Protesters in Niamey, Niger
    • Monday, 31 July, 2023
      Niger
      Niger junta accuses ousted government of authorising French military attack

      Paris expected to ‘tread very carefully’ given level of anti-French and anti-western sentiment in Sahel region

      Pro-junta demonstrators outside the French embassy in Niamey
    • Sunday, 30 July, 2023
      Niger
      Regional heads threaten Niger coup leaders with military intervention

      Emergency summit comes as protesters surround French embassy in Niamey chanting pro-Russian slogans

      Demonstrators hold a Russian flag during a gathering in support of the putschist soldiers in the Niger’s capital Niamey on Sunday
    • Saturday, 29 July, 2023
      Niger
      Niger coup leader declares himself country’s new president

      Tchiani says he has taken over because of deteriorating security and economic hardship

      A video grab image from ORTN — Télé Sahel showing General Abdourahamane Tchiani, Niger’s new strongman
    • Friday, 28 July, 2023
      News in-depthNiger
      ‘Last domino to fall’: Niger upheaval extends ‘coup belt’ across Sahel

      Removal of democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum will fuel instability in a volatile region

      Supporters of the defence and security forces at a demonstration outside the national assembly in Niger capital Niamey
    • Thursday, 27 July, 2023
      Niger
      Niger army backs coup against pro-western leader to prevent ‘bloodbath’

      Diplomatic effort under way to reverse developments in what was last democracy in region

      Supporters of the coup in Niamey on Thursday
    • Thursday, 27 July, 2023
      Rachman Review podcast23 min listen
      Sudan power struggle risks turning into civil war

      Hopes for a democratic transition are fading, putting regional stability in jeopardy

    • Thursday, 27 July, 2023
      Niger
      Niger soldiers go on television to announce coup in west African nation

      Overthrow of president Mohamed Bazoum would remove ‘only western ally still standing’ in troubled Sahel region

      A video grab shows Colonel Amadou Abdramane, centre, speaking during a televised statement
    Previous page You are on page 1 Next page

    Useful links

    Support

    View Site TipsHelp CentreContact UsAbout UsAccessibilitymyFT TourCareers

    Legal & Privacy

    Terms & ConditionsPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyManage CookiesCopyrightSlavery Statement & Policies

    Services

    Share News Tips SecurelyIndividual SubscriptionsProfessional SubscriptionsRepublishingExecutive Job SearchAdvertise with the FTFollow the FT on XFT ChannelsFT Schools

    Tools

    PortfolioToday’s Newspaper (FT Digital Edition)Alerts HubBusiness School RankingsEnterprise ToolsNews feedNewslettersCurrency Converter

    Community & Events

    FT CommunityFT Live EventsFT ForumsFT Board DirectorBoard Director Programme

    More from the FT Group

    Markets data delayed by at least 15 minutes. © THE FINANCIAL TIMES LTD 2023. FT and ‘Financial Times’ are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd.
    The Financial Times and its journalism are subject to a self-regulation regime under the FT Editorial Code of Practice.
    Financial Times

    International Edition

    Subscribe for full access
    • Switch to UK Edition

    Top sections

    • Home
    • World
      • Israel-Hamas war
      • Global Economy
      • UK
      • US
      • China
      • Africa
      • Asia Pacific
      • Emerging Markets
      • Europe
      • War in Ukraine
      • Americas
      • Middle East & North Africa
    • US
      • US Economy
      • US Companies
      • US Politics & Policy
    • Companies
      • Energy
      • Financials
      • Health
      • Industrials
      • Media
      • Professional Services
      • Retail & Consumer
      • Tech Sector
      • Telecoms
      • Transport
    • Tech
      • Artificial intelligence
      • Semiconductors
      • Cyber Security
      • Social Media
    • Markets
      • Alphaville
      • Markets Data
      • Cryptofinance
      • Capital Markets
      • Commodities
      • Currencies
      • Equities
      • Fund Management
      • Wealth Management
      • Trading
      • Moral Money
      • ETF Hub
    • Climate
    • Opinion
      • Columnists
      • The FT View
      • Lex
      • Obituaries
      • Letters
    • Work & Careers
      • Business School Rankings
      • Business Education
      • Entrepreneurship
      • Recruitment
      • Business Books
      • Business Travel
      • Working It
    • Life & Arts
      • Arts
      • Books
      • Food & Drink
      • FT Magazine
      • House & Home
      • Style
      • Travel
      • FT Globetrotter
    • Personal Finance
      • Property & Mortgages
      • Investments
      • Pensions
      • Tax
      • Banking & Savings
      • Advice & Comment
      • Next Act
    • HTSI
    • Special Reports

    FT recommends

    • Lex
    • Alphaville
    • Lunch with the FT
    • FT Globetrotter
    • #techAsia
    • Moral Money
    • Visual and data journalism
    • Newsletters
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • News feed
    • FT Live Events
    • FT Forums
    • Board Director Programme
    • myFT
    • Portfolio
    • Today’s Newspaper (FT Digital Edition)
    • Crossword
    • Our Apps
    • Help Centre
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In