African Union (AU) and Dependency – A Critique of AU’s Dependency Syndrome and Dawn of New Alternative Sources of Funding

Abstract

As the African Union (AU) moves to implement its current development agenda as constituted in its ambitious Agenda 2063 there is increasing precedence to pay attention to the AU current progress so far in handling of mounting crises on the continent and executing its programmes efficiently and effectively. Across the continent, the AU is faced with crises that test its commitment and capability to fulfil its ambitious agenda.

Through desktop studies, this paper looks further at the major factors that remain troubling for the AU in implementing its programmes. The analysis, points out the AU’s inability to run its programmes and implement its ambitious agenda as articulated in Article 4(k) of the Constitutive Act that calls for “promotion of self – reliance,†Article 4(h) that calls for “non-indifference,†as well as not living up to the much heralded principle of “African solutions for African problems.†This is due to the AU’s over-reliance on external donor funding for its programmes. The paper, therefore, adopts a quality approach and is descriptive in structure.

Coupled with poor institutional infrastructural capacities, the analysis also assesses the renewed drive of AU operational strategy to find alternative funding sources that open up new opportunities to free itself from over-dependence on external donor funding who often times end up hijacking the whole development agenda. In conclusion and recommendation remarks, the paper goes to offer additional non-public sector sources of funds that, if given more emphasis, could offer, reliable and effective means of funding and economic transformational modalities.