Abstract

This study aimed at appreciating the role of foreign-funded projects on the socio-economic development of the inhabitants of Buea municipality.

The study makes use of primary data collected through the use of structured questionnaires issued to 271 inhabitants of selected communities in Buea municipality.

The main indicators of social development used were education, healthcare and portable water, while the indicators of economic welfare included employment, incomes and markets and road access.

Analyses were done through perception (descriptive) analysis and simple Chi-square and Pearson Correlations to establish the relationship between foreign funded projects and the socioeconomic development in the municipality.

Findings of the study revealed that most foreign funded projects are in the domains of healthcare, education, market, water supply, road construction/rehabilitation and also that while some of the projects are completed, others are ongoing while others have been completely abandoned.

The study further revealed that foreign funding in the healthcare sector mostly takes the form of free screening for diseases, vaccination of children as well as the donation of hospital equipment and that as a result of the provision of these facilities, the number of sick persons and consequently the death rates in the communities has reduced.

In the educational domain, the study finds that foreign funding is mostly in terms of classroom construction, donation of books, and the provision of toilets and that as a result of the funding, the quality of learning and school enrolment levels have increased.

Moreover, as a result of the foreign funding, the quality and quantity of potable water supply in some communities has increased as well as the interactions between communities.

The study equally reveals that due to the foreign funding the economic power of inhabitants of the beneficiary and adjacent communities has increased as the number of businesses, employment, output, income, access to markets as well as the value of community assets have consequently increased.

Finally, through the chi-squared and Pearson correlation, the study has established a positive, strong and significant relationship between the foreign funding and socioeconomic welfare/development of communities.

This implies that as the number and diversity of foreign funding increases, community development and welfare also increase.

The study thus recommends an increased provision of multilateral and bilateral assistance to communities and also for there to be increased community participation in such projects to improve community welfare.

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