Since 2020, six governments in West and Central Africa have been overthrown by military force. A 2023 UNDP Perception Survey of 8,000 African citizens found that even in coup-affected countries, only 11% of citizens preferred non-democratic governance. The conclusion is clear: people don’t reject democracy — they reject democracy that fails them.

The Root Cause

This essay argues that democratic backsliding in Africa is primarily a service delivery failure. When elections consistently produce governments that ignore the poor, protect elites, and fail to provide basic services, citizens lose faith in democracy as practised  not as a concept. The solution is not stronger armies or better electoral systems. It is governance that visibly, tangibly improves the lives of the majority.