Natural Resources, Fuel Exports and Corruption Policy in Africa

Abstract

Theoretical explanations of corruption in Africa are inconclusive. Economic downturn and poverty are the effects of poor resource management in Africa. Yet, neopatrimonialism also stands as an alternative explanation. This survey differentiates these two theoretical alternatives to understanding corruption in Africa. It examines 54 African countries using the corruption perception index of 2017, finding that fuel-exporting countries in Africa are more corrupt than non-fuel exporting countries, with a large associated effect size (Cohen’s d =.94). The situation of fuel-exporting countries may be linked with resourcecurse theory (poor resource management) and the extractive theory of corruption (neopatrimonialism), while that of non-fuel-exporting countries only with the extractive theory of corruption (neopatrimonialism). African nations involved in the exportation of fuel resources are 94% more likely to be more corrupt than those that are not.