Rural Residents of Nigeria Hit Hardest by Corruption, National Statistics Shows
18:50 13.07.2024 (Updated: 16:26 15.07.2024)
© AP Photo / Sunday Alamba
Subscribe
According to the National Bureau of Statistics's (NBS) survey, bribery was most common among Nigerian prosecutors, land registration officials, and customs and immigration officers, with judges and magistrates getting the highest payoffs. Nigeria is ranked 145 out of 180 nations on Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index.
Nigerian authorities are requesting and collecting bribes to deliver public services, with rural citizens paying more than their urban counterparts, according to a NBS report.
The poll found that residents paid an estimated 721 billion naira ($1.26 billion) in cash bribes last year, accounting for 0.35% of the country's GDP.
According to the survey, rural residents were paying an average of 5.8 bribes vs. 4.5 bribes in urban areas of the country. The total number of bribes exchanged fell to 87 million bribes from 117 million bribes in 2019, most likely owing to decreased interaction with public authorities, which dropped to 53% from 63% of the population.
Despite the fact that every government is committed to combating corruption, public officials have acquired a reputation for converting public funds for personal use, while public employees often demand rewards before they can perform their duties, according to the agency.
Economic hardship, exacerbated by currency changes and the partial elimination of a gasoline subsidy, has stopped 23% of Nigerians from accepting bribes. However, corruption was placed fourth in priority, after economic hardship, insecurity, and unemployment.
According to the survey, rural residents were paying an average of 5.8 bribes vs. 4.5 bribes in urban areas of the country. The total number of bribes exchanged fell to 87 million bribes from 117 million bribes in 2019, most likely owing to decreased interaction with public authorities, which dropped to 53% from 63% of the population.
Despite the fact that every government is committed to combating corruption, public officials have acquired a reputation for converting public funds for personal use, while public employees often demand rewards before they can perform their duties, according to the agency.
Economic hardship, exacerbated by currency changes and the partial elimination of a gasoline subsidy, has stopped 23% of Nigerians from accepting bribes. However, corruption was placed fourth in priority, after economic hardship, insecurity, and unemployment.
In 2023, the amount of bribes paid in the private sector more than doubled, but public sector corruption continued to be the main issue in the West African country.
"Between 2019 and 2023, the private sector recorded a marked increase in the prevalence of bribery, from 6 percent to 14 percent (without refusals) or 17 percent (with refusals)," the report said. "Particularly affected is the insurance sector, where, seemingly, insurance holders and agents increasingly collude to the detriment of the insurance companies."
Less than a third of Nigerians now believe that the government is effectively combating corruption, compared to more than half in 2019 during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, according to the NBS. Buhari, who was first elected in 2015, initially gained support by promising to put an end to corruption.
