In 2023, Nigerian public officials received no less than N721 billion in bribes, according to a new report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The report, titled “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends,” was released on Thursday and indicates that the bribes represent approximately 0.35 percent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The findings are based on a survey conducted in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The average cash bribe in 2023 was N8,284, up from N5,754 in 2019. However, when adjusted for inflation, the average bribe was 29 percent smaller than in 2019.
The report highlights that a total of roughly N721 billion (US$1.26 billion) was paid in cash bribes to public officials in Nigeria in 2023. This amount corresponds to 0.35 percent of the entire GDP of Nigeria.
Corruption was ranked as the fourth most critical issue in Nigeria in 2023, following the cost of living, insecurity, and unemployment. The report notes a decline in Nigerians’ confidence in the government’s anti-corruption efforts, with less than a third of citizens believing the government was effective in fighting corruption in 2023, down from over half in 2019.
The survey indicates that 56 percent of Nigerians interacted with a public official in 2023, a decrease from 63 percent in 2019. Despite this reduction, bribery remains prevalent, with an average of 5.1 bribes paid per bribe payer, totaling approximately 87 million bribes nationwide, down from 117 million in 2019.
Bribery is more common in rural areas, with rural residents paying an average of 5.8 bribes compared to 4.5 in urban areas. Over 95 percent of bribes in 2023 were paid in monetary form, either cash or money transfer.
Public officials were more likely to demand bribes, but the report also notes an increase in bribery among private sector actors, such as doctors in private hospitals, rising from 6 percent in 2019 to 14 percent in 2023. Despite this, bribery in the public sector remains about twice as high, with public sector contact rates also being twice as high as those in the private sector.
In 2023, 27 percent of Nigerians who interacted with a public official paid a bribe, a slight decrease from 29 percent in 2019. Including instances where bribes were requested but refused, over one-third of interactions between citizens and public officials involved bribery.
The report also shows a growing trend of Nigerians refusing to pay bribes. In 2023, 70 percent of those asked to pay a bribe refused at least once, with the highest refusal rates in the North-West zone at 76 percent. All regions recorded refusal rates above 60 percent, indicating increasing resistance to corruption.
Bribery is becoming less accepted in Nigeria, with the percentage of citizens who view bribery requests as acceptable to expedite administrative procedures decreasing from 29 percent in 2019 to 23 percent in 2023. Fewer citizens reported suffering negative consequences after refusing bribe requests in 2023 compared to 2019, suggesting growing empowerment among Nigerians to confront corrupt officials without fear of repercussions.
Among bribe refusers in 2023, 21 percent indicated they refused because they had other options. Normative concerns (42 percent) and cost of living pressures (23 percent) also played significant roles in their refusal to pay bribes.
Furthermore, at least 60 percent of public sector workers were hired due to nepotism, bribery, or both between 2020 and 2023. Six out of 10 successful candidates admitted to using either nepotism, bribery, or both to improve their chances of being recruited, with 27 percent using only bribery, 13 percent only nepotism, and 19 percent both bribery and nepotism. Conversely, 40 percent claimed to have secured their positions without such means, based on data collected between November 2020 and October 2023.
The report emphasizes that the selection process for recruiting public officials is crucial in shaping the culture of integrity within the civil service. However, the 2023 survey findings indicate that public sector recruitment requires closer monitoring, as almost half (46 percent) of new recruits in the last three years admitted to paying a bribe to facilitate their recruitment, a significant increase from 31 percent in 2019.
The survey also found that the use of bribery is notably lower when the recruitment process includes formal assessments. Specifically, 51 percent of candidates were not formally assessed, and among these, 53 percent admitted to using bribery or nepotism. Conversely, among the 49 percent who underwent a written test or oral interview, the use of unethical means dropped to 41 percent.
Overall, the 2023 survey data show that approximately half of those who secured a position in the public sector in the three years before the survey passed a written test and/or oral interview. The data suggest that formal assessments can help prevent the use of illegal practices during recruitment.
