By Victor Ejechi

In Nigeria today, there are many unresolved problems, but the issue of the upsurge of corruption has been alarming. No doubt corruption has become endemic in Nigeria. The damages it has done to the polity are astronomical.

This menace has led to situations like the slow movement of files in offices, police extortion of toll fees, port congestion, queues at passport offices and petrol stations, ghost workers syndrome, election irregularities, among others.

Transparency International (TI) recently released their 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index and the report shows that Nigeria scored 26 out of 100 points and ranked 146 out of the 180 countries assessed.

In 2012 Vanguard Newspaper quoted the Erstwhile Vice President of the World Bank for Africa, Dr Oby Ezekwesili to have said that Nigeria was estimated to have lost over $400 billion to corruption since independence. In 2018 the country ranked 144th in the 180 countries listed in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index with Somalia, at 180th, as the most corrupt, and Denmark as the least corrupt nation.

The average score across the 180 countries assessed was 43 while the sub-Saharan African average was 32. The report clearly shows that Nigeria failed to meet any of these average scores.

Taking a closer look at the report, you will discover that among the 15 countries under the Economic Community Of West Africa States (ECOWAS), Nigeria only performed better than Guinea-Bissau which was ranked 168.

The major revelation from the report shows that Nigeria is not making progress in the fight against corruption, rather we have gone worse than we were in 2018.

The report didn’t come without criticism from both the nation’s anti-corruption agencies and the presidency who have challenged and condemned the methodology used by Transparency International.

Whether the Federal Government agrees with the report or not, one thing is clear, there is an overruling corruption perception of Nigeria. If as they say perception is truly everything, Nigeria has no choice but to make efforts to change how she is perceived among the nations of the World because it indeed affects who trades with her people, her businesses and the nation at large.

Corruption Perception Index & The Government in Power
In 1999 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria was placed in the 90th out of 90 countries which was the worst we have had. In 2006, there was an improvement, Nigeria was ranked 142nd of 163 countries.

In 2008 under Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, we witnessed some improvements compared to the previous administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, as Nigeria made progress in the way the world perceived her to be corrupt, Nigeria was ranked 121st out of 180 countries that were accessed. But that celebration was short-lived as we dropped again to the 134th position out of 178 countries in 2010.

Former president, Goodluck Jonathan who took over from late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua could not build on his predecessor successes, this led to Nigeria being 144th out of 175 in 2012 while in 2014 we ranked 136th of the 174 countries reviewed.

READ MORE: https://statisense.com.ng/corruption-in-nigeria-perception-or-reality/

Reality!!