Why International Development Projects Fail in Africa and What We Can Do Differently

Why International Development Projects Fail in Africa and What We Can Do Differently

Sub-Saharan Africa is a graveyard of numerous development projects.

In almost every rural community in the region, there are legacies of botched attempts at “bettering the lives” of the locals—shattered toilets, empty wells and dilapidated school buildings.

While some of these projects failed structurally, others failed functionally. An example was a library stocked with English-language books in a community where no one spoke or understood the language. Or computer rooms filled with new computers that are securely locked with “no-entry” signs while teachers draw a Microsoft Word interface on blackboards.

The road to hell, they say, is paved with good intentions. Several donors and well-intentioned organisations have conducted projects in Africa that not only failed but left the locals worse than they met them. The World Bank, the world’s powerhouse of development projects, is not left out.

In 2007, the bank’s private arm, the International Finance Corporation, discovered that only half of its Africa projects succeeded. The reasons are from binary. While African aid projects face unique challenges from their global counterparts, there are noticeable patterns we can avoid.

Three reasons development projects fail in Africa

  1. One-Size-Fits-All Models

A 2012 study by Lavagnon A. Ika, a researcher at the University of Ottawa, Canada, revealed that most international development projects experience the same challenge because the project management methods used are inflexible.

According to the study, standard procedures—such as those in World Bank projects—do not regard the size and objectives of the project. As such, project managers lack the flexibility to tailor their methods according to unique local contexts.

Most charity funds run models that prioritise accountability and visibility. They ensure this through gate reviews, financial management and laborious planning using tools such as Seavus Project Viewer. Helpful as it is, it can stifle the social and cultural dimensions of project success. The was true for the $22 million Lake Turkana fish processing plant in Kenya; funded by the Norwegian government. Designed in 1971, the project was expected to provide jobs for the Turkana people through fishing and fish processing for export.

However, the Turkana people, like other Nilotic tribes in the Horn of Africa, are semi-nomadic pastoralists. They feed on milk, blood and meat. Turkana locals who fish commercially are considered poor because they have no cattle. Therefore, fishing was considered a derogatory vocation, sort of.

The Turkana plant was completed and functioned for only a few days. It did not last longer than that. Besides, the cost of operating the freezers and the demand for clean water in the desert were too high to maintain. The Turkana project remains a white elephant in Kenya’s waterless northwest today.

A saying goes, “No two projects are the same”. This is so true for Africa. No two Africa-based projects are the same, even if they sit in the same communities.

Africa is pot of socio-cultural, political and economic factors that would cripple any project model that refuses to adapt. International development bodies must choose flexibility over tradition; outcomes over processes.

Project management software packages cannot capture the nuances, politics and rival interests that influence real-life project decisions.

What we can do: The way forward is to embrace hybrid models that provide context-specific solutions. Project success in Africa is highly dependent on flexibility and strategic stakeholder engagement. International donors must be comfortable with sacrificing some part of their cherished processes for greater responsiveness.

  1. Political Interference

Africa’s political climate is largely young and still evolving. This means it can be crude and cutthroat. Consequently, it is often difficult to separate development projects from the unpredictable nature of African party politics. A classic example is the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline to the Atlantic Ocean.

Completed in 2003, the World Bank costs $4.2 billion. It was termed the biggest development project in Africa. The World Bank had funded the project on the condition that the proceeds be disbursed with international supervision to develop Chad.

Two years later, however, it all fell like a pack of cards when the then President, Idris Deby, announced that oil money would be diverted to buy weapons or else oil companies would be kicked out of the country.

Until his death in early 2021, Deby’s government spent oil money on regime survival and election rigging as thousands of Chadians wallowed in penury.

What we can do: Political bias has stifled Africa’s infrastructure development for decades. As much as international donors hope to better Africa, they cannot succeed without the cooperation of indigenous governments. To address this impasse, there is a need to foster communication between international donor and governments, beyond party politics. More importantly, they must woo the organised private sector who will better fight for their cause when the government goes rogue. Together with the organised private sector, they can create structures and systems that will immunise long-term development projects from volatile political cycles.

  1. Lack of Buy-in from locals

Many local and international donors adopt models that inadvertently sidelines the very people they are trying to help. These models glorify rushing into localities with charity funds to deliver projects purely managed by outsiders.

