Nigeria, Feb. 14 -- United States (US) President Donald Trump's executive order this week suspending the operation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) will likely be felt particularly sharply in Africa, where corruption drains about $10 billion a year. Some estimates are as high as US$140 billion.

The FCPA was introduced in 1977 and prohibits US companies and individuals - as well as foreign entities with a US connection - from bribing foreign public officials. The 'connection' can be as minor as a telephone call, email or text sent or received from the US in a corrupt business deal, giving the law its broad scope.

David Lewis, who founded South Africa's Corruption Watch, told Currency that the FCPA was "the most effective anti-...