The cost of governance in Africa has been a serious challenge to development and concern to scholars alike. The cost of governance is making it dicfiult for governments to implement development plans and projects. Mismanagement and waste appear to be the order of day as high recurrent expenditure, corruption, budget decfiit and sfical indisci pline continue to plague public nfiance. All these have arrested development in all facets of human endeavour, coupled with the world economic recession that has threatened global economic management. Against this background, this paper, within the framework of public interest theory, examines the interface between African bureaucracies and the cost of governance and its attendant eefcts on Africa's development. This study was carried out using a qualitative desktop method in deriving data for addressing the issues raised. The study utilised a qualitative research design to gain insight into