The Role of Philanthropic Socialisation in Young Elite Giving in West Africa

Scholarship on African philanthropy, emphasising the role of culture in giving to address social and communal problems in Africa, has gained root over the past two decades. However, very little is known about whether youth, in general, or young elites (middle class and high net worth) in particular, give financially to address problems in their societies, and if so, what factors drive their giving. Drawing on the concept of political socialisation, this paper explores the impact of ‘philanthropic socialisation’ on giving among young elites in Nigeria and Ghana. Data for the paper derives from 16 semi-structured interviews with individuals aged 22 to 35 in Ghana (7) and Nigeria (9) conducted for a wider study on young elite philanthropy. The interviews focused on the extent to which participants gave financially to social causes and what factors influenced their giving. Findings show that a majority of the participants gave to social causes related to education, health, child development, and activism, and were willing to continue doing so. Those who did not give aimed to first attain financial security and resilience before allocating resources to communal or social issues. Willingness to give financially was expressed both in present and aspirational terms, meaning the ability to give in future was contingent on an expectation of increased income and assets. Almost all participants cited their parents’ (mainly mothers') giving behaviour as influencing their giving, with only a small number mentioning religion and culture. This suggests that like political socialisation, ‘philanthropic socialisation’ plays a role in youths’ giving behaviour, intentions and attitude. While based on a limited sample, the findings have relevance for further examining the assumptions underlying African philanthropy, particularly on the role of culture and the extent of its influence on the giving behaviours and intentions of young people.