Foreign Aid: Impact and Effectiveness in Sub-Saharan Africa

This thesis explores foreign aid in the region of Sub-Saharan Africa from a historical perspective, from pre- and post-colonial origins, as well as the nature, actors, and delivery of foreign aid in the region. It examines the positive and negative points of aid, namely its effect on economic development and governance. Although foreign aid has helped facilitate development in sectors such as education, health care, and infrastructure, it has also been criticized for creating weak institutional capacity, governance issues, and dependency in recipient African countries. This paper addresses the question of whether foreign aid is effective and efficient in promoting sustainable development. Although it yields mixed results, results vary depending on context and are often limited by methodological and structural considerations. The thesis ends with recommendations on how to boost the effectiveness of aid by strengthening institutions and governance, and with more sustainable and evidence-based development strategies.