Verona Pires of Cape Verde wins African prize for good governance

Nigeria ranks 13th out of 16 countries in W'AfricaFORMER President of Cape Verde, Pedro Verona Pires, yesterday got $5 million prize for good African governance for turning his small island nation into a model of democracy, stability and prosperity.The Mo Ibrahim prize committee said that during his 10 years in power, Pires helped lead the nation of 200,000 off West Africa's coast out of poverty and won recognition for his human rights record.The award was announced in London and broadcast across Africa, the Associated Press (AP) stated.Last year and the year before, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation prize committee did not award a prize, saying no leader met the criteria for promoting development and democracy - and for handing over power peacefully.In citing Pires, the committee that included Nobel peace laureate, Mohamed ElBaradei of Egypt and former Ibrahim prize winner, Festus Mogae of Botswana, said the Cape Verde leader at the end of his second term dismissed suggestions the constitution be changed to allow him to run again.Pires was appointed independent Cape Verde's first prime minister in 1975. He remained in the post for 16 years, then lost his country's first democratic elections in 1991.Pires was then elected in 2001 and again five years later.'Cape Verde is now seen as an African success story, economically, socially and politically,' the prize citation said.Meanwhile, Nigeria was scored 41 out of 100 for governance quality and is ranked 41st out of 53 countries. Also, the she scored lower than the regional average for West Africa which is 51. It scored lower than continental average which is 50. At sub-category level, Nigeria's highest rank is in Rights and Education, which is 26th and lowest in Health 51st. The country is, however, ranked 13th out of 16 countries in West Africa. Over the past five years, Nigeria's overall governance quality deteriorate between 2006 and 2010.The prize created in 2007 by Sudan-born billionaire Mo Ibrahim awards $5 million over 10 years and $200,000 yearly for life thereafter.The previous winners of the Ibrahim prize are Mozambique's former President Joaquim Chissano, who brought peace and democracy to his country; and Mogae, who as president, campaigned to lower the HIV infection rate in Botswana. Former South African President Nelson Mandela was named an honourary laureate of the prize in 2007.
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