A new report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown a concerning picture of bribery in Nigeria, with Nigerian public officials receiving no less than ₦721 billion ($1.26 billion) in bribes in 2023; an amount which translates to roughly 0.35% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The report, titled “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends,” was released on Thursday. The findings were based on a survey conducted with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The survey revealed that the average cash bribe in 2023 was ₦8,284, up from ₦5,754 in 2019. Despite this increase, the inflation-adjusted value of the average bribe in 2023 was 29% smaller than in 2019.

The report read in part, “According to the 2023 survey, the average cash bribe paid was 8,284 Nigerian Naira. While the nominal average cash bribe size increased since 2019 (from NGN 5,754), this does not account for inflation. The inflation-adjusted average cash bribe in 2023 was 29 per cent smaller than in 2019 in terms of what could be bought with the money.

“Overall, it is estimated that a total of roughly NGN 721 billion (US$1.26 billion) was paid in cash bribes to public officials in Nigeria in 2023, corresponding to 0.35 per cent of the entire Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria.”

Corruption was identified as the fourth most significant issue in the country, following the cost of living, insecurity, and unemployment. The report also indicated a decline in Nigerians’ confidence in the government’s anti-corruption efforts. While over half of the citizens believed in the government’s effectiveness in combating corruption in 2019, this figure dropped to less than a third in 2023.

All six geopolitical zones of Nigeria recorded more than a 10 percentage point drop in the share of citizens who thought the government was effective against corruption between 2019 and 2023.

The reports added, “This suggests relatively stable and high levels of concerns about corruption over time and compared to other concerns such as education or housing.

“Nigerians’ confidence in the government’s anti-corruption effort has been declining over time and across regions. While in 2019, more than half of all citizens thought that the government was effective in fighting corruption, in 2023, the share declined to less than a third of all citizens. The downward trend in the citizen’s confidence is observable across the entire country, with all six zones recording reductions of more than 10 percentage points between 2019 and 2023 in terms of the share of citizens who thought the government was effective in fighting corruption.”

In 2023, 56% of Nigerians interacted with public officials, down from 63% in 2019. Despite this reduction, bribery remained widespread, with an average of 5.1 bribes per payer, totalling about 87 million bribes nationwide, a decrease from the 117 million bribes estimated in 2019.

Bribery was more prevalent in rural areas, with rural residents paying an average of 5.8 bribes compared to 4.5 bribes in urban areas.

The report noted that over 95% of bribes were paid in cash or money transfers in 2023. Public officials were the primary recipients of bribes, but the involvement of private sector actors, including doctors in private hospitals, rose from 6% in 2019 to 14% in 2023. However, bribery in the public sector remained about twice as high as in the private sector.

In 2023, 27% of Nigerians who interacted with a public official paid a bribe, slightly down from 29% in 2019. Including instances where bribes were requested but refused, over one-third of interactions between citizens and public officials involved bribery.

There was also a notable increase in Nigerians refusing to pay bribes. In 2023, 70% of those asked to pay a bribe refused at least once, with the highest refusal rates in the North-West zone at 76%. All regions recorded refusal rates above 60%, indicating a growing resistance to corruption.

The percentage of citizens who viewed bribery as acceptable to expedite procedures decreased from 29% in 2019 to 23% in 2023. Fewer citizens reported suffering negative consequences for refusing to pay bribes in 2023 compared to 2019, suggesting increasing empowerment to confront corrupt officials without fear of repercussions.

The report also revealed that not less than 60% of public sector workers were hired through nepotism, bribery, or both between 2020 and 2023. Specifically, 27% of these candidates used bribery, 13% used nepotism, and 19% used both. Meanwhile, 40% of candidates claimed to have secured their positions without resorting to any unethical means.

The recruitment process in the public sector was found to require closer monitoring, as 46% of people who secured jobs in the public sector in the three years before the survey admitted to paying a bribe. This was about 1.5 times the share found in the 2019 survey. Additionally, 32% of successful applicants were helped by friends or relatives.

The report indicated that the use of bribery was notably lower when the recruitment process included formal assessments. Among candidates who underwent a written test or oral interview, 41% used bribery or nepotism, compared to 53% among those who were not formally assessed.

The report read: “The 2023 survey data show that approximately half (49 per cent) of those who secured a position in the public sector in the three years before the survey passed a written test and/or oral interview during the recruitment selection process. Importantly, the data suggest that the means of selection had a role in facilitating or preventing the use of illegal practices during recruitment. Among those who underwent an assessment procedure (written test / oral interview), 41 per cent made use of bribery, while the share was as much as 53 per cent among those who were not formally assessed.”

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