Philanthropy As A Systems Builder

It is interesting that philanthropy has gained a significant recognition as a catalytic source of funding in development conversation, especially in traditional societies.

This newest report by the Foreign Policy Analytics, on the impact of philanthropy in meeting development goals in Asia is a compelling review that reflects previous report on how Nigeria can mobilize philanthropic contributions from its citizens abroad to bridge development gaps. This was in part leveraged by Ethiopia to build the GERD.

In Anambra State, philanthropy has been mainstreamed by the Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, under the aegis of Public-Private Community Partnership (PPCP). This model offers state partnership that strengthens philanthropy. It assures philanthropists of state willingness to partner with them and extend their philanthropy to achieve more.

While Government must not abandon its duties to wealthy and spirited individuals, yet, it is  clear that the government alone cannot meet it’s development targets or expectations of the people.

Recent studies on the invaluable relevance of philanthropy to development aganda calls for a serious effort by national and subnational governments.

Governor Soludo’s PPCP model needs to be further adopted and formalized, strengthened and reinforced as a serious and sustainable development partnership model.

Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D