“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela.
Stories of corruption and how deeply it runs in Africa are sadly too familiar. Across many Afrobarometer survey rounds, Africans have spoken up, demanding more from their leaders. A recent study we published through Afrobarometer suggests that education may be a key driver of this growing demand for good governance.
Titled ‘Demanding More: Does Education Increase Public Backing for Good Governance in Africa?’, the paper shows that the more educated Africans are, the more likely they are to demand transparency and accountability from their governments.
We drew on an Afrobarometer survey of over 54,000 Africans from 39 African countries between 2021 and 2023 and found that both self-reported and country-level measures of educational attainment correlate with public demand for good governance. Specifically, better-educated individuals were more likely to insist on having a say in how their governments operate, even if that slows decision-making, and more likely to reject the idea that information held by public authorities should remain secret.
These findings are timely. Across the continent, calls for open budgets, access to information, independent oversight, and stronger accountability are growing louder. But too often, these calls are framed as political or generational. Our study shows that they are also educational.
We argue that education equips citizens with the cognitive skills and civic confidence to question authority, understand policy choices, and demand their rights. It builds what scholars call “internal political efficacy” – better-educated individuals may feel more capable of understanding and influencing political processes, which can strengthen their belief that they deserve a say in how they are governed. Education also seems to make people more aware of the value of transparent, accountable leadership, which may increase their demand for it.
For policymakers and other stakeholders, these insights show that investments in education in Africa are investments in democracy and good governance. Expanding access to quality education, especially beyond primary school, can help cultivate citizens who know their rights and demand them.
Moreover, this link suggests that education reforms should prioritise civic education – teaching how governments work, why transparency matters, and how to hold leaders to account.
Millions of African children remain out of school, and many who are enrolled often receive poor-quality education that leaves them ill-prepared for active citizenship. Policymakers must also improve the quality and relevance of education, particularly for marginalised groups like women, who were found to be less likely to demand good governance.
In an era when disinformation, state repression, and populist manipulation threaten democratic gains across the world, Africa’s education gap risks leaving many citizens vulnerable to exploitation and disengagement. A better-educated populace is harder to fool, harder to silence, and better equipped to demand good governance.
Read the full paper here.
Nnaemeka is a Senior Data Analyst at Good Governance Africa. He holds a Master’s degree in e-Science (Data Science) from the University of the Witwatersrand, funded by South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation. Much of his research explores socio-political issues like human development, governance, bias, and disinformation, using data science. He has published research in scholarly journals like EPJ Data Science, Politeia, the Journal of Social Development in Africa, and The Africa Governance Papers. He has experience working as a Data Consultant at DataEQ Consulting. He has also taught at the Federal University, Lafia (Nigeria) and the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa).
Stuart Morrison is a Data Analyst with the Governance Insights and Analytics team at GGA. His research and expertise mainly focuses on the nexus between local governance, urbanisation and elections. He is currently completing his MA in E-science (Data Science) at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, with a background in Political Science, International Relations and Development studies. His multi-disciplinary approach incorporating data science and quantitative methods allows him to provide a nuanced and data-driven approach towards his research and policy work.
