By Chimezie Godfrey
The Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD), The Electoral Hub has warned that Nigeria’s corruption crisis has reached a scale that now threatens national stability, youth prospects, and public trust. The organisation issued the warning as the world marked the 2025 International Anti-Corruption Day.
Citing the 2023 NBS/UNODC corruption survey, IRIAD described the revelation that ₦721 billion was paid in bribes within one year as a national emergency needing urgent collaborative action. Director of IRIAD–The Electoral Hub, Princess Hamman-Obels, said the findings expose a deeply entrenched system that steals opportunities from our youth, undermines institutions, and weakens the country’s future.
Hamman-Obels noted that more than 87 million bribe payments occurred in 2023, and nearly 27% of citizens interacting with public officials paid a bribe. She argued that these are not mere statistics but reflections of widespread deprivation, denied rights, and weakened access to essential services.
”The reality in Nigeria remains deeply troubling. According to the 2023 National Bureau of Statistics / UNODC corruption survey, public officials received about ₦721 billion in bribes in 2023, a figure that reflects both the scale of the challenge and the structural nature of corruption in public institutions.
”More than 87 million bribe payments were made within that same year, and nearly 27% of citizens interacting with public officials paid a bribe, with an even larger portion asked to do so but refusing. These figures are not just financial losses; they represent millions of Nigerians being denied fair access to health care, education, security services, public administration, and justice. These losses and denied services ultimately impact negatively on state-citizens relationship.
”One of the most devastating impacts is seen in public-sector employment,”Hamman-Obels, lamented.
She stressed that young Nigerians remain the most affected. “When education is underfunded, when hospitals lack basic supplies, and when jobs are sold instead of earned, young people are the first victims,” she stated.
One of the most troubling revelations remains the report that nearly 60% of public-sector employments between 2020 and 2023 involved bribery, nepotism, or favoritism. Hamman-Obels said: “A society where jobs are bought is a society that mortgages its future. We cannot build a strong nation on corruption.”
This year’s theme, “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity,” underscores the need for youth-led action. IRIAD said young people must be empowered with civic-tech tools, advocacy platforms, and leadership opportunities to drive reforms.
Hamman-Obels added that youth movements, investigative journalists, and digital activists are increasingly challenging impunity and demanding accountability. “Young people are not just victims—they are the engine of reform and the guardians of integrity,” she asserted.
IRIAD issued an extensive call to action urging the government, legislature, judiciary, civil society, traditional institutions, media, and the private sector to take concrete steps to reduce impunity.
Hamman-Obels concluded: “If Nigeria is serious about development, peace, and stability, then we must unite with our youth to dismantle corruption. The future depends on it.”
IRIAD Raises Alarm Over ₦721bn Bribery Crisis, Says Youth Must Lead Nigeria’s Integrity Fight
