Nigerian govt officials received over N700 billion in cash bribes in 2023

Nigerian public officials accepted at least N721 billion in cash bribes in 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said in a new report.

The Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends report, released Thursday said the average cash bribe last year was N8,284, higher than N5,754 in four years earlier.

The study was conducted in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

“Overall, it is estimated that a total of roughly NGN 721 billion (US$1.26 billion) was paid in cash bribes to public officials in Nigeria in 2023, corresponding to 0.35 per cent of the entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria,” the report said.

Most bribes are paid in the street or in a public official’s office, the report said. The bribe amount, which is certain to be more, is about 2.5% of the total federal budget for 2024.

The survey, conducted by the NBS, is the third in a series that examines the extent of corruption in the country, which international studies have consistently ranked among the world’s most corrupt nations.

The NBS said researchers collected data from 33,035 households on corruption conducted in October/November 2023.

Approximately 900 interviews were conducted in each of the 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory.

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The report also examined corruption in recruitment for government jobs, and found that nearly half (46%) of individuals who secured public sector employment within the three years leading up to the survey confessed to paying a bribe to obtain their positions, representing a substantial increase from the 2019 survey, where 31% of respondents reported similar behaviour.

Some 32% of successful applicants in the last three years were aided by friends or relatives. Overall, approximately 60% of public sector hires relied on nepotism, bribery, or both—an increase of about 1.2 times compared to the 2019 survey.

Bribery involving private sector figures, like doctors in private hospitals, rose from 6% in 2019 to 14% in 2023, according to the study. Despite the increase, bribery rates in the public sector remained twice as high.