The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) was established in Ghana in 2000 as an independent, not-for-profit policy research and advocacy organization with the following as its vision, mission, objectives and tools of operation.

The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) was established in the year 2000 purposely to contribute to the “establishment of a just and free society” in Ghana that is democratic, prosperous, integrated and secure in the West African sub-region and beyond. Established at a time of growing public interest in the advancement of democratisation and good governance in the hitherto authoritarian, turbulent, and underdeveloped polities of the West African sub-region, the founders of IDEG committed themselves to work for the consolidation of democratic governance within and beyond the boundaries of Ghana. Consequently, IDEG was conceptualised to function as the leading centre of excellence, delivering cutting edge services relevant to the empowerment of citizens and enhancement of their ability to sustain democratic governance and equitable development.

To the founders of IDEG, the impact of democratic governance on the transformation of the hitherto authoritarian and underdeveloped post-colonial African states, economies, and societies was clear. After several decades of repressive rule and state decline precipitated economic and social crises resulting in the underdevelopment of the continent, opportunities for the revitalisation of the economy and society into a more prosperous, secure, equitable and peaceful life world had expanded. The emergent concept was that the promise of the new era could flourish best within the over-aching frame of a stable, modern, inclusive and resilient democracy. This was defined as one of the major challenges to peaceful and accelerated development of Africa in the 21st century.

In response to this challenge, IDEG seeks through first-class scientific research and analysis, policy dialogue and advocacy, and capacity building to expand the scientific knowledge base, enhance change management skills, and foster innovative partnerships that would enable state and non-state actors to successfully pursue economic, political and social development in African countries like Ghana. Spurred by the emergent policy convergence and global consensus on the need to pursue political, economic, and social reforms simultaneously in contemporary Africa, IDEG has poverty reduction, economic growth, democracy and good governance as its major focus of work.