The 2019 Africa Capacity Report (ACR 2019) is the seventh in the series and like those preceding it, measures the capacity of African countries to pursue their development agenda, focusing on key determinants of capacity for development. The theme for 2019 is “Fostering Transformative Leadership for Africa’s Development.” Leadership is critical to the continent’s Agenda 2063, a home-grown strategic framework for socioeconomic transformation by 2063, and to the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals . The ACR 2019 defines transformative leadership as leadership that brings about positive radical changes. In a development context, it is leadership that engenders widespread, demonstrable improvements in peoples’ lives as evidenced by rising incomes, longer life expectancies, comprehensive social safety networks, and universal access to basic services.
In this regard, transformative leadership requires developing and persuasively communicating an agenda for long-term success, fostering supportive institutions, and creating short-term opportunities as an additional incentive. ACR 2019 addresses the capacity dimensions of transformative leadership. It looks at the major elements of transformative leadership in Africa, highlights the leadership capacity gaps related to achieving sustainable development on the continent, and identifies strategies for addressing them.
