ETHIOPIA: Mo Ibrahim Foundation survey reports governance improving in most of Africa

Record ID: 455741

  • Title: ETHIOPIA: Mo Ibrahim Foundation survey reports governance improving in most of Africa
  • Date: 7th October 2008
  • Summary: (AD1) ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (OCTOBER 6, 2008) (REUTERS) MO IBRAHIM ENTERING CONFERENCE ROOM VARIOUS OF MO IBRAHIM FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, MO IBRAHIM FOUNDATION, MO IBRAHIM, SAYING: "The aim of the index really is to enable the civil society in Africa to re-inject a full and more accurate picture of the state of governance in Africa. We believe governance is the most important issue facing us in Africa and without good governance we can not move forward. This continent is rich, we are rich, yet we are poor." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, MO IBRAHIM FOUNDATION, MO IBRAHIM, SAYING: "31 countries out of 48 countries, we measured 48 countries, sub-Saharan countries. 31 out of 48 countries showed improvement. So, the picture is not that bad. It is good. Africa is making progress." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) BOARD MEMBER, MO IBRAHIM FOUNDATION, MARY ROBINSON, SAYING: "When we see that the Horn of Africa is not improving, that should have civil society in the Horn of Africa saying, you know, we want better performance. And so it is a help to human rights and governance." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) BOARD MEMBER, MO IBRAHIM FOUNDATION, SALIM AHMED SALIM, SAYING: "Africa is not just about Darfur. It is not just about Zimbabwe having problems. It is not just about Somalia having no government. It is not just about the violation of human rights in some countries. But Africa is a dynamic continent which is changing every day. And the numbers speak for themselves." VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, MO IBRAHIM FOUNDATION, MO IBRAHIM, SAYING: "I say to all those troubled investors everywhere, having seen the collapse of financial governance in United States and the amount of pay going on anywhere now and the amount of money people losing there, I think Africa is much safer than United States right now."
  • Embargoed: 22nd October 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ethiopia
  • Country: Ethiopia
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA61K9U7BZE8FUIGM7A4R0L2B5C
  • Story Text: The Mo Ibrahim Foundation launches the 2008 Ibrahim Index of Africa Governance, which reveals marked improvement.
    Governance has improved in almost two-thirds of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, according to 2008 Ibrahim Index of African Governance released on Monday (October 6, 2008).
    Ibrahim, a Sudanese-born telecommunications entrepreneur, also gives a five million US dollars leadership prize to African leaders to promote democratic principles and combat corruption.

    "The aim of the index really is to enable the civil society in Africa to re-inject a full and more accurate picture of the state of governance in Africa. We believe governance is the most important issue facing us in Africa and without good governance we can not move forward. This continent is rich we are rich, yet we are poor," said Ibrahim.
    The 2008 Ibrahim Index of African Governance said 31 of 48 sub-Saharan nations recorded higher scores than in last year's survey, with Liberia having seen the biggest improvement.
    Mauritius, one of Africa's most stable and prosperous nations, was top with a score of 85.1 out of 100.
    It was followed by fellow Indian Ocean nation, the Seychelles, then another island state, Cape Verde. Botswana came in fourth, and regional economic power-house South Africa was fifth. Somalia scored the worst.

    "31 countries out of 48 countries, we measured 48 countries, sub-Saharan countries. 31 of them 31 out of 48 countries showed improvement.
    So, the picture is not that bad. It is good. Africa is making progress,"
    said Ibrahim.
    For the latest index, nations were judged by criteria including economic stability, corruption, security, rights, laws, elections, infrastructure, poverty and health.
    The index, however, uses data that is two years old.

    "When we see that the Horn of Africa is not improving, that should have civil society in the Horn of Africa saying, you know, we want better performance. And so it is a help to human rights and governance," said Mary Robinson, Board Member, Mo Ibrahim Foundation and former President of Ireland.
    Those behind the index hailed economic progress on the continent, with 30 countries showing an improvement in a sub-category of macroeconomic stability and financial integrity.
    Forty countries increased their score for Internet access and 44 for phone subscribers.

    "Africa is not just about Darfur. It is not just about Zimbabwe having problems. It is not just about Somalia having no government. It is not just about violation of human rights in some countries. But Africa is a dynamic continent which is changing every day. And the numbers speak for themselves," said Salim Ahmed Salim, former Secretary General, Organisation of African Unity and a foundation board member.
    Asked about the recent financial crisis in the US, Ibrahim said that Africa provides safer investment opportunities.

    "I say to all those troubled investors everywhere, having seen the collapse of financial governance in United States and the amount of pay going on anywhere now and the amount of money people losing there, I think Africa is much safer than United States right now," said Ibrahim.
    Improvements in governance are cited by investors as one reason for unprecedented financial flows to Africa in recent years, along with booming Asian investment, rises in commodity prices and debt relief.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register