Trade Not Aid the origin

After more than two decades working for an international organization in Africa and several Western capitals, I began to notice a fundamental shift: Africa’s needs had evolved. It became increasingly clear to me that a new paradigm was required—one that demanded a mindset shift and fresh approaches to addressing the continent’s challenges.

When I began my career with this organization nearly 25 years ago, most African nations were about 35 years into their post-independence journeys. Today, they are closer to 60 years post-independence. While their needs and interventions may appear similar, they have fundamentally changed. As an individual’s needs evolve with age, so do African nations' needs. Yet, like some parents who fail to adapt to their grown children’s realities, aid organizations, funders, and development initiatives have clung to outdated approaches. They often wonder why their efforts fail to deliver transformation or impact proportional to their investments.

To avoid facing the hard truth that their methods may be ineffective, some redefine success or convince themselves that their work is inherently valuable and sufficient. Even with the best intentions, the aid industry—like any other—can become entrenched, self-serving, and more focused on sustaining itself than driving meaningful change.

It became evident that Africa’s current needs demand a different response. The continent is brimming with potential, particularly in raw produce that requires value addition, processing, distribution, and market access. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are at the heart of this opportunity. They form the backbone of their economies and hold the greatest potential for driving transformation and social impact.

This realization led me to establish Trade Not Aid—an initiative designed to identify SMEs with viable, scalable, and profitable ideas or products and connect them with investors. The goal is to create mutually beneficial partnerships that drive growth and impact.

While aid will always have its place, it should no longer be the default solution. Trade Not Aid seeks to shift the narrative, championing sustainable economic empowerment over dependency.