International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue VII, July 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186
Corruption in the Nigerian Public Sector
Adeniyi, D.S.
APIN Public Health Initiatives Ltd/Gte., Nigeria
Abstract: The ills of corruption in governance and public management creates an oddity of interests between leaderships and citizens. The myriads of challenges confronting many developing economies in the world today stems from corruption and the lack of transparency in governance. The elegance ascribed to political and economic corruptions in most African states stems not only from the depraved self-seeking nature of the individuals, but also from a societal expectation of grandeur and affluence after a successful political or bureaucratic career. The Nigerian state is evidently ethno-centric and blessed with abundant natural mineral resources. However, there are several factors fostering corruption in Nigeria, and this includes the rampant lack of accountability in governance, poor political leadership, and an ill-informed system of governance. For the Nigerian state to be free from corruption therefore, a lot needs to be done towards encouraging transparency in governance, responsible and an accountable political leadership, citizen participation in governance and an established system of informed policy formulation, exemplary leadership hinged on the tenets of morality, and the re-engineering of the social construct towards the re-building of trust between leaderships and the citizens. This review takes a critical look at corruption in the Nigerian public sector, and also offers some vital suggestions on how to overcome this protracted challenge.
Key Words: Governance, Corruption, Ethics, Morality, Accountability, Transparency
I. INTRODUCTION
Corruption is the depravity of public trust and power for personal gains and self-aggrandizement. Corruption is universal, and its dynamics are fueled by the greed and selfish nature inherent in humans. When greed and selfishness is allied with power and trust without taming or discipline, a misnomer of interests ensued with the anomalous eccentricities of wanton excesses. Corruption is a huge burden that has remained the bane of development and growth in many countries in the 21st century (Fitzsimons, 2002; Ryan, 2000). Corruption has remained the cause of many social unrest and the singular factor responsible for the increased rate of armed conflicts around the world today. The lack of social cohesion and the social-political unrest engendered by corruption has remained a major barrier to economic development and a hindrance to Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in most affected countries (Ugur & Dasgupta, 2011). The ills of corruption are also responsible for the skewed allocation of available resources and the lack of provision of basic social amenities such as pipe borne water, good road networks, stable electricity supplies, standard healthcare facilities, good wage structures, well-equipped security