Raphael Obonyo

Corruption is a major problem for many African countries. Its corrosive effects on democracy, development, and security remain a concern for African citizens who in various surveys have made it clear that this scourge is among their top priorities for government intervention. To realise significant progress, African countries must create a new era in which good governance is appreciated and anti-corruption measures are prioritised. During a recent social media campaign in Uganda, dubbed #ExposeTheCorrupt, #CorruptionIsWinnable, one citizen echoed the concerns of many Africans in this lament: “Corruption poses a serious development challenge … in the political realm, it undermines democracy and…

Decentralised systems of governments in sub-Saharan Africa have been hailed as transformative because of their key role in the delivery of public services and contribution to higher growth. But these roles are delivered against a backdrop of multiple challenges, including limited resources, weak institutional capacity and accounting and accountability mechanisms. Administrative inefficiency, gaps in policy, weak laws, and collusion between unscrupulous local government officers and cash collection firms and leakages have conspired to deny decentralised units the much-needed revenue that would offer relief for myriad financial challenges. Indeed, the fundamental problem confronting most local governments, especially in developing countries, is…

Africa is facing unprecedented food insecurity, with more than 134 million people in 29 out of 54 countries on the continent facing acute shortages, according to the US Department of State Humanitarian Information Unit. Countries facing acute food insecurity in Africa include Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Current rising levels of food insecurity are attributed to several factors, including extreme weather, human displacement, conflict, and economic shocks.…

According to the African Youth Survey of 2022, by Ichikowitz Family Foundation, youth on the continent want and hope for a better Africa, and they are optimistic and taking action to shape that future. But the big question remains as to whether the youth on the continent are up to the task or not. Africa continues to experience an explosion in its youthful population; the continent has the youngest population in the world, and it is estimated that more than 400 million Africans are aged between 15 and 35 years. Across the continent, young people are yearning and taking remarkable action to secure a…

It has been eight years since the unveiling of the SDGs. What is the progress made and how far are we with the realisation of the SDGs? We are now at the midpoint of our journey towards 2030, the deadline set for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unfortunately, as recently pointed out by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, more than half of the world’s population is currently being left behind despite our pursuit of these ambitious targets. In fact, the recent SDG Progress Report[1] indicates that only a mere 12% of the SDG…

African countries face a significant energy deficit that limits their economic growth and negatively affects the living standard of their citizens. But, according to the African Development Bank Group, the continent has made important progress in terms of access to electricity, with the percentage of the population with access increasing from 44% to 56% between 2010 and 2020. However, about 600 million in a continent with 1.2 billion people still do not have access to electricity, and about a billion people lack access to clean energy. Globally, Africa still has the lowest rates of energy access. Noteworthy, Nigeria (86 million),…

After a decade of improvement in the quality of governance since 2012, Africa is back in the trenches, according to the 2022 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) published in February this year. This time the decline in the standard of governance is attributed to high-risk security situations and widespread democracy backsliding in the continent – including the deterioration of the rule of law and participation, rights and inclusion. In particular, and in a few African countries, the report reveals that differences in religion, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and economic status are used to exclude and marginalise people.…

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)’s recent reports indicate that transnational organised crime has significantly increased to become a major security threat, especially in Africa, the second most affected continent. There are calls for coordinated responses based on the UN’s Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), adopted in 2000 by the international community in Palermo, Italy. Speaking at the 17th African Chiefs of Defence Staff and Heads of Safety and Security in May last year, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, the African Union’s commissioner of political affairs, peace, and security, singled out transnational organised crime – including money laundering,…

Youth: Fighting COVID-19 their way Africa’s young people are using resourcefulness and new technologies to engage and make a difference in the battle against the virus As Africa continues to battle COVID-19, the continent’s youth are not sitting idly by waiting for the worst to come. Across the continent, young people are hard at work, in partnership with governments and diverse partners, providing solutions to help reduce the spread of the virus and ways to address the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic, through engagements and innovation. In Egypt, Mohamed Elkholy, 25, is using new technologies to engage young people, fight…

Young people are playing a crucial role in advancing climate action and climate justice. Climate change continues to threaten human existence, economic growth and the livelihoods of vulnerable populations, and experts predict that Africa will be struck more severely than most by the impact. Across the continent, young people are enraged about the lack of action on climate change and are demanding action and taking action. As United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres summed up in his speech at the G-7 Summit in August last year, 2015 to 2019 were the five hottest years on record. At the same time, according…