Freetown, Sierra Leone – Sierra Leone’s battle against corruption has encountered a significant challenge, as the nation’s score on Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has declined to 33 out of 100, down from 35 in 2023.
This decrease has resulted in a drop in the country’s ranking from 108th to 114th out of 180 countries assessed.
The CPI evaluates public sector corruption perceptions by analyzing data from 13 global institutions, with Sierra Leone’s assessment drawing from nine sources, including reports from the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Transparency International Sierra Leone (TISL) highlighted that this decline reflects a broader global trend, where over two-thirds of countries scored below 50, signifying pervasive corruption. The organization cautioned that corruption continues to undermine governance, hinder development, and erode public trust.
“Corruption destroys lives, weakens human rights, and fuels global crises. It blocks critical policy action, enables impunity, and deepens inequalities,” TISL stated.
This downturn contrasts with Sierra Leone’s progress in 2023, when the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) celebrated the country’s fifth consecutive year of improvement. Last year, Sierra Leone advanced from 110th in 2022 to 108th in 2023, with its CPI score increasing from 34 to 35.
The current decline suggests that momentum has stalled, raising questions about the effectiveness of ongoing anti-corruption measures. TISL calls for stronger public sector accountability, merit-based appointments, and stricter enforcement of anti-corruption laws.
Despite the setback, the ACC has yet to issue a formal response to the 2024 CPI ranking, as it has done in previous years. However, speaking to *Awoko*, Alex Bah from the communications department noted that the ACC has acknowledged the report and continues to consider its broad recommendations, as it has done over the years. The recommendations primarily focus on climate change and policy issues.
With corruption remaining a significant barrier to governance, many are looking to the commission and policymakers for renewed commitments to transparency and accountability.
Sierra Leone’s decline in the CPI ranking serves as a stark reminder that without sustained reforms and enforcement, progress in the fight against corruption can easily be reversed.
