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| President William (r), International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief Kristalina Georgieva and Prime Cabine Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. |
A recent report by Christian Aid Partners has revealed the depth of the debt crisis facing African countries. This report highlights the debt crisis across Africa, focusing on five countries: Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Malawi. Christian Aid partners emphasised how debt repayment compromises African nurses’ salaries, investment in schools, and the expansion of social protection measures, including healthcare. Speaking on the debt crisis in Africa, Jason Rosario Braganza, Executive Director, AFRODAD said, “This report highlights the depth of a crisis that is beyond debt. It is a development and human crisis when government opts to service a creditor [rather] than its citizens. The findings are clear, governments are working for creditors and not people, this must change if Africa is to be a rule maker.” The report uses new data to demonstrate how each dollar spent on servicing debt detracts from critical services, affecting the communities we serve. It criticises creditors, international financial institutions, and governments in the global North for prioritizing debt repayment over people’s lives. Countries spending more on debt than on education To show the depth of the crisis, the report listed countries that are spending more on external debt than healthcare and spend more on external debt than education Angola Zambia Egypt Djibouti Tunisia Kenya Malawi Cote d’Ivoire Ghana Gambia Guinea Cabo Verde Cameroon Mauritania Congo (Republic) Guinea-Bissau South Sudan Chad Sierra Leone Mauritius Central African Republic Liberia Nigeria
by Elijah Ntongai