Earlier this month, the governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, appointed his sister as the “Commissioner for Happiness,” a portfolio he just created, presumably to ensure his sister is able to partake in eating “the national cake” (have access to the country’s oil wealth). This move brings that vast oil wealth, as well as the country’s endemic corruption and nepotism to the obvious glare of Nigerians. More recently, the citizens also witnessed the profligacy and waste common in the Nigerian government when the vice presidential quarters allocated seventeen million naira (about forty-seven thousand dollars) to cutlery in the proposed 2018 national budget. This is one of the many inflated and outrageous items in the proposed budget. Amidst all these, about 112 million Nigerians (67 percent of the population) live below the poverty line. Elite profligacy in the face of impoverished citizens underscores the core problem facing Nigeria—corruption.

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Nigeria Corruption
Like wildfire, corruption has spread through every sector of the country and most Nigerians would unflinchingly agree that corruption begets the plethora of problems the country faces today. The menace of corruption in Nigeria is one that different government administrations have publicly recognized and tried to tackle against. The past military regimes of Nigeria claimed to overthrow the civilian government in order to curb corruption, though these governments were seen as more corrupt than the civilian governments that succeeded it. In fact, the last military head of state, General Sani Abacha, was so corrupt that even nineteen years after his death, Nigeria is still recovering millions of dollars of his loot from Swiss banks. The anti-corruption rhetoric continues to this day under the current democratic system of government in Nigeria. Under his administration, President Olusegun Obasanjo established the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to crackdown on corrupt politicians. Most recently, Nigeria elected its current president, Muhammadu Buhari, largely based on his promise to tackle corruption.

Unfortunately, these administrations were unable to eradicate, or even significantly curb, corruption. Consequently, the average Nigerian has come to expect that bribery and nepotism will trump meritocracy, and so they participate in it to preserve their own self-interest. Yet, when it comes to who is to blame for corruption, they still believe that they are blameless and that the only corrupt ones are the people in charge. To alleviate the high level of corruption in the country, the first step is for Nigerians to realize that no political elite, government institution, or president can effectively curb corruption alone unless the average Nigerian participates. In the words of a Nigerian friend of mine: "Nigeria is not corrupt, Nigerians are corrupt." This means that dislodging corruption’s hold over Nigeria starts with dislodging its hold on the Nigerian mentality, forcing people to revolt against the status quo and to demand better of themselves first and others second. Changes to law and institutions will come later, but it starts with people. Unless Nigerians choose to stop participating in and enabling corruption, the country will not move forward.

Nice article. 92% is your score. Shout out to those who didn't read it.

Nightking04:
Nice article. 92% is your score. Shout out to those who didn't read it.

we plenty, but now I think I should read it.

whitebeard:
we plenty, but now I think I should read it.

Buhari and his 40 thieves Are D ones Corrupt

I look forward to the time Nigerians will stand up against their flaws and eradicate this stigma...I blame it on the people ruling the country...the old people ruling from the 1960's are still the ones in power and citizens had been patient enough until they grew wild ( when ASUU went on strike in the 1980's on fair wage) yet things never go better but worse...If the people at the top can be flushed out, this new generations are ready to take the country to the promise land

It is the dark and damp(structure/foundation) in the building (Nigeria) that breed mildew/mould(evidence of corruption). Changing/Washing the furniture/clothes (people) as many times as possible whilst doing nothing about the contaminated environment will continually see the new clothes overcome or bowed to the rot/mildew.

US is not without corrupt practices but things work because Institutions are established within a viable structure. Until that happens here, Nigeria goes nowhere but down. The things that encourage and allow corruption to fester must be exposed and eradicated because corruption is only a symptom of the real problem manifested in countless forms. The people are only responding to what they see.

The corrupt foundation of Nigeria is the foundation of Nigerians being corrupt.

Therefore, the problem of corruption of Nigerians should be blamed on the corrupt and illegal Amalgamation of the Southern and Northern Protectorates by the Colonial Masters.

So,corruption of Nigerians is an endemic issue that can only be handled by the individual Federating units that make-up our so called "not corrupt Nigeria" in their individual traditional ways and made Central for National security.