Non-governmental Organisations in Africa Can Survive Without Foreign Aids
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have long been a cornerstone of Africa’s development, bridging gaps where governments and private institutions have fallen short. Across the continent, NGOs have played a vital role in humanitarian relief, poverty alleviation, healthcare, education, environmental conservation, and governance advocacy. In many African countries, these organisations serve as first responders during crises, providing food aid, medical care, and emergency relief in conflict zones and disaster-affected areas.
Despite their critical contributions, NGOs in Africa have been dependent on foreign aid for many years, especially from Western nations like the US, and international donor agencies. The fragility of NGOs that rely on foreign funding has been exposed by recent developments, such as the immobilisation of USAID during President Donald Trump’s current administration. This situation raises an urgent question: Should NGOs in Africa localise to ensure sustainability?
Foreign aid to Africa has had a convoluted history marked by significant changes in priorities, policies, and funding levels over time. Since the beginning of the post-colonial era, Africa has been a major receiver of aid, often delivered through NGOs. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the main goals of development assistance were poverty reduction, health care, and infrastructure. With a focus on structural adjustments and market-based reforms, aid distribution underwent substantial changes as a result of shifting ideologies, such as the rise of neoliberalism, and the political climate of donor nations. By the early 2000s, in response to the continent's ongoing poverty and health emergencies, such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic, foreign aid to Africa increased dramatically and included many more areas such as security, governance and the environment.
Despite these initiatives, foreign aid has frequently come under fire for being ineffective, prone to corruption, and fostering dependency rather than long-term sustainable development. Additionally, the aid system has transformed NGOs from their roots in leftist social movements into corporatised entities and contractors of foreign governments deepening imperial and neocolonial ideologies. Moreover, through the aid system, donor countries award contracts to their nationals, branded as “experts”, or use consortium arrangements where companies from their home countries are the lead and decide almost everything. This system ensures that African experts and NGOs remain relegated to producers of raw knowledge taking dangerous risks to conflict-ridden and disease-infested areas. Meanwhile, foreign companies and experts publish reports and products in their final form, claiming authorship and expertise.
Since the announcement of Donald Trump’s foreign aid cut, there has been a widespread cry across the world. However, echoing Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, this paper suggests it is a time for African NGOs to create revolutionary ideas necessary for their survival rather than lament.
Trump’s Presidency and Foreign Aid Cuts
Trump’s presidency and the immobilization introduced several policy shifts that significantly impacted the flow of aid to Africa. Fears of a humanitarian and development crisis have emerged following the order to halt USAID funding for organisations outside the U.S. Several local organisations that rely entirely on USAID's support have been forced to lay off employees, suspend program activities, and discontinue life-saving interventions. There have also been layoffs at Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Norwegian People’s Aid, and the Danish Refugee Council. The International Organization for Migration has made 3,000 layoffs.
Thousands of African health workers have lost jobs due to the aid freeze. While USAID was originally established to support the development of the United States rather than to address global humanitarian issues, its assistance has often been closely linked to development efforts worldwide.
The recent suspension of USAID assistance has significantly impacted several African countries, many of which are among the world’s poorest. According to a blog post by the Center for Global Development, over a fifth of the affected aid originates from USAID. Among the nations most impacted are South Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia.
A Greater Push for Good Governance
A significant portion of the challenges that necessitate foreign aid in Africa can be traced back to governance failures that only strong leadership, accountability, and institutional integrity can resolve. While NGOs have stepped in to address these issues many of these responsibilities fundamentally lie with governments. The over-reliance on NGOs to fill governance gaps has, in many cases, allowed governments to abdicate their duties, shifting the burden of social welfare and development to externally funded organisations rather than investing in sustainable national solutions.
Long-term development requires effective governance. The same issues that NGOs work to address will continue to recur in the absence of accountability, transparency, and efficient policy implementation. Sustainable progress has been impeded by problems such as a lack of political will, inadequate institutions, poor resource management, and corruption. For this reason, in addition to providing services, NGOs and social movements should take a more active part in holding governments accountable. Advocacy groups need to make sure that governments fulfil their duties to their constituents, demand fiscal accountability, and press for policy reforms.
NGOs can contribute to the development of mechanisms that lessen the need for ongoing assistance by reorienting their efforts toward governance advocacy. This entails defending press freedom, bolstering democratic institutions, and ensuring public funds are allocated wisely to socioeconomic issues. NGOs should advocate for systemic change that guarantees African governments assume full responsibility for the wellbeing of their citizens, rather than substituting government functions. This change would open the door for sustainable and locally driven growth by encouraging self-sufficiency and lowering reliance on foreign handouts.
