CORRUPTION AND UNDERDEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: PROBLEMATIQUE, NEXUS, CONSEQUENCES AND WAY FORWARD

The phenomenon of corruption has no doubt become monstrous and pervasive in the Nigerian state, such that it has threatened the very foundation for her rapid development in socio-economic and political trajectory. Given its innumerable manifestations, corruption has permeated all spheres of life and institutions of governance. More worrisome is the fact that successive governments continue to battle with this endemic scourge, all to no avail as it keeps increasing by leaps and bounds. This paper, therefore, argues that corruption is responsible for the state of underdevelopment in Nigeria and Africa by extension because there exists, a clear nexus between corruption and underdevelopment. The paper further imports the basic tenets of prebendalism as a theoretical construct to understanding corruption and the reasons why it is prevalent. Complementing this theoretical analysis is the utilization of the documentary and desktop analytical approach and/or information cum personal experiences in the articulation of the causes and effects of corruption on the society. The paper therefore concludes that though corruption is pervasive and global, it is antithetical to development in all facets. Hence, it requires a holistic and an unsentimental approach to conquer it, the paper recommends institutionalization of legal frameworks, stringent punishment like capital punishment as well as improvement in salary and wage structures of bureaucratic officials as probable and workable solutions to minimize corruption to its barest minimum. Article visualizations