Therefore, the locals feel disconnected from the project from get-go. Such disconnectedness means that the project team is less likely to capture the nuanced needs and expectations of the locals into their decision-making process.  This was the case with a water project by PlayPumps international.

Perhaps the most pressing challenges facing Africa in the early 2000s—and today—is lack of clean water. PlayPumps sought to change that.The idea was to situate a merry-go-round in an African village and tether it to an overhead water tank a few metres away.

As children play on the merry-go-round, the kinetic energy generated pumps underground water, filling the tank. This way, children not only have enough space to play, they and their parents will have drinking water.

Not just that, the overhead tank, seven metres high, would host HIV/AIDS prevention campaign billboards on two sides and the rest two sides for advertising. Brilliant idea!

PlayPump received the World Bank Development Marketplace Award in 2000. In 2006, the Bush administration announced $10 million in support.

The initial goal was to install pumps in 4,000 villages across Africa, to serve 10 million people. What followed was an aggressive installation of pumps such that, in some villages, the locals were not even consulted.

In Mozambique, for instance, some locals complained that a PlayPump substituted their community’s traditional water-drawing gear without their approval. The repercussions of this neglect were severe.

A 2009 investigative report in The Guardian revealed that many PlayPumps were lying fallow. Children were not playing on them and the tanks were empty. In hindsight, the goal itself seems outlandish.

For one, most villagers require water in the early hours. The planners never realised how improbable it was to get children to play at a merry-go-round at that time of the day.

Consequently, users were forced to rotate the merry-go-rounds by themselves; a grueling exercise for the elderly. These challenges were unforeseen partly because PlayPump ignored the inputs of host communities. More so, the model became too difficult to maintain and was reliant on child labour.

After several complaints by Mozambicans about non-functioning units, PlayPumps International pacified them with their traditional hand-pumps, reversing everything to square one.

What we can do: Cultural issues are real. Without buy-in from locals, the most brilliant and well-meaning projects will buckle and break. International development organisations have a duty to engage stakeholders at every level, especially the ordinary people. It helps to engage government, the organised private sector and civil society organisations. But if we neglect the perspective of the ordinary people, we run the risk of a PlayPump replay.

As players in the development sphere, it is our duty to identify our stakeholders, categorise them according to their levels of influence and interest on the project, listen to their expectations from us and from the project, and involve them from the very start. Not as an afterthought.

In conclusion, the challenges of development projects in Africa are numerous—corruption, political interference, rigid models that disregard diversity and lack of buy-in from locals. It is hard to find projects that are 100% successful. But then, how do we define success in international development projects? In my opinion, a project is only successful when everyone involved—donors, implementers, host communities and recipients—agree that the project has succeeded.

About the author

He holds a master’s degree in Globalisation, Business & Development from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, UK. And Certificates in Social Epidemiology, Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership from Harvard School of Public Health, University of Maryland, Wagner College, respectively.

Share:

Olusola Owonikoko

He holds a master’s degree in Globalisation, Business & Development from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, UK. And Certificates in Social Epidemiology, Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership from Harvard School of Public Health, University of Maryland, Wagner College, respectively.

3 Comments

  1. Robin Backer

    Says August 04, 2021 at 11:38 am

    This is a very well-written and intelligent piece. Nice suggestions for improvements. In addition, I firmly believe in the power of communication, and in some cases, social media platforms such as What’s App could help engage with young people in the community.

  2. Tobi

    Says August 29, 2022 at 2:46 pm

    This satisfies the missions and vissions’ failures in Africa.
    Apparently international donors don’t keenly and deeply tackle all the projects as they do to national projects. The roadmap of procedures laid usually neglect hence no success whatever. Hierarchy gallows from international donors……. Government……. community. Above all,, engage the elite localists

  3. Phil Bowes

    Says February 15, 2023 at 7:57 am

    Excellent article!

Leave your comments

FIIFI BOATENG

Fiifi is a Ghanaian and currently serves as Communications and Information Officer at the West Africa Civil Society Institute. He joined the Institute in December 2020.

NANCY KANKAM KUSI

Nancy is a Ghanaian and currently serves as Programme Officer in the Knowledge Management unit at the West Africa Civil Society Institute. She joined the Institute in January 2021.

