AN ASSESSMENT OF NIGERIA’S ANTI-CORRUPTION AGENCIES: CHALLENGES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Nigeria is faced with the problem of corruption. Successive governments in the country had established several anti-corruption agencies to investigate, prosecute and prevent corrupt practices across the public and private sectors. Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and others. This paper assessed the challenges confronting anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria and the implications of these challenges for national development. Using secondary sources, such as internet, academic journals, textbooks, legal statutes, government publications, periodicals and policy documents, the data were analysed using thematic-content analysis.The findings indicated that Nigeria’s anti-graft institutions face deep-rooted structural and operational challenges that severely limit their effectiveness, especially in handling high-profile corruption cases. These limitations not only encourage impunity and diminish public trust in the justice system but also lead to the mismanagement of public resources, poor governance, and service delivery failures. Consequently, corruption becomes entrenched, exacerbating poverty, inequality, and underdevelopment across key sectors, while also undermining investor confidence, weakening democratic institutions, and endangering the country’s socio-economic stability and development.The paper recommended comprehensive reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s anti-graft efforts by ensuring the autonomy and capacity of agencies like the EFCC and ICPC through legal protections, adequate funding, and modern investigative tools. It also calls for an overhaul of the judicial system to expedite corruption cases, including the creation of special courts, strict case timelines, and improved judicial accountability, all aimed at restoring public trust and reinforcing the rule of law.