The African Diaspora: A Strategic Lever for Donors and Sustainable Development

Introduction

At present, the total amount of financial transfers (remittances) received by Africa from the diaspora is estimated at more than USD 100 billion for 2025 (advance estimate), after reaching USD 95 billion in 2024 according to the World Bank, which is more than the amount of Official Development Assistance (ODA) received by Africa that year.

The African diaspora refers to all people of African origin living outside the continent, whether they come from recent or older migrations.

Estimated at more than 170 million people according to African Union figures in 2023, it is now estimated at more than 200 million people according to various sources.

With more than USD 100 billion in remittances during 2025, an estimated contribution of 5% of Africa's GDP, this diaspora represents a major economic weight, which appears as a more than considerable tool in the development strategy of the African Union and beyond, because, as we have all understood, more than ever, the different actors must combine their efforts to achieve common objectives whose guiding line is given by the UN SDGs. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as the African Union's Agenda 2063, insist on this necessary mobilisation of all forces, including non-state actors (diaspora, private sector, civil society), as a sine qua non condition. A question therefore arises: How can this diaspora be effectively integrated into the development strategy on the ground? We will try to offer some answers to this question, starting with the African diaspora and its characteristics and challenges, then a case study of Nigeria and the DRC, and finally how an integrated donor/diaspora and government/diaspora strategy could potentially be put in place.

I – The African diaspora and its characteristics

1. Typology

The African diaspora is not a homogeneous bloc. It is diverse in its history, profiles, migration paths and fields of action. This plurality is its richness and explains why it is today a cross-cutting development actor, able to act at once in the economic, intellectual, cultural and political spheres. Four major complementary faces can be distinguished:

• The intellectual diaspora

It includes African researchers, teachers, engineers, doctors, consultants and experts established abroad. This diaspora plays an essential role in the production and circulation of knowledge. It is found in universities, research centres, international organisations and think tanks. Structured networks such as the African Diaspora Network (based in California), CODESRIA (Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, in Dakar), or the Network of African Scientists in the Diaspora supported by the African Union, facilitate the exchange of skills and the co-production of African solutions in health, digital technology, agriculture and governance. These profiles embody the potential for knowledge transfer and scientific mentoring between African universities and their counterparts in the North.

• The economic diaspora

Made up of entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and executives working in large multinationals, this category acts as an economic bridge between Africa and the rest of the world. Many reinvest in their countries of origin, create transnational startups, or take part in investment funds dedicated to the continent. Platforms such as the Tony Elumelu Foundation, the Ghana Diaspora Investment Forum or the Senegal Diaspora Investment Fund testify to this dynamic. These economic actors contribute not only through remittances (more than USD 95 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank), but also through technology transfer, job creation, and the emergence of innovation ecosystems with strong local impact. The economic diaspora thus positions itself as a vector of impact investment and diversification of African economies.

• The political diaspora

Less visible but just as influential, the political diaspora refers to Africans involved in public affairs, diplomacy or international organisations. It is found in decision-making circles at the UN, the European Union and the World Bank, as well as in Western governments, where several ministers and members of parliament of African origin play an active role in defending the continent's interests. This diaspora also contributes to strategic lobbying for better representation of Africa in global bodies and for the adoption of fairer policies on migration, economic and environmental issues. Organisations such as the Pan-African Network in Europe and the African Diaspora Policy Centre (ADPC) in The Hague illustrate this growing influence. It takes part in building a diasporic diplomacy, both political and economic.

• The cultural diaspora

It embodies African soft power through art, music, fashion, cinema, gastronomy and digital media. Artists such as Burna Boy, Aya Nakamura and Lupita Nyong'o, and creators such as Virgil Abloh (the late Ghanaian-American designer), have helped reposition Africa at the heart of the global creative industries. This diaspora acts as a vector of narrative and identity reappropriation, spreading a modern, confident and unified image of the continent. Diasporic cultural platforms, such as Trace Africa and OkayAfrica, or the Afropunk and Africolor festivals, strengthen the international visibility of this Africa on the move. Through its media and artistic influence, the cultural diaspora promotes the appreciation of African heritage, tourist appeal and identity pride within African societies themselves.

2. Current contributions

Contributions are diverse, ranging from financial transfers (remittances) to transfers of knowledge and skills, investments and entrepreneurial initiatives.

• Financial transfers: an economic backbone

Remittances are the most visible and measurable channel of diaspora contribution. In 2024, Africa received about USD 95 billion, according to the World Bank, an amount higher than the official development assistance (ODA) received the same year. These resources are essential to:

• Support household consumption, especially in rural areas;
• Finance education, health and housing;
• Stabilise national economies, by bringing in foreign currency and reducing poverty.

Nigeria alone captures nearly USD 20 billion a year, followed by Egypt, Morocco and Ghana. But beyond family use, these flows represent an endogenous financing lever that states and donors now seek to channel towards productive investment (diaspora bonds, investment funds, co-development programmes).

