ABSTRACT
Over the past two decades there has been growing interest amongst donors and NGOs working in West Africa in the developmental potential of a strong civil society:
Social Capital is seen by some as a necessary ingredient for civil society to function effectively. In the economic sphere social capital is seen to have much potential to reduce the transaction costs associated with formal co-ordination mechanisms like contracts and bureaucratic rules and thus improve efficiency, while in the political sphere it promotes the kind of associational life which is necessary for the success of limited government and modern democracy.
