About 82.3 million bribes were paid in Nigeria in the 12 months leading to May 2016, a survey by the official National Bureau of Statistics and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime has revealed.
The survey further revealed that almost a third of Nigerian adults (32.3%) who had contact with a public official between June 2015 and May 2016 had to pay a bribe or were asked for one.
“The magnitude of public sector bribery in Nigeria becomes even more palpable when factoring in the frequency of those payments, as the majority of those who paid a bribe to a public official did so more than once over the course of the year,” reported BBC, quoting the report.
Other key points in the report include:
- Bribe-payers pay an average of about six bribes in one year, or roughly one bribe every two months
- The average sum paid as a cash bribe is about 5,300 naira ( $14; £10)
- This means that every time a Nigerian pays a cash bribe, he or she spends an average of about 28.2% of the monthly salary of about 18,900 naira ( $52)
- About 85.3% of “bribery episodes” are initiated either directly or indirectly by public officials and
- Almost 70% of bribes are paid before a service is rendered.
The report added: “With such a large portion of public officials initiating bribes, which are paid up front, it seems that many public officials show little hesitation in asking for a kickback to carry out their duty and that bribery is an established part of the administrative procedure in Nigeria.”
