Nigeria and other sub-Saharan countries have bottomed the latest (2022) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) report by Transparency International.
According to the report, which was released yesterday, there has not been much progress in the fight against corruption under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in the last year, maintaining last year’s 24, out of 100 points.
The sub-Saharan Africa region also took a setback, from 33 points average score last year to 32, underlying the deepening corruption crisis across the region as it relates to the cost of living, recovery from the pandemic, and worsening inequality.
“The Covid-19 pandemic severely affected livelihoods, deepening inequalities and increasing corruption risks across sub-Saharan Africa”, the Transparency International report further said.
Seychelles, Botswana, and Cabo Verde topped the region’s chart, with 70, 60, and 60 points, respectively. Somalia was the least rated on the region’s chart, scoring 12 out of 100 points; and South Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, and Burundi closing at 13, 17, and 17 points, respectively.
Although Denmark, Finland, and Norway lead Western Europe and the European Union (EU) region, to retain the top-scoring region, several countries have stagnated growth in over a decade owing to undue influence and fragmented anti-corruption measures, the report explained.
It added, “The changing security landscape since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and a looming recession both demand robust responses from governments”.
