Governance and Corruption in Nigeria

Abstract

The phenomenon of corruption in Nigeria has become one of the most critical governance challenges bedevilling Nigeria. Governance is not only about institutionalising due process and transparency in the management of public resources, but must ensure that the goals of development are realised. Historically, Nigeria has had a chequered history of governance which poses a fundamental question on the credibility of governance, in Nigeria, in addressing the challenges of development. In contemporary times, the global concern is about improving the quality of governance. Nigeria should not be an exception. Improvement in the quality of governance is a desideratum for addressing the endemic challenges of development, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. Despite the institutionalisation of reforms in Nigeria, the 2017 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index ranks Nigeria as the 148th out of 180 most corrupt nations in the world. As its objective, the paper argues (among others) that the lack of accountability is responsible for the high rate of corruption in Nigeria, adding that corruption has weakened the prospects for good governance as a framework for tackling the challenges of development in Nigeria. The paper adopted a Methodology which relied on the critical (qualitative) analysis of secondary data in order to arrive at the findings. The paper's finding is predicated on the premise that the political, social and economic dimensions of corruption are indications of the lack of effective governance and elite national consensus in fighting corruption. The paper recommends legal, constitutional, institutional, ethical, and economic reforms to fight corruption.