Rwanda tops SSA for 3rd consecutive year in Rule of Law Index 2024; Nigeria Ranks 23rd of 34 countries

Rwanda is performing relatively well in terms of governance and rule of law, leading sub-Saharan Africa for the third consecutive year with a score of 0.63 in the 2024 Rule of Law Index. Namibia (0.61) and Mauritius (0.60) closely follow, showcasing relatively stronger legal frameworks.

At the lower end, Nigeria, Congo, and Gabon score 0.40, highlighting persistent governance challenges.

Globally, Denmark tops the list of 142 countries, with a score of 0.90, while Venezuela ranks last at 0.26, emphasising the gap between SSA's highest performers and global leaders. This mix of progress and struggles illustrates the varied state of governance across the region.

Source:

World Justice Project

Period:

2024
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29 women led central banks around the world in 2024, more than double the number in 2018, when there were just 14
  • The number of female central bank governors rose from 21 in 2014 to 29 in 2024, a 38% increase over the decade.
  • The lowest point was in 2018, with just 14 female governors, marking a 33% drop from the 2014 figure.
  • A rebound began after 2018, with consistent annual growth from 2020 onwards, peaking in 2024.
  • The number remained under 20 for six consecutive years (2015–2021) before breaking past that mark again in 2022.
Nigeria has the lowest female national parliamentary representation in Africa, with only 4.3% female representation
  • Rwanda leads Africa in female parliamentary representation with 61.3% women in its national legislature.
  • Nigeria has the lowest representation of women in parliament across the continent at just 4.3%.
  • South Africa and Cabo Verde also boast high female parliamentary shares, with 44.7% and 44.4% respectively.
  • Four of the top 10 countries have more than 40% women in their national assemblies.
  • Only five countries in the bottom 10 have over 10% female representation.
  • The gap between the top and bottom countries is massive: a nearly 57-percentage-point difference between Rwanda and Nigeria.
63.8% of Rwanda's parliament are women as of 2024 - highest in the world
  • Rwanda is a global leader in gender-inclusive governance, with nearly two-thirds (63.8%) of its parliament occupied by women.
  • Latin American nations dominate the list, with Cuba (55.7%), Nicaragua (55.0%), and Mexico (50.2%) showing strong female political participation.
  • The UAE stands out as the only Middle Eastern country in the top 10, achieving 50% female representation.
  • Despite being a high-income European nation, Monaco has the lowest representation among the top 10, with women holding only 45.8% of seats.
Sudan is the leading country with the highest total number of individuals requiring assistance, alongside its UN targets among African nations
Key takeaways:
  • Mozambique has the fewest individuals requiring support from the United Nations.
  • The UN plans to help 3.6 million of the 7.8 million people in Nigeria who require assistance.
  • Sudan is the only Northern African country recorded by the UN as having people in need.
  • In East and Southern Africa, the countries with the highest and lowest numbers of individuals in need are Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, respectively.
  • The Democratic Republic of Congo and Niger have the highest and lowest number of individuals needing assistance, respectively, in West and Central Africa.
Met and unmet United Nations (UN) requirements for Nigeria's humanitarian support (2016-2024)
Key takeaways:
  • The highest percentage of requirements was met in 2019.
  • Less than 50 percent of UN funds targeted towards Nigeria's humanitarian aid was realised in 2023.
  • As of 2020, the year of the Covid-19 pandemic, approximately 58 percent of the UN target for Nigeria's humanitarian support was raised, which is lower than the percentage realised in 2019 and 2021.
  • Every year, Nigeria obtains at least 40% of the UN's humanitarian aid needs.
The United Nations' (UN) achieved requirements for Nigeria’s humanitarian response plan (2016 - 2024)
Key takeaways:
  • The highest amount of funds raised for Nigeria’s humanitarian aid was recorded in 2017 at $770 million.
  • From 2019 to 2020, there was only a slight increase of 0.3% in the amount raised.
  • By 2023, a decline of 23.42% from 2022's raised funds was witnessed, and it is the lowest decline experienced since 2017.
  • Regardless of fluctuations in annual assistance, Nigeria continued to receive humanitarian aid from the United Nations.
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