• Transfer of knowledge and skills

Beyond money, the diaspora contributes to the continent's intellectual capital. African experts, researchers, engineers, doctors and teachers in the diaspora take part in:

• Temporary return programmes such as TOKTEN (Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals), supported by UNDP;
• Distance training and mentoring initiatives with African universities and institutions;
• Technical cooperation missions in health, research, energy transition and public governance.

For example, the Network of Ivorian Diaspora Professionals (RPID) has trained several hundred entrepreneurs in Côte d'Ivoire, while associations of Congolese doctors in the diaspora take part each year in free surgical campaigns in the DRC. These actions strengthen the circulation of skills and create bridges between innovation and local anchoring.

• Entrepreneurship and investment

More and more members of the diaspora choose to invest directly in their countries of origin. We are seeing the emergence of an entrepreneurial diaspora creating businesses with strong social impact in tech, agro-industry, health and renewable energy. Flagship initiatives include:

• The Tony Elumelu Foundation (Nigeria), which supports more than 15,000 African startups;
• The PAREM Programme (Senegal), supporting the return and business creation of the diaspora;
• African Diaspora Investment Funds (e.g. ADISIF, Ghana), which facilitate collective investment.

These initiatives show that the diaspora can play the role of patient capital, able to finance projects often ignored by banks or institutional investors. It thus becomes a driver of dynamism for the African private sector.

II – The challenges encountered

Despite its demographic, intellectual and economic weight, the African diaspora faces several structural challenges that hold back its full integration into the continent's development dynamics. These challenges are institutional, economic, political and psychological, and require a concerted approach between states, donors and diaspora actors.

1. A need to increase coordination and further clarify the institutional framework

One of the major obstacles lies in the absence of a continental strategic framework to channel and coordinate diaspora initiatives. Many African countries have diaspora ministries or directorates, but their mandate is not always easy for the target audience to understand, and their actions are sometimes not fully combined with national strategies. Mechanisms of pooling and shared governance with the diasporas themselves could be a formidable strength.

2. Persistent financial and regulatory obstacles

Despite the considerable volume of remittances (USD 95 billion in 2024), the environment remains unfavourable to mobilising productive capital. The obstacles include:

• High transfer costs (7.9% on average for USD 200, according to the World Bank)
• The absence of suitable financial products (diaspora bonds, guarantee funds, repatriation insurance, etc.)
• Dissuasive tax and legal frameworks, especially for real estate or entrepreneurial investments.

These constraints limit the transformation of remittances into structuring investments, even though the diaspora represents a pool of domestic financing for the continent.

3. A deficit of trust and recognition

The relationship between the diaspora and African governments often remains marked by mutual apprehension. This mutual apprehension holds back:

• The return of skills
• Direct investment
• The active participation of diasporas in public policy making.

The challenge is therefore to rebuild a contract of trust based on transparency, consultation and institutional recognition of diaspora contributions.

4. Geographic dispersion and heterogeneity of profiles

The African diaspora is geographically scattered (Europe, the Americas, the Gulf, Asia) and very heterogeneous in its paths: refugees, students, executives, entrepreneurs, artists, and so on. This diversity makes it complex to create a unified collective voice or coherent representation. Diaspora associations, often based on regional or community affinities, sometimes lack synergy and coordination at the continental scale. This fragmentation limits their political weight and their ability to influence donors and international institutions.

III – Case study: Nigeria and the DRC

IV – Towards an integrated strategy: donors/diaspora and governments/diaspora

To maximise the impact of African diasporas, it is essential to combine the strengths of governments, donors and diaspora communities. An integrated approach would make it possible to turn financial, intellectual and social contributions into structuring, lasting projects.

1. Some principles and tools that could have a positive effect

• Co-construction: involve the diaspora from the design of projects to guarantee relevance and local ownership.
• Dedicated financial instruments: diaspora bonds, investment funds and public-private partnerships to channel remittances and capital towards productive projects.
• Dialogue platforms: advisory committees, conferences and digital platforms to strengthen coordination and transparency.

2. Operational process

• Map the skills, networks and resources of the diaspora.
• Identify existing financial instruments and partnership opportunities.
• Define a common strategic framework with sector priorities and governance mechanisms.
• Launch pilot projects to test and adjust models.
• Evaluate and extend successful initiatives to other countries and regions.

Conclusion

The African diaspora is much more than an outside actor: it is a strategic development partner. Its financial, intellectual, entrepreneurial and cultural contributions represent a powerful lever for sustainable growth, innovation and the strengthening of local communities. In Nigeria, diaspora remittances are the second-largest source of foreign currency after oil.

To fully exploit this potential, it is essential to:

• Recognise the diaspora as a partner in the design and implementation of projects;
• Create structured collaboration mechanisms between African states, donors and diaspora communities;
• Mobilise suitable financial and technical tools, able to channel both capital and skills.

Governments and donors are invited to integrate the diaspora into their strategies, offering it an active, co-deciding and lasting role. This approach not only strengthens the impact of projects, but also builds a dynamic of trust and resilience for the continent. Beyond financial flows and skills, the diaspora can be a driver of development diplomacy, linking Africa to global networks and strengthening its influence on the international stage. By recognising and valuing this potential, Africa can turn its diaspora into a catalyst for sustainable transformation.