A survey released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) states that 70% of Nigerians who were requested to pay a bribe in 2023 declined to do so at least once.
According to the article “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends,” Nigerians’ refusal to accept bribes can be attributed in large part to normative concerns (42%) and expense of living constraints (23%).
It also said that a sizable portion of all those who refused bribes (21%) said that they had other ways to obtain the things they wanted, which was their primary justification for declining a bribe request.
“Bribery is becoming less acceptable in Nigeria. The percentage of citizens who believe that calls for bribes to expedite administrative processes are appropriate fell from 29% in 2019 to 23% in 2023.”
“Compared to 2019 (49%) and 2023 (38%), fewer citizens report experiencing unfavourable outcomes as a result of turning down bribe requests. Nigerians appear to be feeling more confident to take on dishonest officials without worrying about the consequences,” NBS added.
Additionally, according to the report, “all zones recorded refusal rates above 60 percent, with the north-west having the highest refusal rate (at 76 percent).”
The expense of living, insecurity, and unemployment were the top three issues facing the nation in 2023, according to the NBS, which rated corruption fourth.
Over time and in different places, Nigerians’ trust in the government’s anti-corruption initiatives has been eroding. According to the Bureau, while in 2019 more than half of all residents believed that the government was effective in combating corruption, by 2023 that percentage had dropped to fewer than one-third of all citizens.
In 2023, citizens paid over N700 billion in cash bribes to public officials, according to the research, which also claims that over 95% of the bribes were given in monetary form (cash or money transfer).
