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Mo Ibrahim (Uppsala, Sept. 2014)
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation is an African non-grant foundation founded in 2006 by Mo Ibrahim. Headquartered in London and Dakar, it works to strengthen governance and leadership in Africa through its key initiatives:
In 2007, the Foundation inaugurated the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, to recognise outstanding political leadership on the continent.[3][4] The prize is awarded to a former African Executive Head of State or Government by an independent Prize Committee.
The Ibrahim Prize celebrates exceptional African leaders who, under challenging circumstances, have developed their countries and strengthened democracy and human rights, paving the way for sustainable and equitable prosperity.[3] The prize ensures that Africa continues to benefit from the experience and expertise of such leaders when they leave national office, by enabling them to continue their work in other public and philanthropic roles on the continent. The prize is not necessarily awarded every year.[5]
Prize criteria:
Former African Executive Head of State or Government
In 2007 the inaugural Prize was awarded to former president Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, for "his role in leading Mozambique from conflict to peace and democracy."[9] Nelson Mandela was also made an Honorary Laureate in recognition of his extraordinary leadership qualities and achievements.[10]
In 2008 Festus Mogae, former leader of Botswana, won the Ibrahim Prize. Kofi Annan stated: "President Mogae's outstanding leadership has ensured Botswana's continued stability and prosperity in the face of an HIV/AIDS pandemic, which threatened the future of his country and people."[11] Both awards ceremonies were held in the Egyptian city of Alexandria.
In 2009 the Prize Committee did not select a winner. The controversial decision came following the consideration of "credible candidates" and was interpreted by many as a laudable act in establishing a standard of credibility for the Prize.
In 2010 the Prize Committee decided not to award the prize.[12]
In 2011 the Prize was awarded to Pedro Pires, former president of Cape Verde.[13] Salim Ahmed Salim, Chair of the Prize Committee, presented President Pires with the award at a prize ceremony in Tunis, Tunisia.[14]
Nelson Mandela was also awarded an honorary Ibrahim Prize in 2007[17] and Desmond Tutu was awarded a Special Prize for speaking truth to power in 2012.[18]
Launched in 2007, the Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) assesses governance performance in all 54 African countries over the latest available 10-year period.[19] It provides a framework and dashboard to assess the delivery of public goods and services and public policy outcomes in those countries.
The IIAG is the most comprehensive dataset measuring African governance, providing specific scores and trends at the continental, regional and national level, on a range of governance dimensions, such as security, justice, rights, economic opportunity and health.[20]
The IIAG provides a biennial assessment of the quality of governance in African countries. Compiled by combining over 250 variables from more than 40 independent African and global institutions, the IIAG is the most comprehensive collection of data on African governance.[21]
Ibrahim Governance Weekend
The Foundation hosts an annual event, the Ibrahim Governance Weekend (IGW), that convenes African political and business leaders, representatives from civil society, multilateral and regional institutions as well as Africa's major international partners for a three-day event to debate issues of critical importance to Africa.[22][23]
The weekend opens on Friday evening with the Leadership Ceremony, which celebrates the Ibrahim Laureates and excellence in African Leadership. It continues Saturday, with a whole day dedicated to the Ibrahim Forum. The Ibrahim Forum is a high-level discussion forum, which focuses on a specific issue of critical importance to Africa.[24] The weekend concludes with a large public concert which has featured notable African political and entertainment figures.
The event also includes the Now Generation Forum, where the Foundation convenes emerging African leaders and young professionals, to gather perspectives from the continent’s majority – its youth – on the theme to be discussed across the weekend. The key ideas and takeaways from this event are shared at the high-level Ibrahim Forum by selected representatives from the group, with some of these included in the Ibrahim Forum Report.
As part of the IGW, each year the Foundation publishes the Ibrahim Forum Report which provides the most recent facts, figures and analysis on a specific topic identified as a priority for African governance, such as climate change, migration, youth, urbanisation and agriculture.[25]
The Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships and Scholarships
The Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships were established in 2011 to identify and mentor the future generation of African leaders.[27] Each year three fellows have an opportunity to work in the executive offices of the African Development Bank (Abidjan), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa) or the International Trade Committee (Geneva), with a stipend of US$100,000.[28]
During their 12-month programmes, fellows gain both technical and leadership skills, while contributing directly to research and policy design. A special feature of the programme is the opportunity to benefit from direct mentorship of the heads of the host organisations.
The Ibrahim Scholarships were established in 2007, to support and develop the talent of young Africans in selected disciplines. The Ibrahim Scholarships support aspiring African leaders at a number of distinguished academic institutions, including the London Business School,[29]SOAS University of London, the University of Birmingham[30] and Chatham House.[31] All those who graduate from a Fellowship or Scholarship programme are automatically enrolled in the Foundation's Now Generation Network, a network of young and mid-career Africans, with members from all 54 African countries.
The Now Generation Network
The Now Generation Network (NGN) currently consists of the Ibrahim alumni of Fellows and scholars and the participants of the annual Now Generation Forum (NGF).[32] It is a pan-African network, with members from all 54 African countries and from various sectors and disciplines.[33][34][25]
The NGN includes a number of different initiatives, including the NGF as well as an In conversation with… series, which consists of an hour long ‘intergenerational dialogue’ between the Foundation’s leadership, partners of the Foundation, and a selection of NGN members.
In 2020, the Foundation also produced the first NGN survey, titled COVID-19 in Africa: what does it mean for young people? The report analyses youth perspectives on the challenges Africa faces as a direct result of COVID-19.[35][36]
