Good governance and quality leadership are more crucial than ever for Africa, as the continent’s large youth population, economic potential, and challenges like climate change and regional instability require effective and ethical oversight. The ongoing democratic regressions, economic stagnation, and political fragmentation seen in recent years are consequences of poor governance that highlight the urgent need for a change in approach.
The 21st century has elevated governance quality from a domestic concern to a global imperative. In an era of intensifying climate shocks, digital disruption, and geopolitical realignment, nations with weak institutions or opaque leadership structures risk falling further behind. For Africa, home to an estimated 70% people under the age of 30, governance is not merely about administration: it is the gatekeeper of opportunity. Without trustworthy leaders and accountable systems, youth optimism can quickly erode into frustration.
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According to the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s 2024 Index of African Governance (IIAG), the continent’s overall governance progress stalled in 2022 after several years of stagnation. The IIAG, which gauges performance across Security & Rule of Law; Participation, Rights & Inclusion; Foundations for Economic Opportunity; and Human Development found that for just over half of Africa’s population (in 33 of 54 countries) governance improved between 2014 and 2023; however, the remaining half live in nations where governance in 2023 is worse than it was in 2014.
This uneven progress is mirrored in the global rankings. The Chandler Institute of Governance’s 2025 Good Government Index (CGGI) placed Africa as the lowest-scoring region globally, even as a few states pulled ahead. Such data underscore that while Africa’s promise remains momentous, the quality of leadership and governance will determine whether that promise is realised or deferred.
When leadership falters or institutions weaken, the consequences are not abstract: they translate into lost growth, fewer jobs, rising inequality, and diminished trust. Citizens who cannot expect timely service delivery, transparent policy-making or safe environments begin to disengage. A survey by Afrobarometer found that although roughly two-thirds of Africans still express a preference for democracy, that figure has fallen by seven percentage points over a decade, reflecting frustration with how governance is working in practice.
In the domain of security and rule of law, the IIAG revealed that declining civil liberties, increased conflicts and shrinking democratic space have undermined economic and human development. Poor leadership often manifests in inconsistent policy, fiscal indiscipline, corruption and institutional capture, all of which raise the cost of doing business and deter investment. Ultimately, each weak decision amplifies the burden on future leaders, creating a cycle that is hard to break.
Leadership That Counts
Despite the challenging panorama, several African countries illustrate how effective leadership and governance can chart a different path. In the 2025 CGGI, Mauritius retained its status as Africa’s best-governed country, ranked 51st globally, while Rwanda followed at 59th and Botswana at 61st. Notably, Rwanda is considered the best-performing low-income country in the world, suggesting that leadership and governance cannot be reduced simply to resource endowment.
In Rwanda, for example, predictable business regulation, investment in digital governance and institutional resilience were highlighted as drivers of improved rankings. Similarly, in Mauritius, sustained reform and strong public institutions have enabled a governance environment that attracts investment and supports human development.
Closer to home, noticeable reform momentum in Nigeria points to the critical role of leadership in turning governance into action. In March 2024, Nigeria’s President announced a major overhaul of the economic management architecture, creating the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC), chaired by the President and involving ministerial leaders and business luminaries. In June 2025, a revised Urban Development Policy (2025-2035) was approved, setting a more inclusive, climate-sensitive path for the country’s cities. These reforms reflect a recognition that governance must deliver across scales, from macro-economics to inclusion, if leadership is to be credible.
Why the Character of Leadership Matters
It is often assumed that governance relates only to elections or the presence of institutions. Yet the difference lies in the quality of leadership: the ability to set a clear long-term vision, ensure institutional consistency, promote accountability and engage citizens. The CGGI highlights such attributes under its “Leadership and Foresight” pillar, a component in which many African countries scored poorly.
When leadership lacks clarity or accountability, institutions devolve into mere theatres of power rather than engines of service. Conversely, even within constrained resources, leaders who demonstrate integrity, strategic coherence and responsiveness can shift a country’s trajectory. Consider Botswana’s digitalisation of its judiciary and Morocco’s advances in data transparency as signs that leadership can be catalytic even in non-privileged contexts.
For Africa, this matters especially because democracy and economic growth are not guarantees; they must be anchored by leadership that works with, not against, institutions and society. As the Mo Ibrahim report warns, nearly half of Africa’s population live in countries where governance in 2023 was worse than in 2014. This sobering finding serves as a reminder that leadership cannot be passive; the cost of inaction is steep.
To translate the promise of Africa into actual progress, leadership and governance must align around a global-contextualised framework tailored to the African reality. Four inter-linked dimensions should guide this framework:
Leadership must restore and sustain safe, predictable environments for citizens and investors. The IIAG’s first category emphasises that without security, human development and economic opportunity stall.
Quality governance requires that youth, women and marginalised groups are given a voice and a role. Leadership must embed inclusion in decision-making and service delivery, not treat it as an afterthought.
Governance must create the structural basis for growth, sound regulations, efficient markets, infrastructure, and transparent fiscal management. The CGGI highlights that financial stewardship remains a regional weakness.
Leadership oriented towards results focuses on health, education and social protection. These are not only moral imperatives but also enablers youth unemployment, for example, is less likely to be contained without governance that invests in human capital.
When leadership addresses all four dimensions simultaneously, governance becomes holistic rather than piecemeal. The examples of Mauritius, Rwanda and Botswana show that smaller, targeted reforms in these areas can build momentum. Equally, Nigeria’s reforms reflect a willingness to shift governance architecture towards higher ambition.
Closing the Governance Gap
The scale of Africa’s challenges is matched only by its potential: rapid demographic growth, abundant natural resources, and increasing global connectivity. Yet this promise remains unrealised where leadership is weak and governance is uneven. The evidence is clear. When governance quality dips, so too do growth, trust and institutional legitimacy.
For African leaders, and for those who hold them to account, the message is straightforward: it is not enough to occupy office. Leadership must be exercised through a framework of accountability, inclusivity and measurable performance. It must recognise that quality matters more than ever in a world where capital and ideas are mobile, and where citizens’ expectations are rising.
In this context, African leadership must become less about the symbols of power and more about the substance of delivery. The countries that succeed will be those where leaders recognise that governing well is not a luxury but a strategic necessity. And as African nations chart a course through climate disruption, digital transformation and global geopolitics, it is precisely the quality of their governance that will determine whether they capture the moment—or watch it pass.
With strong leadership anchored in the framework above, Africa can turn its youth bulge into a productivity surge, its economic potential into inclusive growth, and its governance gap into a competitive advantage. The time to act is now, the mandate is clear, and the cost of doing nothing is far too great.
