Impact of Democratization on Corruption in Nigeria

Abstract

This thesis is intended to explore the impact of democratization on corruption in Nigeria. The reintroduction of democracy in Nigeria in 1999 has not been met with the reduction of corruption. Despite the historical tendency that the prevalence of corruption has provided a pretext for the termination of democracy, Nigeria has maintained democracy for an unprecedented time-scale. It is attempted to probe this puzzle by analyzing 1) how the political leaders have approached the issue of corruption and 2) how the activities of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, are relevant to the continuation of democracy. The findings of these analyses identify the critical basis on which corruption has persisted. The politics of Nigeria is factionalized and easily collapses into a violent conflict, and patronage plays a critical role in avoiding conflict. Therefore, the leaders’ endeavor to maintain political stability has undermined the campaign to combat corruption.