Decentralization has gained prominence in Africa. Its success or failures have however been associated with instances of corruption to varied scales. This paper discusses the extent to which decentralization has increased rather than decreased corruption in Africa.
Paper long abstract:
Decentralization has gained prominence in Africa in recent years. In various jurisdictions, its success or failures have however been associated with instances of corruption to varied scales. This paper therefore discusses the extent to which decentralization has increased rather than decreased corruption in Africa. Content analysis of various literature on decentralization and corruption forms the core methodology. The paper takes an objective analysis of the successes and or failures of decentralization in selected African countries and eventually makes a conclusion. This paper finds that despite the many instances of increased corruption levels in many decentralized jurisdictions in Africa (Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Mali et al), the system is still considered favorable and can still be taunted for success in corruption reduction if a number of ingredients are included in its implementation.