African leaders fail to grab coveted leadership prize again

Dr. Mohammed “Mo” Ibrahim

ESAT News (February 28, 2017)

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation announced that there will be no winner for 2016 prize for achievement in African leadership.

The Foundation awards African leaders who deliver security, health, education and economic development to their constituents and democratically transfer power to their successors.

The Foundation on Tuesday announced that there is no winner of the 2016 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership.

“As I emphasise each year, a very high bar was deliberately set when the Prize was launched in 2006. We recognise and applaud the important contributions that many African leaders  have made to change their countries for the better. But the Prize is intended to highlight and celebrate truly exceptional leadership, which is uncommon by its very definition. After careful consideration, the Committee has decided not to award the Prize in 2016,” Chair of the board and former chairman of the Organization of African Unity, now called the African Union, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim said.

Since its launch in 2006, the Ibrahim Prize has been awarded four times. The previous Laureates are President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia (2014), President Pedro Pires of Cape Verde (2011), President Festus Mogae of Botswana (2008), and President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique (2007). Nelson Mandela was the inaugural Honorary Laureate in 2007.  

Dr. Mohammed “Mo” Ibrahim is a Sudanese-British mobile communications entrepreneur and billionaire. He worked for several other telecommunications companies before founding Celtel, which when sold had over 24 million mobile phone subscribers in 14 African countries. After selling Celtel in 2005 for $3.4 billion, he set up the Mo Ibrahim Foundation to encourage better governance in Africa, as well as creating the Mo Ibrahim Index, to evaluate nations’ performance.

In 2007 he initiated the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, which awards a $5 million initial payment, and a $200,000 annual payment for life to African heads of state who deliver security, health, education and economic development to their constituents and democratically transfer power to their successors.