Governance, Corruption, and Public Service in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper essentially interrogates the role of corruption in the governance crisis currently plaguing Nigeria and which has led to a near collapse of public service in the country. The paper argues that the persistence of corruption in government in Nigeria is in large part traceable to public officials as they respond to the pressures on them in the course of rendering public service, which makes them dip their hands into the public coffers and divert public resources meant for the provision of public gods and services into their private pockets. The work is guided by the political economy theoretical framework, which explains that there is an inevitable vicious cycle of relationships between corruption and governance that produces the failure of public service as outcome. Using the qualitative research method based on the historical-institutional analysis of data obtained from documentary sources, which helps trace public service corruption through the different governmental regimes in Nigeria. This paper finds that there is a cyclical relationship between governance, corruption and public service in Nigeria whereby each variable affects and is affected by the other variables. Corruption undermines governance and public service efficiency in the country. The work recommends the enhancement of good governance outcomes in the country and the reduction of incentives for corruption among public officials, while cases of corruption will be severely punished and the proceeds of corruption recovered.