Although Botswana ranked 31st of 174 countries on the latest version of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), and Cape Verde (42th), Seychelles (43rd), Mauritius (47th), and Lesotho, Namibia, and Rwanda (all 55th) followed with comparatively high scores, 22 African countries are among the 50 lowest performing in the world on both the CPI and the comparable World Bank Control of Corruption (WBCC) indicator. Rwanda and Liberia (94th on the CPI) are among countries that have dramatically reduced corruption, and their examples demonstrate how committed leadership can reduce corrupt practices and enhance prosperity, economic growth, and positive priorities.
About the Author
Robert I. Rotberg
Founding Director of the Intrastate Conflict Program, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Africa Program
The Africa Program works to address the most critical issues facing Africa and US-Africa relations, build mutually beneficial US-Africa relations, and enhance knowledge and understanding about Africa in the United States. The Program achieves its mission through in-depth research and analyses, public discussion, working groups, and briefings that bring together policymakers, practitioners, and subject matter experts to analyze and offer practical options for tackling key challenges in Africa and in US-Africa relations. Read more
