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This week, African leaders and technocrats are gathered in Lomé from the 12th – 14th May 2025 for the African Union Conference on Debt to discuss Africa’s Public Debt Management Agenda and reflect on pathways to restoring and safeguarding debt sustainability.
One question that often goes unasked is: how well are our citizens carried along in the public debt conversation? The decisions we make on debt today not only shape macroeconomic indicators that determine economic growth and national development but also the daily realities of millions of Africans, which means that the public should have a role to play in decisions regarding their day-to-day lives. Yet, public engagement on debt management remains alarmingly low despite the fact that several African countries are either at high risk of debt distress or are already in debt distress. At the heart of this disconnect is a fundamental gap: the absence of clear, well-structured and inclusive policy communication.
Why does policy communications matter for public debt management?
Policy communication, in itself is so much more than just information dissemination. It is a deliberate strategy to build understanding, foster dialogue, and generate trust between governments and the people they serve.
As of 2025, many African countries are grappling with elevated vulnerabilities as they face interest rates, public finance volatilities, accumulation of arrears, and the prolonged impact of external shocks. In a report published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) at the beginning of the year, statistics show that nine African countries were classified as being in debt distress, with 11 countries at high risk of debt distress as per the latest assessment by the IMF on October 31, 2024. At the same time, several countries are now spending over half of their domestic revenue on debt servicing, significantly crowding out investments in essential rights-based services such as education, healthcare, social protection, and infrastructure development. This situation poses not only a fiscal crisis but also a development emergency, with long-term implications for poverty reduction, human capital, and the achievement of Agenda 2063 goals.
Meanwhile, citizens are often left with limited access to information or worse, misinformation about why governments borrow, how debts are serviced, and what trade-offs (austerity, subsidy reforms or tax hikes, among others) are made in the process. In such an environment, social trust erodes, public resistance grows, and opportunities for co-created solutions are lost.
In the realm of public debt management specifically, where technical complexity often meets political sensitivities, clear and inclusive policy communication creates the perfect balance needed to sustain nations and allow different stakeholders to meaningfully participate in the process. By investing in policy communication strategies, African governments can demystify debt management processes and affirm their commitment to transparency and accountability. This could potentially rebuild citizen trust and perhaps reduce public resistance to fiscal reforms or borrowing plans. It also fosters demand-side accountability, enabling civil society and media to collaborate and play constructive roles in monitoring how debt is raised, used and repaid. Even better, investing in progressive policy communication strategies plays an integral role in encouraging intergeneration responsibility, particularly where debt implications pan decades. This in turn enhances public ownership of economic policy choices and provides a social foundation for sustainable debt governance.
What should policy communication look like for Africa?
A strong and progressive public debt communication strategy in Africa would have both institutional and community-facing elements. At the institutional level, governments should embed dedicated communication units within Ministries of Finance or Debt Management Offices, staffed with skilled policy communicators who can translate complex fiscal matters into accessible language. National debt transparency portals should be established or strengthened, offering real-time, citizen-friendly data that is easy to interpret and regularly updated. Moreover, governments must institutionalize regular public briefings and ensure that parliamentary discussions on borrowing decisions are open, timely, and inclusive. These steps can help embed transparency into the governance architecture of debt management.
On the community engagement front, communication strategies should be localized and inclusive. This means using local languages and a mix of multimedia platforms such as radio, social media, infographics, and town halls, among others to explain debt-related issues in ways that resonate with different audiences. Governments should also create participatory spaces where citizens can ask questions, express concerns, and receive meaningful responses. Collaborations with schools, universities, and influential community voices can help build a culture of debt literacy, especially among young people, students, and future leaders.
Equally important is the narrative framing of public debt communication. Governments must highlight how borrowing aligns with national development objectives and the broader aspirations of Agenda 2063. This includes telling compelling stories of how well-managed debt has translated into concrete improvements in infrastructure, education, green energy, or public services. At the same time, credibility must be reinforced through honest communication about the risks, constraints, and trade-offs involved in borrowing decisions. By framing debt narratives around both development impact and fiscal responsibility, governments can build public trust and foster shared ownership of their economic strategies.
About the Author
Lurit Yugusuk is a policy communications and advocacy strategist driving social and economic justice in Africa. She coordinates Policy O’clock, a public engagement platform, and supports the development of policy communication strategies within civil society. Her work has also included contributions to government initiatives and the integration of policy communications into broader fiscal justice programming across the continent.
By Lurit Yugusuk
