A tale of two rankings

A fall-out between the initiators and researchers of governance ranking in African countries has led to two rival reports being published within four days in South Africa.

Both parties have reportedly stated their differences were brought on by “editorial control” and “African involvement”.

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation (MIF), named after the Sudanese businessman who owns it, launches the results of the “Ibrahim Index” today in Cape Town. In inaugurating the survey, the MIF approached Professor Robert Rotberg of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, USA, who led the team that compiled the first two reports in 2007 and 2008.

Broken partnership

Signals of a partnership gone sour emerged in October last year, when the foundation issued a press release in London, announcing the results of its 2008 Ibrahim Index and steps to “strengthen” subsequent editions, adding, “Starting in 2009, the foundation would begin the transfer to African institutions of various aspects of the compilation of the Index,” the statement read.

Currently, Mr. Rotberg has authored the Index of African Governance, Results and Rankings 2009, which was published by the World Peace Foundation, and released on October 1 in Johannesburg. The text of the report disclosed that there is no “official connection between the Mo Ibrahim Foundation and this project”.

Mr. Rotberg, who is also president of the America-based World Peace Foundation, was recently quoted by South African newspapers as saying having two indices on governance in Africa is “ridiculous”.

The MIF had reportedly replied that Mr. Rotberg wanted to “retain editorial control” and “unfortunately appears to have disparaged the foundation’s motives for moving the Ibrahim Index as always intended and agreed”.

Differing viewpoints

At the outset of the Kennedy School and Mr. Ibrahim’s collaboration in 2006, the latter was asked if his motives included a situation where the survey would replace other yardsticks currently used by aid agencies and donor countries.

“We are not really doing this for Western governments or donors. This is an African effort. That’s what we’d like to have happen — that the African people themselves use this data to see how they can move forward,” Mr Ibrahim replied.

Mr. Rotberg was quoted as saying donor agencies like the Millennium Challenge Account would be “better off using our measures when they’re perfected”.

Governance indices

The Ibrahim Index judged 48 sub-Saharan countries in Africa on eight indicators of security; rule of law, economic opportunity, political freedom, educational services, health services, empowering civil society, and arteries of commerce.

The report has been widely criticised for not including North African countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. However, these countries were covered in Mr. Rotberg’s 2009 Index of African Governance, which Mauritius heads with a score of 86 points out of 100.

Nigeria is ranked 38th out of 53 countries, while Ghana, the only West African country in the top 10, is rank sixth place. “Nigeria, despite its vast oil wealth, suffers as in previous years by weak scores for safety and security, participation, rule of law, and human development,” the 2009 Index of African Governance stated.