Rethink Fragility

Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou is Director of the Politics and Governance Programme at the Overseas Development Institute. Past work has included academic posts, several development NGOs, and the OECD's Development Assistance Committee. With this in mind, it's interesting that the recurring theme of this conversation is a rather ambivalent relationship with the aid sector.  She's worked with some of the marquee names in the sector, but specifically in roles that are critical or reformist in nature. Equally in talking about her work she is conscious of  the seriousness and the stakes of the overall development agenda -- but also of the very real limitations on "development" as a business. In sum this is a conversation about striking that balance -- about finding a niche that is professionally honest, and moves things forward. --- Show notes: [02:40] Early days in the development sector in east and west Africa. Keeping one eye open as someone who development could be “done”. [11:00] Lessons from working around t