Corruption and challenges of democratic development in Nigeria

Abstract

This essay examines the nature of corruption as one of the banes of underdevelopment in Nigeria’s democracy. Uninterrupted democratic governance in Nigeria, from 1999 to date, has witnessed a spike in corruption cases. The ruling elites have continued to palm-off and misappropriate the commonwealth at the expense of general well-being. This experience has fuelled tension and social unrests, political violence, police abuses, and other human rights violations. It is pertinent to underscore that corruption is not limited to public enterprise; rather, it has eaten deep into the fabric of private enterprises as well, with roots deep into family settings. Corruption appears to have become a way of life, though it is resented by a significant number of people. This does not deny the fact that the crime of corruption in government threatens the moral integrity of a nation and hampers development. Many scholars have questioned the determination of government and the capacity of the existing anti-corruption laws and institutions in combating corruption in Nigeria. The fundamental problem that necessitates this essay is to beam a searchlight at government efforts and inadequacies of combating corruption through the activities of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) alone, with a view to underline the challenges for the failing war itself. Employing the historical methods of primary and secondary data analysis, the
essay highlights some of the impediments of corruption incidence to democratic development in Nigeria. The conclusion is that corruption is deeply embedded in the Nigerian society; therefore, uprooting it requires the multidimensional mechanisms of constitutional amendment, good governance and international support, among others.