As foreign aid continues to diminish, Dr. John Kwakye, Director of Research at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), has called on the Ghanaian government to look to its natural resources as a more sustainable means of financing its development.
Dr. Kwakye’s comments come amid reports that the Trump administration is moving toward the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). President Trump has proposed merging USAID with the U.S. State Department, following a decision to have the agency’s staff stay out of its Washington headquarters on February 3, 2025. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has since assumed the role of acting head of USAID.
In a post on social media, Dr. Kwakye emphasized, “Foreign aid is rapidly dwindling. Ghana should look more to its natural resources to fund its development.”
The potential impact of reduced foreign aid was also highlighted by Gabby Otchere Darko, Senior Partner at Africa Legal Associates, who pointed to the suspension of a significant CDC-funded HIV/TB programme in South Africa. Otchere Darko warned that the suspension could disrupt thousands of livelihoods, urging Africa to take stronger steps towards self-reliance: “Africa should more than ever intensify the push to be owner of her own destiny.”
The debate underscores concerns about the shifting global landscape of aid and its implications for development across Africa.
Source:TheDotNews