Silver linings in a golden year

2010 was undoubtedly a landmark year for Africa, as 17 countries in the sub-Saharan region celebrated 50 years of independence. It has been an eventful 50 years, indeed; in terms of governance and leadership, these 17 countries have seen the pendulum’s full swing, from coups and authoritarianism to elections and democratic victories; from socialism to market-based economies. However, democratic consolidation has yet to fully occur in any of these golden-year independent nations, and in some cases, democratic backsliding is a real threat.

One of the most high-profile African countries in the international news circuit today is Cote d’Ivoire. The Ivory Coast, which celebrated 50 in August, is currently struggling to contain the breakout of civil war following disputes over the November presidential election results and the refusal of the losing incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, to step down. Nigeria, an economic powerhouse that has experienced military rule and civil war in its 50 years of independence, celebrated its anniversary on October 1 amongst bombings in its capital city, Abuja. A militant group from the oil-producing Niger Delta that seeks re-distribution of the country’s oil revenues took responsibility for the bombing. The failed state of Somalia and the conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo also made 50 this year, and neither has much to show by way of democracy or vibrant economies.

But as the saying goes, “every cloud has a silver lining”; while there are many challenges to democracy in these nations and their younger neighbors on the continent, there are also opportunities. A great example of leveraging a challenge into an opportunity is Kenya’s private sector mobilization during the country’s Constitutional Referendum earlier this year to promote reform. During the development phases of a new Constitution, representatives of Kenya’s private sector – the Kenya Association of Manufacturers and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance – advocated to and worked closely with the government of Kenya to include market-oriented reforms in the proposed constitution. However, the referendum itself posed an incredible challenge; the traumatic experience of the post- December 2007 presidential election violence that left more than 1,000 dead and hundreds of thousands more displaced left many both inside and outside of Kenya questioning the country’s ability to hold a fair and peaceful election.

Kenya’s private sector mobilized its base and cooperated with other sectors of civil society to lead an intense nation-wide campaign effort on the economic benefits of constitutional reform. Utilizing multiple media outlets to disperse information on the Constitution and the voting process, the private sector set the tone for an issues-based, as opposed to personalities-based, referendum. The result of these efforts was the adoption of the proposed Constitution, which will not only create a better enabling environment for the private sector but serves as the foundation for a decentralized, more accountable democracy in Kenya. Kenya is well on its way to being a success story by the time it hits 50 in 2013.  

Nigeria’s private sector has a similar opportunity to seize. Nigeria is expecting to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in April 2011, leaving little time for both the government and civil society to adequately prepare. Right now is the window of opportunity for the private sector to mobilize and work to strengthen business associations’ capacity in the election run-up so that they can effectively advocate to the new representatives once they take office. CIPE’s experience in working at the sub-national level in Nigeria highlights the usefulness of a private sector approach to democratic reform. As a result of capacity-building and technical assistance initiatives for business associations in the North-Central and Southeast zones in Nigeria, entrepreneurs in Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau and Enugu States are creating the opportunities for substantive changes in policy and new government procedures allowing for a more inclusive policymaking process. By preparing now and targeting the new generation of Nigerian leadership, the private sector can cement the practice of democratic dialogue and regular interaction between the public and private sectors, thereby creating a new space for democracy in Nigeria.

Even Cote d’Ivoire has a foundation for hope. In 2009, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) praised Cote d’Ivoire for implementing sound macroeconomic policies that ensured the country’s resiliency during the global economic downturn and subsequently approved a $566 million loan to support poverty reduction and sustainable growth initiatives. Cote d’Ivoire had begun the difficult task of building the framework for robust economic development based on market-oriented reforms that can support and sustain future trends toward democratic consolidation. Although the current picture in Cote d’Ivoire is bleak, there’s no reason to believe just yet that the country is doomed; with the right institutional foundation, Cote d’Ivoire has the opportunity to come out of this period of uncertainty and continue on the path it began towards democratic consolidation and economic prosperity before this election.

Published Date: December 30, 2010