Nigeria has once again been flagged for its high levels of corruption, ranking as the 36th most corrupt country in the world according to Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
The country shares this position with Uganda, Mexico, Madagascar, Iraq, and Cameroon, all scoring 26 out of 100.
The CPI, a widely recognized measure of public sector corruption, evaluates 180 countries based on expert assessments and surveys.
The scoring scale runs from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). This year’s findings paint a concerning picture, showing little improvement in global anti-corruption efforts.
Global Corruption Landscape
Denmark emerged as the least corrupt nation with a score of 90, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84).
Notably, no African country made it into the top 10 of the least corrupt nations. However, Cape Verde ranked as the cleanest African country, securing 35th place with a score of 62.
At the other end of the spectrum, South Sudan, Somalia, and Venezuela were identified as the most corrupt nations, highlighting the persistent challenges of weak governance, political instability, and lack of accountability.
Despite various anti-corruption campaigns, Nigeria continues to struggle with systemic corruption in both the public and private sectors.
The stagnation in its ranking underscores the country’s difficulty in enforcing accountability and transparency in governance.
François Valérian, Chair of Transparency International, emphasized that corruption remains a global threat. He noted that while 32 countries have made significant progress since 2012, 148 nations have either remained stagnant or worsened.
“The global average of 43 has also stood still for years, while over two-thirds of countries score below 50. Billions of people live in countries where corruption destroys lives and undermines human rights,” he stated.
A key concern highlighted in the report is the impact of corruption on climate action.
Transparency International found that bribery, embezzlement, and mismanagement of public funds hinder efforts to combat climate change and mitigate its effects.
The stagnation in Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts calls for stronger institutional reforms, increased transparency in government operations, and stricter enforcement of anti-corruption laws.
Without significant action, the country risks further deterioration in global corruption rankings.