Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, Mr Akin Kekere-Ekun, asserted this, yesterday, at the launch of the $20 million West Africa Democracy Fund (WADF).
This, he argued, created a widening gap between the demand for democracy and the supply of effective, accountable leadership.
Stating that the finding was based on Afrobarometer surveys, he added that while African citizens reject the one-man rule, a significant majority were opposed to military interventions.
He explained that the establishment of the West Africa Democracy Fund is a direct response to the urgent need to rebuild trust in democratic institutions.
Kekere-Ekun explained that the three-year initiative, supported by the Ford Foundation, Luminate Group, MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Foundations and the Carnegie Corporation seeks to provide the essential resources needed to strengthen civil society’s role in advocating good governance, resisting democratic regression and amplifying citizens’ voices.
“By supporting research, analysis and rapid response mechanisms, WADF will play a crucial role in safeguarding the democratic achievements we have fought so hard to attain and ensuring that governance is more inclusive, accountable and responsive to the needs and aspirations of all citizens in our region,” he noted.
President of Ford Foundation, Darren Walker, who reiterated his commitment to good governance, noted that there was an inextricable link between the decline of democracy across West Africa and rising inequality.
He called for greater citizen participation in democratic processes to fully realise a peaceful, inclusive democracy that empowers citizens to build a society that is more just, and that contributes to greater prosperity and a stable economy.
“As an organisation focused on the advancement of social justice, the Ford Foundation is matching our commitment with action with this Fund, which we envision will propel our collective efforts in expanding democratic and civic spaces for citizens’ voices to be included in defining the norms for the governance of their countries,” Walker added.
The fund, which is targeted at supporting West African states facing various democratic challenges, will, for three years, support activities to increase citizens’ engagement with democratic and political transitions in the respective countries.
