From external focus to internal reflection : enhancing intra-government collaborative governance in Africa

Abstract

Despite progress in inter-government reforms, Africa’s intra-government collaboration remains highly dysfunctional. Fragmented intra-government coordination has led to policy incoherence, weak accountability, and escalating political instability in African countries. The result is a rise in autocratic governance, violence, and democratic erosion; it has also perpetuated increased political unrest, economic stagnation, and a deepening crisis of public trust in African countries. This policy brief calls for urgent governance reforms to foster effective intra-government collaboration, which is essential for the achievement of an Africa of good governance. Our recommendations include: establishing a joint policymaking architecture that engages all intra-government stakeholders to ensure policy coherence; approving binding cross-arms accountability agreements that promote interdependence and maintain autonomy; adopting digital governance platforms to streamline transparency, enhance policy monitoring, and strengthen the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), with an enhanced mandate on intra-government collaboration. These reforms are vital to realising the African Union’s Agenda 2063, aspiration number three. Implementing this framework will strengthen good governance, restore democratic integrity, and sustain respect for human rights, justice, and the rule of law in Africa.