Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Institutions and the culture dimension of corruption in Nigeria

  • Published:
Crime, Law and Social Change Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mention Nigeria to most people in the world and the retort is likely to be some reference to how corrupt the country is. Institutions, rules, and norms of behaviour have adapted toward the ultimate goal of predatory gain. When corruption becomes institutionalised in a society, it infiltrates the value-system, and it becomes a norm, part and parcel of culture. Nonetheless, one complicating and seemingly contradictory factor in this notion of the culture of corruption is that the majority of people in Nigeria do not internalise corruption as something morally acceptable. On the contrary, even if they have to take part in corrupt practices to get by or even to survive, they usually consider the practices as morally wrong. This work identifies, discusses, and analyses the weakness of institutions and the use and abuse of cultural norms as the primary reasons for endemic corruption in Nigeria.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. National Planning Commission. (2013). Mid-term report of the transformation agenda (May 2011–May2013): Taking stock, moving forward. http://www.nationalplanning.gov.ng/images/docs/downloadcenter/midtermreportofthetransformationagenda.pdf. Accessed 13 November 2015.

  2. Hope, K. R. (2000). Corruption and development in Africa. In K. R. Hope & B. C. Chikulo (Eds.), Corruption and development in Africa: Lessons from country case-studies (pp. 17–39). London: Palgrave Macmillan/Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Hope, K. R. (2017a). Corruption and governance in Africa. New York: Palgrave Macmillan/Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  4. Warf, B. (2017). Geographies of African corruption. PSU Research Review, 1(1), 20–38. https://doi.org/10.1108/PRR-12-2016-0012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Okonjo-Iweala, N. (2014). Reforming the unreformable: Lessons from Nigeria. Cambridge: The MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Soyinka, K. (2012). Nigeria: fighting the corruption scourge. Montrose Journal, 12(Winter) http://www.montroseassociates.biz/article.asp?aid=76. Accessed 15 November 2015.

  7. Smith, D. (2007). A culture of corruption: Everyday deception and popular discontent in Nigeria. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Hope, K. R., & Chikulo, B. C. (Eds.). (2000). Corruption and development in Africa: Lessons from country case-studies. London: Palgrave Macmillan/Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  9. NOI Polls. (2015). Corruption in Nigeria: Poll report. http://www.noi-polls.com/documents/Report_-_Corruption_In_Nigeria_Poll.pdf. Accessed 06 November 2015.

  10. UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) and NBS (National Bureau of Statistics). (2017). Corruption in Nigeria: Bribery: Public experience and response. Vienna: UNODC.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Mungiu-Pipiddi, A. and Dadašov, R. (2016). Measuring Control of Corruption by a New Index of Public Integrity. Working Paper No. 48. Berlin: European Research Centre for Anti-Corruption and State-Building.

  12. European Research Centre for Anti-Corruption and State-Building. (nd1). Index of Public Integrity 2015. http://integrity-index.org/?yr=2015. Accessed 09 September 2017.

  13. European Research Centre for Anti-Corruption and State-Building. (nd2). Index of Public Integrity 2017. http://integrity-index.org/?yr=2017. Accessed 02 February 2018.

  14. World Bank Group. (2014). Enterprise surveys: Nigeria country profile 2014. http://www.enterprisesurveys.org/~/media/GIAWB/EnterpriseSurveys/Documents/Profiles/English/nigeria-2014.pdf. Accessed 06 November 2015.

  15. World Bank. (2017a). WGI: Control of corruption. http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/index.aspx#faq-2. Accessed 02 January 2018.

  16. World Bank. (2017b). WGI: Indicator control of corruption. http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/#home. Accessed 25 December 2017.

  17. Mo Ibrahim Foundation. 2015. 2015 Ibrahim index of African governance: Executive summary. http://static.moibrahimfoundation.org/u/2015/11/03174252/2015-Executive-Summary.pdf. Accessed 12 November 2015.

  18. Mo Ibrahim Foundation. (2017). 2017 IIAG-downloads: Data portal. http://mo.ibrahim.foundation/iiag/downloads/. Accessed 06 January 2018.

  19. Pring, C. (2015). People and corruption: Africa survey 2015. Berlin: Transparency International.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Hope, K. R. (2015). Contextualizing corruption in the health sector in developing countries: reflections on policy to manage the risks. World Medical and Health Policy, 7(4), 383–401. https://doi.org/10.1002/wmh3.165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Kamorudeen, A., & Bidemi, A. (2012). Corruption in the Nigerian public health care delivery system. Sokoto Journal of the Social Sciences, 2(2), 98–114.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Tormusa, D. O., & Idom, A. M. (2016). The impediments of corruption on the efficiency of healthcare service delivery in Nigeria. The Online Journal of Health Ethics (University of Southern Mississippi), 12(1). https://doi.org/10.18785/ojhe.1201.03.

