West Africa

Overview

West Africa has seen some of the most inspiring political developments on the African continent; now the challenge is to ensure that people have equal access to economic and social opportunities.

The Regional Context

Since the mid-1990s, West Africa has seen the historic shift from military regimes to constitutional rule, cessation of civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia, and renewed regional economic integration.

West Africa's people have taken important steps to secure this democratic transition by promoting peace and security, strengthening fiscal management, deepening the rule of law, tackling corruption, and instilling accountability and transparency in government practice and the delivery of basic services.

These governance measures and reforms appear to have reversed the economic stagnation of the previous decade. But progress has been tenuous.

The region is home to nearly half of the 300 million poor people reported by the United Nations to be living on less than $1.25 a day in Africa. Malaria is endemic, and HIV/AIDS remains a threat. Institutions are weak, and corruption is pervasive and widespread. Unemployment, especially among the region's abundant youth population is alarmingly high. Poverty is a major source of ethnic, religious and resource control tensions, and conflicts that lead to personal and public insecurity pose a threat to West Africa's fledgling democracies.

Our Goal

The goal of our work is to improve governance systems and livelihood opportunities for the poor.

This is a critical time in West Africa. The region's socioeconomic shortfalls must be addressed; and advancements in democratic governance must be protected and expanded or the gains may lose traction.

What We're Doing

Our work reflects what we believe to be the best way to help those most in need. We support efforts to engage government on behalf of the marginalized and underrepresented, and help civil society empower these communities.

We focus primarily on Nigeria, the largest economy in the subregion and Africa's most populous country.

Our grant making in the region is pursued through the following initiatives.

Issue	Initiative
Democratic and Accountable Government	Promoting Transparent, Effective and Accountable Government
Economic Fairness	Expanding Livelihood Opportunities for Poor Households
Freedom of Expression	Advancing Public Service Media
Sexuality and Reproductive Health and Rights	Youth Sexuality, Reproductive Health, and Rights

From the Newsroom

In the Headlines: In Timbuktu, Saving the Pages of History The story of a daring mission to rescue historical manuscripts from extremists
News from Ford: Ford Foundation Appoints Innocent Chukwuma to Lead Its West Africa Office Renowned human rights and global governance advocate will oversee the foundation’s work in the region

From the Library

Ford Foundation West Africa 2010 marked 50 years of grant making in the region. We support civil society organizations that are strengthening democracy, advancing human rights, expanding economic opportunity, and promoting adolescent reproductive health. 5 MB