By Francis Ajuonuma
Transparency International, a global coalition against corruption, has ranked Nigeria as the 36th most corrupt country in the world.
In the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) report released yesterday by TI through its Nigerian chapter, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Nigeria ranked 140th out of 180 countries.
Speaking during the public presentation of the 2024 CPI, CISLAC Executive Director Musa Rafsanjani observed that the top 10 least corrupt nations were predominantly from Europe.
Denmark emerged as the least corrupt country in the world with 90 points, followed by Finland with 88 points and Singapore with 84 points.
The TI’s latest ranking saw Nigeria move up five spots compared with 2023‘s report and 10 spots compared with 2022’s report.
Denmark emerged as the least corrupt country with 90 points, fellow Nordic country Finland came in second with 88 points, and Singapore in third with 84 points.
However, countries that made the most corrupt list in the world were South Sudan, Somalia, and Venezuela.
It was observed that no African country made it to the top 10, as European countries dominated it. CISLAC listed key areas to explain why Nigeria showed some improvement and areas where gaps persist.
The report identified four positive trends and development include: Increased Anti-Corruption Prosecutions: A growing number of high-profile cases are being investigated and some brought to court, signalling renewed commitment from law enforcement agencies despite the obstacles that they sometimes encounter.
The ICPC and EFCC have made some efforts in recoveries, preventive and punitive measures as well as collaborations with other stakeholders.
“However, it is important to highlight that these agencies need to thoroughly investigate and prosecute high-profile individuals without political interference.”
The organisation also highlighted “Nigeria’s efforts to recover and repatriate assets are commendable. This includes the cooperation between Nigeria and France on the Abacha loot as well as the recent cooperation between the United States and the Nigerian government in the recovery and repatriation of the $52.88m recovered from Nigeria’s former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke.
“Aside from this, there have also been domestic efforts to recover assets by the different government agencies. However, as will be seen in our recommendations below, there is a need for effective management of these recovered assets for the benefit of ordinary citizens.”
It further commended the Civil Society and Media Advocacy especially in the areas of Investigative journalism and civil society organizations like CISLAC have played a crucial role in exposing corruption and pressuring the government to act.
“The media, civil society, and citizens have become key pillars of Nigeria’s democracy. The trio through their complementary efforts have constantly put the Nigerian government on its toes, through the constant highlight of issues militating against the national interest of the country. CISLAC/TI-Nigeria recognizes this effort and we would like to encourage those from this concerned constituency to continue this approach.”
In the same vein, TI applauded “the adoption of e-governance solutions, including digital tax collection and procurement processes, has enhanced transparency and reduced opportunities for bribery.”
As encapsulated in the report, “Weakness 1: Judicial Corruption
A corrupt judiciary and compromised legislature undermine accountability and foster impunity. Conflicting judgments, jurisdictional overreach, and other misconduct erode public trust.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have identified institutional weaknesses in Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework.
“In March 2024, UNODC quoted in its report that 20% of those who had contact with the Nigerian judiciary were confronted with a request for the payment of a bribe, the UNODC has stated that corruption is prevalent in the Nigerian Judiciary.
“The ICPC’s National Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard highlights widespread non-compliance with anti-corruption policies across government institutions, while UNODC’s reports point to enforcement gaps, lack of transparency, and weak public accountability mechanisms.
“In the Civil Society Parallel Report on Nigeria’s implementation of Chapter 2 (Preventive Measures) and chapter 5 (Asset Recovery) of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) published in January, it was highlighted that there are still significant gaps regarding Nigeria’s implementation of chapter 2 of the UNCAC, some of such areas include, code of conduct and asset declaration of public officials, access to information and civil society participation, judiciary and prosecution services.
“Regarding chapter 5, Nigeria was mostly commended on her asset recovery efforts, however, a lot more needs to be done with respect to the management of these recovered assets.
“Weakness 2: State Capture and Nepotism: Key government appointments are often driven by personal or ethnic affiliations rather than merit, exacerbating inefficiency and corruption. Individuals with corruption allegations are appointed into public offices, many citizens are reluctant to speak against government or its policies while others are afraid of reporting corruption for fear of retaliation. The absence of a Whistle Blower Protection Law has further exacerbated this.
“Weakness 3: Oil Theft and Subsidy Fraud: As Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria continues to lose billions in revenue to oil theft and subsidy fraud, with little accountability.
