Some may wonder why measuring governance in this way is necessary and ask what contribution it makes in improving people's lives on the ground. My experience as a school teacher tells me that if we do not grade ourselves we cannot possibly know where we need to improve. Just as parents and teachers look at report cards to encourage students to improve in different areas, so the Ibrahim Index provides a tool to encourage countries to make progress in governance.
So how have African countries scored this year? Perhaps surprisingly, it is our brothers and sisters in southern African who have the most to be proud of. While the countries of North Africa are traditionally seen as setting the lead for the rest of the continent, we have found that seven Sub-Saharan nations rank above North Africa in the Index. Across a range of indicators including Sustainable Economic Opportunity, Safety and the Rule of Law, Participation and Human Rights as well as Human Development, Southern African countries like South Africa, Botswana and Namibia scored well.
