2015 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership; Why no winner
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation has announced that there is no winner of the 2015 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership.
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The announcement was made following a meeting of the independent Prize Committee chaired by Dr Salim Ahmed Salim.
Commenting on the decision of the Prize Committee, Mo Ibrahim, Chairman of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, said: “The Board respects the decision of the independent Prize Committee. When we launched the Prize 10 years ago, we deliberately set a very high bar. We want the Prize to shine a spotlight on outstanding leadership to provide role models right across society, as well as supporting Laureates to continue to serve the continent by sharing their wisdom and experience.”
The candidates for the Ibrahim Prize are all former African executive Heads of State or Government who have left their office during the last three calendar years, having been democratically elected and served their constitutionally mandated term. The Prize Committee meets on a regular basis to review eligible candidates and has begun considering candidates for the 2016 Ibrahim Prize.
Since being launched in 2006, the Ibrahim Prize has been awarded four times. The previous Laureates are President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia (2014), President Pedro Pires of Cabo Verde (2011), President Festus Mogae of Botswana (2008), and President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique (2007). Nelson Mandela was the inaugural Honorary Laureate in 2007.
The Ibrahim Prize:
• Recognises and celebrates African leaders who, under challenging circumstances, have developed their countries, lifted people out of poverty and paved the way for sustainable and equitable prosperity;
• Highlights exceptional role models for the continent;
• Ensures that the African continent continues to benefit from the experience and wisdom of exceptional leaders once they have left national office, by enabling them to continue in other public roles on the continent;
• Is an award and a standard for excellence in leadership in Africa, and not a ‘first prize’, there is not necessarily a Laureate every year.
Criteria:
• Former African Executive Head of State or Government
• Left office in the last three years
• Democratically elected
• Served his/her constitutionally mandated term
• Demonstrated exceptional leadership
The Ibrahim Prize is the largest annually awarded prize in the world, consisting of:
• US$5 million over 10 years
• US$200 000 per year for life thereafter.
It is also possible for Ibrahim Laureates to apply for an additional US$200 000 per year for philanthropic activities.
Prize Committee
The winner of the Ibrahim Prize is selected by an independent Prize Committee, appointed by the Foundation Board, comprising of :
• Salim Ahmed Salim (Chair) | former Secretary-General, OAU; Former Prime Minister of Tanzania; Mo Ibrahim Foundation Board Member
• Martti Ahtisaari | former President of Finland; Nobel Laureate
• Aïcha Bah Diallo | President, Network for Education for All in Africa; Former Minister of Education in Guinea
• Mohamed ElBaradei | Director General Emeritus, International Atomic Energy Agency; Nobel Laureate
• Graça Machel | President, Foundation for Community Development; former Minister of Education in Mozambique; Mo Ibrahim Foundation Board Member
• Festus Mogae | former President of Botswana; 2008 Ibrahim Prize Laureate
• Mary Robinson | UN Special Envoy for El Nino and Climate; former UN Special Envoy on the Great Lakes Region of Africa; former President of Ireland; Mo Ibrahim Foundation Board Member
Meanwhile, it is worthy of note that it has been 10 years since the Foundation launched the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. Following the Prize Committee’s announcement of no winner of the 2015 Ibrahim Prize, Sophie Masipa, the Head of Communications, answers some key questions and explains why the Foundation is proud of what the Prize has achieved to date.
Q/ Are you surprised there is no winner of the prize this year?
A/ The Prize Committee’s decision is a reflection of the exceptionally high bar set for potential winners rather than any disappointment with the overall quality of leadership on our continent. The tough criteria were deliberately set to ensure only the most outstanding would be considered.
Given the standard of the criteria, it is even comforting that the Prize has already been awarded four times since 2006.
Q/ Who did the Prize Committee look at this year?
A/ The deliberations of the Prize Committee are confidential. We do not comment on individual candidates. However, the eligibility terms are clear for all to see: a democratically elected former African Executive Head of State or Government who has left office in the previous three years; served her/his constitutionally mandated term; and demonstrated excellence in office.
Q/ 10 years on, what impact has the prize had?
A/ Over the last decade, the Prize has met its aims. It has focused attention on the importance of leadership in Africa and provided the platform for outstanding individuals to continue their invaluable work in public life.
The Prize stimulates and increases conversations about positive leadership in Africa. By shining a spotlight on the good stories coming out of Africa, we want to help shift the narrative to more balanced reporting and improve engagement of citizens in issues such as leadership and governance.
Q/ What have the laureates achieved since getting the prize?
A/ The Prize has provided the means for those honoured to continue their public contribution to their continent once they had left national political office. All Laureates have been incredibly active in promoting good leadership through their own initiatives.
Since stepping down, President Chissano of Mozambique established and now chairs the Joaquim Chissano Foundation which promotes peace, economic development and culture in Mozambique.
In turn, President Mogae created Champions for an HIV-Free Generation, a group of former African Presidents (including President Chissano and 2014 Ibrahim Prize Laureate President Pohamba) and other influential personalities, to strengthen efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa. In 2008, he was one of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoys on Climate Change. He is currently Chairperson of the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa.
President Pires, the 2011 Laureate, used the Prize to set up an Institute for Leadership to give young leaders the capability to drive development in Cape Verde and across Africa.
Finally, both Presidents Chissano and Mogae have been very active in mediating in conflicts and disputes from Madagascar to Western Sahara.
Q/ There have only been four winners. What does this say about the state of leadership in Africa?
A/ The Ibrahim Prize recognises excellence in leadership. This year, the Prize Committee reviewed the performance of all the eligible candidates, but none met the rigorous criteria required to win this prestigious Prize.
Since its launch, the Prize Committee has already been able to distinguish four excellent leaders and an honorary Laureate. However, this Prize is not about who comes first each year. If there is no worthy candidate, the Committee chooses not to award. It recognises not only good leaders - of which Africa has many - but truly exceptional figures. It is, therefore, not surprising that there have been years when the Prize is not awarded and it is not an indictment of leadership standards on the continent.
The standards for the Prize are high, and the number of eligible candidates differs each year. This, of course, means there is likely that there might be years where no Prize is announced.
Q/ Why not consider widening the pool of candidates to include all public officials or people who showcase leadership in any sphere of society?
A/ Restricting the Prize to Prime Ministers or Presidents does not dismiss the contribution of other types of leadership in Africa. It is just a recognition that, without excellent leadership at the top, their efforts will not reap the rewards they deserve.
Q/ What is the foundation planning for its 10th anniversary?
A/ The Foundation is incredibly excited to have reached this milestone and is looking forward to celebrating what has been a truly fantastic first 10 years.
We will hold our two annual flagship moments in the second half of the year. The launch of the 10th Ibrahim Index of African Governance will allow us to take a long-term look at 10 years of governance in Africa. The Governance Weekend will gather all who contributed to the debate about African leadership and governance over the years and be the opportunity to assess the main challenges of the next 10 years.
We will also hold a photo exhibition during the Governance Weekend to showcase the compelling and powerful entries we received as part of the My Africa competition.
Q/ What is the foundation planning for the future?
A/ We have worked hard over the last 10 years to build strong building blocks to effectively promote good governance and excellence in leadership. We have worked with a number of leading organisations on the continent and together with our peers we are looking to use this strong network to interact with and learn from our audiences.
We will indeed be looking to, not only, engage more regularly with our followers on our various social media platforms, but also to deepen our engagement with the youth and the future generation of leaders.