The Power of Trust: Transforming Africa through Flexible Core Funding

January 28, 2025
a boy wearing a hat

A young African Innovator

In Niger, a young entrepreneur tends her agribusiness, providing food security in a region navigating political uncertainty. In Rwanda, a small green investment program has blossomed into a USD300 million force for climate action. In Lesotho, young innovators are breathing life into their dreams, creating jobs and driving change in their communities. At the UN Security Council, Sierra Leone officials amplify Africa's voice on the global stage, ensuring the continent's priorities are heard. These are not just stories of success—they are stories of trust. Trust in flexible core funding. Trust in Africa’s promise and influence. 

As the Regional Director for UNDP Africa, I’ve witnessed how core funding does more than fill financial gaps. Core funding enables flexible and rapid responses to crises, allowing the system to effectively manage risks in unstable environments. It enables transformation. It equips us to respond with agility, innovate boldly, and deliver impact that lasts. Above all, it demonstrates the power of trust—trust in the idea that small, strategic investments can unlock extraordinary results.

Small Investments, Big Returns

Across Africa, core funding acts as a spark that ignites transformative change, unlocking resources that multiply impact. In the Lake Chad Basin countries, USD 4million unlocked over USD240 million to stabilize communities ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency, enabling over 500,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) to return to their ancestral homes and resume livelihood activities that bring hope and dignity. 

Similarly, in Central African Republic, USD 1 million core investment attracted USD20 million in additional funding. In Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, UNDP's initial investment of USD2.5million helped unlock close to USD50 million in support of stabilization interventions in the northern part of the country affected by conflict. This resulted in the expansion of state presence, rehabilitation of essential infrastructure (water, electricity, education, health), and provision of socio-economic support. More importantly, over 600,000 internally displaced persons have voluntarily returned to stabilization areas.

In Rwanda, USD300,000 launched the Rwanda Green Investment Facility, which now manages over USD300 million to drive green initiatives. And in Benin, for every dollar of core investment, USD24 is mobilized in non-core resources. These aren’t isolated examples; they are proof of a consistent pattern.

In Ghana, USD50,000 in core funding enabled a vulnerability assessment that leveraged USD10 million for preventing violent extremism. Similarly, in Gabon, USD150,000 catalyzed USD25 million for environmental protection and USD200 million in government cost-sharing for national development initiatives. These returns underscore one undeniable truth: flexible funding builds the foundation for exponential growth.

Sparking Innovation and youth entrepreneurship 

Core funding is more than a financial instrument; it’s a tool for innovation, flexibility, and resilience. It empowers countries to adapt to complex challenges and seize opportunities that traditional funding cannot address. In Eritrea, core resources helped secure USD20 million from the African Development Bank to improve clean energy access for 30,000 people. In Congo Brazzaville, USD150,000 created pathways for 20,000 young people to secure jobs or launch enterprises in agroindustry and health tech.

Mauritius illustrates this agility during crises. A modest USD25,000 core investment at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic laid the groundwork for a USD4.4 million eHealth project, revolutionizing patient care through a digital health records system.

Core funding plays a crucial role in strategically investing in transformative initiatives like timbuktoo, positioned as the largest initiative in the world, bringing together public and private capital to support Africa’s innovation ecosystem for tech and tech-enabled youth startups. timbuktoo’s University Innovation Pods (UniPods), state-of-the-art maker spaces, located within public universities, are designed to create employment opportunities and generate economic and social value across Africa. 

In Uganda, the UniPod at Makerere University is equipping a workforce for electric vehicle assembly, while in Rwanda, Geuza is turning electronic waste into assistive products. In Benin, research is underway to develop organic fertilizers from seaweed and water hyacinth, enhancing sustainable agriculture. This narrative unfolds as UniPods continue to drive innovation and skill-building across the continent, highlighting how unearmarked core funding empowers UNDP to take bold steps toward sustainable and future leaning development. 

"Partnering with timbuktoo has been a game-changer. The mentorship and guidance have helped us refine our strategy, scale our operations, and navigate the complex realities of Africa’s healthcare landscape. Thanks to the support, we’ve expanded into nine countries, with plans to reach twelve more by 2025”, Daisy Isiaho, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Zuri Health noted.

The Stories Behind the Numbers

Beyond the statistics are stories of transformation—stories of real people whose lives have been touched by core funding. In Lesotho, over 2,500 youth from rural areas gained skills through the STEAM initiative, with more than 200 receiving grants from partners such as the Mastercard Foundation. These young entrepreneurs created 345 jobs, proving the potential of youth-led innovation.

In Eswatini, innovation thrives through initiatives like the Ingelo Local Certification Scheme, where a USD20,000 investment is breaking down market barriers for MSMEs, leading to a government commitment of USD840,000 for scaling up this transformative program.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, USD10 million in core resources unlocked USD610 million of government resources for essential community services in remote territories. The programme has already seen the deployment and implementation of over USD200 million touching lives of many who had been left behind. This strategic investment helped secure an additional USD163 million from the Global Fund, dramatically improving healthcare access for millions. These are stories of hope, resilience, and opportunity—stories that remind us of what’s possible when trust is placed in the right hands. 

A Call to Action

To our core contributors and all our development partners, your trust has been catalytic and transformative. But today’s challenges on the African continent demand even greater ambition, urgency and solidarity, with only five years left for the achievement of the sustainable development goals. From climate change to economic shocks, flexible funding is the lifeline that enables home grown solutions and transformative impact.

By investing in core resources, you’re not just funding programmes; you’re fueling a model that multiplies impact, fosters innovation, transforms lives, ensures peace, stability and sustainability. The evidence is clear: every dollar invested in core funding unlocks millions more in resources and creates value and transformative changes across the continent. 

Investing in Africa’s Future

Trust. Flexibility. Scalability. Sustainability. Impact. These are the hallmarks of core funding. Together, they empower communities, build resilience, promote people and national agency, reduce dependency and foster hope. Let us continue to write stories of African success—stories that prove the power of trust in Africa’s promise.