Digitalisation in Africa: When Technology Reforms Enable Corruption

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Across Africa, governments are investing heavily in digital technologies to modernise public administration and stimulate economic growth. However, in several West African countries, weak governance and opaque procurement systems are allowing digitalisation initiatives to become new avenues for corruption, rather than tools for reform.

In recent years, significant technological breakthroughs and the introduction of digital technologies have pushed the boundaries of what can be achieved across multiple fields, ranging from social networks and public service delivery to health, education, transport, and many other sectors. Digitalisation—the use of digital technologies to improve and transform existing business models, and in some cases to introduce entirely new ones—has maximised efficiency across a wide range of sectors and industries.

While Africa continues to lag behind other regions of the world in digital infrastructure and adoption, the continent has made notable strides in recent years to bridge this gap and harness digital tools to support economic development. Across the continent, governments have embarked on ambitious digitalisation drives aimed at strengthening their economies and accelerating their integration into the modern global system. From payment systems and healthcare delivery to transportation, revenue collection, agriculture, and sanitation, digital technologies are increasingly being deployed to modernise state systems and improve service delivery.

Digital tools cannot compensate for weak governance frameworks, compromised procurement systems, or the absence of effective oversight.

Digitalisation and Africa’s Development

Rising mobile phone penetration has played a critical role in expanding digital access across Africa, connecting a significant portion of the population to digital services. Between 2019 and 2022, over 160 million Africans gained access to broadband internet, while internet usage in Sub-Saharan Africa increased by 115 per cent between 2016 and 2021. In addition, between 2014 and 2021, approximately 191 million Africans conducted at least one digital payment transaction. These figures highlight the rapid growth in digital adoption across the continent and underscore the significant opportunities digital connectivity presents for driving inclusive economic development.

The introduction of digital payment systems, particularly mobile money platforms, has transformed the ease with which individuals and businesses participate in an increasingly digital economy. These systems have not only facilitated domestic transactions but have also provided broader access to global digital platforms and financial systems, enabling new forms of economic participation.

The private sector has proven indispensable to Africa’s digitalisation drive. Many of the major digital systems adopted by governments have been developed and deployed by private-sector actors, often with the aim of securing government contracts or public funding. Public–private partnerships have, in several instances, contributed to improved efficiency and innovation in public service delivery. However, in other cases, these arrangements have been undermined by poor governance, malfeasance, and corruption.

Amid the rapid adoption of digital technologies and the push for expanded digital connectivity across the continent, global institutions such as the World Bank have made significant investments to support these efforts. Over the past decade, the World Bank has committed approximately US$2.8 billion across 24 active digital development projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. Within the same region, more than US$700 million was allocated to 11 digital development projects that closed within the past six years. These figures, alongside growing domestic investments by governments in Sub-Saharan Africa, illustrate the substantial financial resources being channelled into the region’s digitalisation agenda.

Governance Risks in Digital Procurement

However, a critical challenge underpins the deployment of many of these digital systems. Weak transparency and limited technical competence in the procurement and implementation of digital projects have contributed to significant levels of embezzlement and corruption. While concerns related to funding sources, data privacy, cybersecurity, and accessibility are also important, these issues fall beyond the scope of this analysis.

Ghana provides a salient illustration of these challenges. In recent years, several digital technology projects have been implicated in allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement. In 2024, for instance, the Ghana Revenue Authority came under public scrutiny following allegations that it had paid millions of dollars to a technology firm that delivered minimal services. According to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the contract resulted in an estimated financial loss to the Ghanaian state exceeding US$121 million. This case represents only one example of how digitalisation initiatives, intended to modernise state institutions, can instead become avenues for the misuse of public funds.

Similar cases can be found across West Africa, where state-led digitalisation drives have delivered limited tangible outcomes despite consuming significant public resources. While many of these initiatives are designed to reduce corruption by minimising human discretion and face-to-face interactions, they often become vehicles for financial irregularities through non-transparent procurement processes, non-performance by contractors, and the diversion of funds without proper authorisation.

In 2023, Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor oversaw the development of the country’s digital currency, the eNaira, alongside other fiscal initiatives that contributed to a government-induced cash shortage. Following his arrest, authorities alleged that he had diverted more than US$691 million into unauthorised foreign accounts. This case mirrors similar scandals elsewhere in the region. In Ghana, for example, the head of the National Signals Bureau reportedly contracted a private company to provide digital services to the bureau and, in the process, embezzled millions of dollars from the state. This is one among several scandals linked to the adoption and deployment of digital projects in the country.

Beyond Ghana and Nigeria, comparable concerns have emerged across West Africa. In Liberia and Sierra Leone, there have been repeated allegations of weak transparency in procurement processes and multiple procurement-related violations tied to digital projects. Senegal has also faced its share of technology-related scandals, including a major case involving a fintech company accused of money laundering and fraud, which reportedly cost citizens more than US$15 million.

Digitalisation is no longer optional for African states seeking economic growth, administrative efficiency, and global relevance. However, as the experiences of several West African countries demonstrate, the rapid adoption of digital systems—when pursued without transparency, accountability, and technical oversight—can entrench corruption rather than eliminate it. Instead of reducing opportunities for corruption, poorly governed digitalisation initiatives often relocate corruption from physical bureaucracies into opaque digital procurement processes and proprietary technological systems.

Conclusion

Across West Africa, digital projects have too frequently been characterised by inflated contracts, limited deliverables, and weak public scrutiny, resulting in significant financial losses to already resource-constrained states. These failures are not merely technical; they are fundamentally political and institutional. Digital tools cannot compensate for weak governance frameworks, compromised procurement systems, or the absence of effective oversight. Civil society organisations, think tanks, independent media, and citizens must play a central role in interrogating digital contracts, monitoring implementation, and demanding accountability. Equally important is the need to build public understanding of how digital systems function and how they are financed, procured, and deployed.

Ultimately, digitalisation must serve the public interest rather than political or private enrichment. Without robust safeguards, transparency, and civic engagement, digital reform risks becoming another conduit for elite capture, undermining public trust and weakening democratic institutions. For West Africa, the challenge is not whether to digitise, but how to do so in a manner that strengthens accountability, protects civil liberties, and contributes to long-term political and economic stability.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Centre for Alternative Politics & Security West Africa (CAPSWA).