Nigerians paid N721bn in bribes to govt officials in 2023 – NBS survey

A survey report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown that Nigerians paid N721 billion in cash bribes to public officials in 2023.

According to the survey report titled: “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and trends”, released yesterday, more than 95 per cent of all bribes Nigerians paid in 2023 were in monetary form.

The report also showed that Nigerians’ confidence in the government’s anti-corruption effort declined during the review period.

“Overall, it is estimated that a total of roughly N721 billion ($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.

“In 2023, bribes paid in a public official’s office and the street accounted for around 35 and 36 per cent of all paid bribes, respectively.

“11 per cent of bribes were paid in the respondents’ own homes, while 7 per cent were paid in public buildings such as restaurants, malls, or stations.

“In 2023, the largest share of Nigerian citizens that had contact with health care professionals and public utility officers for bribery was at 30 per cent and 24 per cent respectively.

“Police officers came third, with a contact rate of 20 per cent.”

On Nigerians confidence in government anti-corruption efforts, NBS said: “Nigerians’ confidence in the government’s anti-corruption effort has been declining over time and across regions.

“While in 2019, more than half of all citizens thought that the government was effective in fighting corruption, in 2023, the share declined to less than a third of all citizens.”

NBS report also showed that private sector bribery increased from 6.0 per cent of citizens who had at least one contact with a private sector actor in 2019 to 14 per cent in 2023.