Planning diplomacy: A remedy to ugly aid dependency and contributor to sustainable development in Africa

Eric Blanco Niyitunga ,Mohammed Iqbal Jahed

doi:10.24294/jipd11654

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Planning diplomacy: A remedy to ugly aid dependency and contributor to sustainable development in Africa

Eric Blanco Niyitunga

Mohammed Iqbal Jahed

Journal of Infrastructure Policy and Development 2025, 9(4), 11654; https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd11654

Submitted：03 Apr 2025

Accepted：26 May 2025

Published：11 Nov 2025

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Abstract

The effects of aid dependency on preventing the achievement of sustainable development in Africa have not been given appropriate academic attention. Aid dependency in Africa is undoubtedly among the most factors that have promoted poverty and underdevelopment. Aid dependency which hindered the growth of local innovation, promoted divisions that have affected good governance for sustainable development. Aid dependency has promoted chronic poverty, mental laziness and unstable health and well-being. It has ignited unhealthy conditions that have created a perpetual vicious cycle of poverty that prevents the achievement of sustainable development. The study found that planning diplomacy can serve as a solution to aid diplomacy and address its effects thus promoting the achievement of sustainable development. Planning diplomacy was found to have critical links with Africa’s communalism theory, thus making it an ideal approach to addressing the effects of aid dependency in Africa. Planning diplomacy was found to promote local business in a collective manner. It is through this collective approach that sustainable development can be achieved in Africa. Planning diplomacy was found to be key for sustainable development because it makes good use of foreign aid and promotes local ownership, thus strengthening sustainable economic growth and development that makes sustainable development achievable. Planning diplomacy was equally important as a remedy to aid dependency because it enhances knowledge and skills transfer. Knowledge and skills transfer promotes sustainable development because it facilitates sharing of skills that brings innovation and technologies to local citizens in a collective manner. The study adopted a qualitative research methodology with the use of secondary data collected from existing literature published in the public domain. Collected data was analyzed and interpreted through document analysis techniques.

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