AGNES ADWOA ANIMA

Agnes is a Ghanaian and currently serves as Head of the Administration unit in the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). She joined the Institute in October 2021.

DORIS ODEI

Doris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social sciences (Economics and Sociology) from the University of Cape Coast. She is passionate about impacting young lives hence co-founded Impart Foundation. A non-profit organization which seeks to empower young lives through education, technology and entrepreneurship.

PRINCE AKOWUAH

Prince Akowuah is a Ghanaian and currently the Programme Assistant in the Translation Unit at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). She joined the Institute in 2020.

MAXWELL APENTENG

Maxwell Apenteng is a Ghanaian and joined WACSI in September 2010. He provides gardening and janitorial services at the Institute.

GEORGE ADU-MINTAH

George Adu-Mintah is a Ghanaian and currently the Protocol Assistant/Driver at the West Africa Civil Society (WACSI). He joined the Institute in October 2006.

IBRAHIM KWAKU GBADAGO

Ibrahim Kwaku Gbadago is a Ghanaian. He joined the Institute in 2008 and provides janitorial services and assisting the institute's errands. Before joining the Institute, he worked at the Palestinian embassy in Accra, Ghana.

RUTH YAKANA

Ruth Yakana is from Cameroon and currently the Receptionist at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). She joined the Institute in 2020.

BETHEL KWAME BOATENG

Bethel is a Ghanaian. He provides technical and IT related support to the Institute. He joined the Institute in October 2006.

WHITNAY SEGNONNA

Whitnay Segnonna holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Management from the University of Benin. With 2 years of experience, she has a strong knowledge of organizational and project management. Combined with her bilingualism, she is very passionate about her work. She joined WACSI as Project Assistant on Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) for the Capacity Development Unit.

STELLA YAWA WOWOUI

Stella Yawa Wowoui holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Translation Studies. She has a perfect grasp of both French and English, as well as an intermediate level in Spanish. She is currently working as a Project Assistant on the Techsoup Project.

KWAME ASANTE

Kwame is an experienced IT Consultant/Software Developer. He is skilled in Web Applications Development, Digital Security, Database Management, Digital Marketing and Brand Management. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology and is a Microsoft Programme Alumni. He is currently serving as a Marketing and IT Officer on the Techsoup Project.

GRACE AKPENE ZIGGAH

Grace Akpene Ziggah is a Togolese and currently the Logistics Officer and also assists in administration duties at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). She joined the Institute in June 2009.

LILLIAN DAFEAMEKPOR

Lilian Dafeamekpor is a Ghanaian and currently the Assistant to the Executive Director at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). She joined the Institute in 2020.

JOHN P. FRINJUAH

John P. Frinjuah has expertise and interests in civil society, international development, democracy and governance, conflict, crisis, and security. He has extensive experience working with civil society and international development organizations where he supported and managed research, programmes, and provided technical assistance on a variety of themes around public policy, governance, and development. He is an alumnus of the University of Ghana and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy - Tufts University in the United States, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from two institutions respectively. John speaks English, French and several Ghanaian and regional West Africa languages.

GERVIN CHANASE

Gervin has extensive international development experience, including 5 years of policy advocacy and capacity building of grass root organisations. He has implemented over the years a combination of agriculture value chain, livelihood, food security and governance and rights programmes.
Prior to joining WACSI, Gervin worked on two USAID projects focusing on agriculture value chain development and governance in northern Ghana
Gervin holds a master’s degree in development & Governance from the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany as well as a Masters in Global Studies from the Universities of Vienna (Austria), Leipzig (Germany) and California (Santa Barbara), USA. He is passionate social justice and inclusion.

LEANDRE BANON

Leandre Banon, Beninese, joined WACSI in September 2014 as Capacity Development Programme Assistant. Since then, he has worked in various units within the Institute to support operational and institutional capacity strengthening programmes for civil society in the region. Currently serving as Capacity Development Programme Officer at WACSI, his main responsibilities involve designing, planning, implementing and monitoring capacity development programmes for civil society constituents and grouping across the West Africa. Leandre is a certified Change the Game Academy Programme Trainer. His background lies in the areas of economics and development planning.

