Highlights
– 2008 Ibrahim Index of African Governance shows improvement for 31 out of the 48 countries surveyed
– Mauritius ranked the highest, Somalia the lowest, and Liberia was most improved
– Although the Ibrahim Index shows improvement for many countries, there is still much to improve for the long term, most notably state authoritarianism, free and fair elections, and day-to-day corruption
According to the 2008 Ibrahim Index of African Governance, nearly two-thirds of Sub-Saharan African countries have improved since last year’s survey results. The Mo Ibrahim Index uses a complex equation of annual indicators to monitor the governing progress of 48 countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. For a second straight year, the Ibrahim Index ranked Mauritius, Seychelles, Cape Verde, Botswana, and South Africa, respectively, as the best-governed countries on the continent. Conversely, the five worst governed countries in respective order were: Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Sudan, and Angola. Although it did not make the best-governed list, Liberia was awarded the “most improved” country this year, rising six places on the governance ranking, to 38th place.
The Ibrahim Index has helped bring a number of new investors to Africa, who in previous years may have been uncertain as to which country holds a safer return for their investment. Although the information provided by the Index may prove encouraging for investors in the near to mid-term, improvements in Sub-Saharan Africa, including socioeconomic developments and good governance practices are needed in the long term.
Ibrahim Index Criteria
Mo Ibrahim, a Sudanese billionaire and owner of Celtel, a pan-African mobile phone giant, inaugurated the Mo Ibrahim Foundation last year in an effort to promote good governance in Africa. The most integral product of the Foundation is the Ibrahim Index, which assesses 48 out of the 53 African national governments. Each government is measured against 57 criteria divided into five broad categories:
• Safety and security
• Rule of law
• Transparency and corruption
• Participation and human rights
• Sustainable economic opportunity
• Human development
The foundation uses local researchers and international and local organizations to compile data, which is then assessed and analyzed with the help of researchers at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. This year’s assessment was based on the organization’s latest figures from data collected in 2006.
Shinning Stars in Africa
According to the 2008 Index results, most countries scored higher marks this year by opening elections to competition. For instance, Liberia won the top honors for improvement this year in part based on recent reforms. In 2006, following two decades of civil war, the country elected its first-ever female head of state, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who has since set about rebuilding the country’s infrastructure and institutions.
Another high scorer was Burundi, which signed a South Africa-brokered peace accord in 2006 with Forces for National Liberation (FNL), the last rebel group remaining in the tiny landlocked nation, ending 13 years of civil strife. Uganda also moved up on the Ibrahim Index after holding its first multiparty elections in 20 years. Nearly two-thirds of the countries in the index improved their scores from 2005, illustrating the recent indications of development in Africa.
Forecast: More Improvement Needed For Stable Governance
In 2005, the World Bank stated in its annual report that Africa had “turned the corner” from poverty and debt to prosperity and wealth. However, some observers and political analysts warn against “triumphalism,” and point to the new challenges ahead. Osaghae Eghosa, a professor of political science and vice-chancellor of Nigeria’s Igbinedion University, warns “State authoritarianism remains a very established fact in African government systems; elections are not entirely free and fair; and corruption remains the order of the day.” He makes the point that over time, one will find that “the logical consequence of that kind of setup cannot be good governance.”
South Africa lies near the top of the Ibrahim Index with the largest economy and biggest democracy in Africa, but the country remains plagued with violent crime, high unemployment and mass poverty. As foreign donors and international investors increasingly seek out fair elections, government transparency and an impartial judiciary as conditions for investing funds, it is in the best interest of African leaders to be more democratic and demonstrate long term legitimate stabilization programs through their governance. Perhaps the Foundation’s US$5 million annual prize awarded to the African leader who best personifies responsible and credible government, such as last year’s recipient, retired Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano, will be key to promoting and encouraging effective good governance practices for the long-term.
