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| President Muhammadu Buhari |
ABUJA, March 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index for 2021 ranks Nigeria as the second most corrupt country in West Africa.
Out of 180 countries evaluated globally, Nigeria ranked 154 despite the efforts of the anti-corruption agencies.
Nigeria follows Guinea Bissau, ranked (#162) on the index as the most corrupt nation in West Africa, scoring 21 points.
The index assigns a score to each country on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being the most corrupt and 100 being the cleanest, reports Nairametrics.
The CPI shows Nigeria suffering a historic low. According to T.I, the dip in the ranking was as a result of:
1) Activities of more than 100 powerful individuals were exposed as having used anonymous companies to buy properties with a total worth of £350 million in the United Kingdom alone.
2) Secretive dealings among Nigeria’s powerholders were previously reported as part of the Panama Papers and FinCEN Files investigations. Inaction over past disclosures has created a sense of impunity, stalling anti-corruption progress in the country.
Nigeria dropped five places down the ranking from (149) in 2020 to (154) in 2021 garnering 24 points over 100. This ultimately means that corruption in the public sector has worsened over the last three years despite desperate attempts by the administration to combat bad practices.
In 2019, Nigeria was ranked (#146) out of 180 countries questioned in the 2019 study, with a score of 26 out of 100. Nigeria’s ranking in the 2020 report declined three places to (#149) out of 180 countries surveyed, with a score of 25 out of 100, according to Nairametrics.
South Sudan and Libya are perceived to be the most corrupt nations on the continent and the globe.
Other African countries perceived as more corrupt than Nigeria include Zimbabwe, Chad, Eritrea, Burundi, Comoros, Congo, Guinea Bissau, Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, and South Sudan.
Africa’s smallest country Seychelles with a score of 70, ranked 23rd is the least corrupt country on the continent.
Other major improvements include neighbouring countries Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana, and Tanzania, all of which have risen to the top of the least corrupt countries list. — NNN-AGENCIES
