Nigeria Moves Up in Transparency International Corruption Index but Still Struggles with Poor Ratings

Nigeria has climbed five places in the 2024 Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index, now ranking 140th out of 180 countries with a score of 26 out of 100.

This represents a slight improvement from its 2023 ranking of 145th, where it scored 25 points. However, the country’s overall performance remains poor, reflecting persistent corruption challenges in the public sector.

The index, released on Tuesday, assesses perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale from 0 to 100, with 0 indicating extreme corruption and 100 representing a clean system. TI defines corruption to include bribery, embezzlement, abuse of public office for personal gain, nepotism, and weak anti-corruption enforcement.

Over the past few years, Nigeria’s progress has been slow. In 2022, the country ranked 150th with a score of 24, and in 2021, it placed 154th with the same score—the worst performance recorded under former President Muhammadu Buhari. The country’s best ranking in the last decade was 136th, achieved in both 2015 and 2016.

President Bola Tinubu has repeatedly vowed to combat corruption and has urged African leaders to take a stronger stance against it. However, concerns about corruption persist, with the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) controversially naming Tinubu a finalist for its ‘Corrupt Person of the Year’ award in 2023.

Despite its slight improvement, Nigeria continues to struggle with deep-rooted corruption, raising questions about the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts in the country.