Mo Ibrahim Foundation#The Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships and Scholarships

{{Main|Ibrahim Prize}}

In 2007, the Foundation inaugurated the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, to recognise outstanding political leadership on the continent.{{Cite web |title=Niger's outgoing president wins $5m African leadership prize|first=Toby|last=Orr|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/8/nigers-outgoing-president-wins-africas-top-prize-for-leadership |date=8 March 2021|access-date=27 April 2023 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6086088.stm| title= Prize offered to Africa's leaders|publisher= BBC News | date=26 October 2006}} The prize is awarded to a former African Executive Head of State or Government by an independent Prize Committee.

The Ibrahim Prize celebrates exceptional African leaders who, under challenging circumstances, have developed their countries and strengthened democracy and human rights, paving the way for sustainable and equitable prosperity. The prize ensures that Africa continues to benefit from the experience and expertise of such leaders when they leave national office, by enabling them to continue their work in other public and philanthropic roles on the continent. The prize is not necessarily awarded every year.{{Cite news |date=15 October 2012 |title=Mo Ibrahim prize for African leadership: No winner |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19946106 |access-date=27 April 2023}}

Prize criteria:

• Former African Executive Head of State or Government
• Left office in the last three years
• Democratically elected
• Served his/her constitutionally mandated term
• Demonstrated exceptional leadership

Award:

• US$5 million over ten years
• US$200,000 per year, thereafter

The Prize Committee is chaired by Festus Mogae.{{Cite web |date=3 July 2020 |title=Botswana's Festus Mogae new chairman of Ibrahim Prize committee |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/africa/botswana-s-festus-mogae-new-chairman-of-ibrahim-prize-committee-250402 |access-date=27 April 2023 |website=Nation |language=en}} Other current members of the Committee are Mohamed ElBaradei, Mary Robinson, Aïcha Bah Diallo, Horst Köhler and Graça Machel.

Previous Prize Committee Chairs:

• Kofi Annan, 2007–2011{{Cite web |title=Kofi Annan To Chair Committee Of Largest Prize In World |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-2007-04-01-voa24-66550267/554610.html |access-date=27 April 2023 |website=VOA |date=27 October 2009 |language=en}}
• Salim Ahmed Salim, 2011–2020{{Cite web |date=19 May 2012 |title=Salim Ahmed Salim appointed Mo Ibrahim Prize Committee chair |url=http://www.afriqueavenir.org/en/2011/02/22/salim-ahmed-salim-appointed-mo-ibrahim-prize-committee-chair/ |access-date=27 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120519054753/http://www.afriqueavenir.org/en/2011/02/22/salim-ahmed-salim-appointed-mo-ibrahim-prize-committee-chair/ |archive-date=19 May 2012 }}

Previous Prize Committee Members:

• Martti Ahtisaari, 2007–2019
• Ngozi Ikonjo-Iweala, 2007–2008

The prize has been awarded:

• In 2007, the inaugural Prize was awarded to former president Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, for "his role in leading Mozambique from conflict to peace and democracy."{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7056159.stm| title= Mozambique ex-leader wins prize|publisher= BBC News | date=22 October 2007}} Nelson Mandela was also made an Honorary Laureate in recognition of his extraordinary leadership qualities and achievements.{{cite web| url=http://www.modernghana.com/news/149040/1/nelson-mandela-named-honorary-laureate-by-mo-ibrah.html| title= Nelson Mandela named Honorary Laureate by Mo Ibrahim Foundation|website= Modern Ghana|date=3 December 2007}}
• In 2008, Festus Mogae, former leader of Botswana, won the Ibrahim Prize. Kofi Annan stated: "President Mogae's outstanding leadership has ensured Botswana's continued stability and prosperity in the face of an HIV/AIDS pandemic, which threatened the future of his country and people."{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7679391.stm | title= Botswana's Mogae wins $5m prize, BBC (UK) | work=BBC News | date=20 October 2008}} Both awards ceremonies were held in the Egyptian city of Alexandria.
• In 2009, the Prize Committee did not select a winner. The controversial decision came following the consideration of "credible candidates" and was interpreted by many as a laudable act in establishing a standard of credibility for the Prize.
• In 2010, the Prize Committee decided not to award the prize.{{cite web| url= http://appablog.wordpress.com/2010/06/13/mo-ibrahim-foundation-announces-decision-not-to-award-2010-ibrahim-prize/|title= Mo Ibrahim Foundation announces decision not to award 2010 Ibrahim Prize|website= APPA Blog|date= 13 June 2010}}
• In 2011, the Prize was awarded to Pedro Pires, former president of Cape Verde.{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15241128 | title=Cape Verde ex-leader Pedro Pires wins Mo Ibrahim prize | date=10 October 2011 | access-date=10 October 2011 | work=BBC News}} Salim Ahmed Salim, Chair of the Prize Committee, presented President Pires with the award at a prize ceremony in Tunis, Tunisia.{{cite web |url=http://www.royalafricansociety.org/component/content/article/973.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214071516/http://www.royalafricansociety.org/component/content/article/973.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 December 2011 |title=Party time in Tunis Artists, Richard Dowden's Africa blog|date= 23 November 2011|publisher= Royal African Society }}
• In 2014, to Hifikepunye Pohamba, former president of Namibia.{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=Mark |date=2 March 2015 |title=Namibia's president wins $5m African leadership prize |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/mar/02/namibias-president-wins-5m-african-leadership-prize |access-date=27 April 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}
• In 2015 and 2016, the Prize Committee decided not to award the prize.
• In 2017, to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former president of Liberia.{{Cite web |title=Ex-Liberian president wins prize for African leadership |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/2/12/former-liberian-president-sirleaf-wins-mo-ibrahim-prize |date=12 February 2018|access-date=27 April 2023 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}
• In 2018 and 2019, the Prize Committee decided not to award the prize.
• In 2020, to Mahamadou Issoufou, former president of Niger.

