“Numbers do not lie, but they can be manipulated to hide the truth.”
— Anonymous
Across parts of Africa, grand corruption remains a persistent and corrosive force, as powerful political and economic actors divert public resources for personal gain. It is not merely an administrative failure but a systemic condition—one that drains public funds meant for welfare into the hands of a privileged few.
The alleged embezzlement of over 300 billion leones by Sierra Leone’s Nuclear Safety and Road Protection Authority (NSRA) illustrates how deeply entrenched such practices can become. Cases of this scale are not anomalies; they are symptoms of a wider structural weakness.
In this environment, some media organisations, such as the Africanist Press, have taken on a critical role, acting as lanterns in a darkened space by exposing corruption through financial audits and whistleblower testimonies. Yet despite these efforts, scepticism persists—particularly when statistics suggest that corruption is declining.
Consider Sierra Leone’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score for 2023: 35 out of 100. This represents a modest improvement from the previous year. The country now ranks 108th out of 180 globally, having climbed 22 positions since 2017. On paper, these figures suggest progress. But do they reflect reality?
Grand corruption, by its nature, often operates beyond the reach of public scrutiny. Much of what is most damaging remains hidden, and this raises important questions about the reliability of widely cited indicators. Corruption data across many African contexts can be affected by methodological limitations, political influence, and structural constraints in data collection.
The CPI, for example, is largely perception-based. It measures how corruption is viewed rather than how it is experienced in measurable terms. Such surveys are inherently vulnerable to bias, shaped by media narratives, political pressure, and public awareness. In some contexts, corrupt practices may even be normalised or insufficiently scrutinised, further distorting perception.
The case of former Sierra Leonean president Ernest Bai Koroma illustrates this contradiction. Despite investigations by the Anti-Corruption Commission into alleged financial misconduct during his presidency (2007–2018), he was awarded the ‘Distinguished African Icon of Leadership’ by the Africa Bar Association in 2023.
Such moments expose a disconnect between public recognition and unresolved allegations, complicating the narrative presented by perception-based indices.
This concern is not new. The 2019 African Governance Report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa highlights a persistent challenge: weak institutional frameworks across many African states. These weaknesses often result in incomplete or unreliable data, shaped by limited capacity, insufficient transparency, and gaps in accountability.
Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission itself has faced criticism over selective enforcement. While mandated to investigate and prosecute corruption, it is often accused of political bias—pursuing opposition figures while appearing less decisive in cases involving government officials. Such perceptions, whether fully justified or not, undermine confidence in its impartiality.
Events within Parliament further illustrate this tension. In 2020, Hon. Hindolo Moiwo Gevao and Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh were suspended after raising concerns about corruption within the legislature. Such actions risk discouraging whistleblowing and weakening the very mechanisms required to hold power to account.
The limitations of perception-based measures are also reflected beyond Africa. A 2009 study by economist Benjamin Olken in Indonesia revealed a significant gap between perceived and actual corruption. Local communities underestimated the scale of financial misappropriation in road projects until forensic audits exposed the true extent.
This gap between perception and reality underscores a critical point: corruption cannot be measured reliably through opinion alone.
If corruption is to be confronted effectively, African countries—particularly Sierra Leone—must move towards more evidence-based approaches. Financial records, independent audits, and protected whistleblower systems offer more concrete and verifiable insights into how public resources are used.
Without such measures, anti-corruption efforts risk becoming rhetorical rather than transformative. Declarations of progress may sound convincing, but without credible evidence, they remain difficult to trust.