Leaders, visionaries, and youth leaders gathered for a Marlborough House Dialogue on 23 February 2026 to engage with Sir Dr Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, on the future of Africa.
Bringing together two generations united by a shared purpose, this edition of the Marlborough House Dialogues explored a future where good governance, accountability, and youth leadership become the foundation of Africa’s renewal.
Since 2006, his Foundation has championed this mission through its flagship Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG), an authoritative tool holding leaders to account and offering evidence-based pathways for reform.
Titled Seizing Opportunities from Adversity: Pathways to Strengthen Democracy and Good Governance in Africa, the dialogue was moderated by the Commonwealth’s Assistant Secretary-General, Prof Luis Franceschi, in what marked his final official engagement at the Commonwealth Secretariat.
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Three Commonwealth youth leaders - Cynthia Nyongesa, Mosebetsi Khobotlo, and Diya Singh - also joined Sir Dr Mo Ibrahim to share their experiences of democracy and participation as young Commonwealth citizens, and their ideas for creating impact as young leaders across the Commonwealth.
Speaking with deep personal conviction, Sir Dr Mo Ibrahim emphasised the urgent need for reform across the African continent, stating:
“I speak passionately about Africa, because it’s my continent and my people. Our generation failed our young people. We have faced a serious problem over the last 10 years or so, of the continuous backward slide in democracy, civic participation, human rights, and the space available for civil society to operate. How can we talk about development in countries that have so much conflict? We need to have peace in our continent; without peace we cannot do anything.”
Discussions explored how African and Commonwealth youth could gain greater opportunities to exercise their agency and strengthen their trust in public institutions. In her opening remarks, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Hon Shirley Botchwey, noted that although young people make up more than 60 per cent of Africa’s rapidly growing population, they continue to feel excluded from the decisions that shape their future.
Hon Shirley Botchwey, underscored the need for stronger, evidence-based action to secure better outcomes that respond to the needs and aspirations of young people.
She added:
“The Commonwealth is a family bound by the shared values of democracy, rule of law, human rights and good governance. We are committed to translating those values into practical action for our young people. That is why the data and analysis of the Ibrahim Index matter so deeply.
“They help us measure progress, confront shortcomings, and sharpen reform efforts. The focus of our Strategic Plan Pillar One on early warning mechanisms derives from this understanding of the need to do better in proactively responding to the needs of people and communities.”
The Marlborough House Dialogue created a unique space to merge lived experience with seasoned insight. Together, Sir Dr Mo Ibrahim and three young leaders reflected on the challenges that young people often face.
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Cynthia Nyongesa, Assistant Research Officer with the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Rule of Law Section, encouraged the audience to reconsider how they saw the younger generation in political arenas, saying:
“In the last few years, there’s been a wake of civic mobilisation. For many observers, they say ‘this is instability’, and ‘that Gen Z and younger Millennials are just a ticking time bomb’. But we must begin to think about it as democratic consciousness maturing. It’s a generation that has been civically aware for years and is waiting on that moment to participate more visibly. We must start equipping young people to understand institutions, to engage systems responsibly and see themselves as participants and not just spectators.”
The Marlborough House Dialogues, created in 2022 by Prof Luis Franceschi and named after the Commonwealth Secretariat’s London headquarters, bring together established and emerging leaders for open and inclusive discussions on key global issues.
