Changing Patterns of the Official Development Assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Using OECD dataset, this study highlights six major patterns of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the Sub-Saharan Africa region over the past ten years. The observed patterns include: (i) ODA to Sub-Saharan Africa is on the rise, but at a lower rate relative to other competing regions. In other words, the region is less prioritized when it comes to receiving increasing ODA resources, (ii) ODA from non-DAC countries to the region is increasing at a higher pace than ODA from traditional DAC members, (iii) emerging and relatively small DAC members are remarkably increasing ODA to Sub-Saharan Africa than the large and traditional DAC members, (iv) the importance of ODA is declining in the region when compared to other sources of national budgetary funding. Reference is made to a declining ODA to GNI ratio, (v) ODA to the economic and production sectors is increasing at a higher pace than ODA resources being directed to social sectors, and (vi) within the social sector, ODA is increasingly being directed towards the water and sanitation sub-sectors relative to allocations to the health and education sub-sectors. The paper concludes by highlighting policy recommendations.