African nations are often portrayed as lacking responsible leaders. Some argue that unchecked corruption by African heads of state have led to increasing poverty in the continent, with more than 1 billion people estimated to live below the poverty line.

Mo Ibrahim, a Sudanese-born British businessman, is on a mission to promote good governance in the region by using monetary incentives and international recognition. He established the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership in 2007 to reward African leaders who exhibited good governance during their years in office. But in six years, only three leaders met the criteria for the prize.

Ibrahim has received criticism on all sides, from those who think the prize is too big, to those who think it’s too small, to those who question the basic criteria devised to rank candidates. So how effective is the Mo Ibrahim prize in encouraging good governance? And is a lack of good governance in Africa rooted in international or domestic factors?

In this episode of The Stream, we speak to:

Callisto Madavo
Professor, Georgetown University

John Githongo @johngithongo
CEO, Inuka Kenya

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