The 2021 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) published by Transparency International (TI) on Tuesday January 25, showed that Nigeria has dropped 5 places.
The CPI rated Nigeria, which scored 24 out of 100 points in the 2021 index, as the second most corrupt country in West Africa, after Guinea.
Nigeria’s current 154 ranking out of 180 countries in the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index is a drop of 149 in the 2020 index.
“In the Corruption Perceptions Index 2021, Nigeria ranks 154 out of 180 countries and territories, falling back five places from the rank of 149 in 2020.
“The 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International today shows corruption is on the increase in Nigeria.
“The country scored 24 out of 100 points in the #CPI2021, which is one point less compared to the score of 2020,” the organisation tweeted on its official Twitter handle @TransparencITng, on Tuesday.
The CPI is TI’s tool for measuring the levels of corruption in the systems of various countries around the world.
The maximum points a country can score is 100 points, and the least is zero. Zero signifies the worst performing countries and 100, the best-ranked.
The new ranking is reportedly the worst under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. In 2015, Nigeria was ranked 136th; 136th in 2016; 148th in 2017; 144th in 2018; 146th in 2019, and 149th in 2020.
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the national chapter of Transparency International (TI), said the CPI aggregates data from eight different sources that provide perceptions by experts and business people on the level of corruption in the public sector.
The seven weaknesses observed in Nigeria are:
1. Damning audit report.
2. Security sector corruption.
3.Failure to investigate high profile corruption cases and prevent
Illicit financial flows (IFFs).
4. Absence of asset recovery, protection of whistle-blowers and other key anti-corruption legal frameworks.
5. Judicial challenges.
6. Corruption in the COVID-19 response.
7. Twitter ban, shrinking civic space and intimidation of human rights defenders.