  23. Akinyandenu, O. (2013). Counterfeit drugs in Nigeria: a threat to public health. African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 7(36), 2571–2576. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJPP12.343.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Chinwendu, O. (2008). The fight against fake drugs by NAFDAC in Nigeria. Thesis, International Course in Health Development, KIT (Royal Tropical Institute). http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/documents/s18405en/s18405en.pdf. Accessed 07 November 2015.

  25. Udenka, F. (2013). Nigeria culture and corruption in the education sector: See something, say something, do something, change we believe in. https://ssrn.com/abstract=2227412. Accessed 18 November 2015.

  26. Okoduwa, R. (2009). The anti-corruption crusade: ICPC perspective. Paper Presented at the Anti-Corruption Seminar Organised by the ACTU [Anti-corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit], Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, Rivers State, 05 May.

  27. Mohamedbhai, G. (2016). The scourge of fraud and corruption in higher education. International Higher Education, 84(Winter), 12–14. https://doi.org/10.6017/ihe.2016.84.9111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Agbiboa, D. (2014). Under-development in practice: Nigeria and the enduring problem of corruption. Development in Practice, 24(3), 390–404. https://doi.org/10.1080/09614524.2014.899559.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Sanusi, L. (2015). Unanswered questions on Nigeria’s missing oil revenue billions. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/e337c7a4-f4a2-11e4-8a42-00144feab7de. Accessed 18 November 2015.

  30. Anthony-Uko, N. S. E. (2014). FG uncovers 60,000 ghost workers. Leadership, 22 October. http://allafrica.com/stories/201410220230.html. Accessed 29 November 2015.

  31. Premium Times. (2017). Nigerian govt. saves N120bn checking ghost workers, personnel cost. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/245692-nigerian-govt-saves-n120bn-checking-ghost-workers-personnel-cost.html. Accessed 11 January 2018.

  32. Kar, D., & Spanjers, J. (2015). Illicit financial flows from developing countries: 2004–2013. Washington, DC: Global Financial Integrity.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Salomon, M., & Spanjers, J. (2017). Illicit financial flows to and from developing countries: 2005–2014. Washington, DC: Global Financial Integrity.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Business Hallmark. (2015). Bank customers worry over fake notes at ATMs. http://hallmarknews.com/bank-customers-worry-over-fake-notes-at-atms/. Accessed 15 November 2015.

  35. PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers). (2016). Impact of corruption on Nigeria’s economy. http://www.pwc.com/ng/en/assets/pdf/impact-of-corruption-on-nigerias-economy.pdf. Accessed 03 February 2016.

  36. OPHI (Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative). (2017). Nigeria country briefing, multidimensional poverty index data bank. Oxford: OPHI, University of Oxford http://www.dataforall.org/dashboard/ophi/index.php/mpi/country_briefings. Accessed 12 July 2017.

    Google Scholar 

  37. ActionAid Nigeria. (2015). Corruption and poverty in Nigeria: A report. Abuja: ActionAid Nigeria.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Agbiboa, D. (2013). One step forward, two steps back: the political culture of corruption and cleanups in Nigeria. CEU Political Science Journal, 8(3), 273–295. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2352352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Amaraegbu, D. (2010). Analysis of anti-corruption policies in Africa: The cases of Nigeria and Ghana. Saarbrücken: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Ijewereme, O. (2015). Anatomy of corruption in the Nigerian public sector: theoretical perspectives and some empirical explanations. Sage Open, 5(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015581188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Martini, M. (2014). Nigeria: Evidence of corruption and the influence of social norms. http://www.transparency.org/files/content/corruptionqas/Nigeria_overview_of_corruption_and_influence_of_social_norms_2014.pdf. Accessed 06 November 2015.

  42. Nigerian Corruption Watch. (2014a). How former leaders institutionalised corruption in Nigeria. Nigerian Corruption Watch, 4(6), 15.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Ocheje, P. D. (2017). Norms, law and social change: Nigeria’s anti-corruption struggle, 1999–2017. Crime, Law and Social Change. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-017-9736-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. United States Department of State. (2014). Country reports on human rights practices for 2014: Nigeria. Washington, DC: United States Department of State.

    Google Scholar 

  45. TUGAR (Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms). (2012). Report of scoping survey of anti-corruption initiatives in Nigeria. TUGAR: Abuja.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Obianyo, N., & Emesibe, V. (2017). Anti-corruption strategies in Nigeria – failure of theories or failure of policies? In K. R. Hope, S. Akinrinade, D. Enweremadu, & O. Ladapo (Eds.), Anti-corruption research and policy-making in Nigeria: Closing the gap between theory and practice (pp. 170–199). Abuja: Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN)/Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

    Google Scholar 

  47. European Union. (2009). Nigeria-EU joint way forward. https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/eeas/files/the_nigeria-eu_joint_way_forward_en_0.pdf. Accessed 08 November 2015.

