The Sub-Saharan African countries emerged with some of the lowest scores in the Corruption Perceptions Index CPI of 2024 by Transparency International.

The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories worldwide by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, having scanned through 13 data sources.

Aside from that, with a global average points of 33 out of 100, the region ranks lowest from a cutoff of 43.

Nigeria ranks 140 and its neighbour Ghana 80, both out of 180, with a score of 26 and 42, respectively. Nigeria took a step down from corruption, leaving the championship to Ghana and other countries in the region in 2024.

There are a few things to keep in mind before demonizing sub-Saharan African countries.

Several Western nations find themselves struggling to keep their spots among the top cleanest, which is closer to 100 on the scale. The ranks of several European countries, like France, declined in the latest CPI. It is among the 47 surveyed nations that had their lowest scores since 2012. The US also dropped a few from its previous spots.

No African country is among the top 10 least corrupt nations of the CPI, despite having the highest number of countries in dire need of climate action.

Corruption Perceptions Index on Sub-Saharan Africa

The lack of committed anti-corruption measures worldwide is evident in 2024 in the CPI. It further highlights the lingering solution to corruption and the negligence from sub-Saharan African countries in tackling it.

Corruption in the region poses a significant threat to climate actions, the CPI shows.

It continues to fail in critical environmental and economic growth efforts, raising concerns of climate funds misallocation and deviation.

Funds and resources allocated to climate projects risk being misappropriated, stolen or improperly used.

This underscores the urgency in creating a logical mechanism to ensure that communities in Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Somalia and South Sudan and the worst affected, benefit appropriately from the climate funds.

This is disregarding the fact that these countries rank among the most corrupt on the 2024 CPI.

On the continental level, huge amounts are needed to finance Africa’s climate action plans or the nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

Africa is expected to step up the efforts against corruption and come up with anti-corruption measures to set new global standards.

Maíra Martini, Chief Executive Officer of Transparency International, said:

“Urgent action is needed worldwide to root out corruption that undermines climate action through theft, misuse of funds, and undue influence. Governments and multilateral organisations must embed anti-corruption measures in climate efforts to protect funding and rebuild trust. Only by tackling corruption head-on can we unlock the full power of climate action and accelerate the fight for our planet, our future.”