Nelson Mandela was also awarded an honorary Ibrahim Prize in 2007{{Cite web |date=26 November 2007 |title=South Africa: Mandela Named Mo Ibrahim Honorary Laureate |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/200711260645.html |website=AllAfrica}} and Desmond Tutu was awarded a Special Prize for speaking truth to power in 2012.{{Cite web |title=Archbishop Tutu wins $1m for 'speaking truth' |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2012/10/5/archbishop-tutu-wins-1m-for-speaking-truth |access-date=27 April 2023 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}

{{main|Ibrahim Index of African Governance}}

Launched in 2007, the Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) assesses governance performance in all 54 African countries over the latest available 10-year period.{{Cite web |title=New research from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation shines light on Africa's precarious position in the climate debate |first=Abdul Rashid |last=Thomas|website=The Sierra Leone Telegraph |url=https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/new-research-from-the-mo-ibrahim-foundation-shines-light-on-africas-precarious-position-in-the-climate-debate/|date=25 May 2022 |access-date=21 March 2023 |language=en-US}} It provides a framework and dashboard to assess the delivery of public goods and services and public policy outcomes in those countries.

The IIAG is the most comprehensive dataset measuring African governance, providing specific scores and trends at the continental, regional and national level, on a range of governance dimensions, such as security, justice, rights, economic opportunity and health.{{Cite web |last=Nuhu |first=Salome |date=25 September 2019 |title=Mo Ibrahim Foundation announces launch of 'governance report' |url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/354308-mo-ibrahim-foundation-announces-launch-of-governance-report.html |access-date=21 March 2023 |website=www.premiumtimesng.com}}

The IIAG provides a biennial assessment of the quality of governance in African countries. Compiled by combining over 250 variables from more than 40 independent African and global institutions, the IIAG is the most comprehensive collection of data on African governance.{{Cite web |title=Methodology |url=https://mo.ibrahim.foundation/iiag/methodology |access-date=21 March 2023 |website=Mo Ibrahim Foundation |language=en}}

The Foundation hosts an annual event, the Ibrahim Governance Weekend (IGW), that convenes African political and business leaders, representatives from civil society, multilateral and regional institutions as well as Africa's major international partners for a three-day event to debate issues of critical importance to Africa.{{Cite web |date=29 January 2019 |title=AfDB participates in Mo Ibrahim Governance Weekend in Marrakech |url=https://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/afdb-participates-in-mo-ibrahim-governance-weekend-in-marrakech-16901 |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=African Development Bank - Building today, a better Africa tomorrow |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=shabaka |date=10 June 2021 |title=Ibrahim Governance Weekend: Diasporas' role in Africa's path to recovery |url=https://shabaka.org/ibrahim-governance-weekend-diasporas-role-in-africas-path-to-recovery/ |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=Shabaka |language=en-GB}}

The weekend opens on Friday evening with the Leadership Ceremony, which celebrates the Ibrahim Laureates and excellence in African Leadership. It continues Saturday, with a whole day dedicated to the Ibrahim Forum. The Ibrahim Forum is a high-level discussion forum, which focuses on a specific issue of critical importance to Africa.{{Cite web |date=28 January 2019 |title=Liberia: Mo Ibrahim Flagship Event Set for Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/201901280772.html |website=allAfrica}} The weekend concludes with a large public concert which has featured notable African political and entertainment figures.

The event also includes the Now Generation Forum, where the Foundation convenes emerging African leaders and young professionals, to gather perspectives from the continent’s majority – its youth – on the theme to be discussed across the weekend. The key ideas and takeaways from this event are shared at the high-level Ibrahim Forum by selected representatives from the group, with some of these included in the Ibrahim Forum Report.

