Can the Global South survive without aid?
At the World Economic Forum, a familiar setting for Global South appeals to Western capital, a different conversation quietly took shape. African presidents, former heads of state, and global development institutions were no longer asking for more aid. Instead, they were questioning whether aid itself has become an obstacle to sovereignty.
This shift, now referred to as the Accra Reset, reflects a growing realisation that the global aid model is reaching its limits, and that the Global South may soon have no choice but to stand on its own.
Sovereignty beyond rhetoric
The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo framed sovereignty as action rather than declaration, calling for value addition and economic control over natural resources. It was a pointed reminder that resource ownership without control over value chains offers little real power.
Congo’s position mirrors that of many Global South countries: rich in strategic resources, yet dependent on external financing. As long as raw materials leave the continent unprocessed, sovereignty remains symbolic rather than structural.
A changing political tone
Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, openly challenged dependency, speaking not as a beneficiary of aid but as a stakeholder demanding agency. This shift in language is significant. It signals a move away from gratitude towards assertion, though assertion without coordination risks remaining performative.
Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, went further, arguing that the failure lies not with African countries but with a global financial system that transformed temporary aid into a permanent fixture. Aid fatigue, in this context, is not frustration with donors, but with a system that discourages self-sufficiency.
When institutions acknowledge the inevitable
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo warned that the Global South cannot outsource its future, a statement that carries weight given his long involvement in aid negotiations. It reflects an emerging consensus among leaders who once operated comfortably within donor frameworks but now recognise their limitations.
Institutional voices echoed this unease. The Commonwealth Secretary-General spoke cautiously about reform and cooperation, while Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands acknowledged that aid flows are shrinking and domestic financing will become unavoidable.
This admission matters. When institutions built around aid begin to question its sustainability, the era of predictable external support is effectively over.
The real test: unity or fragmentation
The Accra Reset ultimately exposes a deeper problem. While the Global South speaks of unity, its countries continue to negotiate trade, financing and policy individually, often in Western capitals, leaving them vulnerable to sanctions, protectionism and shifting geopolitical interests.
Fragmented economies are easy to discipline. Coordinated economies are harder to ignore.
The Accra Reset is not a declaration of independence. It is a stress test. One that asks whether the Global South is prepared to finance itself, trade with itself and defend its economic interests collectively.
Aid, as several speakers implied, will end whether the Global South is ready or not.
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World Reframed is produced in London by Global South World, part of the Impactum Group. Its editors are Duncan Hooper and Ismail Akwei.
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This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
