Like NBS, ICPC give alarming figure of corruption in Nigeria, says N700bn bribes paid in 2023

Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on Thursday, revealed the staggering extent of corruption in Nigeria, revealing that an estimated 87 million bribes, totaling N700 billion, were paid in 2023 alone.

This is similar to an earlier figure issued by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), that more than N700 billion was paid in cash as bribes by citizens to public officials in 2023.

The two agencies however, failed to reveal the sources of these figures, or how they arrived at them.

Addressing the International Law Conference at Ahmadu Bello University, Aliyu emphasized that corruption remains a significant obstacle to Nigeria’s development, eroding trust in public institutions, undermining the rule of law, and stifling economic growth.The ICPC chairman noted that corruption was not only a legal issue but also a social problem requiring a comprehensive approach. He cited a recent survey by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, which ranked corruption as the fourth most critical problem facing the country in 2023, after cost of living, insecurity, and unemployment.

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Aliyu highlighted the disparity in bribe payments between rural and urban areas, with rural areas experiencing a higher frequency of bribes. However, he acknowledged progress in the fight against corruption, citing an increase in citizens reporting bribe payments to authorities from 3.6% in 2019 to 8.6% in 2023.

“Despite these challenges, we are making progress. The rate of citizens reporting bribe payments to official authorities increased from 3.6 per cent in 2019 to 8.6 per cent in 2023.

“This is a testament to the growing awareness and willingness of Nigerians to fight corruption,” he further said.

The ICPC Chairman’s stance is in consonance with an earlier report issued by the NBS which said more than 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 percent of Nigerians declined to pay bribes at least once in 2023.

Released in Abuja last month, the report said about 76 percent of those who rejected bribes were in the north-west — the highest across the geo-political zones.

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