Government Corruption in Sub Saharan Africa

This research is concerned with the major causes, forms, and consequences of governmental corruption in SubSaharan Africa. Governmental corruption is found, to some extent, in most of the nations of SubSaharan Africa. It is most rife in Kenya, Liberia, and Nigeria.1 Governmental corruption is also quite prevalent in Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zaire.2 It is extremely rare in both Zimbabwe and the Republic of South Africa; however, even in these countries governmental corruption exists.

Where governmental corruption does exist in the countries of SubSaharan Africa, the forms and causes are similar, even if the degree is not.3 Therefore, in this consideration of governmental corruption in SubSaharan Africa, Nigeria is used as the vehicle for research. Nigeria is one of the countries where governmental corruption is most prevalent in SubSaharan Africa.

1S. J. Ungar, Africa: The People and Politics of An Emerging Continent (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1985), 90, 99101, 105, 112113, 133138, 140148, 186190, 206.

2Ibid., 340341, 360362, 388, 401405, 409.

3Ibid., 90, 99101, 105, 112113, 133138, 140148, 186190, 206, 340341, 360362, 388, 401405, 409.

Prior to the assumption of power by the military in Nigeria, tribal chiefs exercised enormous power in government in the country. Typically, the chief exercising power in a particular region refuse

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or disgruntled military officers to seize power from civilians who either could not or would not lead.11 While the major ethnic and regional groupings had strong leadership at the top, their leadership in the second ranks was substandard, with the exception of the Ibo.12 As a consequence, the Ibo dominated the federal civil service.13 This dominance led to resentment on the part of other ethnic groups and regions, with a resultant loss of confidence in the central government.14 Lastly, the military officers, in the several governments they formed, did not prove to be strong leaders. Their __________ 9M. Crowder, A Short History of Nigeria, 3rd ed. (New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Publishers, 1976), 176. 10Achebe, 21. 11R. Niven, Nigeria, rev. ed. (New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Publishers, 1977), 210. 12Crowder, 178. 13J. Herskovits, Nigeria: Power and Democracy in Africa (New York: Foreign Policy Association, 1982), 213. 14Ibid. 5 operation of the country and the economy proved to be no better than that of the civilian leaders.15 The military has also demonstrated a capacity to become as dissatisfied with themse

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