Launch of the 2024 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) Report
23 October, 2024
Governance progress in Africa grinds to a halt as security and democracy on the continent deteriorate further, threatening substantial advances in human and economic development, according to the 2024 Ibrahim Index of African Governance
Covering the decade 2014-2023, the 2024 IIAG shows that Africa’s overall governance progress came to a halt in 2022, following four years of almost complete stagnation, as substantial advances in both human and economic development are undermined by the ongoing deterioration of the security and democratic landscape. However, this concerning continental average picture masks very diverse performances and trajectories across the 54 African countries and between the 16 IIAG sub-categories.
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation has released the 2024 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG), the latest iteration of the biennial dataset assessing governance performance and trends in the 54 African countries over the decade 2014-2023. Collected from 49 independent sources, with some data commissioned by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, the IIAG is based on 322 variables clustered in 96 indicators, organised under 16 sub-categories and four main categories: Security & Rule of Law; Participation, Rights & Inclusion; Foundations for Economic Opportunity; and Human Development.
The 2024 IIAG shows that after four years of almost complete stagnation, Africa’s Overall Governance progress ground to a halt in 2022 as rising conflict and insecurity, as well as a shrinking democratic space across the continent, undermine critical progress achieved in human and economic development. Over the decade 2014-2023, there is progress for just over half (52.1%) of Africa’s population, living in 33 out of 54 countries, but for the remaining half, the level of overall governance reached in 2023 is worse than in 2014.
Reflecting on the findings of the 2024 IIAG, Mo Ibrahim, the Founder and Chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, said:
The 2024 IIAG is a sobering reminder of the threat that a deepening security crisis and shrinking participatory environment poses to the continent’s progress. Of course, it also reflects the global crisis. Escalating conflicts and deepening mistrust in democratic institutions and values are not specific to Africa; we see it right around the world. But it is specifically concerning in Africa because it threatens our progress in economic and social development, as well as the advancements which we are yet to achieve.
But let us not summarise too quickly Africa’s governance landscape under a single average. Ours is a huge continent of 54 countries, with highly diverging trends, some with strikingly successful trajectories, others with concerning warning signs. Indeed, deteriorations in Sudan, in Sahelian countries as well as in the DRC, Tunisia and Mauritius are concerning. However, the remarkable progress registered by countries such as Morocco, Cote 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, provided sound leadership.
