Why Foreign Aid has Failed to Develop Africa
Corruption, Exploitation and Unfair Trade are Main Reasons
Mar 27, 2009
The reasons for the failure of international aid to Africa may be numerous but analysts say the major reason is corruption on the part of African leaders. Another reason often cited, is the unfair trade practices and policies on the part of the developed countries which practice continue to make Africa economically weak.
Other reasons include the lack of strict monitoring of most donor-funded projects in Africa and the non-involvement of beneficiary communities in donor-funded development projects.
The irony of the situation is that while the millions of international aid have not translated into better lives for citizens of recipient countries, politicians, mainly presidents, ministers and parliamentarians, continue to feed fat on the donor monies. Interestingly too, the international community is aware that for decades, international aid has not proven to be the panacea for Africa’s development yet, they continue to dole out millions of their citizens’ tax monies to the poor countries of Africa which only end up enriching the few already rich and greedy politicians.
Why Developed Countries Give Aid
It is very difficult to clearly find the reasons why the developed countries continue to give out their citizens’ tax money as aid to poor countries when a number of their (the developed countries) own citizens remain homeless and poor. But one of the reasons that are often cited is that the developed countries – who are now known in the parlance of African leaders as development partners –have a commitment to helping ensure a better world for all.
Others think that international aid is just a way of compensating Africa for the Slavery, Colonialism and all the exploitative practices perpetrated by the developed world and which Africa had had to endure for centuries.
There are also others who are of the view that the developed countries use international aid to fulfil their side of the deal that makes them recognised as development partners of the poor African nations. To those who hold this view, the question then is: what type of benefits do the develop world get from the poor African partners, since partnerships are for mutual benefits? An attempt to find a solution to this question may only lead one to realising the indirect exploitative practices on the part of the developed countries in their relationship with the poor countries.
Exploiting Africans and African resources
The prices of exportable African natural resources and man-made commodities, continue to be determined by the so-called development partners from the West. African producers of Cocoa, timber, Gold, Bauxite, Diamond and all the other resources one can think of in Africa, have not benefited much from these resources partly because of poor world prices of these commodities.
African commodities on the world market do not receive the right competitive prices they deserve, because in the current complex world trade, the rich countries continue to be those who determine the price for gold, cocoa, timber and all the other exportable resources from Africa and the developing world. This kind of unbalanced trade can definitely not make African countries economically independent.
Realistically, the millions of dollars that go to the poor African countries as aid are therefore monies due them (the poor countries of Africa) because they are monies that would have been rightfully earned if the developed countries agree to fair trade practices. If indeed, the developed world has a genuine commitment to develop Africa, why don’t they allow African countries to determine the prices of their resources at the world market just as the developed countries do with the prices of their materials and commodities?
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