As part of the IGW, each year the Foundation publishes the Ibrahim Forum Report which provides the most recent facts, figures and analysis on a specific topic identified as a priority for African governance, such as climate change, migration, youth, urbanisation and agriculture.{{Cite web |title=The Future of Africa |url=https://www.unicef.org.uk/globalbritainessays/mo-ibrahim-africa/ |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=UNICEF UK |language=en-GB}}

The event is held in a different African city each year, with previous IGW’s having taken place in Alexandria, Dar es Salaam, Port Louis, Tunis, Dakar, Addis Ababa, Accra, Marrakech, Kigali and Abidjan. In 2020 and 2021, due to COVID-19, the IGW was virtual.{{Cite web |title=Council of EU - Newsroom |url=https://newsroom.consilium.europa.eu/events/20210604-president-michel-2021-ibrahim-governance-weekend |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=newsroom.consilium.europa.eu |language=en}}

The Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships were established in 2011 to identify and mentor the future generation of African leaders.{{Cite web |date=21 February 2019 |title=Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships to support Africa's next generation |url=https://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/mo-ibrahim-leadership-fellowships-to-support-africas-next-generation-7890 |access-date=21 April 2023 |website=African Development Bank - Building today, a better Africa tomorrow |language=en}} Each year three fellows have an opportunity to work in the executive offices of the African Development Bank (Abidjan), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa) or the International Trade Committee (Geneva), with a stipend of US$100,000.{{Cite web |last=starportillo |date=25 August 2021 |title=$100,000 Annual Stipend at the Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships for Africans |url=https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/100000-annual-stipend-at-the-ibrahim-leadership-fellowships-for-africans/ |access-date=21 April 2023 |website=Scholarships for Africans |language=en-US}}

During their 12-month programmes, fellows gain both technical and leadership skills, while contributing directly to research and policy design. A special feature of the programme is the opportunity to benefit from direct mentorship of the heads of the host organisations.

The Ibrahim Scholarships were established in 2007, to support and develop the talent of young Africans in selected disciplines. The Ibrahim Scholarships support aspiring African leaders at a number of distinguished academic institutions, including the London Business School,{{Cite web |title=Mo Ibrahim Foundation Scholarship |url=https://www.london.edu/masters-degrees/financial-aid/search-for-funding/mo-ibrahim-foundation-scholarship |access-date=21 April 2023 |website=London Business School |language=en}} SOAS University of London, the University of Birmingham{{Cite web |title=MSc in Development Policy and Politics (with Mo Ibrahim Foundation Internship) |url=https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/government/departments/international-development/courses/mo-ibrahim.aspx |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=University of Birmingham |language=en-GB}} and Chatham House.{{Cite web |title=Mo Ibrahim Foundation Academy Fellowship |url=https://www.chathamhouse.org/leadership-academy/mo-ibrahim-foundation-academy-fellowship |website=Chatham House}} All those who graduate from a Fellowship or Scholarship programme are automatically enrolled in the Foundation's Now Generation Network, a network of young and mid-career Africans, with members from all 54 African countries.

The Now Generation Network (NGN) currently consists of the Ibrahim alumni of Fellows and scholars and the participants of the annual Now Generation Forum (NGF).{{Cite web |title=The Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships |url=https://www.youthlead.org/funding/ibrahim-leadership-fellowships |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=www.youthlead.org |language=en}} It is a pan-African network, with members from all 54 African countries and from various sectors and disciplines.{{Cite web |title=MINSABS {{!}} The Vice Minister of Health and Social Welfare participates in the Now Generation Forum |url=https://guineasalud.org/the-vice-minister-of-health-and-social-welfare-participates-in-the-now-generation-forum/?lang=en |access-date=10 March 2023 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Now Generation Network |url=https://mo.ibrahim.foundation/ngn |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=Mo Ibrahim Foundation |language=en}}

The NGN includes a number of different initiatives, including the NGF as well as an In conversation with… series, which consists of an hour long ‘intergenerational dialogue’ between the Foundation’s leadership, partners of the Foundation, and a selection of NGN members.

In 2020, the Foundation also produced the first NGN survey, titled COVID-19 in Africa: what does it mean for young people? The report analyses youth perspectives on the challenges Africa faces as a direct result of COVID-19.{{Cite journal |last1=Asare-Nuamah |first1=Peter |last2=Dick-Sagoe |first2=Christopher |last3=Sakah |first3=Bernard Nsaidzedze |last4=Muzee |first4=Hannah |last5=Asamoah |first5=Joycelyn Oteng |last6=Kessie |first6=Kingsley Obeng |date=14 December 2021 |title=Determinants of COVID-19 Response Strategies in Selected African Countries |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/19367244211055799 |journal=Journal of Applied Social Science |language=en |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=281–304 |doi=10.1177/19367244211055799 |s2cid=245228817 |issn=1936-7244|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Abdul Rashid |title=Young people perceive COVID-19 as catalyst to re-shape Africa's future |website=The Sierra Leone Telegraph |url=https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/young-people-perceive-covid-19-as-catalyst-to-re-shape-africas-future/ |date=26 July 2020|access-date=10 March 2023 |language=en-US}}

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Category:Foundations based in England