Léonce Ndikumana and James K. Boyce: The cost of servicing external odious debt leads to tragic underspending on health care and education

The Human Cost of Africa’s Odious Debts refers to the profound social and economic suffering endured by African populations as a result of repaying illegitimate debts incurred by corrupt or colonial regimes. These debts—often borrowed without public consent and used for oppressive or self-serving purposes—continue to burden ordinary citizens who had no role in acquiring them.

Instead of funding essential services like healthcare, education, clean water, and infrastructure, large portions of national budgets are diverted toward servicing debt. This means fewer hospitals, under-resourced schools, joblessness, and weakened social safety nets. In extreme cases, structural adjustment programs imposed by lenders have led to deep austerity measures, worsening poverty and inequality.

The human cost is not just economic—it’s about lost lives, stunted potential, and generations paying for the mistakes and greed of past regimes. Addressing odious debts is therefore not just a financial issue, but a matter of justice, dignity, and the right to a better future for African people.