Development Report

01/09/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭? 𝐀 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫, 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

"During a recent visit to the Central African Republic, Senegal and Guinea, I found myself reflecting on a question that has troubled scholars, policymakers and development practitioners for decades: How can a continent so rich in resources remain home to some of the world’s most persistent development challenges?

Africa supplies the world with critical minerals, agricultural commodities, energy resources, strategic markets and labour. Yet across the continent, millions continue to live without reliable electricity, efficient public transportation, quality healthcare, strong educational systems, or meaningful economic security. Despite being one of the most resource-rich regions in the world, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to approximately 464 million people living in extreme poverty, representing nearly half of the region’s population and about 70% of the world’s extreme poor.

For decades, discussions about Africa’s development challenges have largely focused on corruption, governance failures, conflict, or poor leadership. While these factors matter, they tell only part of the story. A deeper question deserves greater attention: 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂’𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕?"

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆: https://developmentreport.online/who-benefits-from-africas-underdevelopment-a-critical-reflection-on-power-decolonisation-and-locally-led-development/

Alhassan Farouk

Rich in resources, yet 464M in extreme poverty. It's time to ask: Who benefits from Africa's continued underdevelopment?

31/08/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚’𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚

"One of the most encouraging developments in global environmental policy is the growing recognition that restoring degraded land is indispensable to climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, food security and human development.

The scale of the challenge is enormous.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) says land degradation already affects up to 40 per cent of the planet, with consequences for billions of people and economic costs that may reach hundreds of billions of dollars annually. At COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, restoration is consequently being discussed not simply as conservation, but as an economic, livelihood and human-security imperative.

Yet an uncomfortable question sits underneath almost every restoration programme ..."

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆: https://developmentreport.online/who-owns-restoration-land-tenure-is-the-missing-variable-in-ghanas-climate-resilience-agenda/

Matey Okorley

Up to 40% of global land is degraded. Why land restoration is now central to climate, food security and livelihoods at COP17.

30/08/2026

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐒𝐎𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞

Africa’s civil society sector is entering a different financial era.

For decades, many African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have depended heavily on grants from international foundations, bilateral donors and development agencies. These grants have supported important work. They have funded education, health, human rights, governance, climate action, women’s rights and community development.

But the model is under pressure.

Funding is becoming more competitive. Grants are increasingly restricted. Core institutional costs are often difficult to finance. And many organisations are being asked to deliver more while having less control over the resources available to them.

This is why African non-profits need to think differently about income.

In my earlier article, “The Five Income Streams African Non-Profits Must Have by 2036“, I argued that African CSOs need to move from a grant-dependent model towards a more diversified financial architecture.

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆: https://developmentreport.online/how-african-csos-can-turn-climate-finance-and-natural-capital-into-sustainable-income/

Charles Kojo VanDyck

23/08/2026

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬

"For many years, I have watched African non-profits work incredibly hard, deliver important results and yet remain financially fragile.

The pattern is familiar.

An organisation secures a three-year grant. It recruits staff, delivers the programme, produces reports, attends donor meetings and works hard to meet every target. As the grant approaches its end, the organisation starts looking for the next one.

Then the cycle begins again.

New proposal. New donor. New project. New reporting requirements. New uncertainty.

This is not because African organisations lack ideas, talent or commitment. It is because the funding system has trained us to think about survival in project cycles rather than building institutions that can survive across generations.

I have increasingly come to believe that financial sustainability is not simply about having more income. It is about having greater control over the resources that make our work possible.

That is what I mean by organisational sovereignty."

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆: https://developmentreport.online/how-african-non-profits-can-build-real-sovereignty-through-endowments-and-long-term-funds/

Insight by Charles Kojo VanDyck

17/08/2026

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞

"𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞. The question is how.

For decades, grants have been the main source of income for many civil society organisations. Grants have made important work possible. They have supported communities, strengthened institutions and helped organisations respond to some of Africa’s most pressing challenges.