The Need for Localisation
Regional organisations like the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) must strengthen their financial capabilities and adopt a more proactive role in funding development projects across Africa. ECOWAS, in particular, should prioritise financing initiatives within West Africa, ensuring that regional development is driven by local institutions rather than external donors. By bolstering their financial autonomy, these organisations can reduce Africa’s overdependence on foreign aid, which has long dictated the pace and direction of development efforts. The recent halt of USAID funding has already disrupted the flow of resources to civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria and across the continent, threatening critical programs in healthcare, education, and governance. If other major international donors were to follow suit, the consequences could be devastating leading to the collapse of essential services, job losses within the sector, and a reversal of progress achieved in various development areas. To avoid such a crisis, “African-led” funding mechanisms must be established, empowering regional organisations to take ownership of the continent’s development and ensuring that CSOs remain resilient even in the face of shifting global aid policies.
Although outside factors, such as reductions in foreign funding, have contributed significantly to the instability of the NGO sector, African governments also bear some of the blame for the difficulties that NGOs face. African leaders need to wake up and realise how vital it is to assist and empower local NGOs. Creating a sustainable financial ecosystem that is not exclusively dependent on foreign aid must be a top priority for governments. This entails drafting laws that support regional philanthropy, enticing the commercial sector to contribute to social advancement, and encouraging cooperation between governmental and non-governmental organisations to accomplish common objectives. Governments must also make sure that their legislative frameworks support the work of NGOs, avoiding excessive regulation that stifles creativity and locally driven solutions.
The development trajectory may continue to be determined by outside forces if African governments do not take decisive action, and non-governmental organisations continue to be at the mercy of shifting “foreign policy”. The Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in the 1980s and 1990s was an earlier example whose impact still echoes to date. The future of Africa rests on the ability of its people to make their own decisions, including how to finance and support their development through locally driven solutions. Therefore, the moment to act is now.
In light of these challenges, the idea of localisation has gained prominence. Localisation, in this context, refers to the shift from foreign donor dependence to sustainable, locally-driven funding models. Proponents argue that African NGOs must develop alternative strategies to ensure long-term resilience. Financial independence would allow NGOs to prioritise local needs rather than aligning with the changing agendas of international donors.
Localisation would also assist NGOs in regaining their autonomy and avoiding the problems associated with donor-driven agendas, which do not always coincide with the needs of the communities they serve.
However, switching to localised models has its own set of difficulties. Many African governments lack robust regulations that promote local philanthropy, and the local private sector’s involvement in NGO funding is still quite small. For example, the amount of private sector investment in social development projects in Africa is low in comparison to other regions. Even though Africa has some of the world's richest people, like Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote, accusations of private sector interference in politics remain a major challenge. Governments may use tight restrictions to try to limit or control NGO operations.
In the words of Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem, “Don’t agonize, organize.” This powerful statement serves as a call to action for African NGOs facing the reality of reduced foreign aid. Rather than lament over funding cuts imposed by external powers, and decisions that they have little to no control over, African NGOs must shift their focus towards proactive, strategic, and sustainable solutions. The challenge of declining foreign aid should not be seen as a death sentence but as an opportunity to innovate, restructure, and build resilience. Perhaps there is a third dimension that African NGOs need to recognize; a shift from dependency to true independence. The reduction in foreign funding represents a crucial moment for introspection and reinvention.
African NGOs must build alliances that increase their combined voice and bargaining power to transcend reliance. Stronger finance and policy influence can be obtained through regional networks and collaborations with organisations such as the AU and ECOWAS. Engaging businesses in public-private partnerships will guarantee that African money is reinvested in African development while lobbying for national development funds and local philanthropy legislation will assist unleash domestic resources.
However, innovation is necessary for financial sustainability. NGOs can lessen their need for shifting donor priorities by utilising social enterprises, crowdfunding, and revenue-generating initiatives. The ability of grassroots organisations to raise money locally without relying on significant foreign donations has been demonstrated by platforms like M-Changa in Kenya. Additionally, African countries might look into diaspora bonds, like those in Ethiopia and Israel, as a means of directing money sent home by Africans to support regional development initiatives.
In the end, Africans themselves must be the ones driving the continent’s development. The cessation of foreign aid ought to be a wake-up call for governments to assume accountability, for corporations to make investments in social advancement, and for non-governmental organisations to regain their independence. Although the path ahead is not without difficulties, African NGOs can prosper not only as beneficiaries of aid but also as creators of long-lasting change with calculated action and a revitalised sense of mission.
Titilayo Olaniyan is an Assistant Programme Officer at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa)