The SOAS-ACE programme has published a number of fascinating new working papers, briefings and journal articles over the last few months (see listing below). We’ve been running a number of events and have an exciting event coming up on 22 September (tomorrow) focused on effective messaging for anti-corruption. Over the next few months we will be publishing more from a range of different research projects and convening events to share and discuss the findings.

Upcoming webinar: Making anti-corruption messaging effective: the critical importance of feasibility and targeting
22 September 2021, 12 to 2pm (BST), Zoom

Latest SOAS-ACE research in Nigeria has found that generalised messages promoting anti-corruption can sometimes end up causing corruption fatigue and a perception that corruption is too widespread to be challenged – outcomes that are at odds with any messaging campaign.

In this webinar our panellists will discuss why radical departures are needed and what the ACE framework means for policy design.
Register here
Earlier this month, our ACE Consortium partner Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) ran two well-attended webinars that focused on the effectiveness of Nigeria’s main anti-corruption agency and Nigeria’s electricity sector. You can find out more about these webinars by visiting the respective events pages:

Necessary reforms for an effective EFCC in Nigeria (14 September 2021)
Off-grid solutions to corruption in Nigeria’s electricity sector (7 September 2021)

If you would like to access a webinar recording please get in touch.
Briefing Paper Charting the way forward for Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission: a path towards institutional efficiency and independence
While Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) made significant efforts to address corruption through aggressive investigation, prosecution of high-profile offenders and the recovery of huge assets, concerns have remained regarding the effectiveness of the Commission – and particularly about its ability to remain independent from political interference.In this think piece the authors highlight some of the fundamental challenges the EFCC faces in fulfilling its mandate, before putting forward pathways towards reform. The paper provided the background for the recent webinar Necessary reforms for an effective EFCC in Nigeria.
Read the paper here.
Podcast Mushtaq Khan on using institutional economics to predict effective government reforms
In this podcast Rob Wiblin from 80,000 Hours interviews Mushtaq Khan about the models he uses to understand ‘networked corruption’ and make predictions he can test in the real world. Their extensive conversation covers questions like:

  • How does one test theories like this?
  • Why are companies in some poor countries so much less productive than their peers in rich countries?
  • Have rich countries just legalized the corruption in their societies?
  • What are the big live debates in institutional economics?
  • Should poor countries protect their industries from foreign competition?
  • Where has industrial policy worked, and why?
  • How can listeners use these theories to predict which policies will work in their own countries?

For key points, related media and a transcription of the interview visit 80000hours.org.
Latest SOAS-ACE publications
Briefing papers:

Working papers:

Journal article: