Freetown, Sierra Leone – October 30, 2024 – Sierra Leone has secured a position among the top ten most improved African countries in governance over the past decade, according to the 2024 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) report, released by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation on October 23, 2024.
This year’s ranking underscores Sierra Leone’s advances, particularly in transparency and anti-corruption efforts, elevating it to new heights on the continental stage.
The 2024 IIAG report highlights that Sierra Leone’s anti-corruption score increased significantly to 54.5, placing it 7th out of 54 African nations, surpassing both the African average of 49.3 and the West African regional average of 52.6. This marks a steady improvement, especially in areas like the absence of corruption in state institutions, where Sierra Leone scored 51.9, above the continent-wide average.
“Ranked in the top 10 most improved countries between 2014-2023, Sierra Leone has made remarkable strides alongside nations like Seychelles, Gambia, Angola, Mauritania, and Djibouti,” stated a press release from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.
Public perception of anti-corruption efforts in Sierra Leone has also seen significant progress, with an impressive improvement of 16.6 points since 2014, bringing its current score to 45.4. Additionally, in tackling corruption within the public sector, Sierra Leone’s score rose to 41.1, a gain of 9.0 points over the past decade.
The Mo Ibrahim Index provides a comprehensive dataset assessing governance trends and performance in African countries from 2014 to 2023, drawing from 49 independent sources, alongside exclusive data commissioned by the foundation. The index uses 322 variables across 96 indicators within 16 subcategories, organized under four main categories: Security and Rule of Law; Participation, Rights, and Inclusion; Foundations for Economic Opportunity; and Human Development.
Sierra Leone’s impressive performance in anti-corruption is part of a broader upward trend. Over the last six years, the country has consistently ranked well in global, regional, and sub-regional anti-corruption indices. In 2023, Sierra Leone rose 22 places in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, attaining a score of 35 — its highest to date — and positioning itself at 108 out of 180 nations, a leap from 130 in 2017.
