Governance weaknesses stall Africa’s development, World Bank warns

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to lag behind other regions in governance and public service delivery despite modest reforms in several areas, according to the World Bank.

In its 2025 Regional Policy and Institutional Assessment Report, the lender paints a sobering picture of the region’s development outlook.

The study evaluates the quality of policies and institutions in advancing inclusive growth and delivering effective public services. Countries are rated on a scale from 1 (very weak) to 6 (very strong).

The report shows that the average Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) score for International Development Association (IDA)-eligible countries in Sub-Saharan Africa remained unchanged at 3.1 in 2024, the same as the previous year.

While ten countries registered improvements and nine recorded declines, the overall regional performance across 39 states was held back by persistent governance weaknesses, which offset progress in areas such as fiscal discipline, debt management and trade facilitation.

“Following four years of relatively strong performance, the region’s average caught up with the global average. Yet, poor performance in the governance cluster offset strong reforms in other areas,” the World Bank noted.

The report adds that in 2024, performance diverged: relatively stable countries continued to make progress, while fragile and conflict-affected states suffered further setbacks.

Signs of progress

The assessment highlights some advances. Several governments have strengthened fiscal frameworks, curbed wage bills and pursued debt consolidation strategies that reduced debt-to-GDP ratios compared with 2022.

Reforms in trade facilitation, digital financial services and tax system modernisation also signal efforts to build more resilient economies.

The social sectors registered incremental improvements too, with measures to keep adolescent girls in school, expansion of social registries, and stronger national health strategies designed to respond to climate and pandemic risks.

Stubborn challenges

However, these gains remain overshadowed by enduring challenges.

The World Bank notes that education systems have reached a plateau in learning outcomes, despite improved enrolment rates.

“Despite significant gains in access and enrolment over the past two decades, education systems are facing a performance plateau,” the report says. “Although net enrolment rates have improved, the sector remains hampered by persistent deficits in quality, equity and governance.”

Other Topics To Read

• Business
• Headlines
• World Bank
• Africa
• africa debt
• debt burden
• African Countries
• Governance weaknesses stall Africa’s development
• World Bank warns

The stagnation is attributed to insufficient investment in foundational areas such as teacher quality, school infrastructure, learning materials and monitoring systems.

On financial inclusion, the report observes that progress remains constrained by underdeveloped financial sectors. “Access to credit remains a systemic constraint, partly due to the limited size and depth of the financial sector itself,” the Bank states.

Nevertheless, the expansion of digital financial services is helping to accelerate financial access, though adoption remains uneven.

The report also flags political instability and limited resources as barriers to effective policy implementation. These factors often undermine even well-designed initiatives, slowing their impact on development outcomes.

Access to justice remains highly uneven. In many countries, geography and socioeconomic status determine citizens’ ability to obtain justice. Rural communities and marginalised groups are particularly disadvantaged, as judicial services remain concentrated in major urban centres.

Meanwhile, judicial independence is under threat in several contexts, with executive interference undermining the rule of law and eroding public trust in institutions tasked with upholding accountability and fairness.