  48. Ekeh, P. (1975). Colonialism and the two publics in Africa: a theoretical statement. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 17(1), 91–112. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0010417500007659.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Erero, J., & Oladoyin, T. (2000). Tackling the corruption epidemic in Nigeria. In K. R. Hope & B. C. Chikulo (Eds.), Corruption and development in Africa: Lessons from country case-studies (pp. 280–287). London: Palgrave Macmillan/Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  50. Hope, K. R. (1999). Corruption in Africa: a crisis in ethical leadership. Public Integrity, 1(3), 289–308.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Gray, C., & Kaufmann, D. (1998). Corruption and development. Finance and Development, 35(1), 7–10.

    Google Scholar 

  52. Nta, E. (2015). From the chairman’s desk. ICPC News, 10(1), 2.

    Google Scholar 

  53. Hoffmann, L., & Patel, R. (2017). Collective action on corruption in Nigeria: A social norms approach to connecting society and institutions. London: Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House Report.

    Google Scholar 

  54. Premium Times. (2015a). Nigeria lacks institutions, systems, to prevent corruption —Okonjo-Iweala. http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/177045-nigeria-lacks-institutions-systems-to-prevent-corruption-okonjo-iweala.html. Accessed 15 October 2015.

  55. Akanle, O., & Adesina, J. O. (2015). Corruption and the Nigerian development quagmire: popular narratives and current interrogations. Journal of Developing Societies, 31(4), 421–446. https://doi.org/10.1177/0169796X15590323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. Obasanjo, O. (1999). Inaugural speech by his excellency, President Olusegun Obasanjo following his swearing-in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29 May. http://nigeriaworld.com/feature/speech/inaugural.html. Accessed 05 November 2015.

  57. Transparency International. (2013). Global corruption barometer 2013. Berlin: Transparency International.

    Google Scholar 

  58. Hope, K. R. (2016). An analytical perspective on police corruption and police reforms in developing societies. In K. R. Hope (Ed.), Police corruption and police reforms in developing societies (pp. 3–31). Boca Raton: CRC Press/Taylor and Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  59. Kaplan, S. (2013). Betrayed: Politics, power, and prosperity. New York: Palgrave Macmillan/Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  60. Agbiboa, D. (2015). Protectors or predators? The embedded problem of police corruption and deviance in Nigeria. Administration & Society, 47(3), 244–281. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399713513142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  61. Oluwaniyi, O. (2011). Police and the institution of corruption in Nigeria. Policing and Society: An International Journal of Research and Policy, 21(1), 67–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2010.541245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Intersociety. (2012). Tackling roadblock extortion & killings is a major challenge facing your appointment & ignoring them makes your new headship of the NPF a candidate of failure. http://www.intersociety-ng.org/site-administrator/downloads/category/9-news-archives-2012?start=20. Accessed 01 November 2015.

  63. Human Rights Watch. (2010). Everyone’s in on the game: Corruption and human rights abuses by the Nigeria police force. New York: Human Rights Watch.

    Google Scholar 

  64. Hill, J. N. C. (2010). Corruption in the courts: the achilles’ heel of Nigeria's regulatory framework? Third World Quarterly, 31(7), 1161–1179. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2010.518751.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  65. UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime). (2005). Assessment of the integrity and capacity of the justice system in three Nigerian states. New York: United Nations.

    Google Scholar 

  66. Jimoh, A. (2015). Judiciary undermining Buhari’s anti-corruption war – TMG. Daily Trust, p. 13.

  67. UNECA (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa). (2010). Assessing the efficiency and impact of national anti-corruption institutions in Africa. Addis Ababa: UNECA.

    Google Scholar 

  68. Hope, K. R. (2009). Capacity development for good governance in developing countries: some lessons from the field. International Journal of Public Administration, 32(8), 728–740. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900690902908562.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  69. Post, L., Raile, A., & Raile, E. (2010). Defining political will. Politics and Policy, 38(4), 653–676. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2010.00253.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  70. UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). (2011). Practitioner’s guide: Capacity assessment of anti-corruption agencies. New York: UNDP.

    Google Scholar 

  71. Banuri, S., & Eckel, C. (2012). Experiments in culture and corruption: A review. Policy Research Working Paper 6064. Washington, DC: World Bank.

  72. Hooker, J. (2009). Corruption from a cross-cultural perspective. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 16(3), 251–267. https://doi.org/10.1108/13527600910977346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  73. Seleim, A., & Bontis, N. (2009). The relationship between culture and corruption: a cross-national study. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 10(1), 165–184. https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930910922978.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  74. Sylla, K. (2014). Defining corruption in the cultural context of sub-Saharan Africa. In G. Mudacumura & G. Morçöl (Eds.), Challenges to democratic governance in developing countries (pp. 171–179). Heidelberg: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  75. Aluko, M. A. O. (2002). The institutionalisation of corruption and its impact on political culture and behaviour in Nigeria. Nordic Journal of African Studies, 11(3), 393–402.

