Nigeria’s slight improvement in Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) indicates modest progress in tackling corruption, but the country’s ranking at 140 out of 180 countries highlights deep-rooted governance and accountability issues.
Development Diaries reports that the latest ranking shows a five-place improvement from Nigeria’s position at 145 in 2023, and the score also increased marginally from 25/100 in 2023 to 26/100 in 2024.
While moving up five places from its 2023 position may seem like a step in the right direction, a score of 26 out of 100 still places Nigeria among the world’s most corrupt nations.
This performance falls far short of the global average of 43 points and the Sub-Saharan African average of 33 points.
This small improvement suggests that while some efforts are being made, corruption remains a major problem.
The Nigerian government needs to recognise that systemic corruption continues to undermine economic growth, public trust, and democratic institutions, which calls for the need for bold and decisive reforms.
A comparative analysis with other African nations further underscores Nigeria’s struggles with corruption. Seychelles, Cabo Verde, and Botswana continue to outperform Nigeria due to their stronger institutional frameworks, enforcement of anti-corruption laws, and political commitment to good governance.
These countries have shown that corruption can be reduced through strict enforcement of laws and transparent government policies. Nigeria, on the other hand, still struggles with bribery, misuse of public funds, and election fraud.
To improve, Nigeria must learn from these countries by ensuring that government spending is transparent, corruption cases are properly investigated, and public officials are held accountable.
The government must take cues from these successful African countries by prioritising transparency in public procurement, strengthening financial regulations, and ensuring that anti-corruption institutions operate independently and without political interference.
One of the biggest problems in Nigeria’s fight against corruption is the weak enforcement of laws. Agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) exist to tackle corruption, but their work is often slowed down by political influence and lack of resources.
Furthermore, the absence of a whistleblower protection law discourages citizens from reporting corruption. While there is an existing federal whistleblower reward policy from 2016, there are no laws to protect employee or citizen whistleblowers from retaliation
For Nigeria’s ranking to improve, these agencies must be allowed to work freely, without interference from politicians. Also, whistleblowers should be protected and rewarded so more people are encouraged to speak up.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in a 2024 report, stated that 20 percent of Nigerians who interacted with the judiciary were asked to pay bribes.
The judiciary also needs to speed up corruption cases and ensure that those found guilty are punished, no matter their position in society.
Development Diaries calls on President Bola Tinubu to acknowledge that systemic corruption remains a major threat to national development and take urgent steps to address it.
We demand the strengthening of anti-corruption institutions, ensuring judicial independence, enforcing stricter accountability measures, and increasing public sector transparency to be top priorities.
We also call on the EFCC and ICPC to go beyond show or media trials to ensure convictions that deter looters, not just entertain citizens.
