What Good Governance Means for Africa — Gilbert A. Ang'ana

3. 6. 2025

This episode of The IR thinker explores the evolving landscape of governance in Africa with Dr Gilbert A. Ang’ana, focusing on how institutional weaknesses, intra-governmental collaboration and decentralisation shape political and developmental outcomes across the continent. The conversation examines how “good governance” is defined and received in different African contexts, the often-neglected importance of coordination within and between state institutions, and the role of the African Union in addressing structural constraints. It also considers responsible negotiation as an alternative to traditional conflict resolution, the influence of tribes, minorities, donors and corporations on policy choices, and how digitalisation, tech competition and basic infrastructure – especially electricity access – will condition the success of future governance reforms.

Gilbert A. Ang’ana

Dr Gilbert A. Ang’ana is a leadership and governance researcher and practitioner specialising in African contexts. He is CEO of Accent Leadership Group and Executive Director of the Accent Global Initiative, a think tank promoting good governance and policy innovation, and currently a Policy Leader Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence. In addition, he serves as Chair of Learning Facilitation for Rotary International District 9212 and is an adjunct lecturer in Strategic Leadership and Management at ACT University in Kigali, Rwanda, combining academic insight with practical experience in capacity-building and institutional development.

Publications:

Re-thinking good governance in Africa : the strategic role of intra-government collaboration and responsible negotiation

From external focus to internal reflection : enhancing intra-government collaborative governance in Africa

Content

00:00 – Introduction
01:56 – Defining “Good Governance” in the African Context
05:44 – Reception of Good Governance Models Across African States
07:53 – Intra-Government Collaboration: An Overlooked Pillar of Governance
11:13 – Case Studies: Successes and Failures in Intra-Governmental Collaboration
12:56 – Institutional and Political Barriers to Effective Collaboration
16:42 – Roots of Institutional Weakness and the Role of the African Union
20:24 – Centralisation vs. Decentralisation of Power in Africa
22:27 – Challenges in Decentralising Key Governance Elements
25:58 – Intra-Governmental Collaboration as Mediator or Moderator of Governance Outcomes?
30:21 – Governance Education and Capacity-Building Initiatives in Africa
34:45 – “Responsible Negotiation” vs. Traditional Conflict Resolution Methods
39:44 – Role of Tribes and Minorities in Shaping Good Governance
43:31 – Navigating Donor Influence and Corporate Pressure: Striving for Epistemic Autonomy
47:26 – Digitalisation’s Role in Advancing Governance in Africa
51:26 – Competing Interests: International vs. Local Tech Enterprises
55:28 – The Power Challenge: Electricity Access as a Prerequisite for Digital Progress
58:50 – Key Governance Reforms Needed for Africa’s Future