NGOs and their quest for legitimacy in Africa

The document examines the rise of NGOs in Africa since the 1980s, driven by the perceived failure of states to provide basic services and maintain accountability. While NGOs have partnered with international agencies like the World Bank and UN to fill gaps in health and education, their increasing capacity has led to conflict with African governments. States often view autonomous NGOs as political challengers, leading to restrictive legislation in countries such as Kenya and Uganda. The author concludes that while NGOs offer a development alternative, they cannot substitute for the state's role in providing essential infrastructure and basic services.

• The expansion of NGOs in Africa during the early 1980s was driven by a shift in development theory, reflecting the view that African states were obstacles to progress due to a lack of transparency and accountability.
• NGOs have filled critical service gaps in health, education, and agriculture, and have become key partners for multilateral agencies including the World Bank, USAID, and various UN bodies such as UNICEF, UNDP, and UNEP.
• The increasing capacity of NGOs has created a 'collision course' with African governments, who perceive these organisations as threats to state autonomy, security, and territorial hegemony, particularly when NGOs challenge state policies or legitimacy.
• African governments have implemented restrictive legal and security measures to control NGOs, exemplified by Kenya's NGO Coordination Act of 1990 and Uganda's 1989 legislation placing NGOs under its internal security secretariat.
• Despite their comparative advantages and role in empowering grassroots communities, NGOs cannot serve as a total substitute for the state in providing essential infrastructure and basic welfare services.

APA

Tadesse, D. (n.d.). NGOs and their quest for legitimacy in Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/ngos-and-their-quest-for-legitimacy-in-africa

Chicago

Tadesse, Debay. NGOs and their quest for legitimacy in Africa. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/ngos-and-their-quest-for-legitimacy-in-africa.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tadesse |first1=Debay |title=NGOs and their quest for legitimacy in Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/ngos-and-their-quest-for-legitimacy-in-africa |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tadessendngos, author = {Tadesse, Debay}, title = {{NGOs and their quest for legitimacy in Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/ngos-and-their-quest-for-legitimacy-in-africa}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }