PriMera Scientific Surgical Research and Practice (ISSN: 2836-0028)

Comprehensive Review

Volume 6 Issue 1

Corruption Prevention in Nigeria: Development, Good Governance and Reform

Musa Bala Zakari*

June 30, 2025

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Abstract

The goal of any independent anticorruption agency, wherever it may be located is preventive - that is to reduce or eliminate the incentives and opportunities that make corrupt activities alluring, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the ruling government by eliminating elements within the system that may be damaging or corrupt. Achieving these aims requires ensuring that anticorruption agencies are provided with sufficient personnel and resources, and that additionally their organisational development needs are met. However, in a systematically corrupt system like Nigeria, where corruption is the norm rather than the exception – means that corrupt activities are promoted or encouraged by the system itself, support for anticorruption agencies is likely to meet with difficulties in such environments. This is because both empirical and anecdotal evidence and the author personal interaction with international and national policy experts, including at the G20 Anticorruption working group (ACWG) - suggest that fighting corruption requires an indirect approach starting with broad underlying features of the governance and developmental problems. This article argues that the first step in fighting corruption must be to renew focus on economic development and welfare. These terms cover a range of government strategies designed to ensure the wellbeing of the citizenry, such as healthcare, education, vocational training, public housing, and public transportation. It argues that until these support structures are easily accessible to the citizens, referred to within the article as “Good governance and Development”, countering corruption in Nigeria, will remain a vicious circle.

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