According to 2018 data from 30 member countries of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), official development assistance (ODA) has fallen by 2.7% since 2017. However, ODA remains a crucial pillar of development finance, particularly in the Sahel and West Africa. In 2017, the 17 Sahel and West African countries received a total of USD 13.9 billion in ODA, representing 9.5% of all ODA given. Read on

The 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) convened leaders from across the globe for two weeks of debate in New York. “Making the UN relevant to all people: Global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies,” was the official theme of the summit. The general debate opened on 25 September, following the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit. World leaders discussed a large number of urgent issues such as financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, climate action and international peacekeeping. What's in it for West Africa? Read on

Some 2.7 million Sierra Leoneans cast their ballots in the 2018 general elections on 7 March to choose a new president, a new parliament and new local council representatives. Sixteen candidates competed for the presidency, including Foreign Minister Samura Kamara who was the candidate of the ruling All People’s Congress (42% of votes) and the main opposition candidate Julius Maada Bio (43% of votes). Read on

Of the millions of children who do not complete elementary school in West Africa each year, one third suffer from a disability. Their condition means they are confronted with many barriers to education. As part of its inclusive education programme, Handicap International seeks to remove the many barriers to the education of 170 000 children with disabilities in nine West African countries. Read on