Elections and Sustainable Development
Research by African Development Bank suggests that nations holding regular, trusted polls enjoy faster GDP growth, partly because investors read ballots as stability signals (AfDB, 2023).
UNDP data show that access to electricity and paved roads often doubles within a decade after the first competitive vote, highlighting how political legitimacy can unlock both domestic revenues and concessional finance.
Student Voices on the Ground
In Juba, master’s candidate John Arop told The Dawn that elections prompt leaders to ‘keep their promises on hospitals, schools, and roads,’ because failure risks defeat at the next ballot.
He recalled how the 2023 visit of Pope Francis spurred the resurfacing of tarmac in the capital, proof, he argues, that public scrutiny—domestic or global—translates into tangible upgrades.
Accountability Drives Infrastructure
Political scientists from Makerere University observe that electoral cycles create windows for accelerated spending on visible projects, from feeder roads to health posts, because incumbents seek to showcase progress before polls (Makerere Policy Brief, 2022).
Yet they caution that without strong procurement oversight, pre-election spending can raise debt burdens; transparency laws therefore matter as much as ballots themselves.
Congo-Brazzaville’s Steady Path
Brazzaville has held legislative and local polls on a predictable timetable since 2002, a rhythm officials credit for enabling multi-year plans such as the modernisation of National Route 2 and the digital ID rollout.
‘Regular elections reassure partners that reforms will outlast individual ministers,’ notes economist Prisca Nkouka, pointing to recent World Bank financing for secondary city water networks.
Safeguarding Electoral Credibility
Observers agree that the developmental dividend flows only when contests are broadly accepted as fair.
African Union initiatives on biometric voter rolls and real-time results transmission, already tested in Congo and Ghana, aim to curb disputes that can freeze public spending for months.
Youth and the 2026 Horizon
By 2026, at least ten African nations, including South Sudan, plan elections that will be decided largely by first-time voters.
Civic educators say digital literacy campaigns, voter registration drives and peaceful rhetoric on social media could transform that demographic surge into a catalyst for inclusive growth.
As Arop concludes, ‘ballots may not tar a road overnight, but they pressure those in power to keep the graders moving.’