ABSTRACT
Corruption is vicious and comprehensive in the sense that one corrupt practice leads to another. Corruption could be financial, nepotism in public appointments, or orientation of a policy to favor somebody. The pervasiveness of corruption varies a great deal in Africa. Nigeria represents the global median for corrupt practices, but surprisingly, Cameroon, Congo, and Guinea rank much higher than Nigeria for corruption. It is heartening that all stakeholders in the development and poverty reduction processes by now consider the fight against corruption a symbol of good governance. Even though scholars, donors, and civil society institutions have an important role to play, particularly in awareness creation, national governments' responsibility and commitment are the dominant factors in curbing corruption. Civil servant salaries that are too low to cover household basic needs—especially within the context of the extended family—combined with weak qualifications, inappropriate and noncompetitive methods of selection, and low incomes, become a recipe for corruption.
