Africa is showing signs of recovery in its fight against corruption after years of setbacks, with several countries strengthening oversight and accountability mechanisms — though public confidence in those efforts remains fragile. The findings come from preliminary results of the 2026 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG), published by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which tracks the continent's trajectory between 2016 and 2025.
According to the report, Africa's average score on anti-corruption rose from 38.6 points in 2016 to 39.1 in 2025. The overall gain of 0.5 points may appear modest, but it conceals a significant shift in direction: continental performance declined between 2016 and 2020 before recovering consistently in the second half of the decade — a trajectory the Foundation classifies as one of "increasing improvement".
The index assesses the capacity of countries to prevent and combat corruption in public institutions — including the executive, parliament, the judiciary, public procurement processes and anti-corruption mechanisms — while also accounting for private-sector corruption and public perceptions of the issue.
Rwanda and Seychelles share first place in the continental ranking with identical scores of 76.6, ahead of Mauritius, Senegal, Benin, Botswana, Namibia, Cape Verde, Tunisia and Burkina Faso, which closes the top ten with 55.6 points — 21 points below the joint leaders. While Rwanda has held the top position since 2016, Seychelles recorded the most dramatic improvement of the decade, gaining 26.3 points and climbing 12 places to share the lead.
Beyond the ranking leaders, the report highlights sharp contrasts in individual country trajectories across Africa. Seychelles, Angola, Chad, Somalia and Togo registered the largest improvements over the past decade. Somalia, despite remaining near the bottom of the continental table, achieved one of the most significant long-term gains, suggesting that even countries with weak governance records can make meaningful progress over time — a development the Foundation also views as an encouraging signal for Angola's own trajectory.
In the opposite direction, Comoros, Liberia, South Africa, Niger and Botswana recorded the steepest declines since 2016. Botswana's inclusion is particularly notable: the country has long been regarded as one of Africa's strongest governance examples, and its recent deterioration — while insufficient to push it out of the top ten — marks a significant reversal.
At the regional level, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), of which Angola is a member, recorded the highest average anti-corruption score on the continent in 2025, at 44.5 points. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) ranked last among regional blocs with 26.9 points. The Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) was the fastest-improving regional bloc, with all of its member states raising their scores over the decade.
The report also points to encouraging progress in reducing private-sector corruption, which was the most-improved indicator among the six assessed. By contrast, public perception of the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts was the indicator that deteriorated most over the decade, though it has begun to recover since reaching its lowest point in 2022.
The findings suggest that while many African governments have strengthened institutions and anti-corruption oversight mechanisms, translating those reforms into greater public trust remains one of the continent's foremost governance challenges.
The full IIAG 2026 report is scheduled for publication on 31 October.
Source: Mercado / Original article: mercado.co.ao
