Grieve Chelwa, Chair of the Department of Social Sciences and Associate Professor of Political Economy at The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, recently participated in an international conference in Dakar, Senegal, examining sovereign debt sustainability and policy responses to the country’s ongoing debt crisis.
The conference, convened under the patronage of Ousmane Sonko, was held at the King Fahd Palace in Dakar from May 11–13, 2026, and brought together economists, policymakers, and representatives of international organizations. Organized by the IDEAS-Africa Network (IDAN) in partnership with international policy and research organizations, the meeting convened participants from across academia, government, and civil society.
Participants included economists such as Jeffrey Sachs, Jayati Ghosh, and Ndongo Samba Sylla, alongside former finance ministers and members of international policy and advocacy networks. Discussions addressed structural drivers of debt distress, lessons from recent debt crises across multiple regions, and proposals for reforming international debt sustainability and restructuring frameworks.
The conference took place amid increased scrutiny of Senegal’s public debt following the identification of previously unreported liabilities, raising broader questions related to transparency, fiscal governance, and external financing conditions. In its final declaration, the conference noted that “the problem is not one of excessive public debt stock per se, but the structural conditions that sustain recurring debt crises.” The full declaration and closing statement are available online for reference.
Chelwa’s research focuses on political economy, public finance, and debt and development. He is a member of the Papal Commission on the Debt and Development Crisis in the Global South, convened by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, and was named among The Africa Report’s “10 African Scholars to Watch in 2025.”
Grieve Chelwa, Chair of the Department of Social Sciences and Associate Professor of Political Economy at The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, recently participated in an international conference in Dakar, Senegal, examining sovereign debt sustainability and policy responses to the country’s ongoing debt crisis.
Grieve Chelwa, Chair of the Department of Social Sciences and Associate Professor of Political Economy at The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, recently participated in an international conference in Dakar, Senegal, examining sovereign debt sustainability and policy responses to the country’s ongoing debt crisis.
The conference, convened under the patronage of Ousmane Sonko, was held at the King Fahd Palace in Dakar from May 11–13, 2026, and brought together economists, policymakers, and representatives of international organizations. Organized by the IDEAS-Africa Network (IDAN) in partnership with international policy and research organizations, the meeting convened participants from across academia, government, and civil society.
Participants included economists such as Jeffrey Sachs, Jayati Ghosh, and Ndongo Samba Sylla, alongside former finance ministers and members of international policy and advocacy networks. Discussions addressed structural drivers of debt distress, lessons from recent debt crises across multiple regions, and proposals for reforming international debt sustainability and restructuring frameworks.
The conference took place amid increased scrutiny of Senegal’s public debt following the identification of previously unreported liabilities, raising broader questions related to transparency, fiscal governance, and external financing conditions. In its final declaration, the conference noted that “the problem is not one of excessive public debt stock per se, but the structural conditions that sustain recurring debt crises.” The full declaration and closing statement are available online for reference.
Chelwa’s research focuses on political economy, public finance, and debt and development. He is a member of the Papal Commission on the Debt and Development Crisis in the Global South, convened by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, and was named among The Africa Report’s “10 African Scholars to Watch in 2025.”
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