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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Nigeria’s fight against corruption showed little movement in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), holding steady at 26 out of 100 for the second year running, as reported by Transparency International (TI) and its Nigerian arm, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC). The country slipped two spots in the global standings, falling from 140th in 2024 to 142nd out of 180 nations, signalling public views of entrenched graft and sluggish reforms.
CISLAC’s executive director and Transparency International Nigeria Head, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, explained in a statement yesterday that the CPI draws from data by independent sources to gauge public sector corruption perceptions, serving as the world’s leading benchmark without judging specific cases.
CISLAC spotlighted notable advances that steadied Nigeria’s score in the index, which included the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reclaiming over ₦566 billion, $411 million and 1,502 properties from October 2023 to September 2025, while the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) secured ₦37.44 billion and $2.353 million in 2025 alone.
Boosting these efforts, the UK Crown Dependency of Jersey agreed in January 2026 to return over $9.5 million in corruptly acquired assets for Nigeria’s infrastructure needs. Another triumph came with Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in October 2025 after fulfilling a 19-point plan to bolster anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism measures.
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While the report praised the civil society and media as vital watchdogs upholding democratic checks, it noted that structural hurdles still loom large.
CISLAC flagged judicial graft, nepotism in appointments, eroding trust in courts, rampant oil theft and subsidy scams, as detailed in the 2022 Auditor-General’s report released in September 2025, which accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) of unaccounted billions in oil funds.
Additional red flags include opposition weakening before 2027 polls, power sector corruption, civic space contraction, insecurity fuelled by security graft and poor Freedom of Information Act adherence. In 2025, 86 attacks on journalists and activists further eroded accountability.
CISLAC demanded boosting independence for anti-graft bodies, transparent judicial picks, security overhauls, digitised procurement and asset recovery disclosures.
It pressed the National Assembly to pass the Whistleblower Protection Bill, tweak Electoral Act for electronic result transmission and strict budget rule enforcement.
