The stalling continent

WHAT can be measured, business school gurus like to say, can be managed. Yet a saying that is normally applied to companies may also apply to countries. That, at least, is the thinking behind the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, an annual report card of how African governments are faring, which is compiled by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, a body set up by a British Sudanese-born telecoms magnate turned philanthropist.

The latest report, the ninth so far, sadly shows a continent in which progress in governance is stalling. The index itself, which takes into account a variety of indicators ranging from corruption and rule of law to infrastructure and sanitation, is little changed on average from 2011. That in itself marks a big change. In previous years the index had shown steady improvements by most countries. More worrying are signs of reversal at the top of the list. Of the ten countries ranked best, five have seen a decline in their governance scores since 2011.

The main reasons for the stall are declines in two broad areas: those relating to safety and the economy. Although the average decline in measures of safety and the rule of law is pulled down by conflicts such as those in South Sudan, Libya and the Central African Republic (all of which have fallen sharply), even nominally peaceful countries also slipped on this measure. Among the backsliders are Mauritius, Botswana and Tanzania.

Yet the gloomy numbers do not tell the whole story. Executives at the Mo Ibrahim Foundation say that they are busier than ever talking with countries about the index. “They are aware that it is a tool for public policy, as well as an index that is widely used by investors,” says Nathalie Delapalme, who heads up research and policy at the foundation. If Mr Ibrahim has indeed created a dashboard that governments themselves are starting to use to track their progress, then there is yet hope that the numbers will start improving again.