E-Government, Governance Quality, and Control of Corruption in ECOWAS: A Governance-System Perspective
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Abstract
Corruption remains a persistent challenge to governance and sustainable development across Africa. This study examines the relationship between e-government develop- ment, governance quality, and control of corruption in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states. It investigates whether digital reforms can substitute for weak institutions in strengthening control of corruption or wheth- er their effectiveness depends on governance quality. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed using secondary data from the United Nations E-Government Development Index and the Worldwide Governance Indicators for the twelve active ECOWAS countries. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis were conducted using SPSS version 17.0. The findings reveal that both e-gov- ernment development and governance quality are positively associated with control of corruption, with governance quality exhibiting the stronger institutional relationship. The results further indicate that e-government development and governance quality function as complementary components of a broader governance system rather than as competing determinants. The study advances a governance-system perspective by demonstrating that the anti-corruption potential of e-government is conditioned by governance quality. Digital reforms therefore complement, rather than substitute for, strong governance institutions in strengthening corruption control, with implications for governance reform across ECOWAS and comparable contexts.
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P NYELEKER, Kerkulah et al.
E-Government, Governance Quality, and Control of Corruption in ECOWAS: A Governance-System Perspective.
Policy & Governance Review, [S.l.], v. 10, n. 2, p. 222-238, aug. 2026.
ISSN 2580-4820.
Available at: <https://journal.iapa.or.id/pgr/article/view/1374>. Date accessed: 08 aug. 2026.
doi: https://doi.org/10.30589/pgr.v10i2.1374.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Al-Faryan, Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh, & Shil, Nikhil Chandra. (2023). Governance as an Interplay between Corruption and Polity: Conceptualizing from a National Perspective. Economies, 11(2), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3390/ economies11020065
Al Farooque, Omar, Hamid, Ali, & Sun, Lan. (2022). National Governance Index, Corruption Index, and Growth Rate—International Evidence from Sub-Saharan and MENA Countries. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 15(6). https:// doi.org/10.3390/jrfm15060261
Baafi, Joseph Antwi, Acheampong, Kwame, & Sarkodie, Eric Effah. (2024). The triangular nexus of trade, institutional quality and economic growth in China-ECOWAS and US- ECOWAS relations. Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology, 8(6), 671–693. https://doi. org/10.55214/25768484.v8i6.2139
Chen, Lijun, & Aklikokou, Apetogbo Komlan. (2021). Relating e-government development to government effectiveness and control of corruption: a cluster analysis. Journal of Chinese Governance, 6(1), 155–173. https://doi.org/10.1 080/23812346.2019.1698693
Chong, Siew Pyng Christine, Tee, Chwee Ming, & Cheng, Seow Voon. (2021). Political institutions and the control of corruption: a cross-country evidence. Journal of Financial Crime, 28(1), 26– 48. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-05-2020-0094
DeSouza, Mercy, Swanzy, Erasmus Keli, & Asumeng, Maxwell. (2025). Should I Accept or Refute? Understanding the Socio-Organizational Factors Influencing Corruption in Ghana’s Public Service. Public Integrity, 27(3), 274–286. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/10999922.2023.2290749
Esther, Chinyabuuma Bengibabuya, & Rahayu, Meika Hurnia Puji. (2026). Transformational Leadership and Employee Commitment: The Roles of Conflict Management and Organizational Culture at SNEL_Congo. INJECT (Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication), 11(1), 843–870. https://doi. org/10.18326/inject.v11i1.6683
Gallego-álvarez, Isabel, Rodríguez-Rosa, Miguel, & Vicente-Galindo, Purificación. (2021). Are worldwide governance indicators stable or do they change over time? A comparative study using multivariate analysis. Mathematics, 9(24). https://doi.org/10.3390/math9243257
Gonçalves, Paulo, & Leandro, Francisco José. (2024). Guinea-Bissau: avoiding the reputation of being a failed state. JANUS NET E-Journal of International Relation, 15(2), 331–370. https:// doi.org/10.26619/1647-7251.15.2.15
Ha, Le Thanh, To, Thanh Trung, Thi Thanh Huyen, Nguyen, Hoa, Ha Quynh, & Ngoc, Tran Anh. (2024). The roles of e-government in combating corruption: evidence from European countries. Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management, 15(6), 1505–1533. https://doi. org/10.1108/JSTPM-04-2022-0065
Handoyo, Sofik, & Fitriyah, Fury Khristianty. (2018). Control of Corruption, Regulatory Quality, Political Stability and Environmental Sustainability: A Cross-National Analysis. Journal of Accounting Auditing and Business, 1(2), 28–38. https://doi.org/10.24198/jaab.v1i2.18344
