ABSTRACT
This chapter presents some evidence that have been gathered in the field research to assess the effectiveness of legislative oversight in Ghana and Nigeria and legislatures' ability to curb corruption. It provides a comprehensive picture of the political, institutional, and contextual conditions within which the legislatures of Ghana and Nigeria operate. They are both located in West Africa, they share a similar colonial legacy, both have experienced extensive constitutional instability in the wake of national independence, both have a first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system. Furthermore, neither country has a parliamentary form of government: Nigeria has a presidential form and Ghana a semi-presidential system. Ghana is perceived to be less corrupt than Nigeria, and the Ghanaian parliament is believed to be more effective than Nigerian legislature in helping curb corruption. The Nigerian legislature is blamed for the poor performance of the institutions that should support it in the fight against corruption, and it thus loses legitimacy in the eyes of the population.
