Africa’s decade-long battle against institutional corruption has entered a phase of tentative recovery after years of severe setbacks.
According to the newly released 2026 Ibrahim Index of African Governance, the continent’s average anti-corruption score reached 39.1.
This modest increase from 38.6 in 2016 reflects a strong rebound during the second half of the decade.
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation has formally classified this promising regional trajectory as a period of increasing governance improvement.
Rwanda and Seychelles jointly captured the peak of the continent’s rankings with identical, impressive scores of 76.6.
While Rwanda maintained its historical dominance, Seychelles engineered a dramatic ascent by gaining 26.3 points over ten years.
Conversely, long-term beacon Botswana suffered steep declines, illustrating the highly uneven nature of accountability across different borders.
The Southern African Development Community achieved the highest regional performance, anchored by a solid average score of 44.5.
Meanwhile, the Arab Maghreb Union emerged as the fastest-improving bloc, fueled by steady progress across all member states.
The report highlighted significant advancements in private sector transparency, which led the six primary indicators of governance.
However, public perception of these anti-graft campaigns deteriorated over the decade, revealing a deep deficit in societal trust.
Bridging the gap between institutional reforms and citizen skepticism remains the ultimate test for Africa’s political leadership.
