Leadership and the Challenge of Sustainable Development in Africa

Accountability, effectiveness and inclusiveness are three pillars of good governance. Adherence to these principles by the government, which the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) emphasised, would stimulate growth and sustainable development. This requires a synergy between the institutional structures and ethical leadership practices capable of strengthening state capacity for effective public service delivery. Compromised public institutions coupled with deficient leadership have remained a central challenge to good governance in the continent. Using a case study approach, this chapter examines the various dimensions and dynamics associated with practices within the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) context. While the APRM encourages self-assessment by countries, it is expected that the findings of such activity should serve as a guide for promoting good governance and sustainable growth and development. This chapter argues the insatiable appetite of African leaders for the illicit accumulation of wealth has remained a challenge in promoting good governance principles and practices as envisaged by the APRM. The state capture phenomenon, in different dimensions and fashions, for instance, has dominated African public sector management with state institutions becoming the avenues for corrupt practices. This chapter submits, therefore, that committed institutional, and political reforms are sine qua non for the stimulation of ethical leadership committed to promoting the principles of accountability, effectiveness and inclusiveness in the administration of African states.