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Corruption in Nigeria and Sycophancy of Benefitting Nations
By Joel Popoola
Nigeria has lost an estimated $600bn to corrupt officials, but we rarely consider where that money has gone.
The truth is, it often ends up being laundered in the countries who lecture us on corruption.
We cannot escape the fact that Nigeria is ranked 149th out of 180 countries for corruption.
One study suggests that out of all Nigerian citizens, who have had contact with a public official in the past year, one in three paid, or were asked to pay a bribe – with the average bribe nearly 6000NGN.
Another suggested that corruption will be worth 37% of our entire economy by 2030!
But so much of this would be impossible where it not for countries who claim to know better but look the other way when it benefits them.
This week saw the UK government return $5.8m of Nigerian public money stolen by former Delta State governor James Ibori in the first such deal between our two countries.
But the recovered cash is just a fraction of $222.4m allegedly laundered by the disgraced former governor and his cronies.
All too often, money stolen like this ends up being laundered in countries like the UK where it is used to invest in property and other assets like luxury cars.
Other nations are all-too-often happy to profit at the expense of the Nigerian people by turning a blind eye to the flow of money into their countries which they know all-too-well has sprung from dubious sources.
And then they lecture us on corruption!
This is no different from you or I robbing a bank and using the money to buy our mothers a new car. Your mother then scolds you for bringing shame on your family – but she’s happy to keep the car! It’s the same as telling your children off for stealing from the sweet shop, then eating the sweets!
Yes, Nigeria is a corrupt nation. But we could not be so corrupt if it were not for supposedly honest nations being happy to pocket our misappropriated money.
International governments need to do more to ensure that Nigeria’s most dishonest politicians and public officials are not free to spend their ill-gotten gains in their countries.
This does not change the fact that we have to get our own house in order.
The memorandum of understanding signed between Nigeria and the UK in 2016 that facilitated the Ibori deal, sets out that proceeds of bribery or corruption seized in the UK will only be returned if Nigeria can demonstrate total transparency with regards to the use of the returned funds.
This is something Nigeria needs to anyway – sunlight is always the best disinfectant. And digital technology makes that transparency so much easier to deliver.
At the digital democracy campaign I lead we are committed to supporting Nigerian politicians and public officials to improve transparency and trust with the use of everyday digital technology.
The same survey which laid bare the scale of corruption in Nigerian public life also showed that almost 40% of Nigerians have not had any contact with a public official. That needs to change for trust to grow.
One of the projects we have developed is a free smartphone app called Rate Your Leader, which puts politicians and the people they elect in direct person-to-person contact. Think of it as being friends on Facebook with your local representative – except unlike other social media platforms Rate Your Leader insists both sides can prove they are who they say they are, and makes abusive communication impossible.
A direct line between electors and elected helps both sides better understand each other, and collaborate to make our communities better.
Rate Your Leader encourages politicians to do everything out in the open, and rewards them in the form of positive feedback and ratings from the people they serve, improving their reputation amongst their contacts friends, peers and neighbours – the people whose opinions they trust the most.
Building trust in the political process has to start person-to-person, politician to voter. And digital technology can deliver that change at the touch of a button.
Wider systematic change – the kind that will see that $600bn of Nigerian money spent on Nigerian schools, Nigerian roads, Nigerian digital connectivity, Nigerian hospitals, Nigerian social care for older citizens and Nigerian jobs, not on overseas mansions and sports cars for the very worst of us – will require international co-operation and commitment.
Joel Popoola is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur, digital democracy campaigner and creator of the Rate Your Leader mobile app. Follow Joel on Twitter @JOPopoola
Jigawa State governor, Umar Namadi, has cautioned against calls for self-defence from mauruding bandits and killer herders, warning that such a move could plunge the country into anarchy.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Governor Namadi responded to recent comments by retired General Theophilus Danjuma, who urged Nigerians to defend themselves against bandits and armed attackers, particularly in Benue and Plateau states.
General Danjuma, a former Minister of Defence, had argued that reliance on the government for protection was no longer tenable given the spate of violence and killings in the country.
