Former Vice President of Nigeria calls for stronger development partnerships amid shrinking global aid
Date: 2026-01-27
By: Kanto Kai Okanta
Former
Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has underscored the need for
more effective development partnerships as traditional aid flows continue to
decline, calling for reforms that prioritise impact and sustainability.
Speaking
at a high-level session held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in
Davos, Prof. Osinbajo joined global leaders from the public, private and
philanthropic sectors to examine the future of development financing. The
discussion brought together Bill Gates of the Gates Foundation, Moritz
Schularick of the Kiel Institute, Paschal Donohoe of the World Bank Group,
Bridget Walsh of EY, and Norway’s Finance Minister, Jens Stoltenberg. The
session was moderated by Rachana Shanbhogue of The Economist.
Participants
focused on strategies to better blend public, private and philanthropic capital
in order to unlock greater development impact, while also strengthening
domestic resource mobilisation in developing economies. The conversation
further highlighted the need for reforms within multilateral institutions to
ensure that development initiatives scale effectively and deliver measurable
outcomes.
Prof.
Osinbajo noted that although the challenges associated with declining aid are
significant, there remain tangible opportunities for practical collaboration
among governments, development partners and the private sector. He stressed
that adapting development models to current global realities would be critical
to sustaining progress and addressing emerging economic and social pressures.
