The role of the United States agency for international development in U.S. public diplomacy in West Africa

Abstract

The aim of the research is to determine the role of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in implementing U.S. public diplomacy programs in West Africa. The article presents the evolution of USAID’s activities in West Africa using the examples of Ghana, Nigeria, and Mali. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that traditionally, American public diplomacy is studied through the prism of the activities of various institutions in East Africa; however, there are practically no studies in scientific circulation that analyze similar aspects of U.S. operations in West Africa. The study identified the specifics of applying U.S. public diplomacy mechanisms in West Africa, and also determined the role of decentralization programs in promoting democratic values and strengthening U.S. political influence in the countries of the region. The analysis showed how U.S. foreign policy adapts to the political realities of West Africa, striving to effectively engage with local authorities and civil society to achieve long-term strategic goals. The study found that USAID was most active from the early 2000s until its closure. The projects implemented by this structure were aimed at promoting American values in West African society. It was also found that the decentralization of government bodies in West African countries was used by the United States to strengthen influence in these territories. The concept of decentralization was promoted as a necessary element of “democratization”.

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About this article

Publication history

• Received: February 28, 2025.
• Published: April 10, 2025.

Keywords

• публичная дипломатия
• Западная Африка
• программы развития
• Агентство США по международному развитию
• public diplomacy
• West Africa
• development programs
• United States Agency for International Development

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)