Since independence in 1960, Nigeria's social and economic fabric, as well as the functioning of its public services, has been characterised by significant corruption. However, it was under the various military dictators in the 1990s that the problem reached endemic levels. This is partly because Nigeria has been deriving the majority of its income from the oil industry for decades and, under both military and civilian rule, this vast financial windfall has been distributed on the basis of political favours, patronage networks, clientelism, and corruption. Despite the huge petroleum profits, the average Nigerian is extremely poor. Bribery and nepotism are so prevalent that some experts describe Nigeria as a kleptocracy. Anti-corruption legislation in the country is very poorly enforced and whistleblowers enjoy little protection. Civil society is relatively weak. For decades, there has been impunity at all levels of government. The police, the judiciary and other government agencies responsible for combating corruption are regularly implicated in scandals themselves.
In the face of widespread corruption, President Olusegun Obasanjo (in office from 1999 to 2007) set up several independent anti-corruption bodies. Following a brief improvement in the situation, corruption reached new heights under President Goodluck Jonathan (2010–15), costing the country tens of billions of dollars through fraud. President Muhammadu Buhari (2015–2023) was elected on the promise of tackling the problem vigorously. During his tenure, the number of indictments and convictions did indeed rise; however, accusations soon arose that the prosecution policy was selective, targeting presidential opponents in particular. Despite Buhari's promises, bribery and nepotism did not significantly decrease in the 2023 presidential elections. President Bola Tinubu, who was elected in spring 2023, has faced allegations of corruption himself and generally pays little attention to the issue. In addition to corruption, Nigeria faces many other problems, including jihadist insurgency, internal armed conflict, violent banditry, rising poverty, and major demographic challenges. Various reports state that corruption exacerbates these problems. According to many observers, the political class is itself shaped by clientelism and bribery, and seems to have great difficulty in adequately addressing the numerous difficulties facing the country.
Corruption in Nigeria affects the whole country, all levels of government (both federal and local), and all sectors and levels of society. It involves influencing decisions and issuing documents through favours or bribery. Document fraud is rife in Nigeria, where virtually anything can be obtained improperly, including identity cards, birth certificates, passports, driving licences, diplomas, permits, marriage certificates, medical certificates and property titles. This involves both the production of manifest forgeries and corrupt officials issuing authentic documents fraudulently. Although the Nigerian authorities operate specialised services dedicated to combatting document fraud, reports from the United Nations and other organisations indicate that the problem remains widespread to this day.
Policy
The policy implemented by the Commissioner General is based on a thorough analysis of accurate and up-to-date information on the general situation in the country of origin. This information is collated in a professional manner from various, objective sources, including the EUAA, the UNHCR, relevant international human rights organisations, non-governmental organisations, professional literature and coverage in the media. When determining policy, the Commissioner General does not only examine the COI Focuses written by Cedoca and published on this website, as these deal with just one aspect of the general situation in the country of origin. The fact that a COI Focus could be out-of-date does not mean that the policy that is being implemented by the Commissioner General is no longer up-to-date.
When assessing an application for asylum, the Commissioner General not only considers the actual situation in the country of origin at the moment of decision-making, he also takes into account the individual situation and personal circumstances of the applicant for international protection. Every asylum application is examined individually. An applicant must comprehensively demonstrate that he has a well-founded fear of persecution or that there is a clear personal risk of serious harm. He cannot, therefore, simply refer back to the general conditions in his country, but must also present concrete, credible and personal facts.
There is no policy paper for this country available on the website.