A survey report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that Nigerians paid N721 billion in cash bribes to public officials in 2023. The report, titled “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends,” was released yesterday and indicated that over 95 percent of all bribes paid in 2023 were in monetary form.
The report highlighted a decline in Nigerians’ confidence in the government’s anti-corruption efforts during this period.
“Overall, it is estimated that approximately N721 billion ($1.26 billion) was paid in cash bribes to public officials in Nigeria in 2023, which corresponds to 0.35 percent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” the report stated.
In 2023, bribes paid in a public official’s office and on the street accounted for about 35 and 36 percent of all paid bribes, respectively. Eleven percent of bribes were paid in respondents’ homes, while 7 percent were paid in public places such as restaurants, malls, or stations.
The report also revealed that the highest instances of bribery occurred among healthcare professionals and public utility officers, with contact rates of 30 percent and 24 percent, respectively. Police officers came third, with a contact rate of 20 percent.
Regarding public trust in the government’s anti-corruption measures, the NBS report noted: “Nigerians’ confidence in the government’s anti-corruption effort has been declining over time and across regions. While in 2019, more than half of all citizens believed the government was effective in fighting corruption, by 2023, this figure had dropped to less than a third.”
The report further revealed an increase in private sector bribery, which rose from 6.0 percent of citizens who had at least one contact with a private sector actor in 2019 to 14 percent in 2023.
Source: Vanguard