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 (see chart). 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 (see table).
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