Policy & Governance Review
Vol 10 No 2 (2026): May

E-Government, Governance Quality, and Control of Corruption in ECOWAS: A Governance-System Perspective

Kerkulah P Nyeleker (Jusuf Kalla School of Government, Department of Government Affairs and Administration, Universitas Muhammadiyah, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.)
Achmad Nurmandi (Jusuf Kalla School of Government, Department of Government Affairs and Administration, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia.)
Chinyabuuma Bengibabuya Esther (Department of Management, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia.)
Ruth Kunda (Department of Accounting, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia.)
Herman Lawelai (Department of Government Science, Universitas Muhammadiyah Buton, Indonesia.)



Article Info

Publish Date
05 Aug 2026

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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Journal Info

Abbrev

pgr

Publisher

Subject

Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Social Sciences Other

Description

This journal encompasses issues and practices in policy analysis, public management, public policy and administration. PGR provides high quality study outcomes and new thoughts for academic practitioners, researchers, scientists and consultants to discuss about social science theories and concepts ...