Former Cape Verde President Pedro Verona Pires has been awarded this year's $5m Mo Ibrahim prize for good governance in Africa.The prize committee said Mr Pires, who stepped down in August, had helped make the archipelago off the West African coast a "model of democracy, stability and increased prosperity".
The prize is supposed to be awarded each year to a democratically elected leader who has voluntarily left office.
There has been no winner for two years.
The committee said there had been no suitable candidate.
The $5m award, given over 10 years, is the world's most valuable individual prize.
In the overall 2011 Ibrahim index though, Mauritius was ranked first, followed by Cape Verde, Botswana, Seychelles and South Africa. Ranking in the bottom five were Central African Republic, DRC, Zimbabwe, Chad and Somalia respectively.
The index is derived from indicators such as human development and sustainable economic opportunity. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation says it was paying close focus to "capturing the inclusivity and sustainability of the economic programmes pursued by governments". Sound economic management, the Foundation says, must be about equity as well as growth.
In 2011, the assessment was broadened to areas such as physical and telecommunications infrastructure, economic management and health.
In his foreword Dr Mo Ibrahim, chair and founder of the Foundation said 2011 findings show Africa as a continent emerging with a positive story. "We are delighted to see the evident economic growth across Africa but we are concerned about the stagnation, and in many cases the reversal, in the rule of law and citizens' rights."