Nigeria has fallen to 142nd position in the 2025 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released by Transparency International (TI), reflecting a slight decline in its global standing on public sector corruption.
This is according to the latest ranking released on the organisation’s website on Tuesday.
The country retained a CPI score of 26 out of 100, unchanged from 2024, underscoring persistent challenges in governance and anti-corruption reforms.
Across Africa, Seychelles emerged as the continent’s least corrupt country, while other nations also recorded notable improvements.
The CPI evaluates 182 countries worldwide on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 indicates a highly corrupt public sector and 100 represents a corruption-free system. Nigeria’s ranking fell from 140th in 2024 but remained better than its 145th position in 2023.
What the data is saying
Nigeria’s long-term CPI performance highlights a pattern of stagnation.
The country has averaged 21.48 points since 1996, with its highest-ever score of 28 recorded in 2016 and lowest of 6.9 in 1996.
- “While 31 countries have significantly reduced their corruption levels since 2012, the rest are failing to tackle the problem – they have stayed stagnant or got worse during the same period,” said Maíra Martini, Chief Executive Officer of Transparency International.
- “The global average has fallen to a new low of 42, while more than two-thirds of countries score below 50.”
- “People are paying the price, as corruption leads to under-funded hospitals, unbuilt flood defences and blights the hopes and dreams of young people.”
Seychelles maintained its position as the least corrupt country on the continent, ranking 24th globally, up from 72nd in 2024.
Cabo Verde rose to 35th place, Botswana and Rwanda both climbed to 41st, Namibia and Senegal shared the 65th spot, the Republic of Benin placed 70th, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana were 76th, and South Africa ranked 81st.
The data suggests that while Nigeria has avoided further deterioration, meaningful progress in transparency, accountability, and institutional governance remains limited.
Get up to speed
Nigeria’s ranking reflects a long-standing struggle to address systemic corruption, despite repeated commitments by successive administrations.
Over the years, the country has established anti-corruption agencies and introduced reforms, but progress has remained uneven.
While the government continues to express commitment through policies aimed at improving governance, strengthening public sector efficiency, and promoting transparency, sustained political will, consistent implementation, and active public participation will be critical to achieving meaningful improvements in future CPI rankings.
What you should know
Despite Nigeria’s stagnant CPI score, the country continues to pursue anti-corruption initiatives through institutions such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC). Efforts include investigations into high-profile corruption cases, public sector audits, and policy reforms aimed at improving transparency.
- These measures, however, have yet to produce a significant shift in Nigeria’s CPI ranking, signaling that enforcement, policy continuity, and systemic reforms remain key challenges.
- Analysts note that sustained improvements will require stronger institutional independence, political will, and public accountability mechanisms.
Nigeria’s 2025 CPI result underscores the difficulty of curbing corruption in a complex political and economic environment. While the country has maintained its score and avoided further decline, the report highlights that without stronger enforcement and systemic reforms, public confidence in governance may remain fragile.
