Tuesday, August 19, 2025 - Former Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, has said that corruption remains Africa’s biggest governance challenge and a significant threat to development, despite progress in institutional reforms across the continent.
Akufo-Addo stated this in a lecture he delivered at
Nigeria’s National Defence College (NDC) in Abuja, yesterday, as part of
activities marking the graduation ceremony for Course 33.
The lecture, themed “Strengthening Institutions for Good
Governance in Africa,” was attended by Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru;
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa; Chief of Naval Staff,
Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; government officials, members of the diplomatic corps,
and defence stakeholders from Nigeria and across Africa.
Akufo-Addo noted that although several African nations had
set up anti-corruption agencies, many of such agencies were weakened by
political interference, under-funding, and lack of independence. He said: “In
2023, more than two-thirds of African countries scored below 50 out of 100 on
Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
“Yes, we have anti-corruption agencies across the continent,
but too often they are deprived of resources or stripped of real autonomy.
The former Ghanaian leader stressed that corruption was not
only an ethical issue but a fundamental threat to development, as it eroded
public trust, diverted resources, and crippled service delivery.
According to him, the fight against corruption requires
political will, strong laws, citizen engagement, and technological innovations
that close loopholes in public finance and procurement.
Akufo-Addo further emphasised that addressing corruption was
central to bridging Africa’s governance gap, which is also worsened by
insecurity, weak democratic cultures and donor dependence. He said that strong
institutions, including judiciaries, legislatures, electoral commissions, civil
services and civil society organisations, must be given real independence if
Africa is to sustain democratic governance and development.
MEANWHILE, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and
other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu, has said that the use of
punishment is not enough to fight corruption in Nigeria.
Aliyu, who disclosed this yesterday, in Maiduguri during his
welcome address at a one-day roundtable engagement with state attorneys-general
in the North-East, said Nigeria must combine approaches to put an end to
corruption.
According to him, corruption remains one of the most
stubborn challenges that has significantly contributed to the country’s
weakening economy, insecurity, and the lack of public trust in government
institutions.
Also in his opening remark, Special Guest of Honour, Prof.
Auwal Yadudu of Bayero University, Kano, commended the ICPC for initiating the
engagement, noting that strengthening systems and ensuring accountability would
enhance governance in the region.
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