Development Economist - International Aid Impact on African Economies

I love macroeconomics, especially global economics, because the Smaller is indeed included in the greater… As I refresh my understanding of international aid in Africa for my next podcast episode, I couldn’t help but compare it to personal credit. Credit can help you build a business, invest, acquire an asset or navigate a difficult season. But if you keep borrowing simply to maintain the same lifestyle, eventually the question becomes: what is the money actually producing? That brings me to my biggest research question: Is international aid a blessing or a curse? International aid and borrowing are not inherently bad. The real question is what kind of economy do they produce? Do they build productive capacity, stronger institutions and human capital? Or do they simply keep existing systems afloat? If a country can receive billions in external assistance over decades and still remain heavily dependent on imports for basic needs, perhaps we need to ask a harder question: Why does the economic structure remain so dependent? I’ll be exploring this much more deeply in the next episode of The Global Economist. I’m also looking to speak with an expert in international development, aid or development finance who would be interested in joining the conversation. If that’s you, or you know someone I should speak to, I’d love to connect. 🌍