Afrobarometer R10: Nigerians say corruption is worsening, risk retaliation for reporting
- NOIPolls
- May 6
- 3 min read
A growing majority of Nigerians say corruption worsened over the past year, and only a few believe that people can report it to the authorities without fear of retaliation, Afrobarometer’s latest survey reveals.
Key public institutions are widely seen as corrupt, including the police, the Presidency, Parliament, tax and local government offices, and judges and magistrates.
Findings also show that many citizens are forced to pay bribes to access basic public services.
Most say the government is performing poorly in its fight against corruption.
Key findings
Eight in 10 Nigerians (80%) say the level of corruption in the country increased “somewhat” or “a lot” over the past year, nearly double the proportion who thought corruption increased in 2017 (43%) (Figure 1).
Among key public institutions, the police are most widely perceived as corrupt: 70% of respondents say “most” or “all” police officials are involved in corruption. Majorities say the same about Parliament (65%), the Presidency (62%), local government councillors (55%), tax officials (55%), and judges and magistrates (54%) (Figure 2).
Among citizens who sought selected public services during the previous year, substantial proportions say they had to pay a bribe to obtain police assistance (67%), to get a government document (56%), to avoid problem with the police (53%), or to receive services at a public medical facility (26%) (Figure 3).
Only one in 10 Nigerians (10%) believe that people can report corruption to the authorities without fear of retaliation (Figure 4).
An overwhelming majority (90%) of Nigerians say the government is doing “fairly badly” or “very badly” at fighting corruption in government (Figure 5).
Afrobarometer surveys
Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Nine survey rounds in up to 42 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 10 surveys were launched in January 2024. Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice.
The Afrobarometer team in Nigeria, led by NOIPolls, interviewed a nationally representative, random, stratified probability sample of 1,600 adult Nigerians between 19 June and 17 July 2024. A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Previous standard surveys were conducted in Nigeria in 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2022.
Charts
Figure 1 : Level of corruption | Nigeria | 2015-2024
Respondents were asked: In your opinion, over the past year, has the level of corruption in this country increased, decreased, or stayed the same?
Figure 2: Perceptions of corruption in key institutions | Nigeria | 2024
Respondents were asked: How many of the following people do you think are involved in corruption, or haven’t you heard enough about them to say? (% who say most/all of them)
Figure 3: Payment of bribes to access public services | Nigeria | 2024
Respondents were asked: In the past 12 months: Have you had contact with a public clinic or hospital? Have you tried to get an identity document like a birth certificate, driver’s license, passport or voter’s card, or permit from government? Have you requested assistance from the police? How often have you encountered the police in other situations, like at checkpoints, during identity checks or traffic stops, or during an investigation?
Respondents who had contact with these public services were asked: And how often, if ever, did you have to pay a bribe, give a gift, or do a favour [for a public official to obtain the needed service or avoid problems]? (% who say “once or twice,” “a few times,” or “often”) (Respondents who did not have contact with these public services are excluded.)
Figure 4: Risk of retaliation for reporting corruption | Nigeria | 2017-2024
Respondents were asked: In this country, can ordinary people report incidents of corruption without fear, or do they risk retaliation or other negative consequences if they speak out?
Figure 5: Evaluation of government performance in fighting corruption | Nigeria | 2024
Respondents were asked: How well or badly would you say the current government is handling the following matters, or haven’t you heard enough to say: Fighting corruption in government?
For more information, please contact:
NOIPolls
Raphael Mbaegbu
Telephone: +234 63292096
Email: rmbaegbu@noi-polls.com
Visit us online at:
Follow our releases on #VoicesAfrica.
Comments