Half a century ago, Africa stood on the brink of a new era. The "winds of change" were just beginning to sweep across the continent, bringing with them newfound optimism, as millions of Africans were emancipated and new nations set out on the path of independence. None of this would have been possible without the visionary leadership of men such as Julius Nyerere and Kwame Nkrumah, leaders who are rightly revered to this day. Now, following five decades of momentous change and some significant setbacks, Africa is once again embarking on an era of rapid change and unprecedented opportunity. Extraordinary progress is being recorded across the board.



Africa's economies are projected to grow on average by 5.8 per cent in 2007, up from 5.7 per cent in 2006. And the majority of African nations - unlike in the past - have democratically elected governments. During the past decade, as Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity (now African Union), I was privileged to witness first-hand this new Africa beginning to unfold. It is an Africa that dispels the prevailing view of the continent as a region of undifferentiated despair. Unfortunately, it is a story that is rarely reported in the headlines and television images that reach the rest of the world. Let us not delude ourselves: there are still huge obstacles to be overcome. Some 300 million Africans live in poverty, with little access to the most basic of resources. The scourge of HIV/Aids continues to compromise the development gains of the last few years. Furthermore, the continent is still bedevilled by the tragedy of conflict, which causes untold suffering, death and destruction, and forces millions to vote with their feet. The conflict in Darfur is a case in point. Tackling these challenges will require visionary leadership of the sort that helped lead Africa to independence half a century ago. One such visionary is Dr Mo Ibrahim. One of Africa's most successful businessmen, he has established a foundation to recognise excellence in African leadership and to devise an objective method by which governance can be assessed. It is encouraging that one of Africa's greatest sons, Kofi Annan, has agreed to chair the Foundation's prize committee.



This committee, of which I am also a member, is charged with selecting the inaugural winner of the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership in October this year. The prize, the world's largest at $5 million, will be awarded each year to a former executive head of state or government in Africa who has demonstrated excellence in leadership.



Just what constitutes successful leadership is not easy to identify. Different leaders face different challenges. In the case of Africa, there is often a need to prioritise resources to address certain development challenges. The task facing the prize committee - to assess eligible candidates against the performance of their country during their time in office relative to other sub-Saharan African countries - is far from straightforward, therefore.

Other members of the prize committee are two former heads of state, Martti Ahtisaari of Finland and Mary Robinson of Ireland, and two of Africa's leading stateswoman, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria and A�cha Bah Diallo of Guinea - all of whom have an intimate understanding of the complexities of leadership and the challenges facing our continent. The committee will be assisted by the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, a comprehensive ranking of sub-Saharan African nations according to performance in five key areas: sustainable economic development; human development; transparency and the empowerment of civil society; democracy and human rights; and the rule of law and security. It will also take into account other important sources, including the African Peer Review Mechanism, and data from the World Bank and United Nations Development Programme.



The Ibrahim Index is unprecedented in scope. For the first time, people in Africa will have the opportunity to assess the progress of their countries with an index especially designed to encourage good governance. Neither Europe nor Asia, nor even the Americas, have a comparable measure. Broad generalisations do an injustice to a continent as diverse as Africa. But one generalisation is valid: development cannot occur without good governance. It is the sine qua non of development, and it must start at the top with excellent leadership. But leadership alone is not enough: a strong civil society is also an important prerequisite to ensure that the state's resources are properly administered, human rights are upheld, and democratic processes are allowed to flourish. Therefore, as well as recognising the achievements of Africa's visionary leaders, and thereby encouraging the next generation to adopt high standards of public service, it is important to empower civil society in Africa to hold its leaders to account. This is the vision of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.