What experts say about the Mo Ibrahim Foundation

Nelson Mandela
Former President of South Africa

"Mo Ibrahim has a vision to promote and recognise good governance that will drive Africa's political and economic renaissance. He has established the Mo Ibrahim Foundation to develop criteria for good governance, stimulate public debate and challenge the continent's leaders to set the global benchmark on this issue.

Most specifically, the Foundation will provide a unique prize to recognise good governance by African leaders who have left office after a successful period in power. It is appropriate that this will be the largest prize in the world. Nothing is more important. The prize will recognise African leaders for their accomplishments and provide the platform from which they can engage civil society and build on their achievements.

This is an African initiative celebrating the successes of new African leadership. It sets an example that the rest of the world can emulate. We wish the new Foundation very well and call for leaders across the world - in government, civil society and business - to endorse its aims and back its vision. For the Foundation aims to deliver the biggest prize of all: helping to ensure that our rich continent becomes a prosperous one - for all its people."

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Kofi Annan
Former Secretary-General, United Nations

"Good governance and democracy are central to Africa's development.  Without them it will be hard if not impossible for any African countries to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.                       

And that is why the mission of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation is so important. Thanks to Mo's vision, the Foundation can contribute to the growing movement to build honest and enlightened African leadership. It can encourage the next generation to adopt high standards of public service, and it can produce that unique spark of creativity which ignites when the private and public sectors work together.

I thank Mo and all those engaged for establishing such a generous prize as an incentive. It reflects the unique insight of Mo the African and Mo the businessman and entrepreneur. May your initiative inspire and celebrate the best of African leadership and equip future leaders with the knowledge and experience they will need."

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President Bill Clinton
Former US President

"Leadership is important everywhere but especially so in Africa. The tasks facing leaders in Africa are challenging, and the lives and well beings of many millions of people will depend upon the performance of those leaders.

It follows that we should strive to recognise and reward those successful leaders who are able to deliver tangible results for their citizens. 

Mo Ibrahim has started an African Foundation to help Africa move forward, that's a good example of Africa helping itself and important model for moving forward to create growth stability and peace in Africa.

The Foundation is establishing a prize to encourage effective leadership and to help focus the debate on Africa on good governance. I think you'll agree that it is a very timely debate.

It's also a notable initiative because of the man who's spearheading it. I wish the Foundation much success in its important work and I thank Mo Ibrahim for the leadership he is demonstrating, the prize for which will be one we can all share - a better and brighter future for our children."

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José Barroso
President, European Commission

"Sustainable development requires states to be legitimate in the eyes of their citizens and to be delivering the core functions of the state. That is why the European Union has launched a governance initiative proposing additional financial support - around €3bn - to those African countries that have adopted our commitment to a credible plan of concrete governance reforms. The African Peer Review Mechanism, Africa's own voluntary evaluation system, will be a central point for our initiative. 26 African states have already signed up to this.

It is for the same reasons that I welcome whole-heartedly the efforts of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation in promoting good governance and fostering African leadership. I want you to know that the European Commission is very much committed, and I personally am very much committed, to these goals and to the value of a European Union-African partnership.

It is only through global effort that we will make this decade a watershed in the history of our continents. To do this we cannot look inwards, we must look outwards; and that's what we are doing."

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Tony Blair
Former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

"Africa has begun to make progress in the long battle against poverty. The United Kingdom and other rich countries have our part to play. At the Gleneagles Summit in 2005, with enormous public support, G8 countries agreed to provide an extra US$50 billion a year in aid by 2010 and to double aid for Africa. And we are now working to make sure these promises are met.

But that is only part of the picture. It is of course for Africa to lead Africa's development. It is for African leaders to drive forward policies and plans for reducing poverty. For African leaders to combat corruption. For African leaders to end bad governance. Your new Foundation aims to reward and encourage exemplary leadership - an aim which has my full support. I wish the Foundation every success in this important work."

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Professor Amartya Sen
Lamont University Professor, and Professor of Economics and Philosophy, Harvard University

"The Mo Ibrahim Prize initiative is a very significant development in advancing the cause of high standards of political leadership which can be very important for enhancing the wellbeing of residents of Africa and the strength of African civil societies. I hope it will contribute not only to good governance by those in office, but also help to encourage the emergence of future leaders in Africa.

I also hope that it will lead to constructive discussions across Africa on the demands of governance and precisely how it can contribute to a better and more secure life for all. We have reason to have high expectations from this visionary initiative, which can help Africa to realize its own share of the benefits of an increasingly global world."

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Alpha Oumar Konaré
Chairperson, African Union

"I commend this vision which is a laudable initiative to acknowledge statesmanship and purposeful leadership.

The African continent has for too long been characterized as the Dark Continent of the world ostensibly because of the inability of our leaders, past and present, to tackle the various challenges that confront our People. This project of rewarding respect for constitutionality would support all earlier efforts in spurring leadership to greater height in the process of alleviating poverty and diseases, and ensuring much needed development.

On behalf of the Commission and the Union, I wholeheartedly support, endorse and encourage your project, as it should help to encourage good governance, the rule of law, and the entrenchment of democracy with all its principles."

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Louis Michel
European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and International Development

"Without decisive progress on governance, the Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved. Additional aid alone will not deliver results without a clear commitment to the functioning of the impartial state and the consolidation of a State's capacities to assume its full functions. I therefore welcome the broad and renewed focus on governance by all actors dealing with development.

It is a difficult agenda that can only succeed if driven by political leaders that combine the vision, the strength and the courage to see it through. When that political will is present, it is crucial that we support politically and financially the path of reforms. That is why the European Commission has decided to grant an additional financial support to the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to those that present an ambitious, relevant and credible reform.

I am convinced that Mo Ibrahim and the initiative developed by his Foundation will lend important support to these home-driven efforts on governance, as it will strengthen recognition and increase visibility for the cause of integrity and dedicated leadership on the African Continent."

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Jeremy Hobbs
Executive Director, Oxfam International

"On behalf of Oxfam International, I want to express our strong support for the establishment of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation and its work to honour excellence in African leadership and to promote both the successes and the challenges that face the leaders of the African continent...

Oxfam has long argued that the solutions to the vast challenges that face Africa lie in the hands of African people and with talented African leaders... Any measure which seeks to build the human capital of Africa should be applauded, for that is the key to change and success. Oxfam will continue to do all it can to support African people and communities to achieve their rights and we look forward to working with the new Foundation as a partner into the future."

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David Nussbaum
Chief Executive, Transparency International

"Promoting integrity in political leadership is hugely important across the world, and nowhere more so than in Africa. Yet the challenges and obstacles to doing so are daunting. Imaginative and innovative approaches are called for, and I hope that this initiative from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation will make a significant contribution to creating change in the way politics is conducted across the continent. The combination of recognising past achievement, while inspiring those who will lead their countries in the future, can provide a powerful incentive for good governance.

The ultimate success of this unusual prize will be not in providing financial security for the few, but in catalysing greater development and well-being for all the people.  That is the vision and the goal to which this initiative seeks to contribute."

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