Research Seminar - The Political Economy of Social Protection in Francophone West and Central Africa: A Comparison with Anglophone Africa

Abstract

The political economy of social protection in Francophone West and Central Africa (FWCA) has been largely overlooked compared to Anglophone Africa. Existing cross-national studies offer inconclusive evidence on differences between the two regions, partly due to variation within both sets of cases. This study draws on interviews with 11 international donor officials across eight FWCA countries involved in the design, financing and implementation of social protection. It compares findings with existing knowledge of social protection in Anglophone Africa to understand if, how and why the regions differ. The data reveal two key differences: FWCA countries tend to prioritise universal health coverage and contributory social insurance, whereas non-contributory social cash transfers are more prominent in Anglophone Africa. Additionally, social assistance programs in Anglophone countries appear more institutionalised and better coordinated. Three factors explain these modest differences. First, FWCA experiences higher political instability and state fragility, leading to greater emphasis on security spending over social assistance. Second, external actors differ: the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) actively promoted pilot cash transfers and national ownership in Anglophone Africa, while the French Development Agency played a less proactive role in FWCA, where the World Bank has a stronger presence, shaping distinct programme designs and implementation. Third, colonial legacies shaped divergent institutional frameworks, complicating reform efforts and coordination in FWCA. As a result, social protection in FWCA remains more fragmented, less coordinated, and the region appears slower to institutionalise national programmes.

Bio

Hangala Siachiwena is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa at the University of Cape Town (UCT). His research focuses on how political ideology, electoral competition (including changes of government), donor influence, and public opinion shape social policy reforms with a primary interest in social assistance and competing development programmes in Southern Africa. He holds a BA in Development Studies and Economics from the University of Zambia, and an MPhil in Development Studies and DPhil in Sociology from UCT.