Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), on Thursday revealed the extent of corruption in Nigeria. An estimated 87 million bribes, totaling $700 billion, were paid in 2023 alone.
This is similar to previous figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), that over N700 billion was paid in cash as bribes by citizens to public officials in 2023.
However, both agencies failed to disclose the source of the figures, or how they obtained them.
Speaking at the International Law Conference at the Ahmadu Bello University, Aliyu stressed that corruption remains a significant obstacle to Nigeria’s development, eroding trust in public institutions, weakening the rule of law and hampering economic growth. The ICPC chairman noted that corruption is not just a legal issue but also a social problem that requires a comprehensive approach. He cited a recent survey by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, which ranked corruption as the fourth most critical issue facing the country in 2023, after the cost of living, insecurity and unemployment.
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Aliyu highlighted the disparity in bribery payments between rural and urban areas, with rural areas experiencing a higher frequency of bribery. However, he acknowledged progress in the fight against corruption, citing an increase in the number of citizens reporting bribery payments to authorities from 3.6% in 2019 to 8.6% in 2023.
“Despite these challenges, we continue to make progress. The rate of citizens reporting bribe payments to official authorities increased from 3.6 percent in 2019 to 8.6 percent in 2023.
“This is evidence of the growing awareness and willingness of Nigerians to fight corruption,” he said further.
The ICPC Chairman’s stance is in line with an earlier report issued by the NBS which stated that over N700 billion was paid in cash as bribes by citizens to public officials in 2023.
In its report titled, ‘NBS Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends’, the bureau said 70 per cent of Nigerians refused to pay a bribe at least once in 2023.
Released in Abuja last month, the report said about 76 percent of those who refused bribes were in the northwest — the highest figure among geopolitical zones.
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