This is a tsunami-earthquake-storm kind of leadership that Trump has shut down usaid. gov. This is unprecedented in all ways because he is telling the world that they have “no rights” for America to fund them, and influence them, via soft power. Yet, this may even be a good outcome if African leaders can lead.
Those aid agencies distort markets and cause harm to nation’s abilities to develop sustainable solutions. You create a product with a clear market traction in the healthcare, education or agro area. Then 2 years later, an aid agency comes and makes a similar product FREE. You struggle and shut down, and in 3 years, the aid funds are gone, and the people return back to the floor level.
So, if Trump is cutting these funds, people should not panic. It may even be good. What needs to happen is for African governments to create a database to know citizens who need help, as local companies rise to capture opportunities without the aid agencies’ distortions. Citizens who need help and cannot afford products should be supported even as local companies fill the market voids. Africa has histories of dealing with such issues for centuries; return back to them.
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In my village of Ovim, there is a framework which has enabled the rise of the free market and support of the vulnerable so that people do not go to bed on empty stomachs. In Agbongele Ugwunta, it is an ordinance till TODAY that any crop grown there belongs to the community. The idea is that you can have a big farm which you run and make money, but there is a chance that not everyone can afford the produce.
To help those who may be unable to pay, you willingly go to Agbongele and plant things and nurture things knowing that your fellow citizens will use those things. It is an abomination to harvest and sell anything in Agbongele as it is for in-need consumption. While in the village, I did plant and was proud to see it grow, knowing that one day someone will need it to avoid hunger!
So, our governments can have a structure to ensure the free market while covering the needs of the vulnerable citizens. Trump is giving Africa a huge opportunity and this is a time for a reset.
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Comment: Ndubuisi Ekekwe : Your perspective is both insightful and inspiring. I agree that aid, while well-intentioned, can sometimes distort local markets and stifle sustainable growth. It’s refreshing to see examples like Agbongele Ugwunta, where community-driven initiatives ensure that even the vulnerable are supported without undermining local innovation. Trump’s decision might indeed serve as a catalyst for a much-needed reset—one where African leaders can harness their rich histories of resilience and self-reliance to build robust, locally-tailored solutions. Thank you for sharing this thought-provoking take on how we might move forward!
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The aids don’t only distort local markets, they also distort local politics. The latter isn’t easily noticeable, but it’s more profound. How do a supposed free people become extremely dependent and somewhat feel entitled about their dependency? It is an aberration to numb the minds in that way.
You have NGOs and CSOs littered all over the place, to whose benefits exactly? That is why we sort of convinced ourselves that sending palliatives is a form of empowerment. You are conditioned to remain subservient and incapacitated, and you somewhat become comfortable in your misery. The same people send aids to your electoral umpires, and you believe that they have no skin in the outcomes. You cannot be that naive and clueless.
No aid is worth the damage it creates in the long-term, and once you stop seeing yourselves as victims, your freedom is around the corner. More of the disruption from Trump please, you all must grow sense by force. Those who are after your life cannot be guaranteeing your security. You know what that means if they do.