Bureaucratic Corruption and Human Development: A Comparative Case-Study of Cameroon and Botswana

The paradox of development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries, characterized by vast natural and human resources juxtaposed with persistent poverty and lack of development, has intrigued scholars and policymakers. While theories like the 'Dutch disease' and 'Dependency Theory' have been used to explain the situation, this study focuses on endogenous factors, particularly the role of bureaucratic corruption in shaping human development outcomes. Using a comparative case-study design, the research examines the impact of bureaucratic corruption on human development in two SSA countries—Cameroon and Botswana—employing an 'institutional quality model.' It examines the correlation between bureaucratic corruption and human development in both countries. The empirical analysis reveals that bureaucratic corruption disrupts governance institutions' ability to allocate resources effectively for human development. Notably, Cameroon's incomplete projects due to corruption contrast with Botswana's effective management of mineral wealth. This difference highlights the impact of mitigating corruption on development progress. The study's main findings are twofold: Firstly, bureaucratic corruption is prevalent in both case-study countries, but Cameroon exhibits a higher scale of corruption compared to Botswana. Secondly, Botswana demonstrates superior governance and anti-corruption performance, positioning itself as a regional leader in SSA. Furthermore, the study further establishes that while Cameroon demonstrates a negative correlation between high corruption and low human development, Botswana exhibits a positive correlation between low corruption and high human development. This thesis contributes to the corpus of knowledge in development in two ways: Empirically, it enhances the understanding of corruption's role in differences in development between Cameroon and Botswana. By focusing on endogenous factors and using a comparative approach, it unveils the vital connection between governance, corruption, and human development. Theoretically, its usage of an institutional quality model to capture the relationship between bureaucratic corruption and human development is a nouvelle approach to an enquiry largely dominated by econometric models.