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During a cloudy afternoon in a suburb of Ghana’s capital, a crowd comprising officials, envoys, NGO workers, and press gathered upon a learning space where pupils are seated around tables engaging with recycled materials.

This catch-up class for youth not in formal education, aged eight and 16, is run by a Ghanaian project mostly funded by the UK government. The attention stems from a visit by a British development official reviewing the impact of diminished assistance funding.

Accompanying her is Ghana’s top education official. “We appreciate the British government for its continuous investment in Ghana’s education,” he states. “We are particularly concerned about falling international development assistance to the continent and to Ghana. It will have implications.”

He speaks about missed chances for the children and how the local authorities has had to address the gap left by decreasing external funding. The UK official listens calmly, maintaining a slight smile and acknowledging quietly.

The official was named after the UK’s decision to reduce the overseas assistance from half a percent of gross national income to 0.3 percent, marking a record reduction in percentage terms. This was a shift from previous pledges to helping the world’s poorest populations.

The previous minister resigned in objection, saying that the reductions would damage the UK’s reputation and remove essential support from needy communities. Half a year later, the new appointee is managing the roll-out of these changes.

But she rejects her position as challenging, rather seeing it as an opportunity to rethink development strategies. During her trip to Ghana, she stated, “This is the most rewarding job in government. We can do a huge amount and make a difference for the improvement.”

According to latest data, Africa is the largest beneficiary of UK aid, receiving nearly £1.5bn. Overall ODA spending fell by more than a billion pounds from the prior year, with a substantial share spent on refugees within the UK.

Support to Ghana has likewise reduced significantly in recent years, falling from £47.1m in 2019 to under 14 million pounds in last year.

[The withdrawal will inevitably put a lot of burden on our authorities

Certain areas and emergencies, such as African nations, Ukraine, and Gaza, will continue to get guaranteed aid. Moreover, the UK has committed support to global organizations with a strong record of impact, including the health initiative and vaccine alliance.

Yet, news has surfaced of specific programs being axed, including financial support for environmental adjustments in a southern African country and schooling initiatives in South Asia.

“We will have less money to spend on traditional aid projects,” the official concedes. “This is a fact faced by many countries now. There is growing pressure on these funds.”

Criticism of the cuts is widespread. A new study warns that the cuts will have a severe effect on female populations and indicate that the UK is stepping back from global engagement at a critical time.

When asked about broken manifesto pledges, the minister replied, “I disagree we have damaged our reputation. Those who believe that have a narrow view of what global aid entails.”

She acknowledges she would prefer there was additional money available but stresses that countries now want more control over their development.

The leader of Ghana has earlier stated that the continent requires not sympathy or development assistance, but rather a fair chance to trade with the global community. This view is echoed by several African leaders.

The minister’s tour in Ghana aimed to highlight achievements such as a tax partnership between UK and Ghanaian authorities, which has generated an additional 100 million pounds annually. Staff from other nations have visited Ghana to study from the project.

Other toured sites included a life sciences company developing snake venom anti-serum and a medical center supported by the health organization to fight HIV/AIDS, tropical illness, and TB.

Yet, although contagious illnesses remain, the primary medical issues in Ghana and across Africa are now NCDs like blood sugar conditions and high blood pressure. A local health official commented that these conditions have overtaken traditional health threats and that aid withdrawal will increase the burden on government budgets.

Outside the classroom, the education minister voiced comparable concerns, decrying the funding reductions but thanking the partnership with the UK. When asked about the future financial outlook, he stated, “We will cope.”

The UK minister then proceeded to additional engagements and a dinner before heading to a luxurious hotel in central Accra.