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Almuzn Mohammed Elhassan

Almuzn Mohammed Elhassan

Research Intern

Almuzn holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Khartoum and now works as an urban researcher. She is interested in research projects that address questions about the rights of the city, decentralized governance, and sustainable development. For the past three years, Almuzn worked on researching urban displacement conditions, city-life realities, and land allocation policies in Sudan, and produced podcasts, policy briefs, and open-access background notes.

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Good Enough Governance and The Dragon from the Mountains

February Book Club Review

Each month, the CCI team selects a new book to read and discuss together. Our book club selections cover a wide range of topics that are relevant to charter cities, but they are most often related to development, urban issues, and governance. In this ongoing series, reviewers will offer summaries of the books we’ve read and share some of the highlights from our discussions.

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war and constitutions

Charter Cities Podcast Episode 63: Luqman Edu on Itana, Nigeria’s First Digital Free Zone

What would it take to create the ideal jurisdiction for global tech companies to be able to grow and scale in Africa? Joining us today to unpack this question is Luqman Edu, co-founder and CEO of Itana, Nigeria’s first Digital Free Zone. Through their partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria, Itana is creating an opportunity for global businesses to operate and provide services remotely, without being physically present in Nigeria. We use today’s conversation to delve into the ins and outs of building a Digital Free Zone, Itana’s ambition to become the Delaware of Africa, how this will help companies connect with untapped African talent, and what it will take to realize these goals. We discuss the key challenges startups and companies typically face when trying to do business in Nigeria or Africa, how Itana is solving these problems, the unique benefits they are offering to the first 100 companies to partner with them, and much more. You won’t want to miss out on this thought-provoking conversation with Luqman Edu on Itana, the innovative work that they’re doing, and why success for Itana means success for Africa!

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war and constitutions

Charter Cities Podcast Episode 62: Kartik Akileswaran and Jonathan Mazumdar on Growth Teams and Structural Transformation

Many countries need radical structural transformation, specifically in more developing nations, and Growth Teams have made it part of their mission to empower developing countries to create jobs and grow their economies. Today, we are in conversation with the co-founders of Growth Teams, Kartik Akileswaran and Jonathan Mazumdar. The pair are here to discuss how their business is playing its part in creating economic stability in countries around the world. Our conversation begins with a breakdown of Growth Teams, how the company works, and why Kartik and Jonathan chose to build it. After taking a look at our guests’ professional backgrounds, we dive into the definition of structural transformation, assess its importance, discover why it’s so difficult to facilitate and brainstorm ways for governments to stand true to their promises of transformation. We also learn how Growth Teams get involved in government outreaches, how it’s doing things differently to achieve better results, the countries it is working with, and everything the business has planned moving forward.

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