Huque, Ahmed Shafiqul, & Jongruck, Patamawadee. (2018). The challenge of assessing governance in Asian states: Hong Kong in the Worldwide Governance Indicators ranking. Asian Journal of Political Science, 26(2), 276–291. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/02185377.2018.1485587
Kagona, Edison. (2025). A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Policy, Legal, and Technical Barriers to the Adoption of AI and IoT-Driven Agricultural Solutions in the East African Community (EAC) (pp. 7–14). pp. 7–14. https://doi.org/10.1109/ SEiGS66664.2025.00008
Klitgaard, Robert. (2019). Engaging corruption: new ideas for the International Monetary Fund. Policy Design and Practice, 2(3), 229–242. https://doi.or g/10.1080/25741292.2019.1612542
Kumar, M. Dinesh. (2023). A Study on Importance of Microsoft Excel Data Analysis Statistical Tools in Research Works. Journal of Management & Educational Research Innovation (JOMERI), 1(3), 76. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10449150
Mahmoud, Nourhan B., Hamed, Essam H., & Dwidar, Mohamed S. (2025). Assessing the impact of e-government on control of corruption and government effectiveness: Developed and developing countries. Asian Economic and Financial Review, 15(5), 740–755. https://doi. org/10.55493/5002.v15i5.5391
Martini, Martini, Manurung, Henson Enjein, Wibowati, Januar Ida, & Rahayu, Endang. (2022). The Effect of Human Resources Development on the Performance of State Civil Servants (ASN). Almana/ : Jurnal Manajemen Dan Bisnis, 6(3), 529–538. https://doi.org/10.36555/ almana.v6i3.1957
Nambassa, Gloria, & Nurmandi, Achmad. (2024). EGDI Impact on Control Corruption in Africa: Exploring E-Government Development Index. Policy & Governance Review, 8(3), 269. https:// doi.org/10.30589/pgr.v8i3.970
Noah, Afees Oluwashina, & David, Oladipo Olalekan. (2024). An Empirical Analysis of an E-government System for Economic Growth in ECOWAS Countries. E-Bangi Journal of Social Science and Humanities, 21(2), 306–312. https:// doi.org/10.17576/ebangi.2024.2102.30
Nyeleker, Kerkulah P., Fridayani, Helen Dian, & Chiang, Li Chun. (2025). The Corruption Formula: Possibilities of Corruption in Government Service Delivery in Liberia. Policy & Governance Review, 9(3), 263. https://doi. org/10.30589/pgr.v9i3.1024
OECD. (2025). Government at a Glance 2025: Size of public procurement. Retrieved from https://www. oecd.org/en/publications/2025/06/government- at-a-glance-2025_70e14c6c/full-report/size-of- public-procurement_6979cd47.html
Onyango, Gedion. (2021). Whistleblowing behaviours and anti-corruption approaches in public administration in Kenya. Economic and Political Studies, 9(2), 230–254. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 20954816.2020.1800263
Palmisano, Flaviana, & Sacchi, Agnese. (2024). Trust in public institutions, inequality, and digital interaction: Empirical evidence from European Union countries. Journal of Macroeconomics, 79(October 2023), 103582. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jmacro.2023.103582
Quah, Jon S. T. (2022). Lee Kuan Yew’s role in minimising corruption in Singapore. Public Administration and Policy, 25(2), 163–175. https://doi.org/10.1108/PAP-04-2022-0037
Sukarno, Mohamad, Rodriguez, Mike Joy, & Nursamsiyah, Nursamsiyah. (2024). E-Govern- ment Development on Control Corruption: A Lesson Learned from Singapore. Journal of Governance and Public Policy, 11(3), 271–286. https://doi.org/10.18196/jgpp.v11i3.21447
Transparency International. (2024). Corruption Perceptions Index 2024. In Transparency International.
United Nations. (2024). E-Government Survey 2024: Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development.
UNODC, OECD, & World Bank. (2024). The Impact of Corruption on Sustainable Development. G20 Acwg, 1–22. Retrieved from https://www.unodc. org/corruption/uploads/documents/Corruption_ sustainable_development_C.pdf
Vhutali, Mabija, & Saba, Charles Shaaba. (2024). the Nexus Between Corruption, Income Inequality and Poverty in South Africa. International Journal of Economics and Finance Studies, 16(1), 224– 251. https://doi.org/10.34109/ijefs.202416110
Waheduzzaman, Wahed, & Khandaker, Sarod. (2022). E-participation for combating corrup- tion, increasing voice and accountability, and developing government effectiveness: A cross- country data analysis. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 81(4), 549–568. https:// doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12544
World Bank. (2020). Early Detection of Fraud and Corruption in Public Procurement through Technology. Retrieved from World Bank Group website: https://www.worldbank.org/ en/events/2020/10/06/early-detection-of-fraud- and-corruption-in-public-procurement-through- technology 1/5
Yuliantini, Lisa Sophia, & Nurmandi, Achmad. (2023). The The Impact of the E-Government Development Index (EGDI) on the Worldwide Governance Indicator (WGI) in European Union Countries. Policy & Governance Review, 7(2), 140. https://doi.org/10.30589/pgr.v7i2.732
Zhang, Miao, Zhang, Houli, Zhang, Li, Peng, Xu, Zhu, Jiaxuan, Liu, Duochenxi, & You, Shibing. (2023). Corruption, anti-corruption, and economic development. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1), 434. https:// doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01930-5