By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised concerns over declining Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Sub-Saharan Africa, warning that countries in the region must strengthen internal economic and institutional capacity to withstand the shock.
In its Country Focus: Economic Developments in Countries and Regions report released yesterday, the Fund said: “For decades, official development assistance has been a central pillar of financing in Sub-Saharan Africa. That pillar is now weakening—quickly and broadly.”
It added that with aid becoming less predictable, resilience will increasingly depend on stronger domestic institutions, improved revenue generation, better spending efficiency, and enhanced policy design and service delivery.
The report, prepared by officials in the IMF African Department, noted that bilateral aid to the region fell sharply in 2025, with early estimates indicating a decline of about 26 percent in a single year.
