Foreign aid is not charity – Vice President Opoku-Agyemang challenges global perception

The Vice President of Ghana, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has said the perception that foreign aid to Africa was a one-sided act of charity was not true and that wealth flows out of the continent far more than it receives.

Speaking at a meeting with students from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at Jubilee House on Monday (March 17, 2025), she responded to a question about foreign aid and recent remarks by US President Donald Trump on cutting assistance to Africa.

“You see, one of the questions he hasn’t asked himself is how much leaves our continent for his [Donald Trump's] country. They think it’s just charity. It is not,” she said.

“If even a fraction of what is taken from our continent remained, we wouldn’t have issues with unemployment, sanitation, or many other challenges.”

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang warned that Africa would not continue to accept economic imbalances. “At the right time, we’ll also take action. And it will not be funny,” she stated.

She referenced Niger’s recent decision to renegotiate its mineral contracts, which saw its national revenue rise from $1 billion to over $10 billion in a year.

The discussion, which brought together students from Harvard Kennedy School and MIT’s urban planning programme, covered a range of issues, including women’s empowerment, climate action, and regional integration in Africa.

On climate justice, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang pointed out the unfair burden placed on African nations despite their minimal contributions to global emissions. “We are responsible for less than 5% [of emissions], yet we are expected to bear the consequences,” she noted.

The Vice President encouraged the students to amplify African perspectives in global conversations. “We need everybody’s voice. You are from Harvard Kennedy School and MIT, we need your voices too,” she urged.