Development finance in Africa: economist explains how private savings could be unlocked

By Florian Léon, Chargé de recherche, Fondation pour les Etudes et Recherches sur le Développement International (FERDI); Chercheur associé au CERDI (UMR UCA-CNRS-IRD), Université Clermont Auvergne (UCA)

Africa holds abundant private savings, but much of it remains informal. As a result, its contribution to development financing is limited.

Researcher Florian Léon is one of the authors of a recent report on the potential of the “Caisse de dépôt” model – a financial management framework designed for long-term investment that bridges the gap between public…

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~	Handpumps bring water to rural African communities, but many are broken – study models how best to maintain them

~	South Africa’s new parental leave policy is designed for equality – but it could do better

~	AI-driven border surveillance is spreading across west Africa. What this means for migrants’ rights

~	COVID-19 variant BA.3.2 is spreading quickly across US – a doctor explains what you need to know

~	Trump’s ‘God Squad’ pits energy vs. endangered species, but it’s a false choice – protecting wildlife can be good for business

~	Syria: UN Commission documents grave violations in July 2025 escalation in Sweida

~	SNL UK is a welcome comedy of errors – what to watch, listen to and read this week

~	What Americans can learn from other civil activism movements against authoritarian regimes

~	Ultralightweight sonar plus AI lets tiny drones navigate like bats

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