What You Need to Know
Kenya and other African nations are at risk of increasing debt due to declining foreign investments and aid. Policymakers emphasize the need for alternative financing solutions, urging a shift from dependency on external support to self-financed development. The Africa Exchange 2026 forum highlights the urgency of this transition for sustainable growth.
Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenya and other African nations are likely to sink into more debt if they don’t find alternative financing to cover the retreating foreign investments and dwindling Aid.
This is according to policy makers and thought leaders attending a high-level gathering on the future of development on the content.
Rockefeller Foundation Africa director for health initiatives Wadzanayi Muchenje, says that the sharp reduction in overseas development assistance and the closure of major donor programmes such as USAID have exposed Africa’s heavy dependence on external support.
She was speaking on the sidelines of the Africa Exchange 2026 forum, pointing out that African states will now be forced to pursue alternative sources of financing if they are to achieve meaningful development.
“Several implementing partners had to shut down operations because they were fully funded through those channels,” Muchenje said.
She noted that last year’s forum focused on emergency measures to cushion African economies after aid cuts. This year’s conference, themed Money, Markets and Mindsets, is aimed at finding long-term solutions.
According to Muchenje, Africa must now tap into underused global financing mechanisms such as the International Monetary Fund Resilience and Sustainability Trust and the Green Climate Fund, while also accelerating private sector investment.
She added that trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area could become a key driver of growth if implementation speeds up.
“We have spoken for years about moving from aid to trade. AfCFTA has been ratified, but progress has been slow. We must accelerate trade,” she said.
Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o called for accelerated investment in infrastructure and deeper regional integration, warning that Africa risks stalling its economic progress without long-term planning and cooperation among its leaders.
According to the governor, transport networks will be key in unlocking growth across the continent, pointing to rail and air connectivity as critical enablers of trade and mobility.
“Africa will not get anywhere without open infrastructure, particularly rail, roads and air transport,” he said.
He cautioned that weak decision-making remains a major barrier, taking aim at leaders he accused of prioritising short-term political and economic gains at the expense of sustainable development.
“The problems are with decision-makers who do not have eyes and souls to see far. They only see the immediate,” he said.
The governor also renewed calls for stronger continental unity, arguing that deeper collaboration among African states is essential to overcoming structural challenges and competing globally.
New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) CEO Nados Bekele-Thomas said the era of aid-driven development was ending as data showed that development assistance fell by 23 per cent in 2025, while bilateral aid to Africa dropped by 24 per cent.
“This is not a gradual decline. It is a rupture. Africa’s development needs are now measured in trillions of dollars, while aid flows remain in shrinking billions,” said the CEO for the African Union Development Agency, Bekele-Thomas.
She said the continent already has over $4 trillion in financial assets held by banks, pension funds, insurers and public institutions, but too little is invested in infrastructure and productive sectors.
“This is not simply a capital shortage. It is a mobilisation crisis,” she said.
Forum speakers agreed that beyond money and markets, Africa needs a mindset shift — moving away from dependency and toward self-financed, African-owned development.
“We hold the resources, we hold the wealth, but we have not fully unlocked it,” Muchenje said.
The Africa Exchange conference is expected to produce recommendations on private sector partnerships, trade expansion, infrastructure financing and policy reforms aimed at making African economies more resilient.
In recent years, many African nations have relied heavily on foreign aid and investments for their development needs. However, a significant decline in overseas development assistance and major donor programs has raised concerns about the sustainability of this model. As aid flows diminish, African countries are now compelled to explore alternative financing mechanisms to support their economic growth and development initiatives.
The Africa Exchange conference serves as a platform for leaders to discuss strategies to transition from aid dependency to self-sustaining economic models. This shift is crucial for ensuring that African nations can meet their development goals and compete on a全球舞台
