The African Development Bank Group has unveiled the first edition of its Public Service Delivery Index (PSDI) - a report that measures the quality and effectiveness of key public services provided by governments across Africa.
The Bank also announced plans to launch a Public Service Delivery Prize for Africa, to celebrate outstanding national achievements in the public sector delivery.
The announcement was made by Prof. Kevin Urama, the Bank's Chief Economist and Vice President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management, at the launch event held during the Bank's 2025 Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
The Public Service Delivery Index evaluates how well African governments deliver key public services outcomes and impacts, including access to electricity, renewable energy, security and environmental safety, climate change, agriculture and food security, industry, infrastructure, freedom of movement, support of intra-Africa trade and essential services including water, education, health and sanitation.
The Index, which will be published biennially, supports the African Union's Agenda 2063, the Bank's "High 5" priorities for regional member countries, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by providing a framework for monitoring progress.
To produce the report, the Bank, working with partners from the public and private sectors, as well as development partners, combined service quality perception surveys across the continent with data from national statistics offices.
The new Public Service Delivery Prize for Africa is planned to be awarded for the first time in 2027, coinciding with the release of the second edition of the Index. The prize will recognize local and national governments that demonstrate measurable improvements and innovation in public service delivery.
In his remarks, African Development Bank Group president, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, emphasized the importance of innovation, calling for the public sector to be evaluated by the performance of a "social capital stock" that parallels shares traded on private capital markets.
"You can only get the private sector you want if the public sector delivers the critical public goods that allow it to thrive," he said. "Our civil services must not exist only to check boxes. They must be accountable for building a social capital stock and must be rewarded based on their ability to do this."
A high-level panel discussion at the launch event included:
- Lutchmanah Pentiah, Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, Mauritius
- Epiphane Zoro Bi Ballo, President de La Haute Autorité Pour La Bonne Gouvernance, Côte d'Ivoire
- Bertrand Assamoi, Country Director, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Côte d'Ivoire
- Professor Soji Adelaja, John Hannah Distinguished Professor Emeritum, Michigan State University
- Chioma Njoku, Director of Programmes, Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Nigeria
- Doussouba Konaté, Executive Director, Accountability Lab, Mali
- Aleksandra Widuch, CEO, Gulf Energy Efficiency, UAE
Dr. Victor Oladokun, Senior Adviser to the Bank Group President on Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, moderated the session.
Panelists welcomed the PSDI as a vital tool for guiding public policy, identifying opportunities for investments and growth, setting the right priorities, and also influencing academic research. For development partners, the new Index will serve as a guide for better coordination with governments.
Discussions highlighted the need for sustained capacity development, citing examples such as the new Institute of Public Service and Innovation established by Mauritius--the top performing country on the PSDI scores--to build the capacity of its over 100,000 public sector workers, and the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, which is training a new generation of reform-oriented public officials in Nigeria.
Speakers also called for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to improve the lives of citizens across the continent.
Among the key findings from the PSDI:
- The top six performers (top 10% of all countries) are, Mauritius, Egypt, South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, and Morocco.
- Of these countries, two are in North Africa, two in West Africa, one in Southern Africa, and one in East Africa.
Download the PSDI here: (EN), (FR)
Watch the video introducing the report, here
Watch the launch event video, here
