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The 2025 Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) has again mirrored Nigeria’s snail movement towards holistic development and good governance.
Released recently in South Africa, the CGGI 2025, among other things, indicated how Nigeria lacks behind peers across the continent with Mauritius, Rwanda, Botswana, Morocco, and South Africa topping the chart.
Nigeria is ranked 116th out of 120 countries globally in the Prospects 2025. This places Nigeria in the bottom five worldwide, underscoring persistent governance challenges.
According to data from the UN’s World Population Prospects 2025, Nigeria currently tops 25 countries with the lowest life expectancy (at birth) in the world
The average life expectancy of a country reflects the cumulative impacts of economic development, quality of life, healthcare systems, and other factors that affect overall well-being.
Across the globe, life expectancy differs sharply between high-income and low-income countries.
Released in June, the UN Population Prospects 2025 report indicates that Nigeria’s average of 54.6 years is around 32 years lower than Monaco’s, where people live the longest.
In relation to this, a recent BBC report also indicates that Africa’s populous black nation is among the world’s most difficult places to give birth due to lack of medics and poor facilities.
Nigeria’s scores across the 2025 CGGI pillars are among the lowest, with only one area showing relative strength. In context, Nigeria emerge thus: Leadership & Foresight 115th; Robust Laws & Policies 117th; Strong Institutions 110th; Financial Stewardship 89th (Nigeria’s strongest pillar); Attractive Marketplace 107th; Global Influence & Reputation 109th, and Helping People Rise 119th, which is Nigeria’s weakest pillar on the index.
In regional comparison, Nigeria falls well behind Africa’s top five performers, both in fiscal management and people-centric outcomes. In fiscal management, Nigeria ranked relatively better in financial stewardship (89th) reflecting some resilience in budgetary and debt management compared to other governance dimensions.
However, the country’s rankings in people-centric outcomes especially with ‘helping people rise’ appeared as the weakest point (119th), highlighting challenges in education, healthcare, employment, and equitable opportunities.
The Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) is an annual index that measures the capabilities and effectiveness of 120 governments around the world. Built by practitioners for practitioners, the Index was designed to serve as a practical, diagnostic tool to support governments in benchmarking their performance and identifying areas for capability development.
The CGGI is organised yearly by the Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG), which is a non-profit organisation that works with governments to build a strong and efficient public sector. The CIG is a team of seasoned government practitioners grounded in real-world experience, focusing on the critical ‘how’ of governance in partnerships with governments to strengthen institutions and systems, equip leaders, and share knowledge.
Drawing on proven practices from Singapore and around the world, the CIG tailor its solutions to each country’s unique needs – because context matters in governance. According to Dinesh Naidu, director (Knowledge) at the Chandler Institute of Governance, the Institute is not affiliated with any national government or political party, and does not represent any partisan or commercial interests.
The 2025 CGGI identified Mauritius as the leading government in Africa, followed by Rwanda and Botswana. The average score for countries in Africa was the lowest amongst all regions, although there has been modest improvement between 2024 and 2025.
This is according to Dinesh Naidu, director (Knowledge) at the Chandler Institute of Governance, who disclosed this during the recent regional launch of the Index in Pretoria. The event brought together policymakers, academics, and practitioners to reflect on Africa’s governance journey and the lessons emerging from the latest findings.
Now in its fifth year, the CGGI provides one of the most comprehensive global measures of government capabilities and effectiveness. For Africa, the 2025 edition of the Index presents a mixed but forward- looking picture.
According to Naidu, Africa still has significant work to do in improving the quality of governance as a region. “However, the recent progress recorded suggests an upward trajectory. Even in a challenging global environment, high performance African countries are making governance advances that can inspire peers across the continent.”
The Index offers practical benchmarks for governments across the continent to track progress, identify gaps, and strengthen public institutions. While many of Africa’s 28 CGGI‑ranked countries face fiscal and institutional challenges, several stand out for progress and resilience.
Africa’s top performers
In the 2025 rankings, Mauritius (51), Rwanda (59), Botswana (61), Morocco (75), and South Africa (77) emerged as the top five regional performers. While Mauritius remains the continent’s highest-ranked country for a fifth consecutive year, Rwanda stood out as the world’s best-performing low-income country, showing that national wealth is not necessarily a prerequisite for effective government.
Botswana has improved its judiciary quality through digitalisation reforms in recent years, while Morocco has made notable strides in data transparency and digital infrastructure. South Africa, despite fiscal pressures, remains one of the continent’s stronger performers and a key reference point for institutional capacity.
In the 2025 Index, Tanzania emerged as most improved over five years. Although outside the continental top five, Tanzania has recorded the most improvement of any African country since the Index was first published in 2021, rising from 82nd to 78th globally.
According to the Index, Tanzania’s government has expanded digital governance initiatives and introduced structural reforms to improve administrative efficiency and service delivery in recent years.
Naidu indicated that the government’s ‘Digital Tanzania Project’ is laying a foundation for technology‑driven governance solutions, while new regulatory frameworks, such as the Data Protection Act, seek to enhance security in the digital space.
“Good government is built over decades, but every step forward matters. The achievements we see in these African countries today – from digitalisation to reforms in public institutions – are building blocks for long-term transformation,” Naidu said.
A region of contrasts
The CGGI shows that Africa’s average governance score remains the lowest out of all regions worldwide. Only two countries – Tanzania and Rwanda improved their rankings between 2021 and 2025.
Accordingly, financial stewardship continues to be a major area of concern, as fiscal envelopes tighten and government debt burdens weigh heavily across the region. At the same time, the continent’s strong demographic momentum offers promising opportunities.
With about 70 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population under 30, the Index indicated that governments that can deliver on jobs, education, and inclusive growth stand to unlock a powerful dividend.
Naidu disclosed that the most encouraging part of the 2025 CGGI is the progress in areas such as strong institutions and digital governance on the continent. “Across Africa, we are seeing examples of governments innovating to improve service delivery and strengthen accountability. These reforms show that even in a tough global environment, progress is possible.”
A practical tool for governments
With governments under pressure to deliver better services and governance outcomes, Naidu said that the CGGI provides actionable benchmarks across seven pillars. These pillars are leadership and foresight; robust laws and policies; strong institutions; financial stewardship; attractive marketplace; global influence and reputation, and helping people rise.
According to him, these pillars were built by practitioners for practitioners, while the Index provides a diagnostic tool that governments can use to identify opportunities for improvement and adopt good practices from peers.
“The Chandler Good Government Index is about recognising progress, fostering peer-to-peer learning, and inspiring improvements. We see it as a practical guide for governments committed to building long- term capabilities and improving service delivery,” Naidu said.
According to him, the Chandler Institute of Governance remains committed to working alongside African governments, sharing insights, and strengthening public institutions to build a more resilient and inclusive future for Africa.
