Former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo has said corruption is Africa’s biggest governance challenge and a significant threat to development, despite the progress made in institutional reforms across the continent.
Akufo-Addo said this in a lecture he delivered yesterday at the National Defence College (NDC) in Abuja on Monday, as part of activities marking the graduation ceremony for Course 33.
Dignitaries at the lecture, with the theme: Strengthening Institutions for Good Governance in Africa, included Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru; the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa; the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and defence stakeholders from Nigeria and other African countries.
Akufo-Addo noted that although several African nations had set up anti-corruption agencies, many of the agencies were weakened by political interference, underfunding, 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.
“Still, examples from Rwanda and Botswana show how independent, well-resourced bodies can make a real difference.”
