APMON Launches 2025 Africa Open Parliament Index, Urges Bold Legislative Reforms

BY ABDUL RAHMAN BAH

The Africa Parliamentary Monitoring Organizations Network (APMON) has officially launched the much-anticipated second edition of the Africa Open Parliament Index (OPI), a groundbreaking report that assesses the openness, transparency, and accountability of national parliaments across Africa. The virtual launch on October 1, 2025, drew a diverse audience including parliamentarians, civil society leaders, development partners, and members of the media, all keen to engage with the findings and the reform agenda it proposes.

The Africa Open Parliament Index is a pioneering tool designed to measure parliamentary performance through three critical pillars: transparency, civic participation, and public accountability. APMON stresses that these pillars are essential to ensuring that parliaments remain accessible and responsive to the citizens they represent, promoting democratic governance and strengthening public trust.

During the unveiling ceremony, APMON’s Secretary General, Mr. Sammy Obeng, highlighted that the index is far more than a mere ranking system. “The OPI is not just a ranking – it is a roadmap,” Mr. Obeng explained. “It challenges parliaments to open their doors, engage meaningfully with citizens, and be accountable for their actions. While the 2025 edition reveals encouraging progress in several countries, it also identifies critical gaps where urgent reforms are needed.”

The 2025 Africa Open Parliament Index evaluated 33 national legislatures, revealing striking contrasts in parliamentary openness across the continent. South Africa emerged as the top performer, with its bicameral parliament achieving an overall score of 79.69 percent, reflecting a robust commitment to openness and democratic processes. Ghana closely followed with 77.60 percent, securing second place, while Kenya’s bicameral parliament took third with a score of 73.96 percent.

In contrast, parliaments in Comoros, South Sudan, and Guinea-Bissau ranked lowest, with scores hovering below 30 percent. These low ratings highlight significant challenges in legislative transparency and citizen engagement that must be urgently addressed. Regionally, South Africa led Southern Africa, Ghana was the frontrunner in West Africa, and Kenya topped the charts in East Africa, showcasing pockets of progress amid broader disparities.

The launch event featured an insightful panel discussion where civil society leaders dissected the report’s findings, emphasizing the importance of strengthening collaboration between parliaments, governments, and civic actors to rebuild public trust. The consensus underscored that transparency alone is insufficient unless paired with meaningful citizen participation and robust accountability mechanisms.

APMON reiterated that the ultimate aim of the OPI is to foster parliaments that are not only accessible but genuinely responsive to the needs and aspirations of their citizens. Civil society representatives stressed that meaningful reforms should place citizens at the heart of legislative work to ensure democratic governance thrives.

Following the report’s release, APMON announced plans to engage directly with parliaments, civil society organizations, and regional bodies across Africa. These consultations will provide tailored feedback on country-specific findings and support the development of actionable reform agendas designed to enhance parliamentary openness and effectiveness.

The full 2025 Africa Open Parliament Index report is publicly accessible online at www.parliamentafrica.com/OPI. APMON hopes that by making this data widely available, reform advocates, lawmakers, and stakeholders will be empowered with evidence-based insights to push for legislative improvements across the continent.

Since its inception in 2022, the Africa Open Parliament Index has served as a critical transparency tool, providing a benchmark for parliamentary performance and highlighting reform needs. APMON, the organization behind the index, is a continental network of civil society groups committed to enhancing parliamentary transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement. Through peer learning, innovative tools, and sustained advocacy, APMON works to ensure African parliaments fulfill their democratic mandates.

As Africa continues to confront complex governance challenges, the 2025 OPI underscores the urgent necessity for bold, comprehensive reforms. Strengthening legislative institutions is not only key to deepening democracy but also to building lasting public trust and ensuring citizens remain central to the governance process. The index’s findings offer a compelling call to action for governments and civil society alike to collaborate in creating more open, accountable, and inclusive parliaments for the future of Africa.