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CSOs Countering Corruption in African Countries

The state of corruption in African countries and CSO efforts to counter it was the focus of a three-part webinar series organized by PTF in February and March 2025 that brought together CSOs from 14 countries. Strategies, tactics and the role of CSOs were discussed within a system map of corruption:

State of corruption

Participants agreed that in their countries, corruption is a systemic, pervasive problem that undermines development, erodes the social contract and trust in government, and worsens social and economic inequality.

Because it is so pervasive, corruption has become normalized and seen as part of the fabric of society in many countries. But the actual costs and consequences of corruption are not generally known. People do not understand how much public money is lost to corruption, or what that means in terms of reduced government services or spending on development.

Among other things, manifestations of corruption include:

• High economic costs, including waste in public budgets and losses in revenue.
• Reduced provision of critical public services, especially for the most vulnerable.
• Weak public institutions and meritocracy.
• Loss of employment opportunities (especially for youth).
• Political patronage and collusion.

Almost no area of public activity is immune from corruption, but some sectors and processes are particularly susceptible.

• Education and health services are vulnerable to corruption at both the system and individual level that exacts a huge cost on ordinary people.
• Infrastructure, mining and extractive industries are well known for corrupt practices due to the size, cost, duration and complexity of the processes and technical difficulties of ensuring compliance with regulations.
• Public procurement is a major source of corruption given its huge coverage and volume of resources.
• Land acquisition, real estate and construction have become vehicles for laundering money resulting from corrupt practices as well as opportunities for corruption in and of themselves.
• Management of climate finance has recently become a source of corruption since it is not very well understood by anti-corruption bodies or the public.

Drivers and enablers of corruption include:

• Complex bureaucratic and administrative systems.
• Opaque procurement processes.
• Lack of publicly available and easily accessible information.
• Limited oversight.

Corruption is also facilitated and perpetuated by the role of money in politics and cultural factors that lead people to expect rewards in return for votes or to excuse corrupt practices as long as they benefit.

Guardrails do exist. Most countries have a variety of legislative, procedural, and institutional barriers in place to prevent and control corruption.  However, their effectiveness depends on the extent to which they are observed, adhered to, enforced, and implemented, which in itself provides openings for corruption.

• Legislation often contains loopholes that can be exploited by corrupt actors.
• Legal provisions have significant—and frequently deliberate—gaps.
• Recourse through the judicial system is lengthy, costly and rarely results in prosecution, especially in high profile cases.
• Mechanisms to recover and reallocate assets are either inadequate or non-existent.
• Offices that are mandated to enforce anti-corruption laws, prosecute corruption, or provide oversight often do not have the necessary authority, capacity and resources.

CSO strategies and tactics to counter corruption

Despite its pervasiveness, there has been considerable progress in raising awareness of corruption and countering it, and civil society has been at the forefront. Building on their experience, participants identified core components of anti-corruption interventions:

• Advocacy and awareness. Advocacy is key to changing mindsets and creating public awareness of the costs and consequences of corruption that is a precursor to action. CSOs should include advocacy and public awareness in anti-corruption interventions to build a broad base of support, and investigative journalism can publicize the impact of corruption..
• Social movements, collective action, coalitions and capacity. Movements of citizens and broad-based coalitions that encompass diverse stakeholders and interest groups, including the private sector, widen outreach and public awareness and create multiple vehicles for participation. They also facilitate advocacy, information sharing, and capacity strengthening and allow for a variety of targeted actions within an overarching framework.
• Data and information. Greater disclosure and access to information, adoption of open contracting data standards, and transparency of procurement processes all help to prevent and control corruption. CSOs have an important role in explaining information to the public and using data to push for action at all levels of government and across all sectors and areas of public financial management.
• Technology and innovation. Use of e-government and digital platforms helps to reduce opportunities for corruption and improve access to information. Similarly, incorporating technology into anti-corruption programming is a relatively low-cost option that enhances communication reach, monitoring, and data analysis. It also facilitates greater engagement of young people in efforts to counter corruption.
• Governments and public officials. Not all public servants are corrupt. Collaborative, non-confrontational engagement with supportive government officials and departments can be a win-win endeavor. It can lead to progress in combatting corruption and improving service delivery, particularly at the local level, which also helps governments meet their own goals and demonstrate responsiveness to community needs.
• Protection. Engaging in anti-corruption efforts can be dangerous and create enemies.  CSOs should try to ensure that their work does not put people at risk and employ effective communications and back up procedures to protect staff.

Key Takeaways

• Combatting corruption requires an all of society approach and concerted action on many fronts over the long term. An informed and empowered citizenry that demands transparent processes and holds government officials accountable for their actions is the ultimate weapon against corruption.
• Politics matter and efforts to combat corruption will fall short unless there is clearly demonstrated political will and leadership to prevent, uncover and punish corruption, including at the highest levels.
• Fighting corruption is an asymmetric endeavor. Corrupt actors have powerful connections and protectors, and frequently have considerably more resources. Those in the anti-corruption ranks are often playing catch-up.
• Technology can be a gamechanger, but is not a panacea. It can greatly facilitate transparency in government functions and monitoring of public services, but technology can also be used to enable corruption.