Everyone benefits from good leaders
Former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano is the first winner of the Mo Ibrahim prize, worth $5 million. The award also serves to motivate good governance. Eleanor Beardsley has more.
Former President of Mozambique Joaquim Chissano at a U.N. press conference. Chissano won the inaugural Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. (Seyllou/AFP/Getty Images)
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Doug Krizner: The former president of Mozambique is $5 million richer this morning. Joaquim Chissano has been awarded the Mo Ibrahim prize for good governance. The prize was awarded to a former African leader who improved the lives of his countrymen -- and then relinquished the reigns of power. Eleanor Beardsley has more.
Eleanor Beardsley: The Mo Ibrahim prize for good governance was born on a continent where corruption and strongmen with a lifelong grip on power are all too common.
The founder of the prize is Sudanese-born telecom giant Mo Ibrahim. He hopes the award will improve the quality of African leadership by rewarding a president who was elected fairly, improved his or her country's standard of living, and then handed over power peacefully to the next democratically elected government.
Nicholas Ulanov, on the board of directors of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, says the prize highlights the fact that the power to change Africa begins with honest, transparent governance.
Nicholas Ulanov: With good governance you have personal liberties and economic development. Rule of law, better health and so on. This prize, it's a very different way of looking at Africa -- as a success rather than as a terrible story.
Thirteen former African leaders competed for the prize, which was awarded at a ceremony this morning in London.
In Paris, I'm Eleanor Beardsley for Marketplace.
