Report Shows How Public Officials Collected N721bn Bribe in 2023

• A joint report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the National Bureau of Statistics says public officials in Nigeria collected N721 billion in cash as bribes in 2023
• According to the UN report, the amount collected as bribes in the year in review is a cumulative 0.35% of Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
• The report further revealed that bribery is more prevalent in rural areas than in urban Nigerian communities

A recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that Nigerian public officials received an estimated N721 billion (approximately $1.26 billion) in cash as bribes in 2023.

The report said the figure represents 0.35% of Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and indicates a significant increase in corruption.

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Average bribe Nigerians paid in 2023

The Punch reported that the average cash bribe paid was N8,284, slightly higher than the N5,754 reported in 2019. However, when put into context of inflation in the country, the 2023 average bribe was 29% smaller than in 2019.

Cash remained the preferred method of bribery, accounting for over 95% of all bribes paid in 2023. Other forms of bribes included food and drink, animals, exchange for services, and valuables.

Despite the prevalence of bribery, the report found that 70% of Nigerians refused to pay bribes on at least one occasion in 2023, indicating a growing unwillingness to engage in corrupt practices.

Corruption reducing in Nigeria, UN report

The report also noted a decrease in the acceptance of bribery to fast-track administrative procedures from 29% in 2019 to 23% in 2023, suggesting a shift in public attitudes towards corruption.

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The report reads in part:

“The frequency of bribery is, on average, higher in rural areas than in urban areas. In 2023, bribe-payers living in urban areas paid on average 4.5 bribes, while those living in rural areas paid on average 5.8 bribes.”

Minimum wage: Tinubu urges Labour to accept N62k

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu declared that the government and the organised private sector cannot pay more than N62,000 as a minimum wage.

The president appealed to the union that the minimum wage could be reviewed in two or three years rather than every five years if the law can be amended.

Tinubu and the labour leaders are expected to meet again next week, Thursday, July 18.

Proofreading by James Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng