Fostering Trust, Transparency, Satisfaction and Participation Amidst COVID-19 corruption: Does the Civil Society Matter? – Evidence from Ghana

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has erupted corruption challenges across polities including Ghana. This situation has spurred anecdotal narratives underscoring a decline in citizens’ trust, transparency perceptions, satisfaction and participation in pandemic activism, and thus catapulted civil society discourses into prominence. Therefore, we investigate civil society imperativeness to trust, transparency, satisfaction and participation, whilst mitigating corruption. Results (n = 375) of structural equation modeling revealed the negative impact of corruption on trust, satisfaction and transparency. Whereas, trust and transparency were revealed to be significant to satisfaction and participation, the civil society’s efficacy was confirmed. Based on these, research and policy implications are proffered.