Time to redeem Africa from corruption

By John Frinjuah & Josephine Appiah-Nyamekye

Corruption is a major contributor to Africa’s stunted development. By corroding and weakening

governance institutions and the democratic values of human rights, gender equality, justice,
and the rule of law, it has hindered the continent’s progress toward peace and prosperity. A
2002 AU study estimated that Africa loses about $150 billion annually to corruption. Illicit financial
outflows, particularly in the extractive industry, cost the continent about $50 billion per annum –
far exceeding the official development assistance that African countries receive from
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries ($27.5 billion in 2016).
This makes illicit financial outflows an important aspect for African leaders to focus on.

The choice of the theme “Winning the Fight Against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s
Transformation” by the African Union (AU) for the 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads
of State and Government currently ongoing in Ethiopia is therefore most appropriate and timely.
It could provide momentum for a more focused continental approach by Africa’s leaders to
fighting corruption.

Across the continent, a majority of Africans perceive corruption in government. In its Round 6
(2014/2015) surveys in 36 countries, Afrobarometer found that 72% of Africans see at least
“some” officials in their country’s presidency as corrupt, including 31% who say “most” or “all” of
these officials are corrupt (see Figure 1). Perceptions of corruption are even higher when it
comes to members of Parliament, local government councillors, tax officials, judges, and the
police.

Figure 1: Perceived corruption in the presidency | 35 countries* | 2014/2015

 Liberia 63% 32%
Gabon 63% 30%
Nigeria 54% 39%
Benin 51% 38%
Sierra Leone 48% 35%
Ghana 48% 35%
South Africa 46% 46%
Malawi 43% 36%
Togo 37% 35%
Mali 35% 46%
Cameroon 34% 44%
Sudan 33% 38%
Guinea 32% 38%
Algeria 31% 38%
Average 31% 42%
Zimbabwe 30% 41%
Uganda 29% 43%
Swaziland 29% 46%
Madagascar 28% 44%
Kenya 27% 54%
Burkina Faso 27% 48%
Zambia 27% 53%
Côte d'Ivoire 24% 52%
Niger 22% 43%
Senegal 22% 39%
Botswana 20% 50%
Morocco 20% 46%
Tunisia 18% 39%
São Tomé and Príncipe 18% 37%
Mozambique 18% 32%
Namibia 18% 48%
Lesotho 17% 38%
Mauritius 16% 58%
Burundi 16% 47%
Tanzania 15% 50%
Cape Verde 13% 29%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

All/Most of them Some of them

Respondents were asked: How many of the following people do you think are involved in corruption, or
haven’t you heard enough about them to say: The president and officials in his office?
* Note: This question was not asked in Egypt.

Despite a variety of attempts to improve transparency and accountability, citizens are

apparently unimpressed by the commitment of their government to fight graft and corruption.
Only about one in three Africans (31%) say their governments are handling corruption “fairly
well” or “very well” (see Figure 2). Botswana is the only surveyed country where a majority (54%)
praise the government’s anti-corruption efforts; in Madagascar, fewer than one in 10 citizens
(9%) agree.
Figure 2: Government performance in fighting corruption | 35 countries | 2014/2015

100

80
42
48 53 56
41 46 47 50 65
60 46 5758 49 58 6162 63 61 6264 68 69 70 6971 71 78 79 79
69 81 8086
61 69 90

40

54
48 4747 4645 44 43
20 40 3837 36 34
33 3332 313131 3029 2827
26 2525 24 23 22
20 1919 18 17 14
10
0
Senegal
Niger

Zambia

Benin
Morocco

Uganda
Mauritius

Zimbabwe
Lesotho

Côte d'Ivoire

Mozambique
Mali

Madagascar
Botswana

Namibia
Burkina Faso

Egypt

Kenya

Cape Verde

Sierra Leone
Liberia

Gabon
Cameroon

Guinea

Togo
Tunisia
Average
Swaziland

Tanzania

Burundi
Malawi

Algeria

Nigeria
Ghana

South Africa
São Tomé/Príncipe

Fairly/Very well Fairly/Very badly

Respondents were asked: How well or badly would you say the current government is handling the
following matters, or haven’t you heard enough to say: Fighting corruption in government?

What should governments do, moving forward?

The ordinary citizen cannot be ignored in the attempt to stamp out corruption. A majority (54%)
of ordinary Africans believe in their own ability to make a difference in the fight against
corruption. But while this proportion is fairly high in Botswana (72%) and Tunisia (71%), it remains at
less than half of citizens in nine countries, including 32% in Sierra Leone and 39% in Nigeria (see
Figure 3). Moreover, substantial numbers of citizens fear reprisals if they report corruption.
Removing barriers to reporting and passing laws to protect whistleblowers are necessary if the
fight against corruption is to succeed.

Figure 3: Ordinary people can fight corruption | 36 countries | 2014/2015

 Botswana 72%
Tunisia 71%
Madagascar 70%
Namibia 69%
Gabon 67%
Malawi 64%
Burkina Faso 61%
Sudan 60%
Lesotho 60%
Swaziland 59%
Kenya 57%
South Africa 56%
Mauritius 56%
Tanzania 55%
Cape Verde 55%
Cameroon 55%
Cote d'Ivoire 55%
36-country average 54%
Burundi 54%
Egypt 53%
Ghana 53%
Zambia 53%
Togo 53%
Morocco 50%
Algeria 50%
São Tomé and Príncipe 50%
Senegal 50%
Mali 50%
Mozambique 49%
Uganda 47%
Guinea 46%
Liberia 43%
Benin 42%
Zimbabwe 42%
Niger 42%
Nigeria 39%
Sierra Leone 32%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Respondents were asked: Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statement:
Ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption? (% who “agree” or “strongly
agree”)

Citizens also count on the news media as an important partner in fighting corruption (see Figure
4). Governments would do well to take a similar view, and to facilitate – rather than obstruct –
the media’s ability to uncover corruption.

Figure 4: Media should constantly report on corruption | 36 countries | 2014/2015

 Cape Verde 89%
Mauritius 82%
Burundi 81%
Gabon 80%
Malawi 78%
Liberia 77%
Togo 76%
Benin 76%
Uganda 75%
Burkina Faso 74%
Madagascar 74%
Ghana 73%
Nigeria 73%
Guinea 73%
Sierra Leone 71%
Botswana 71%
São Tomé and Príncipe 70%
South Africa 70%
36-country average 69%
Lesotho 69%
Tunisia 69%
Kenya 68%
Cameroon 67%
Zambia 66%
Tanzania 66%
Morocco 65%
Mali 65%
Swaziland 64%
Zimbabwe 61%
Senegal 61%
Cote d'Ivoire 60%
Niger 59%
Algeria 57%
Namibia 57%
Mozambique 56%
Sudan 56%
Egypt 46%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Respondents were asked: Which of the following statements is closest to your view?
Statement 1: The news media should constantly investigate and report on government mistakes and
corruption.
Statement 2: Too much reporting on negative events, like government mistakes and corruption, only harms
the country.
(% who “agree” or “agree very strongly” that the media should report on mistakes and corruption)

Some of the African countries perceived as most corrupt are those endowed with natural
resources. It is an important step that countries are subscribing to the voluntary Extractive
Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) global standards to promote the open and accountable
management of natural and mineral resources. But despite the initiative’s successes over the
past few years, fewer than half of African countries are members.

In some countries, governments and citizens are making progress in fighting corruption. Most
states have set up agencies to fight corruption, although these agencies need to be better
resourced and independent. Some countries – Nigeria, for example – have uncovered
corruption cases and retrieved billions of dollars in recent years. It is no coincidence that
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has been appointed AU’s anti-corruption ambassador.

Continentally, the AU already has an instrument to fight corruption – the Convention on

Preventing and Combating Corruption. Since its adoption in 2006, the protocol has gained only
45 signatories and 21 ratifications among the continent’s 55 countries. It is critical at this juncture
that remaining states adopt and adhere to the norms of the convention, and move to empower
and equip their anti-corruption and law-enforcement bodies to win this battle.

John P. Frinjuah is a volunteer researcher at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-
Ghana). frinpark@gmail.com

Josephine Appiah-Nyamekye is Afrobarometer regional communications coordinator for anglophone West

Africa, based at CDD-Ghana. jappiah@afrobarometer.org