Daud Olatunji
A staggering N721 billion ($1.26 billion) was paid in cash bribes to public officials across Nigeria in 2023, according to a report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The report, which draws on findings from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with the NBS, highlights the endemic nature of corruption within the country’s public sector.
Titled “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends,” the report reveals that the average cash bribe paid in 2023 was N8,284, a significant increase from the 2019 average of N5,754.
The total amount of bribes paid showed that the deeply entrenched corruption affecting various facets of public life in Nigeria.
Judges emerged as the highest recipients of bribes, with an average of N31,000 per bribe.
Following them, Customs and Immigration officials received an average of N17,800, members of the armed forces N16,600, land registry officials N11,700, and police officials N10,400.
The report’s findings further indicate that 46% of public officials under government employment offered bribes to secure their positions or facilitate recruitment processes.
This percentage is 1.5 times higher than the share identified in a similar survey conducted in 2019.
Additionally, six out of ten successful candidates in the public sector admitted to using nepotism, bribery, or both to enhance their chances of employment.
The police were identified as the most prevalent in terms of bribery, with 9% of individuals who had contact with police officers being asked for bribes.
Other sectors were not exempted, with 4% of those interacting with nurses and doctors, 3% with teachers and lecturers, and 6% with public utility officials also reporting bribe requests.
Interestingly, the report also noted that highly educated individuals were more likely to pay bribes compared to those with no formal education.
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