4. Corruption in Nigeria

Corruption is Nigeria’s biggest challenge. The country has developed a national and international reputation as a veritable menace of corruption. Nigeria suffers from what the development literature calls the ‘resource curse’—the paradox that developing countries with an abundance of income from natural resources tend to have less economic growth, less democracy, and worse development outcomes than countries with fewer natural resources and therefore without such income from minerals and fuels. This chapter identifies and argues that the weakness of institutions and the use and abuse of cultural norms are the primary reasons for endemic corruption in the country despite the various measures and attempts that have been undertaken to control this rampant corruption.