The 2022 Afro-Barometer Round 9, Survey Report released by the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR) has indicated a significant improvement in corruption levels in Sierra Leone.
Data from the same survey shared in Afrobarometer’s briefing with government officials indicates that trust in Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission increased, from a 43% in 2020 to a 52% in 2022, making a 9-percentage point jump upwards.
The recorded increase in trust is as a result of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) robust posture on mainstreaming anti-corruption values in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the functionality of Integrity Management Committees.
The Afro-Barometer Report also, more importantly points that there is a remarkable decline in the public perceptions of corruption in the Presidency, from a 40% in 2012 to a 31% in 2022, showing a 9 point upward movement.
Furthermore, the Report states that, corruption declined in the Judiciary, mainly with Magistrates and Judges from a 50% in 2012 to a 34% in 2022 and in the Local Councils-mainly the Local Government Councilors from a 52% in 2012 to a 38% in 2022.
However, citizens’ perception of corruption about the Police increased from 69% in 2012 to 71% in 2022, 2 points upwards.
In the same vein, in the last four years, Sierra Leone has also consistently scored high in other global, regional, and domestic anti-corruption rankings. Sierra Leone has moved 20 places upwards in the Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index 2022, and scored its highest of 34, above the Sub-Saharan average to be positioned at 110, from 130 in 2017.
The Afro-Barometer is a Pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life.
This Round 9, Survey was completed in early 2023 with 1,200 adult citizens of Sierra Leone interviewed. It must be noted that the Afro-Barometer surveys have been conducted in Sierra Leone was in 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2020 on corruption-related issues.