Cameroon’s 10 Year Governance Report Picks Hole On Accountability

The 2016 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) published recently by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation-UK indicates that Cameroon has failed in overall governance in Africa within the last decade.

According to the index, Cameroon came 38/54 with a total score of 45.7 %. Meanwhile, Mauritius, Botswana, and Cape Verde were the first three with a total score 79.9, 73.7 and 73.0 respectively; and  Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Somalia, the last three with a score of 25.7%, 18.6% and  10.6 % respectively. Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Zimbabwe, and were the three most improved countries in Africa in term of overall governance, and Libya, Madagascar and Eritrea,  the three most deteriorated countries in Africa in this category within the last 10 years.

The detailed result indicates that Cameroon is 30^th in Africa in term of  Personal Safety with a 47.3%  score and an improvement trend of 3.6 within the last 10 years. Regarding the Rule of Law Cameroon came 36^th with 42.8% score.

In the area of National Security, this ranking placed Cameroon on the 41^st spot with a total score of 62.8%. The country was scored 30.9 % in Accountability and ranked as the 33^rdmost accountable country in Africa.

The country’s performance in Participation & Human Rights stood at 37.9%, occupying the 39^th spot on the continent with a deterioration rate of -2.4. This rating placed Cameroon on the 29^th  spot in term of infrastructure in Africa with 36%  with a +16.2 improvement trend within the last decade.

In term of Public Management, Cameroon came 32^nd  in Africa scoring 40.4 % in the continent with a deterioration trend of -8.7.  Regarding Business Environment Cameroon occupied position number 28 with a 40% score and a -6.8 deterioration trend.

In the Educational Sector, Cameroon was ranked 20^th in the continent with a score of 53.4% and a 10-year improvement trend of +10.9. A similar result was also recorded in the domain of Health. Here Cameroon was the 21^st in Africa with a 71.5 with a +0.6% improvement trend within the last 10 years. In Human Development, Cameroon was the 26^th with a total score of 48.3%.

The summary result, therefore, indicates that Cameroon failed in Personal Safety, Rule of Law,  Accountability, Participation, and Human Right, Infrastructure, Public Management, Business Environment, and Human Development within the last 10 years; and passed in National Security, Education, and Health. She registered her highest score (71.5) in the health sector and her lowest score (30.9) in accountability.

Following the Anglo-Saxon grading system, Cameroon within the last 10 years passed in three sub-sectors recording a ‘B+’ in Health, a ‘B’ in National Security and a ‘C’ in Education, and failed in eight sub-sectors recording a ‘D+’ in Personal Safety, a ‘D’ in Rule of Law, an ‘F’ in Accountability, an ‘F’ in Participation and Human Right, an ‘F’ in Infrastructure, a ‘D’ in Public Management, a ‘D’ in Business Environment and a ‘D+’ in Human Development per the 2016 Ibrahim Index of African Governance.

In a nutshell, Cameroon’s report card on Governance in Africa within the last 10 years will read; 1B+, 1B, 1C, 2D+, 3D and 3F.

By Bertrand Shancho Ndimuh  & Emmanuel Nkeng