TI corruption perception: Nigeria up 4 places by rank — but maintains poor rating

Nigeria has maintained its previous-year rating on the 2022 corruption perception index published by Transparency International (TI).

In the 2022 index released on Tuesday, the country scored 24 out of 100 points — same as 2021 but with a different ranking.

In 2021, scoring 24 out of 100 points, Nigeria ranked 154 out of 180 countries to become the worst TI corruption rating under President Muhammadu Buhari.

In the 2022 index, Nigeria was ranked 150 out of 180 countries.

In 2015, Nigeria was ranked 136th; 136th in 2016; 148th in 2017; 144th in 2018; 146th in 2019, and 149th in 2020.

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the national chapter of Transparency International (TI), said the CPI aggregates data from eight different sources that provide perceptions by experts and business people on the level of corruption in the public sector.

CISLAC said the report is not an assessment of the nation’s anti-graft agencies, adding that despite the political interference in the activities of the agencies, their works are commendable.

The organisation said the index does not show specific incidents of corruption in the country but the perception of corruption.

The organisation listed two strengths — the passage of key bills such as the Electoral Act and the efforts of anti-graft agencies “despite political interference” — that helped to sustain Nigeria on 24 points, as well as seven weaknesses that led to the stagnancy.

The seven listed weaknesses are: Pardon of convicted high-profile individuals, prevalence of high-profile corruption, increase in oil theft, opaqueness of the subsidy regime, lack of transparency and accountability in the security sector, lack in transparency in constituency projects, and judicial challenges