Decolonizing Aid in Africa

The CIHA Blog continues to bring African perspectives on decolonization to our readers. This post provides a synthesis of discussions from the hybrid event on ‘Decolonizing Aid in Africa,’ sponsored by the Centre for Research, Training and Publications (CRTP) in collaboration with Movement for Community-led Development (MCLD) in Nairobi, Kenya on June 14^th, 2024. The hybrid event brought together 110 participants from Africa and other parts of the world, and sought to connect many of the themes of aid “localization” to “decolonization.” This event was organized by the Centre for Research, Training and Publications (CRTP) in collaboration with the Movement for Community-led Development (MCLD). Ms. Gunjan Veda, Global Secretary – MCLD, Dr. Elias Opongo, SJ, CIHA Blog Co-Editor and Director – CRTP, and Ms. Rose Mbone, Founder – TLK, led the discussions. (Next on this topic, the CIHA Blog will report on a recent presentation on decolonizing humanitarianism, focusing on the context of Cameroon, by Nadine Machikou and Cecelia Lynch.)

 Decolonizing Aid in Africa

Compiled by Hezbon Awiti, Programs Officer – CRTP

The traditional model of aid in Africa has long been dominated by a top-down approach, often rooted in the legacy of Western nations ‘helping’ Africa through humanitarian and financial assistance. This colonial model of funding is often criticized for over-dependency on financial aid, ineffective aid delivery, and a lack of sustainable accountability for aid projects. Although other Western-African relationships have affected the success of development projects, including illicit financial flows, social inequalities and injustices, and challenges to psychological liberation, the need to discuss decolonizing aid in Africa remains timely.  The Centre for Research Training and Publications (CRTP) in collaboration with the Movement for Community-led Development (MCLD) on 14^th June 2024 organized a webinar to explore the increasing calls to decolonize aid in Africa. The discussion featured principles of decolonizing Aid, ways of transforming the way people think about international development and peacebuilding, practical steps and strategies to transform the current aid system, harnessing the power of communities, and alternate ways of improving international development and humanitarian aid in Africa.

The hybrid event brought together different stakeholders, including policymakers, development practitioners, researchers, and community leaders, to share insights and experiences on decolonizing Aid in Africa. Over 150 online participants registered and attended the meeting virtually while 16 participants were present physically during the event held at Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations (HIPSIR).

Regarding the concept of decolonizing aid in Africa, emphasis and discussion centered around how institutional failures such as bad governance, the lack of accountability, corruption, and social inequalities and injustices have affected processes of potential decolonization. Further, illicit financial flows, debt dependency, and psychological liberation challenges have also obstructed the process of decolonizing aid. For instance, during the discussions it was remarked that in 2022, African governments allocated about 12% of their revenues to servicing debt, highlighting severe financial constraints and restricting the ability of African nations to finance their own development goals and respond effectively to crises. Moving forward on accountability and dependency, participants agreed that discussions and forums should be held on how to improve accountability in the use of aid and strategies to reduce over-dependency on financial assistance.

One major point of argument was whether institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Health Organization and the World Bank are indirectly or directly running African economies and, in the process, creating enabling environments for multinational exploitation. These institutions have embraced the use of top-down approaches to giving assistance to African countries. Decision-making processes are made by the funders rather than the communities which play key roles in implementing development projects. Considerable amounts of money are at stake. For example, in 2023, the IMF executive board approved and agreed to fund the following Africa Countries: Somalia ($100 million), Democratic Republic of Congo ($200.39 million), Rwanda ($262 million), Tanzania ($150 million, Gambia ($10.9 million), Comoros ($4.7 million) and Senegal ($276 million) (reported in the East African, November 2023).

Moreover, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were criticized during the discussions as extension of colonial capture even while participants appreciated their positive values in promoting improved quality of life for Africans. Participants observed that realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) needs greater reconceptualization from the bottom up. This is because SDG goals need to be designed from local contexts, rather than focusing on the donors’ intended goals and interests. Equally important is ensuring that all the relevant stakeholders are involved in all stages of project development and implementation. Further, trust in managing community project fund and project flexibility and sustainability is key to the process of decolonizing aid. Such trust is often lacking in aid relationships and prevents more equitable aid practices.

Way forward

• There is need to practise and embrace the bottom-up approach model of aid funding for Africa countries.
• There is also need to prioritize community leadership in designing, implementing, and managing aid projects as well as supporting the capacity building of local organizations and institutions.
• There is a need to scrutinize any existing links between aid, economic exploitation, and impoverishment of aid recipients.
• Communities must participate actively in and take full ownership of aid projects. This will ensure that the local communities have a significant voice in decision-making processes.
• Funding mechanisms must be reformed: funding strategies should shift directly to local organizations rather than operate through international intermediaries.
• Local knowledge, customs, and traditions must be respected and integrated into aid programs.
• Aid practices should promote transparency in how aid funds are allocated as well as spent.
• Grassroots community movement approaches should be adopted in designing aid projects.
• Advocates within donor countries and international institutions must press for concrete policy changes to support decolonizing practices.
• Aid workers and donors must be educated about the historical and contemporary impacts of colonialism, in order to run the development aid projects effectively.