The general picture is not optimistic: twenty-one countries that concentrate 47.9% of the African population today register worse levels of governance than they had in 2014 and 33 countries, which are home to 52.1% of the continent’s population, They have managed to make progress in this decade. These are the conclusions of the Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) 2024, which the Mo Ibrahim Foundation published this Wednesday.
The institution, which has been preparing this study since 2007, defines governance as the political, social, economic and environmental goods that a citizen has the right to expect from their State, and that a State has the responsibility to provide to its citizens. Its classification, a comprehensive and reliable thermometer of African governments and the trust they generate in society, has studied and compared the performance and trends of 54 countries between 2014 and 2023, and concludes that progress only benefits half of the population.
In this 10-year period, there have been important advances in human and economic development, but the increase in conflicts and the reduction of democratic spaces tip the balance towards the negative side.
The index “is a telling reminder of the threat posed to the continent’s progress by a deepening security crisis and a shrinking participatory environment,” warned Mo Ibrahim, founder and president of the foundation. This telecommunications magnate and philanthropist Sudanese founded Mobile Systems International (MSI), a world-leading mobile phone company, in the early 1990s, and in 1998 launched Celtel International, one of Africa’s leading mobile phone companies.
On average, the 54 African countries have progressed only one point this decade and the situation has stagnated since 2018. Why? “What is happening in Africa reflects the escalation of conflicts and the growing distrust in democratic institutions that exists in the rest of the world, but in the case of the continent this threatens the progress we have made in terms of economic and social development, as well as those that we still have to achieve,” state the authors of the report.
What is happening in Africa reflects the escalation of conflicts and the growing distrust in democratic institutions that exists in the rest of the world, but in the case of the continent this threatens the progress we have made in terms of economic and social development.
Mo Ibrahim Foundation
The foundation prepares its index based on four categories, in turn divided into 16 subcategories. In security and rule of law, the continent fell by 1.6%, in participation, rights and inclusion, by 0.2%, but in bases for economic opportunities it advanced by 2.8% and in human development, by 2. 9%.
Internet, gender equality and health
“The continent cannot be seen as a whole,” those responsible insist. The general photograph may seem worrying, but it hides diverse results and some very positive. For example, between 2014 and 2023, more than 90% of citizens in Africa experienced improvements in gender equalitystarting with laws on violence against women, in health and in infrastructure, especially internet access and mobile telephony. These are “key aspects for governance,” the foundation congratulates itself.
But 77% of the continent’s population lives in countries where democracy and security have regressed in these 10 years. In addition, citizen perception towards essential issues, such as freedom of association, expression and access to economic opportunities, has also deteriorated. The foundation warns that “sometimes things are not so bad, but the perception is different, and this is a breeding ground for frustration, anger and conflict.”
The first country of this ranking of African governance is Seychelles: an archipelago of 115 islands with less than 100,000 inhabitants, which recorded significant progress in all 16 subcategories. Especially important are its advances in citizen participation and fight against corruptionaccording to this report.
Some of the top 10 countries in this ranking may surprise. After Seychelles, there are Mauritius, Cape Verde, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia and Kenya. In the last places are South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But the position they occupy in this ranking It does not automatically reflect the progress or setbacks they have experienced in the last decade.
For example, the second country in the classification is Mauritius, but, nevertheless, it registers an average decline of four points in this decade and is one of the States where governance regresses the most, especially in the fight against discrimination and health. On the other hand, Somalia, penultimate on the list ahead of South Sudan, has nevertheless advanced 6.8 points compared to the timid point of advance registered by the continent. “Somalia is among the three countries that have registered the most progress in this decade,” celebrates the report, highlighting especially its advances in housing, legislation and all respect for democratic freedoms.
Other countries such as Morocco, Ivory Coast, Benin and Angola They have made substantial progress during the decade 2014-2023, despite not necessarily being at the top of the classification. Angola, for example, is ranked 36th, but has recorded important progress in recent years, especially in the fight against corruption.
On the other hand, the foundation warns of the worrying deteriorations observed in Tunisia, which registers the greatest setback on the continent in terms of transparency and freedoms, and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Ethiopia, where conflicts suffocate other progress in sustainable development and gender equality.
The notable progress made by countries such as Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Seychelles, Angola and Benin, and in some key areas such as infrastructure and women’s equality, should offer hope of what can be achieved
Mo Ibrahim, president of the Foundation
“Ours is a huge continent of 54 countries, with very divergent trends, some with surprisingly successful trajectories, others with worrying warning signs. The notable progress made by countries such as Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Seychelles, Angola and Benin, and in some key areas such as infrastructure and women’s equality, should offer hope of what can be achieved,” insisted Mo Ibrahim.
Finally, the foundation highlights the difficulty of obtaining this wide range of data in Africa, where there is still a lack of official information on aspects such as corruption, education or the rural economy, which prevents them from including more variables or offering reliable information. “Governance data gaps remain on issues such as the informal economy, health structures and capacities, child labour, illicit financial flows, the prevalence of discrimination and hate crimes, disability and recycling and waste management”, emphasizes the institution.
