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. 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 the 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.

Sustainability, Future of Work Africa, Energy, Foreign Policy, Environmental Policy, Economy, TED,