History of Corruption and National Development: The Case of Nigeria

Nigeria, with a population of over 140 million people, is the most populous country: in Africa: one in five Sub-Saharan Africans is a Nigerian. The country is also rich in both human and natural resources. Billions of dollars were generated yearly from the sale of crude oil and vet nothing to show for this huge revenue in terms of infrastructural development and the living standards of Nigerians. This state of affairs has been attributed to the prevalence of corruption. This paper examines phenomenon called corruption. It discusses the causes and impacts. The paper attributed the causes of corruption in Nigeria to socio-cultural and the political and economic situation of the country. The paper contends that corruption has been responsible for the instability of successive Nigerian administration since independence to date. Besides, it creates negative image and loss of much needed revenue for developmental purposes: it devalues the quality of human life: robs educational and health sectors of revenues; it slows down administrative processes thereby making the execution of government policies to be ineffective. The paper recommends among others, enlightenment of the citizen on the danger of excessive materialism and the culture of “get rich quick”. Besides, the property of any corrupt official should be confiscated and should also be imprisoned for life to serve as a deterrent to others. Keywords: Corruption, Development, Kleptocracy, Prebendalisr