Why anti-corruption projects and programmes fail in some African countries: a case study of an anti-corruption project that drowned in corruption and the lessons learned

Purpose The pandemic of corruption in Africa reflects the more general climate of the lack of both ethical leadership and appropriate anti-corruption systems found throughout most of the continent. The purpose of this study is to examine the manner in which corruption was perpetrated in an anti-corruption project that was intended to produce outcomes to reduce and control said corruption, in a sub-Saharan Africa country, for sustained development outcomes, including progress in meeting the sustainable development goals. Design/methodology/approach Based on a field experience, and drawing on the active participant observation research methodology, buttressed by open-ended interviews, this work provides a qualitative analysis and assessment case study of corruption in the implementation process of the anti-corruption project. Findings It is shown that corruption remains a significant barrier to positive development outcomes, especially in those environments where certain social norms and collectivist behaviour are prominent. In such environments, special systems need to be in place for project implementation success even in cases where a project itself is designed to reduce and control that corruption. Key lessons learned include the imperatives of recruiting qualified and ethical personnel and the importance of country ownership, political will and persistent project monitoring including by the citizen beneficiaries of sustainable development projects. Originality/value The paper’s value is the insights it provides through the mapping of the key lessons learned for successful implementation of projects and systems to control corruption and improve ethical behaviour in Africa and beyond.