But grants come with a problem: they are not fully within the organisation’s control.

A donor can change its priorities. A funding programme can end. A grant can be delayed. A country strategy can change. An organisation can be doing excellent work and still find itself struggling to pay staff or keep the lights on.

This is why earned income and social enterprise deserve much more attention.

The goal is not to turn African non-profits into businesses.

The goal is to help them build organisations that can generate part of the income they need to survive, grow and pursue their mission with greater freedom."

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://developmentreport.online/how-african-non-profits-can-build-social-enterprises-and-earn-their-own-income/

This is a continuation of the "𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝐴𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑁𝑜𝑛-𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑀𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝐻𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑦 2036" 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://developmentreport.online/the-five-income-streams-african-non-profits-must-have-by-2036/

Charles Kojo VanDyck

10/08/2026

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐲

One of the biggest myths in African development is that there is not enough local philanthropy.

The truth is quite different.
Africa has always been generous.

Across our communities, people contribute to school fees, support neighbours during illness, build community facilities, contribute to churches and mosques, help families during funerals and weddings, and participate in savings groups and rotating credit schemes. Every day, millions of Africans give their money, time, knowledge and networks to help others.

The problem is not the absence of generosity.
The problem is that very little of this generosity is intentionally organised to strengthen civil society organisations.

Many African non-profits continue to look outside the continent for funding while overlooking the enormous potential that exists within their own communities.

If we are serious about achieving financial sustainability by 2036, they must deliberately build systems that convert informal generosity into organised, predictable and long-term support.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://developmentreport.online/how-african-non-profits-can-build-community-and-domestic-philanthropy/

Charles Kojo VanDyck

Africa is generous. To reach financial sustainability by 2036, non-profits must turn informal giving into organized, local support.

08/08/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟒-𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲’𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐈𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

"On 23 July 2026, ahead of the Mid-Year Budget Review, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, rose to make a specific evidentiary complaint about Ghana’s flagship 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme (24H+). Nearly two years into implementation, he argued, no public institution had adopted the policy’s own operating model which is “one job, three people, three shifts,” and the jobs being claimed rested on projection rather than verified payroll data. His sharpest line concerned the Secretariat’s own showcase indicator: of the roughly 160,000 jobs attributed to the programme, a significant share came from filling stations that had already been operating around the clock long before the policy existed.

The Secretariat’s response, days later, was equally instructive. It rejected the suggestion that the programme had consumed part of the GH¢650 billion Parliament had appropriated for government spending over the two years, clarifying that the 24-Hour Economy Authority Act, 2026 (Act 1164) structures the programme as privately financed, with a direct 2026 government allocation of only GH¢110 million. It then offered its preferred yardstick: the initiative should be judged by “the investment the Programme mobilises and the production, exports and jobs it generates,” citing $5.5 billion in Joint Development Agreements, 268 filling stations, and 33 manufacturing firms operating under the multi-shift model.

Neither side, in that exchange, was arguing about whether the 24-Hour Economy is a good idea. Both were arguing about how to measure whether it is working, and both were reaching for indicators that do not yet answer the question. This is not a partisan failure. It is a methodological one, and it is now the central challenge facing the policy."

Read more: https://developmentreport.online/the-24-hour-economys-hardest-test-is-not-implementation-it-is-measurement/

George Matey Okorley

A Debate That Answered Itself On 23 July 2026, ahead of the Mid-Year Budget Review, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, rose to make a specific evidentiary complaint about Ghana’s flagship 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development P...

07/08/2026

𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐞 𝐚 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 (𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐈)

For decades, one statement has dominated conversations about Africa’s development journey:

“𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩.”

The phrase has become almost unquestionable. It appears in political speeches, development conferences, election campaigns and public commentary. When nations struggle with poverty, corruption, weak institutions, unemployment or poor public services, the immediate explanation is often leadership failure.

The solution, therefore, appears straightforward: find better leaders.