SAMUEL APPIAH

Samuel Appiah is a Ghanaian and currently the Programme Officer in the Finance and Administrative Unit at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). He joined the Institute in May, 2016.

JIMM CHICK FOMUNJONG

Jimm Chick Fomunjong, Cameroonian, joined WACSI in May 2018 as the Head of the Knowledge Management and Communication Units of the Institute. He has over ten years’ experience as a journalist and a development communications expert. He has a vast experience in supporting African organisations to strengthen their internal and external communications, building and sustaining relationships with the media and, leveraging on the power of social media to promote their mission. He is also excellent at supporting organisations to set up and operationalise functional communications and knowledge management systems. He has a deep passion and expertise in supporting Africans and African civil society organisations to document their praxis, share and learn from experiences documented from the African civil society sector.

FRANCK A. SOMBO

Franck Sombo is a development practitioner with the drive to lead self and others to influence productivity and efficiency. His work involves supporting organisations to develop strategic plans, design monitoring and evaluation systems, develop and use relevant performance measurement tools to track progress, assess organizational growth and institutionalise learning. Franck has eight years of experience working with WACSI where he currently serves as the Head, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning. His academic qualifications include Masters in Organisations’ and Projects’ Management, and in Business Sciences and a High National Diploma in Finance and Accounting.

Franck is a Fellow of the International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET) and a graduate of the Graduate Training Institute (GTI) - Ghana with specialization in Strategic Management and Corporate Leadership. He has a rich experience in Project Management, Capacity Development, Strategic planning, Data Analytics, Monitoring and Evaluation, Training and Facilitation, Mentoring and Coaching among others.

OMOLARA T. BALOGUN

Omolara is a development practitioner and advocacy strategist with over 15 years of progressive experience in development programming targeted at strengthening civil society in West Africa.

She joined WACSI in November 2009 as a Regional Advocacy Consultant and later became the first Policy Advocacy Officer of the Institute in 2010.

She was promoted to Head of the Policy Influencing and Advocacy (PIA) Unit in 2015. As the Head of the PIA unit, Omolara offers strategic direction to the Institutes’ ambitions to connect and convene groups of organised and organic civil society actors; and influence regional and global discourses on crosscutting policy issues including—civil society regulations, sustainable development goals, civic space and enabling environment, aid effectiveness, gender equality, and civil society accountability.

Previously, Omolara served as a Programmes Associate with the Women in Peace and Security Network-Africa (WIPSEN-Africa), where she worked with her team to design and implement pan-African programmes on—multidimensional peace support operations and gender mainstreaming in security sector reform in Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.

She also served as a Service Development Marshal at TVQ Consulting Group, a customer service firm focused on designing strategic customer relationship and business growth plans for private and public financial institutions in Nigeria.

Omolara is a social justice advocate, a network weaver, and a convener. She has a postgraduate degree in Peace and Conflict Studies; a degree in International Relations and History, from the University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria respectively.

She also holds executive certificates in Behavioral Science in Public Policy from Harvard University Executive Education in Cambridge and in Citizen Advocacy from the Coady International Institute, St Francis Xavier University in Canada.

KWABENA KRODUAH

Kwabena Kroduah is a Ghanaian and currently heads the Finance Unit at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). He joined the Institute in January 2008.

CHARLES KOJO VANDYCK

Charles currently serves as the Head of the Capacity Development Unit at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). Charles has over 10 years of experience working in international development and social justice issues in Africa. Charles has expertise in strengthening civil society and public agencies including the design and implementation of governance and leadership programmes, development of knowledge pieces and policy advice. Charles was the founding Board Chair of Innovation for Change (i4C)-Hub Afrique, as well as the founding member of the International Consortium on Closing Civic Space (iCon), an initiative of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington DC. Charles currently serves as the Member of the Governing Board (Coordination Collective) of Africans Rising. He is a Member of the Development Studies Association, United Kingdom. Charles is a 2017 Stanford University Fellow for Nonprofit Leaders and a certified Change the Game Resource Mobilisation Trainer.

NANA ASANTEWA AFADZINU

Nana Afadzinu is a Ghanaian and currently serves as the Executive Director of the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). She joined the Institute in October 2010.