Abstract
Corruption in Nigeria since 1960 has cost the country hundreds of billions of pounds. The immediate impacts of this are economic pains and infrastructural decay, but long-term effects include crawling pace of national development and loss of integrity in the global system. So, how does corruption affect politics and governance in Nigeria? This chapter examines the relationship between them and where it has positioned the country in terms of development and progress. Anchored on the argument that corrupt and other related acts would inevitably discount the gains of democratic governance, pollute the political space, create a spatial economy, and lead to a “massification” of the poor, this chapter posits that corruption has thrown spanners in the wheels of national development. The chapter also argues that the politics and government of Nigeria have suffered for too long in the hands of habitual and unrepentant treasury looters, political jobbers and beneficiaries of interminable orchestrations of scandals and frauds. It recommends that anti-corruption agencies should be answerable only to the judiciary, made up of persons with records of integrity, and led by a judge with a record of accomplishment, forthrightness and fearlessness.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abraham, J. (2013). “17 Soldiers to Face Court Martial for Murder, Others”, National Mirror, Lagos, July 2, 2013.
Adele, B.J. (1998). Fundamentals of Nigerian Politics (Lagos: Ijede).
Akanbi, M.M.A. (2004). Corruption and the Challenges of Good Governance in Nigeria (Lagos: Faculty of the Social Sciences Distinguished Lecture Series).
Ake, C. (1988). “Government Instability in Nigeria,” Paper presented at the National Conference on “The Political Transition Programme” (Lagos: N.I.I.A, April).
Akinseye-George, A. (2000). Legal System, Corruption and Governance in Nigeria (Lagos: New Century Low Publishers Ltd).
Alagoa, E.J. (1980). “The Eastern Niger Delta and the Hinterland in the 19th Century”, in Ikime, O. (1980) Groundwork of Nigerian History (Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Books
Anene, J.C. and Brown, G.N. (1966). Africa in the 19th and 20th Centuries: A Handbook for Teachers and Students, Ibadan: Ibadan University Press.
Anwana, J.U. (2006). “The Anti-Corruption Law and Corruption in Nigeria” http”//www.allafrica.com
Awonishakin, T. (2006). Nigerian Democracy and Kleptocracy. Thisday, Lagos, March 2006.
Azelama, J.U. (2002). Public Enterprises Management in Nigeria (Ambik Press).
Chinnoy, F. (1967). Society: An Introduction to Sociology (New York: Random House).
Columbia Encyclopedia (2012). “Aba Women’s Riots of 1929”, Columbia Encyclopedia.
Davidson, B. (1960) Old Africa Rediscovered London: Victor Gollancz Ltd.
Debt Management Office (2013). “Debt Profile”, Abuja: DMO.
Diamond, L. (1998). “Building a Democratic Africa” Hoover Digest No.3.
Dike, V.E. (2006) “Anti-Corruption Crusade: Can the Obasanjo Regime sustain the Momemtum?“http://nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/anticorruption_crusade can_the.htm
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Establishment Act 2002.
Eker, Y. (1999). “On Origins of Corruption: Irregular Incentives in Nigeria,” Journal of Modern African Studies 19(1).
Ekeh, P.P. (2006). A Case for Dialogue on Nigerian Federalism. A Keynote Address delivered at the Wilberforce Conference on Nigerian Federalism.
Fashagba, J. Y. 2009. Legislative Oversight under the Nigerian Presidential System, The Journal of Legislative Studies, 15(4)
Folarin, S. (2006). The Anti-Corrutpion War in Nigeria: A Critical Appraisal of the Role of EFCC and ICPC. Nigerian Journal of Economic and Financial Crimes.
Golightly, W. (2011). Shaka the Great: The Epic Story of the Zulu Empire (Quercus).
Huther, J. and Shah, A. (2000). Anti- Corruption Policies and Programmes: A Framework for Evaluation (Washington: Wall Bank Policy Research Working paper 2501).
Ikime, O. (1985). “In Search of Nigerians: Changing Roles of Inter-Group Relations”, Presidential Address at the 1985 Congress of the Historical Society of Nigeria, HSN.
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, 2006 “About ICPC”. http://www.ICPC.org (accessed 9/8/06).
Independent (2006). EFCC vs Politicians: The Passion, The Cries. Lagos, July 29.
Jason, P. (2006). “The Making of Olusani Abachanjo” Vanguard (Lagos, November 25).
Ketefe, K. (2012). “Hurdles before Salami’s Reinstatement”, National Mirror (Lagos), October 29, 2012, p.1.
Lipset, S.M. and Gabriel, S.L. (2000). “Corruption, Culture and Markets” in Lawrence, E.H. and Huntington, S.(eds)(2000) Culture Matters (New York: Basic Books).
Makarfi, A. (2006). “Makarfi Chides EFCC, ICPC, over Arrests” ThisDay (Lagos, August 16).
Merton, R.K (1957). Social Theory and Social Structure (Glencoe: The Free Press).
Newsweek (2005). “No Longer a way of Life” (June 2, 2005).
Morphy, R. (2020). Nigeria’s Failing War against Corruption. Leadership, Abuja, July 2020.
Nwankwo, A.A. (1999). The Stolen Billions (Enugu: Forth Dimension).
Nzeogwu, C.K. (1966). Interview with British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Kaduna on January 16, 1966.
Obasanjo, O. (1987). Nzeogwu: An Intimate Portrait of Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu (Ibadan: Spectrum).
Ogunwezeh, F. (2005). “Poverty, Development and the Burden of Governance in sub-Saharan Africa”.
Okojie, P., Momoh, A. (2005). “Corruption and the Crisis of Development in Nigeria,” paper presented at the conference on “Redesigning the State? Political Corruption in Development Policy and Practice,” held at Manchester Metropolitan University, 25 November, 2005.
Osoba, S. (1993). “Crisis of Accumulation and Democratic Misadventure in Nigeria: A Retrospective and Perspective Analysis” Ife Journal of History Vol.1, No.1, Jan-June 1993.
Page T. Matthew 2018. A New Taxonomy for Corruption in Nigeria, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Seteolu, D. (2004). “The Challenge of Leadership and Governance in Nigeria” in Odion-Akhaine, S (2004) Governance: Nigeria and World (Lagos: Cencod).
The News (2006). “The Case against Atiku” (Lagos, September 18, 2006).
The Punch (2006a). “ICPC Investigates LG Boss” (Lagos, 15/08/206).
The Punch (2006b). “Anti-Corruption War won’t succeed unless… ICPC” (Lagos, 16/8/2006).
The Sun (2006). “Foul: Governors Reply Ribadu over Corruption Allegation-Enough is Enough, I drop My Immunity-Yerima” (Lagos, 29/9/06).
This Day (2006). “From Third Term to Anti-Corruption” (Lagos August13).
The Guardian (2006). EFCC, ICPC record Average Performance. Lagos, April 7.
Transparency International “Corruption Perception Index 2005” http://www.transparency.org/cpi/1999/cpi1999_infocus.html (accessed 8/8/06).
Transparency International (2004) “Introduction to Political Corruption” pg. 13 http://www.transparency.org/publications/gcr/download_gcr/download_gcr_2004 (accessed 24/1/13).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Folarin, S. (2021). Corruption, Politics and Governance in Nigeria. In: Ajayi, R., Fashagba, J.Y. (eds) Nigerian Politics. Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50509-7_21
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50509-7_21
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-50508-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-50509-7
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)