    Google Scholar 

  76. Javidan, M., & House, R. (2001). Cultural acumen for the global manager: Lessons from project GLOBE. Organizational Dynamics, 29(4), 289–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0090-2616(01)00034-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  77. Kelly, R. (2014). Corruption in Africa: Cultural, economic and political factors which impact corruption and potential solutions. M. A. Thesis, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

  78. Rothstein, B. (2011). The quality of government: Corruption, social trust, and inequality in international perspective. Chicago: University of Chicago Pres.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  79. Obomanu, A. (2014). The survival mindset: A systematic approach to combating corruption in Nigeria. Bloomington: iUniverse.

    Google Scholar 

  80. Pierce, S. (2016). Moral economies of corruption: State formation and political culture in Nigeria. Durham: Duke University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  81. Nwogu, J., & Ijirshar, V. (2016). The impact of corruption on economic growth and cultural values in Nigeria: a need for value re-orientation. International Journal of Economics & Management Sciences, 6(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.4172/2162-6359.1000388.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  82. van de Walle, N. (2007). Capsule review of: A culture of corruption: Everyday deception and popular discontent in Nigeria. Foreign Affairs, March/April. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/capsule-review/2007-03-01/culture-corruption-everyday-deception-and-popular-discontent. Accessed 03 December 2017.

  83. Bamidele, O., Olaniyan, A., & Ayodele, B. (2016). Culture, corruption, and anticorruption struggles in Nigeria. Journal of Developing Societies, 32(2), 103–129. https://doi.org/10.1177/0169796X15610015.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  84. Akanji, B. (2017). The relationship between culture and corruption in Nigeria – prospecting culture change in dealing with this “big black hole”. The Romanian Economic Journal, 20(63), 3–18.

    Google Scholar 

  85. Nigerian Corruption Watch. (2014b). Consequences of institutionalising corruption in Nigeria. Nigerian Corruption Watch, 4(6), 5.

    Google Scholar 

  86. The Economist. (2015). Corruption: The only thing that works: Changing an ingrained culture will take time. Special report: Nigeria: Opportunity knocks. 2015. http://www.economist.com/sites/default/files/20150620_sr_nigeria.pdf. Accessed 18 November 2015.

  87. United States Department of State. (2017). Country reports on human rights practices for2016: Nigeria. Washington, DC: United States Department of State.

    Google Scholar 

  88. Hira, A. (2016). Broken windows: why culture matters in corruption reform. Journal of Developing Societies, 32(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/0169796X15609710.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  89. Hope, K. R. (2017b). Fighting corruption in developing countries: Some aspects of policy from lessons from the field. Journal of Public Affairs, 17(4), e1683. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1683.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  90. Federal Ministry of Justice. (2017). National anti-corruption strategy: (2017–2020). Abuja: Federal Ministry of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  91. Buhari, M. (2015a). Inaugural speech. https://www.channelstv.com/2015/05/29/full-text-president-muhammadu-buharis-inaugural-speech/. Accessed 01 November 2015.

  92. Buhari, M. (2015b). We are called upon to clean the mess of corruption and rebuild institutions. https://prnigeria.com/national/we-are-called-upon-to-clean-the-mess-of-corruption-and-rebuild-institutions-president-buhari/. Accessed 04 November 2015.

  93. Buhari, M. (2015c). Incorruptibility: A spiritual premise for material wellbeing. Keynote address, Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe foundation lecture, 11 December, International Conference Centre, Abuja. https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/199492/1/full-text-of-address-by-president-buhari-at-anyiam.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheNigerianVoiceNews+%28The+Nigerian+Voice+News%29. Accessed 13 December 2015.

  94. Premium Times. (2015b). Corruption is cause of poverty in Nigeria – Buhari. http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/189983-corruption-is-cause-of-poverty-in-nigeria-buhari.html. Accessed 15 October 2015.

  95. Udott, M. (2015). Vice President Osinbajo assures of eradication of corruption. Abuja: State House.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Development Practice International, PO Box 30002, Oakville, ON, L6H 7L8, Canada

    Kempe Ronald Hope Sr

Authors
  1. Kempe Ronald Hope Sr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kempe Ronald Hope Sr.

Ethics declarations

This work does not contain any studies with human participants performed by the author.

Conflict of interest

The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hope, K.R. Institutions and the culture dimension of corruption in Nigeria. Crime Law Soc Change 70, 503–523 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-018-9779-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-018-9779-6

Search

Navigation