Africa has seen its fair share of political theatre, but few performances have been as darkly comedic as the recent trip by Nigerian Members of Parliament to Kenya to “benchmark” anti-corruption strategies. If irony were a currency, this visit would have paid off both countries’ national debts. Picture this delegation of lawmakers, many of them long accused by their own citizens of legislative gluttony, embarking on a grand learning expedition as though they were reform pilgrims. But instead of seeking wisdom in institutions known for ethical excellence, they chose to seek counsel from counterparts who are themselves deep in the trenches of public mistrust.
instead of seeking wisdom in institutions known for ethical excellence, they chose to seek counsel from counterparts who are themselves deep in the trenches of public mistrust.
This is governance diplomacy at its most theatrical. Nigeria currently sits at 140th in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), while Kenya is positioned at 121st. In plain terms, one country plagued by structural graft and political rent-seeking has visited another that is still wrestling, very publicly, with its own demons of state capture, elite impunity, and institutional manipulation. So when the Nigerian delegation arrived in Nairobi, the continent did not witness a moment of enlightenment. It witnessed a continental inside joke.
The optics alone are staggering. Nigerian lawmakers chose to benchmark anti-corruption practices in a country where MPs are routinely criticized for lavish lifestyles, opaque financial dealings, and a widening disconnect from the electorate. Recent reports out of Nairobi have highlighted how Kenyan legislators continue to face intense scrutiny over misuse of public funds, procurement controversies, and the inability to rein in corruption within key ministries. It is a governance ecosystem still in recovery mode.
recent reports out of Nairobi have highlighted how Kenyan legislators continue to face intense scrutiny over misuse of public funds,
But instead of learning from Kenya’s vibrant civil society, Gen Z activists, or established anti-corruption champions like John Githongo, individuals and grassroots networks who genuinely challenge state malfeasance, the Nigerian MPs positioned themselves inside formal parliamentary boardrooms. They opted for comfort over credibility. Rather than learning from the young Kenyans who mobilized online revolutions and mass civic engagement, they chose a peer-to-peer session with political elites who share more similarities than differences.
This is not benchmarking. This is camaraderie.
It is akin to a hyena visiting a lion to learn “best practices in protecting antelopes and buffalos in the savannah.” The premise collapses under its own absurdity. You simply do not seek guidance on ethics from those still struggling to practice it. Both animals are apex predators; neither is positioned to offer moral guidance on wildlife conservation. In the same way, Africa’s most mistrusted legislators cannot be credible exchange partners on anti-corruption reform. They are not learning how to protect the public, they are exchanging notes on how to keep consuming it.
Let us be clear: both countries have pockets of excellence. Kenya’s e-procurement (e-GP) system, for instance, is a meaningful step toward transparency. But isolated digital gains cannot sanitize political cultures that continue to breed systemic weaknesses. Similarly, Nigeria’s investigative journalism sector and civic tech innovators have been formidable in exposing misconduct. Yet these are not the groups the delegation chose to study.
The strategic omission speaks volumes.
If Nigeria truly desired sustainable governance reform, its MPs would have been better served visiting Kenya’s civil society organisations, digital governance innovators, or youth-led accountability movements. They could have engaged activists whose fingerprints are on real institutional shifts. They could have spoken to public-interest litigators who champion whistleblowing protections. They could have met academics documenting fiscal leakages or journalists uncovering procurement cartels.
Instead, they perceived Parliament-to-Parliament benchmarking as a credible exercise. And Kenya, ever diplomatically hospitable, rolled out the red carpet, as if to demonstrate that African legislators have mastered not only bilateral cooperation but also the subtle art of political satire. Both sides participated in what was essentially a ceremonial handshake between institutions struggling to uphold the very values they claim to embody.
The real tragedy is not the visit itself but the message it sends to citizens. It reinforces public scepticism that political elites are merely rearranging the furniture in rooms where the walls are collapsing. It highlights the widening trust deficit between African legislators and the people they claim to represent. And it reveals how easily governance can drift into symbolism rather than substance.
Nigeria’s investigative journalism sector and civic tech innovators have been formidable in exposing misconduct. Yet these are not the groups the delegation chose to study.
It is time to disrupt this pattern. If Nigerian lawmakers sincerely wish to address entrenched corruption, they must confront the uncomfortable reality that learning cannot occur within echo chambers. They must invite Kenya’s civil society leaders, whistleblowers, investigative journalists, and youth activists to the National Assembly, not as observers but as instructors. Similarly, Kenya should demonstrate leadership by directing future visiting delegations toward the country’s genuine champions of integrity, rather than its political class.
Benchmarking should be an exercise in aspiration, not imitation. When hyenas seek mentorship from lions on safeguarding antelopes, the savannah knows the endgame: nothing changes, except the sophistication of the hunt.
Africa deserves more than cosmetic diplomacy masquerading as reform. It deserves leaders willing to learn from honest brokers—not from familiar predators dressed in new vocabulary.
