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Since the Institute conducted its first program in Sub-Saharan Africa in the mid-1980s, the majority of African nations with closed political systems have adopted principles of democratic governance. In many of the countries still governed by authoritarian and semi-authoritarian regimes, political space has opened.
For more than 20 years NDI has assisted democrats and reformers across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as they work to build stronger institutions that can better represent citizens and promote greater accountability and transparency.
Defending Citizen Observer Rights in Africa
Reflecting the global democratic decline, observer rights are under threat around the world and across Africa. In many countries, political space is closing, and restrictive laws and regulations are being used to undermine the ability of citizen organizations to observe electoral processes. The development of independent, non-partisan citizen observer organizations in every region of the world is one of the most important democratic achievements of the past 40 years.
In recent years, the rise of technology has ushered in an era where information spreads rapidly and seamlessly across countries and borders worldwide. This trend has come with some democratic opportunities but also major risks to democracies, chief being the lack of information integrity. West Africa is no exception to this trend, with Russian disinformation campaigns targeting the region to exploit political instability and degrade trust in democracy.
Since 2020, NDI has supported political party representatives from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states through the Political Party Strengthening Academy (PPSA) program in collaboration with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Recognizing the impact that parties have on functioning democracies, the program aims to advance democratic party reform initiatives.