Elect better politicians.

Replace ineffective governments.

Search for the next transformational figure who can rescue the nation.

There is truth in this argument. Leadership matters. History has repeatedly demonstrated that individuals who occupy positions of power can influence the direction of nations. Leaders establish institutions, design policies, allocate national resources and shape the priorities of societies. The decisions of a president, prime minister or government can accelerate development or reverse decades of progress.

The difference between effective and ineffective leadership can determine whether a country builds strong institutions or allows them to decay.

However, after decades of political transitions, democratic elections and changes in leadership across many African countries, a deeper question remains unanswered:

Why do nations continue to reproduce similar development challenges making little or no progress despite changing leaders?

Why do countries continue to struggle with corruption even after governments campaign on anti-corruption platforms?

Why do public institutions remain weak even after successive administrations promise reforms?

Why do citizens continue to engage in behaviours that undermine national development, even when they openly complain about poor governance?

Perhaps the challenge is not only about who leads.

Perhaps it is also about who follows.

Perhaps Africa’s leadership crisis is partly a reflection of a deeper citizenship crisis.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://developmentreport.online/beyond-leadership-why-africas-greatest-development-crisis-may-be-a-crisis-of-citizenship-part-i/

Benjamin Terkper

"Everything rises and falls on leadership", but is it enough? Examining why decades of leadership changes in Africa haven’t fully solved poverty, weak institutions, and poor governance.

05/08/2026

Is Africa Prepared for the Next Generation of Financial Crime?

"The next generation of financial crime in Africa may not begin with a masked robber entering a bank. It may begin with a WhatsApp message, a fraudulent investment application, a cloned voice or a mobile-money transfer sent to an account controlled from another country.

Between December 2025 and January 2026, INTERPOL’s Operation Red Card 2.0 revealed the scale of this changing threat. Conducted across 16 African countries, the operation resulted in 651 arrests and uncovered online scams linked to more than US$45 million in losses. Authorities seized 2,341 devices and disrupted 1,442 malicious internet addresses, domains and servers connected to mobile-money fraud, fraudulent loan applications and high-yield investment schemes.

This was not simply the work of isolated scammers. It reflected organised criminal networks using digital infrastructure and multiple jurisdictions to reach victims and move illicit funds. As financial crime becomes faster, smarter and increasingly borderless, are Africa’s financial defences changing quickly enough to confront it?"

Read more here: https://developmentreport.online/is-africa-prepared-for-the-next-generation-of-financial-crime/

Patience Aidam-Frimpong
Paul Frimpong ( 保罗·弗里姆庞。)
Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory

INTERPOL’s Operation Red Card 2.0 exposes Africa’s next generation of financial crime: AI scams, mobile-money fraud, and cross-border ...

03/08/2026

"For decades, many African non-profit organisations have depended heavily on grants from international donors. These grants have supported important work in health, education, governance, climate action, human rights and humanitarian response. They have helped improve millions of lives across the continent.

However, the funding landscape is changing rapidly.

Governments in Europe and North America are reducing aid budgets. Philanthropic priorities are shifting. Competition for grants is increasing, while donor requirements continue to grow. At the same time, African organisations are being asked to deliver greater impact with fewer resources.

The question is no longer whether African non-profits should diversify their income.

The question is whether they will still be financially sustainable ten years from now if they do not.

By 2036, successful African non-profits will not rely on a single source of funding. Instead, they will build balanced financial portfolios that combine grants with locally generated income, investments and innovative financing.

Financial sustainability is no longer simply about raising more money.

It is about organisational sovereignty.

It is about having the freedom to pursue your mission without constantly changing direction to follow the latest donor priorities."

Read more here: https://developmentreport.online/the-five-income-streams-african-non-profits-must-have-by-2036/

Charles Kojo VanDyck

Five income streams for financial sustainability by 2036 — community giving, social enterprise, investments, and more