By Isah Sani
Corruption is not confined to the government alone. It also extends into segments of the private sector, where unethical practices such as favouritism in recruitment, manipulation of procurement processes, and weak internal oversight can occur. In some cases, organisations originally established to promote development and transparency have struggled with governance challenges, occasionally drifting away from their founding principles.
These examples suggest that corruption is not merely an institutional problem; it increasingly reflects broader social attitudes and behaviours that have become accepted in everyday life.
Several years ago, while I was a student, I received a phone call from a fellow student that has stayed with me ever since. He asked whether it was necessary to pay money after an examination to pass a course. I told him no, but the question troubled me deeply. It revealed an underlying assumption that academic success might depend not on knowledge or effort, but on unofficial payments and influence.
That moment reflects a broader reality in Nigerian society: corruption is increasingly normalized rather than treated as an exception.
Nigeria is one of Africa’s most resource-endowed countries, with vast oil wealth and significant human capital. It is also among the most religious societies in the world, where Islam and Christianity strongly influence moral values. Yet despite these ethical foundations, corruption persists across institutions.
According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2024, Nigeria ranks 140th out of 180 countries with a score of 26/100, reflecting persistent perceptions of public sector corruption despite repeated reform efforts.
Corruption is not only a governance concern but also a major barrier to development. The World Bank, in its report on building trust by combating corruption in Western and Central Africa, notes that corruption disproportionately affects the poor by increasing the cost of essential services such as healthcare, education, justice, and social protection. It also reduces investment, limits job creation, weakens economic growth, and erodes public trust in institutions.
Despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria continues to record widespread poverty, with more than one-third of its population living below the international poverty line. This contradiction between national wealth and lived reality raises serious questions about governance, accountability, and resource management.
Across politics, public administration, education, business, and segments of civil society, corrupt practices have become deeply embedded in everyday systems.
Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework is anchored by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). While the ICPC focuses on preventing and prosecuting corruption in public institutions, the EFCC addresses economic and financial crimes such as money laundering, procurement fraud, cybercrime, and illicit financial flows.
The ICPC’s mandate is to “rid Nigeria of corruption through lawful enforcement and preventive measures,” including public enlightenment programmes, Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units, and student clubs.
Similarly, the EFCC operates with a vision of “a Nigeria free of economic and financial crimes.” According to official reports, the Commission has received over 148,000 petitions, investigated more than 106,000 cases, filed over 28,000 cases in court, and secured over 20,000 convictions.
Beyond these agencies, Nigeria also maintains other accountability institutions, including the Code of Conduct Bureau, Code of Conduct Tribunal, Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, Bureau of Public Procurement, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Fiscal Responsibility Commission, and the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation. Together, they form a broad governance architecture aimed at promoting transparency and accountability.
Yet despite this institutional framework, corruption remains deeply entrenched. This suggests that enforcement alone is insufficient. Laws and institutions are necessary, but not enough in a society where corruption has become normalized, integrity is undervalued, and wealth is often celebrated without scrutiny of its source.
The problem is therefore not only institutional; it is cultural. Over time, societal values have increasingly shifted toward wealth accumulation rather than integrity.
I once heard a story that illustrates this shift. Two young men from the same family graduated from the same university. One secured employment and later became wealthy through corrupt practices. The other struggled to find work but remained committed to honesty. Despite this contrast, society celebrated the corrupt individual while viewing the honest one as a failure. The story reflects a troubling reality in which outcomes matter more than the means used to achieve them.
As a lecturer, I was also offered what was described as a “gift” after performing my academic duties, an offer clearly intended to influence judgment, which I declined.
These concerns are not merely anecdotal. UNESCO research on education corruption and teacher absenteeism in Nigeria shows that bribery, absenteeism, and weak accountability undermine teaching quality and negatively affect learning outcomes.
Beyond education, corruption also manifests in public procurement and administration. The EFCC has documented repeated cases of contract inflation, diversion of public funds, and procurement fraud across government institutions, indicating systemic rather than isolated corruption.
In my professional experience, I have observed situations where employment opportunities appear to depend more on personal connections than merit. I have also witnessed cases in public institutions where staff members are officially employed but rarely present at their duty posts. These patterns reflect wider concerns about accountability and institutional integrity.
The consequences are visible across Nigeria in abandoned projects, weak infrastructure, underfunded hospitals, and limited access to basic services despite substantial public expenditure. The World Bank consistently identifies corruption as a major constraint to effective service delivery and inclusive growth.
EFCC asset recovery operations further reveal how illicit wealth is often converted into real estate and luxury assets, particularly in cities such as Abuja and Lagos, highlighting the link between corruption and inequality.
Corruption also fuels unemployment and deepens inequality, as access to opportunities is frequently determined by patronage networks rather than merit.
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of corruption is its ability to reproduce itself across generations. Children grow up observing how society rewards behaviour, and gradually unethical practices become normalized.
Equally concerning is selective morality, where individuals and institutions publicly condemn corruption while privately engaging in it.
Nigeria has introduced multiple reforms and development plans over the years, yet progress remains limited. While structural challenges exist, corruption remains one of the most significant barriers to sustainable development.
Despite the persistence of corruption, there are encouraging signs that meaningful change remains possible. Civil society organizations, investigative journalists, anti-corruption advocates, and community-based groups continue to expose wrongdoing and demand greater accountability from public officials. Digital transparency initiatives, open-budget platforms, and citizen monitoring projects have also expanded public access to information, making it increasingly difficult for corrupt practices to remain hidden.
Government institutions have likewise introduced reforms aimed at strengthening accountability. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and other oversight bodies have recorded notable prosecutions and asset recovery efforts in recent years. While challenges remain, these actions demonstrate that institutional mechanisms for combating corruption can produce results when supported by political will, adequate resources, and public scrutiny.
Ultimately, changing a culture of corruption requires more than enforcement alone. It demands sustained investment in transparent governance, civic education, ethical leadership, and strong institutions that reward integrity rather than patronage.
The cost of corruption is not only economic but also social, institutional, and psychological, reflected in lost opportunities, weakened trust, and reduced national potential.
Nigeria’s future will depend not only on its resources or religious devotion, but on whether integrity becomes more valuable than corruption and merit consistently outweigh patronage.
Nigeria’s greatest challenge may not be corruption alone, but the extent to which it has become normalized. When bribery is rebranded as a gift, when connections outweigh competence, and when wealth is celebrated without scrutiny of its source, corruption ceases to be merely a legal problem and becomes a cultural one.
No anti-corruption agency, however effective, can win this battle alone. The fight against corruption must begin in homes, schools, religious institutions, workplaces, and both public and private offices. Until integrity is valued above illicit wealth and merit is rewarded over patronage, corruption will continue to undermine development, weaken institutions, and deny millions of Nigerians the opportunities they deserve.