“It is now very clear that the government alone cannot protect us. We must stand up and defend ourselves, our families, and our lands before these criminals overrun the entire country,” Danjuma said during a public event in Takum, Taraba State, on Saturday.
But Governor Namadi rejected that approach, describing it as a dangerous path.
“He (T.Y. Danjuma) is a very senior security person, and his words deserve respect and analysis,” Namadi said. “But I think if you say citizens should be allowed to defend themselves, you’re causing anarchy. I don’t think we’ve reached that level yet.”
He argued that rather than encourage armed self-defence, the government at all levels must continue to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
“The government is doing its best in terms of security arrangements. If you allow the people to defend themselves, that means you are encouraging a crisis between farmers and herders,” the governor warned.
Namadi cited his administration’s approach to resolving the long-standing farmer-herder clashes in Jigawa State as a better alternative. According to him, when he assumed office, he prioritised non-violent conflict resolution strategies.
“When we came in, we decided to employ a lot of strategies and tactics, including dialogue,” he said. “We engaged traditional rulers, as well as representatives of both farmers and herders. We sat down, reached a consensus, and established standing committees to reconcile all parties.”
He added that these efforts helped halt a decades-long conflict:
“The people now understand that the 25 years spent fighting and killing each other were not worth it. Today, they are able to work, interact, and live together in peace.”
Governor Namadi further noted that Jigawa is currently not among the states facing severe threats such as insurgency or mass killings by bandits. Instead, the primary challenge had been farmer-herder clashes, which his administration has successfully curtailed.
“We thank God that Jigawa State is not affected by insurgency or insecurity for no. The major issue we are dealing with is the herders-farmers clash, and we are addressing it decisively,” he said.
Despite the worsening security in other parts of the country, Governor Namadi insisted that self-defence is not a viable solution and could deepen the crisis:
“So, I think the government is doing its best, both at the federal and state levels. The issue of asking people to defend themselves — I think we have not reached that level yet.
Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, has revealed that the North will, in the next six months, take a stand on who to support for the presidency in 2027.
He boasted that no politician can win the presidency in 2027 without the support of the region.
In a video interview he granted in Hausa language, Baba-Ahmed, who appeared alongside a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, lamented the state of the nation and urged northerners to resist divisive and deceptive politicians ahead of the next general elections.
He said: “In the next six months, the North will decide where it stands. If the rest of the country wants to join us, fine. If not, we will go our own way. One thing is clear: nobody can become president of Nigeria without northern support.
“We want a government that understands our problems and can address them. After Buhari’s eight years, we became wiser. Now, we are in another government, and we are still crying. Is crying all we know how to do?” Baba-Ahmed asked.
According to the former presidential aide, the North has suffered greatly during the Boko Haram insurgency, which affected all groups, Muslims, Christians, Fulani, Baju, and others, highlighting the need for unity.
“Before Buhari became president, Boko Haram was bombing mosques, churches, Abuja, and Lagos. That was a time Northerners had to unite. Today, no politician can just show up and expect Northerners to fall in line. Who are you?” he questioned.
He therefore warned against further marginalization of the North, noting that continued disregard for the region would have consequences.
“If they plan to rig the election, they should be careful. It won’t be good for Nigeria. The North is watching, elders, masses, and interest groups will soon say “enough is enough ‘. The injustice and sidelining must stop.
Baba-Ahmed urged the northern region to look beyond identity politics, stressing that competence and integrity should guide voter decisions.
“We are tired of being deceived into voting based on religion or ethnicity. That era is over. We just want a right leader, we just want someone who will solve our problems,” he said.
Telecommunications giant, Globacom, has charged Christians to embrace the virtues that Christ preached as the 2025 Easter celebrations hold this weekend.
While congratulating Christians in Nigeria in a goodwill message released from its Lagos Head Office on Thursday, Globacom admonished them to imbibe the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
According to Glo, “Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”
Globacom charged all Nigerians to espouse the lessons of selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society and called on all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
The company praised their perseverance through the 40-day Lenten period which comes before Easter as it emphasized the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
Easter comes yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of unhindered voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
