NIGERIA has been ranked the 36th most corrupt country globally. This comes a month after President Bola Tinubu was voted the third most corrupt leader in the world.
The giant of Africa was joined by Uganda, Mexico, Madagascar, Iraq, and Cameroon in the same spot with a total score of 26 points.
This was revealed in the latest ranking released by Transparency International, a global think tank against corruption on Tuesday.
Highlighting the 2024 corruption perceptions index, the list ranked Denmark as the least corrupt country with 90 points, Finland as second with 88 points, and Singapore as third with 84 points.
No African country made the top 10 very clean list as it was dominated by European countries.
However, Cape Verde tops the list of least corrupt African countries despite being number 35 with 62 points.
South Sudan, Somalia and Venezuela are the most corrupt countries in the world for the year in review.
Citing the basis of the selection and result, the chair of Transparency Internation, Francois Valeria, said, “The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) shows that corruption is a dangerous problem in every part of the world, but change for the better is happening in many countries.
“Research also reveals that corruption is a major threat to climate action. It hinders progress in reducing emissions and adapting to the unavoidable effects of global heating.
“The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories worldwide by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. The results are given on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).”
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Valeria further maintained that While 32 countries have significantly reduced their corruption levels since 2012, there’s still a huge amount of work to be done – 148 countries have stayed stagnant or gotten worse during the same period, adding, “The global average of 43 has also stood still for years, while over two-thirds of countries score below 50. Billions of people live in countries where corruption destroys lives and undermines human rights.”
From Third Most Corrupt Leader to 36th Worst Corrupt Country in The World
Nigeria’s ranking as the 36th corrupt country is not surprising, President Bola Tinubu had earlier been voted the third most corrupt president globally.
The poll was conducted by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the largest investigative journalism organisation.
The Explainer noted that the data collected showed that Bola Tinubu was the third on the list of the “persons of the year, drew its voters from a global network of journalists, readers, and corruption watchdogs. It puts the spotlight on leaders who have allegedly facilitated organized crime and corruption in their respective domains.
The OCCRP cited Tinubu’s alleged involvement in financial improprieties, including links to drug trafficking and wealth sourced from questionable means. These allegations gained traction during Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign when questions surrounding his financial history and assets reemerged as hot-button issues on the campaign trail.
One of the key factors contributing to Tinubu’s reputation is the opacity surrounding his wealth. A major scandal emerged in May 2023, with allegations that the President’s son Seyi Tinubu, owned a $10.8 million London mansion initially linked to criminal proceeds. The property, once owned by Kolawole Aluko—an associate involved in financial crimes—was scheduled for confiscation by Nigerian authorities in 2017 but was later acquired by Seyi.
The Explainer reported that the revelation added to a series of allegations, including claims of forgery and drug-related activities, that have followed Tinubu since his time as Lagos State governor. Despite these controversies, Tinubu’s political career has hardly been impacted, as he trudged on to the Nigerian Presidency.
