A dangerous trade-off: human and economic development vs participation, rights, rule of law and justice, and security

This year marks 14 years since the IIAG was set up by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. A review of the Index Reports since 2007 indicates that the IIAG remains a reliable indicator about the quality of governance of African countries in multiple categories and sub-categories. Every year when the IIAG is published, the general focus tends to be on the ranking of countries. From a public relations’ perspective, it may be understandable why some governments would welcome being top ranked while others would desire to distance themselves from data indicating declines in the quality of their public governance particularly if it is a year of planned election in their country. Nevertheless, it remains disappointing that state actors would primarily favour misusing the IIAG as a ranking mechanism when it suits their public image at the expense of ignoring data presented to them that signal areas of concern requiring their continuing and urgent attention.

Overall, the IIAG captures more than the classification of African countries as top or low scorers. Instead, the IIAG indicates the performance of respective countries in effectively deliver social, political, economic, environmental and public goods and services for their citizens. On account of the IIAG’s rigorous and transparent methodology in addition to the regular updating of its framework, the data from the IIAG provide valuable information that can be used for multiple purposes: for comparing governance performances over time; for contrasting public service deliveries in relation with other countries; for identifying areas of improvement or declines in governance systems; for addressing data gaps; and for revealing trends that require urgent attention for the sake of enhancing the quality of public governance for citizens of African countries.

In the latest report, a key finding is that overall African governance is stagnating – meaning that progress is neither improving nor declining since 2022. This is problematic because, in the years prior to 2018, the data reflected country level endeavours to improve in multiple dimensions or categories of governance. The latest IIAG exposes an alarming trend whereby African countries prioritise progress mainly in the economic and human development related sub-categories at the expense of neglecting improvements in governance related sub-categories including participation, rights, rule of law and justice and security.

Going forward, any state actor seeking to strengthen their performance as reliable deliverers of social, political, economic, environmental and public goods and services would need to succeed in multiple dimensions of governance. Declines in areas of participation, rights, rule of law and justice and security are difficult to offset in the long run unless immediate actions are taken to remedy lapses in these categories. Matters related to rights, respect of rule of law, justice and inclusion are essential for the overall determination of a state’s ability to achieve goals in the interest of their citizens rather than for political aspirations. The data suggesting declines in these matters are not sudden captures of the reality of the deteriorations on the ground. Instead, the data reflect gradual failures over several years which indicate governments’ continuing neglect for putting measures in place to address such gaps. The ordeal of a continental stagnation in overall governance needs to be surpassed.